BlackRock’s Spot Bitcoin ETF Draws More Inflows Than the Largest Gold Fund in 2025

BlackRock’s Spot Bitcoin ETF Outperforms Gold Fund in 2025 Inflows

BlackRock’s Spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) has seen remarkable success in 2025, pulling in $6.96 billion in inflows year-to-date, placing it as the sixth-largest ETF globally by net inflows, according to Eric Balchunas, a senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg. Despite Bitcoin’s relatively modest 3.8% price gain this year, IBIT’s growth reflects continued institutional confidence in the cryptocurrency’s future.

In contrast, gold has been on a robust rally, climbing nearly 29% in value, which has translated into $6.5 billion in inflows for the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), the largest gold-backed ETF. However, GLD’s inflows have fallen behind those of IBIT, dropping it to seventh place in inflows among all ETFs.

The data suggests that while Bitcoin’s price has remained volatile—more than 10% below its January peak—institutional investors remain undeterred, viewing Bitcoin as a long-term store of value, akin to digital gold. Bitcoin’s relative underperformance in the market has not stunted the appetite for Bitcoin ETFs.

Balchunas expressed optimism about the future of Bitcoin in the ETF space, predicting that Bitcoin ETFs could eventually eclipse gold ETFs in assets under management in the next 3 to 5 years, with institutional inflows driving that growth.

“Seeing such substantial inflows into Bitcoin ETFs, especially in a year where Bitcoin’s price hasn’t seen explosive growth, indicates strong institutional belief in its future potential,” Balchunas noted on X.