Institutional capital is coming back, and it’s largely going through BlackRock.
Following a choppy Q4 in 2025, where ETF volumes struggled to find a floor, the first week of 2026 has delivered a massive liquidity injection.
On-chain data and fund flows confirm that BlackRock clients have snapped up 3,948 Bitcoin [BTC] worth $371.89 million and 31,737 Ethereum [ETH] worth $100.23 million.
This signals that institutions don’t drop half a billion dollars unless they expect the market to strengthen.
In fact, this kind of synchronized BTC + ETH accumulation often happens when institutions expect higher prices soon.
BlackRock’s ETF analysis
On the ETF front, the 5th of January marked a rebound for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. Data from Farside Investors shows an extraordinary $697.2 million in Bitcoin ETF inflows in a single day.
BlackRock’s IBIT alone accounted for $372.5 million, over half of all inflows. Meanwhile, its Ethereum counterpart, ETHA, secured $102.9 million out of the sector’s $168 million total.
This surge in capital coincided with a broader market recovery, pushing Bitcoin to $93,700.64 and Ethereum to $3,234.78.
BlackRock vs. Strategy
At the same time, corporate holders are also signaling renewed confidence.
Strategy, despite suffering a steep 43% stock decline during the 2025 crypto downturn, remains the world’s largest public Bitcoin treasury with over 673,783 BTC.
In fact, on the 4th of January, Michael Saylor reignited speculation when he hinted at further Bitcoin accumulation on X.
Yet perhaps the most transformative development comes from Grayscale.
Grayscale’s Ethereum Staking ETF
On the 5th of January, the firm announced the first-ever U.S. spot crypto ETP payout derived from staking rewards for its Ethereum Staking ETF (ETHE).
Investors received $0.083178 per share, with the distribution covering rewards accrued from October to December 2025.
This introduces passive income to Ethereum holders within traditional brokerage accounts, shifting ETH from a purely speculative asset to a yield-generating one.
These developments follow a dramatic year-end contrast between two of the market’s biggest players.
This coincided with…
During the holiday slowdown, BlackRock quietly shifted $214 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum to Coinbase Prime to manage ETF redemptions.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Saylor’s Strategy moved in the opposite direction.
On the same day, Strategy purchased 1,229 BTC worth $108.85 million, boosting its holdings to 672,497 BTC.
All this combined signals that the weak hands are exiting and the strongest hands are accumulating, setting the tone for what may come next in 2026.
Final Thoughts
- Institutions aren’t waiting for perfect market conditions; they’re positioning early for the next macro cycle.
- The ETF landscape is accelerating into a new phase, as nearly $700 million of inflows in a single day marks the beginning of the “ETF 2.0” era.
