Institutional inflows into the crypto market have once again broken short-term records. US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted net inflows of $606.29 million on Thursday, August 21, 2026. This figure marks the largest single-day inflow since May 1, while also surpassing Wednesday’s performance which stood at $517.19 million. This new record secures a positive trend of institutional money flowing in for four consecutive sessions.
Of that more than half-a-billion-dollar inflow, one name dominated almost the entire trading desk. BlackRock’s IBIT product absorbed 83% of the total inflows on Thursday. The asset manager’s dominance surged within 24 hours; on Wednesday’s trading, IBIT’s share of the Bitcoin ETF market was still at 55%.
The Party Spreads to Altcoins
The institutional buying wave did not stop at Bitcoin. Ethereum ETFs also gathered an additional inflow of nearly $221 million. This daily achievement represents the largest for Ethereum investment products since October 2025, which also maintained a positive four-day streak. XRP ETFs also recorded net daily inflows of $13.2 million during the same period.
Data from on-chain transaction tracker @lookonchain mapped out the volume of capital moving throughout the week. In the last seven days, all Bitcoin ETFs absorbed 22,043 BTC, equivalent to a capital injection of $1.7 billion. At the same time, Ethereum ETFs pulled in inflows of 219,254 ETH valued at approximately $523.54 million.
One Manager Chooses to Step Back
While new capital inflows continue to enter the market, Hashdex is taking a different path. The asset management company decided to close one of their Bitcoin ETF funds this month. Investors who still hold this product past the August 17 deadline can no longer liquidate their assets through regular exchange trading. Asset holders will receive cash settlements scheduled to be paid on August 24 or 28.
Price Projections Risk Being Shattered
This momentum aligns with price action. Bitfinex data shows the price of Bitcoin rose 23% within a week, touching the $77,535 level. XRP went even further with a weekly surge reaching 41.2% to a price of $1.42. This movement prompted the head of digital assets at Standard Chartered, Geoff Kendrick, to revise his assumptions. He admitted that for the first time this year, there is a risk that his year-end price target of $100,000 might be too low.
For investors who continue to wait for lower prices before buying, this pattern carries a concrete message: large institutions choose to buy at higher prices rather than wait for an uncertain correction.
Reported from Decrypt.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
