After weathering a hefty $878 million exodus last week, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs are finally catching their breath and showing signs of a rebound. Tuesday saw a welcome $76.4 million pour back in, marking the second day in a row of positive flows. Monday’s $1.5 million was just a trickle, but this shift in momentum is starting to feel like something real.

Leading the charge was BlackRock’s IBIT, attracting $38.2 million in fresh capital. Ark and 21Shares’ ARKB also joined the party with $13.4 million, and Bitwise’s BITB chipped in with $11 million. Even Grayscale’s mini trust and Franklin Templeton’s EZBC are seeing renewed interest from investors.

Why the Sudden Turnaround in Inflows?

According to insights from Peter Chung at Presto Research, these inflows aren’t just a burst of random optimism – there’s a strategic play at work. Traders are apparently leveraging a “basis trade,” essentially going long on spot ETFs while simultaneously shorting CME futures. As the returns from these trades become more appealing again – thanks to a bit of stability returning to riskier assets – capital is finding its way back in.

So, it’s not just retail investors getting excited. This looks more like smart money repositioning itself as the market finds its footing after the recent turbulence.

But What’s Happening with the Bitcoin Price?

Despite the positive ETF flows, Bitcoin itself took a bit of a dip, dropping 2% in the last day to around $83,642 after briefly flirting with the $86,000 mark. This pullback feels more like a natural breather after the rollercoaster ride of last week, fueled by Trump’s tariff announcements that shook up global markets.

Overall ETF trading volume on Tuesday landed at $1.6 billion, a step down from Monday’s $2.2 billion and way off from last Friday’s $3.5 billion. This suggests we’re seeing less of the high-octane speculative frenzy, even as money cautiously starts to trickle back in.

Ethereum is Still Having a Tough Time

While Bitcoin ETFs are finding their footing again, Ethereum isn’t sharing the same good fortune. Spot Ethereum ETFs saw $14.2 million head for the exits on Tuesday, marking the sixth consecutive day of outflows. This divergence hints that investors currently have more conviction in Bitcoin’s short-term stability compared to Ethereum.

So, What’s Next for Bitcoin’s Price?

The renewed inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs—especially from big players like BlackRock—send a clear signal of growing institutional confidence, even after the recent market jitters. If this trend continues, BTC could establish a solid foundation in the $83K–$85K range, and we could even see another push towards $90K on the horizon.

However, with trading volumes dialing back, don’t expect fireworks just yet. A short-term recovery seems вполне plausible, but for a real breakout, we’ll likely need clearer macroeconomic signals and sustained, consistent inflows.

Bottom Line

Bitcoin ETFs are bouncing back pretty quickly. Institutions are cautiously dipping their toes back in, and the mechanics of basis trades are helping fuel these inflows. If this pattern holds true, Bitcoin’s price could stabilize and gear up for another run—especially if the broader economic news stops throwing curveballs.