Thomas Daniels
Four U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have made it into the top 20 ETF launches ever, marking a significant milestone for the cryptocurrency industry and demonstrating the growing institutional interest in Bitcoin. This milestone was reached a year after the first spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which sparked a lot of market activity.
With the SEC’s approval on January 10, 2024, 11 Bitcoin ETFs were able to make their debut on U.S. markets. Their debut came at a crucial juncture for the widespread adoption of Bitcoin, as it surged to a record high of over $100,000 in March 2024.
James Seyffart, a Bloomberg ETF analyst, emphasized the funds’ remarkable success a year after they were first introduced. The inclusion of Bitwise’s Bitcoin ETF (BITB), Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), Ark/21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB), and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) in the top 20 ETF launches in U.S. history are among the most noteworthy accomplishments.
In contrast to BlackRock’s gold ETF, which took almost 20 years to reach $30 billion in assets under management (AUM), IBIT leads the field with AUM topping $50 billion in less than a year.
“These ETFs have done very well, even when adjusted for inflation,” Seyffart said. Four Bitcoin ETFs are currently among the top 20 ETF debuts in history: $IBIT, $FBTC, $ARKB, and $BITB. That is enormous.
These ETFs’ widespread success is reflected in the rankings:
- IBIT: #1
- FBTC: #4
- ARKB: #16
- BITB: #18
Seyffart also highlighted the outstanding accomplishments of smaller issuers, such Bitwise and ARK/21Shares, which ETFs secured their spot among the top 20 debuts with an AUM of about $4 billion.
Conversely, other Bitcoin ETFs that were introduced at about the same time, such CoinShares Valkyrie’s BRRR and VanEck’s HODL, performed much worse, ranking #162 and #99, respectively.
According to data from SoSoValue, the net assets of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs as of January 9, 2025, totaled over $106 billion. This number, which amounts to about 5.74% of Bitcoin’s overall market capitalization, emphasizes how institutional vehicles are becoming more and more significant in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
These ETFs’ quick success confirms the digital asset’s place in conventional financial markets and highlights investors’ strong desire for exposure to Bitcoin through regulated financial products.
