US Bitcoin ETF inflows hit over $1.3 billion last week

  • BTC crossed $106,000 on 13 June, sparking institutional buying.
  • The coin currently trades near the $107K mark.
  • Market signals show mixed short-term sentiment despite the ETF rebound.

Bitcoin investment products saw a sharp rise in institutional inflows last week, reversing a two-week trend of capital flight.

Between 9 and 13 June, BTC-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $1.37 billion in net inflows, marking their first positive weekly performance since late May.

The turnaround in sentiment came despite sluggish price action early in the week, suggesting a shift in investor behaviour driven by price recovery and growing appetite for digital assets in traditional markets.

The resurgence in inflows reflects how closely institutional participation remains tied to BTC’s price performance.

While the early part of the week saw subdued demand due to Bitcoin trading flat below $106,000, the mood shifted rapidly once the coin rebounded.

By 13 June, BTC had crossed the $106,000 mark and closed the week strong, leading to a fresh wave of capital inflow across ETF markets.

The momentum saw BTC ETFs absorb more than $1 billion in new funds, underscoring the growing confidence among institutional players.

Derivatives market shows signs of caution

Despite the uptick in spot ETF activity and Bitcoin’s 1% price gain on Monday, the derivatives market paints a more cautious picture.

As of writing, Bitcoin trades at $106,994, with a 19% rise in 24-hour trading volume.

bitcoin price
Source: CoinMarketCap

However, futures open interest—a key metric tracking unsettled contracts—has declined nearly 10% since 10 June, now standing at $69.39 billion.

This decline signals that many traders are closing out or refraining from entering new leveraged positions.

In times of heightened uncertainty or weak price conviction, such a move often reflects a risk-off attitude.

Lower open interest can also indicate reduced market participation, which typically leads to lower volatility but also dampens bullish momentum.

The disconnect between ETF inflows and derivative activity points to a mixed outlook.

While long-term holders and institutions appear more confident in Bitcoin’s trajectory, short-term speculators remain wary of potential pullbacks or broader market corrections.

Sensitivity to BTC price remains high

The interplay between ETF inflows, derivative markets, and on-chain sentiment suggests that Bitcoin remains highly sensitive to price signals.

The dramatic reversal in ETF participation shows that institutional capital flows are still reactive to near-term performance.

A firm close above a psychological resistance level like $106,000 can, therefore, unlock substantial inflows, even after short periods of consolidation or outflows.

Conversely, the subdued activity in the futures market and rising demand for puts shows that not all market participants are convinced of a sustained rally.

This divergence highlights a broader trend in the crypto markets, where long-term conviction and short-term caution often coexist.

For now, Bitcoin has managed to recapture institutional attention, at least in the spot ETF space.

Whether this trend can sustain itself amid mixed signals in the derivatives sector will depend on how BTC performs in the coming weeks—particularly whether it can defend the $106,000 level and regain broader market confidence.

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Bitcoin trades around $105K amid Middle East tensions: what’s next?

  • Bitcoin (BTC) trades around $105K, stuck in a range due to Israel-Iran conflict uncertainty.
  • BTC options show decisive flip to puts, signaling heightened investor anxiety and downside hedging.
  • Despite near-term jitters, Bitcoin’s current cycle gain of 656% is impressive given its larger market cap.

Bitcoin (BTC) is trading around the $105,000 mark as the Asian trading week gets underway, caught in a holding pattern as market participants grapple with uncertainty over whether the Israel-Iran conflict will escalate into a broader regional war.

While near-term sentiment is dominated by geopolitical anxieties and signs of market “overheating,” longer-term perspectives and discussions around potential network upgrades offer a more nuanced picture for the leading cryptocurrency.

The current market stasis, with Bitcoin seemingly “stuck in this range,” is largely attributed to the precarious geopolitical situation, according to a recent note from trading firm QCP Capital.

In a Friday note published on Telegram, QCP highlighted that risk reversals have “flipped decisively.”

This means front-end BTC put options (which protect against price drops) are now commanding premiums of up to 5 volatility points over equivalent call options (which bet on price increases).

This is a clear indicator of heightened investor anxiety and an increased demand for hedging against potential downside risks.

Despite this defensive shift in options market positioning, QCP noted that Bitcoin has demonstrated notable resilience.

Even amid recent volatility, which saw over $1 billion in long positions liquidated across major crypto assets, on-chain data reportedly shows that institutional buying continues to provide meaningful support for prices.

Nevertheless, QCP emphasized that markets remain “stuck in a bind,” awaiting clarity on geopolitical outcomes, and warned that the digital asset complex will likely remain tightly linked to headline-driven sentiment shifts for the foreseeable future.

Adding to the near-term caution, a separate report from on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant (as referenced in a related context, though not directly quoted in this specific source text) has suggested that certain metrics indicate the BTC market is “overheating.”

This includes surging demand approaching previous peaks and a slowing pace of accumulation by large “whale” holders.

These indicators suggest the recent rally, which pushed prices to a record near $112,000, might be nearing a short-term consolidation point, with $120,000 identified as a key resistance.

Long-term perspective: cycle gains and maturation

While recent volatility underscores short-term anxiety, data from Glassnode offers some reassurance for investors concerned about Bitcoin’s longer-term direction.

Bitcoin’s current cycle gain stands at an impressive 656%.

While this is lower than the returns seen in previous bull markets (1076% in 2015–2018 and 1007% in 2018–2022), it is arguably more notable given Bitcoin’s significantly larger market capitalization today.

This suggests that investor demand is still keeping pace reasonably well with BTC’s maturation as an asset class, even as near-term macroeconomic jitters dominate current market sentiment.

Beyond ‘spam’: the OP_Return debate and Bitcoin’s evolution

Shifting focus to network-level discussions, Alex Thorn of Galaxy Research, in a recent note, addressed the sometimes contentious debate around OP_Return (a Bitcoin protocol feature allowing small amounts of arbitrary data on the blockchain).

Thorn suggested that the furor over this feature was largely driven by a “loud but small group of critics” and that their reactions, characterized by “wild accusations of the ‘death of Bitcoin’,” were misplaced given the historically low levels of mempool congestion (the queue of unconfirmed transactions).

On-chain data indicates that the mempool is virtually empty compared to a year ago.

This counters the narrative prevalent in 2023 that a congested blockchain was suffocating Bitcoin, a notion that now appears significantly overstated.

Thorn further highlighted the irony of labeling arbitrary data as “spam,” reminding observers that Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, famously embedded arbitrary text—the “chancellor on brink of second bailout” headline—in the blockchain’s very first (genesis) block.

Instead of focusing on such debates, Thorn argued that the Bitcoin community’s attention would be better directed towards potential network upgrades like CheckTemplateVerify (CTV).

CTV is a proposed opcode that would enable more sophisticated and strict spending conditions, often referred to as “covenants.”

“We continue to believe [CTV] is a conservative but powerful opcode that would greatly enhance the ability to build better, safer methods of custody,” Thorn wrote.

He also noted that around 20% of Bitcoin’s hashrate has already signaled support for this upgrade.

Bitcoin upgrades are known to require extensive consensus-building within the community, a reflection of its open-source and decentralized ethos.

Thorn emphasized that this cautious, deliberate approach to evolution remains critical for ensuring Bitcoin’s broader adoption and scalability in the long run.

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Where is Bitcoin Pepe headed as analyst sees BTC hitting $1M?

  • Despite the renewed uncertainty, the long-term outlook for Bitcoin remains largely optimistic.
  • With Bitcoin’s climb, early-stage tokens like Bitcoin Pepe could stand to benefit significantly.
  • The Bitcoin Pepe presale has raised over $14 million. The BPEP token is currently priced at 0.0416.

Bitcoin has tumbled closer to the psychologically significant $100,000 mark, dealing a blow to traders who had been anticipating a breakout to new all-time highs.

The decline followed a sharp escalation in geopolitical tensions after Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran.

Bitcoin responded swiftly, falling 2.8% from $106,042 to $103,053 within 90 minutes.

Despite the renewed uncertainty, the long-term outlook for Bitcoin remains largely optimistic.

Over the past few weeks, several analysts have issued bullish forecasts, citing macroeconomic shifts, growing institutional interest, and broader adoption trends.

If those predictions play out, early-stage tokens like Bitcoin Pepe could stand to benefit significantly.

These assets, while carrying some degree of elevated risk, are increasingly appealing to investors seeking higher upside potential in a recovering market.

As sentiment improves across the crypto landscape, speculative tokens often see renewed inflows, with traders rotating capital into high-volatility opportunities in pursuit of outsize returns.

Bitcoin at $1 million?

Bitcoin could potentially rise tenfold and reach $1 million over time if adoption continues to expand, according to Galaxy Digital founder and CEO Mike Novogratz.

Speaking with CNBC on Thursday, Novogratz said the long-term bull case hinges on generational shifts and growing acceptance of Bitcoin as a legitimate store of value.

“The bull case becomes that over time, young people care about it more than old people, so gold slowly gets replaced by Bitcoin,” he said.

“If you look at gold’s market cap and Bitcoin’s market cap, Bitcoin has a long way to go — 10x — and so that’s [$1 million] Bitcoin just to be where gold is.”

Novogratz is the latest in a growing list of high-profile Bitcoin advocates to forecast significant long-term upside.

Strategy’s Michael Saylor has also repeatedly outlined a multi-year bullish thesis for cryptocurrency.

Novogratz pointed to accelerating macro adoption as the key driver behind his forecast.

“Now we’ve got all these treasury companies buying Bitcoin, we’ve got sovereign wealth buying Bitcoin, we’ve got retail investors buying Bitcoin, there are easier ways to get it,” he said.

“So the adoption of Bitcoin as a macro asset, as an asset to save money in, I think that’s now a ball rolling downhill.”

Bitcoin Pepe to ride the Bitcoin wave

In a scenario where Bitcoin breaches the $1 million mark, high-risk, high-reward assets like Bitcoin Pepe could be among the biggest beneficiaries.

A breakout of that scale would likely reignite speculative appetite across the crypto market, channeling capital into smaller, meme-infused tokens that promise exponential upside.

Bitcoin Pepe is uniquely positioned at the convergence of two dominant narratives: its integration with Bitcoin’s technical infrastructure and its foundation in internet meme culture.

This dual identity enhances its appeal in bullish market phases, where investors tend to chase novelty and asymmetric return potential.

As the first meme-centric Layer 2 network built on Bitcoin, Bitcoin Pepe aims to combine the base layer’s security with scalability on par with Solana.

This infrastructure-forward positioning, paired with its viral meme appeal, has helped the project stand out in a saturated market.

Its ongoing presale has already raised over $14 million, underscoring strong investor interest ahead of a scheduled listing announcement on June 17.

The BPEP token is currently priced at $0.0416.

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Best crypto to buy now as SEC scraps Biden era proposed crypto rules

  • The US SEC has rescinded a series of proposed rules introduced under the previous administration.
  • With the regulatory scenario improving, projects like Bitcoin Pepe stand to gain.
  • Bitcoin Pepe’s presale has raised over $14 million in its ongoing presale.

Bitcoin has tumbled closer to the psychologically significant $100,000 mark, dealing a blow to traders who had been anticipating a breakout to new all-time highs.

The drop came after Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran, further escalating geopolitical tensions in the region.

Explosions were reported in Tehran at 22:50 UTC on Thursday, shortly before Israel took responsibility for the strikes.

Bitcoin reacted swiftly, falling 2.8% from $106,042 to $103,053 within 90 minutes.

Despite the mounting uncertainty, there is a notable development on the regulatory front.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has withdrawn a set of proposed rules introduced under the Biden administration — a move that could signal a shift in the agency’s approach to crypto regulation.

With the regulatory scenario improving, projects like Bitcoin Pepe stand to gain from the increased visibility.

SEC scraps Biden-era rules

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has formally rescinded a series of proposed rules introduced under the Biden administration, including two key measures targeting crypto custody and exchange oversight.

In a statement issued Thursday, the SEC said it was “withdrawing certain notices of proposed rulemaking” that had been floated between March 2022 and November 2023, during the tenure of former Chair Gary Gensler.

The agency clarified that it “does not intend to issue final rules with respect to these proposals,” but left the door open to revisit the issues with new proposals in the future.

The move marks the latest regulatory rollback under President Donald Trump, who has signaled a broad push for deregulation across both digital assets and traditional markets.

“Down goes 3b16, qualified custodian, and all the other unfinished Gensler rule proposals,” Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal wrote on X, applauding the development.

Bitcoin Pepe can ride the broader momentum

The increasing regulatory clarity is expected to bring much-needed visibility to the broader altcoin and meme coin markets, potentially reshaping investor perception of these assets.

As oversight improves, the shift from pure speculation to more credible, utility-driven narratives within the digital asset ecosystem could accelerate.

This evolving landscape may lend legitimacy to technically ambitious projects like Bitcoin Pepe, which are attempting to bridge the gap between meme-driven appeal and real-world functionality.

By combining infrastructure innovation with cultural relevance, such projects stand to benefit as the market begins to reward substance alongside sentiment.

Unlike many meme tokens that depend entirely on momentum and community-driven hype, Bitcoin Pepe distinguishes itself with a defined technical roadmap and an infrastructure-focused approach.

Backed by this more structured narrative, the project has already raised over $14 million in its ongoing presale, with a listing announcement scheduled for June 17.

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Bitcoin falls to $103K, options skew hits 3-month low as mideast tensions drive oil prices higher

A sharp escalation in Middle East tensions sent shockwaves through global financial markets in the early Asian trading hours, triggering a significant spike in oil prices and prompting a flight to safety.

Bitcoin (BTC) was not immune to the turmoil, experiencing a notable price drop as traders scrambled for downside protection, evidenced by a dramatic crash in short-term options skew.

The seven-day skew for Bitcoin options, a key metric that measures the relative cost of bullish calls versus bearish puts listed on Deribit, plummeted to -3.84%.

This marked its lowest point since April 16, according to data from Amberdata.

In practical terms, this means put options, which offer traders protection against price declines, became the most expensive relative to call options in three months.

The surge in demand for these protective puts also dragged the 30-day and 60-day skews into negative territory, signaling a broader shift towards caution among market participants.

Traders typically purchase put options either to hedge existing long positions in the spot or futures markets or to directly profit from an anticipated fall in prices.

The clear preference for puts indicates a growing unease about Bitcoin’s near-term trajectory amidst the heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

Bitcoin’s price reflected this nervousness, falling to its 50-day simple moving average (SMA) at $103,150, extending its 24-hour losses to 4.59%, according to CoinDesk data.

This decline represented a significant retreat from earlier in the week when prices had briefly topped the $110,000 mark.

Market bulls are now likely hoping that the 50-day SMA will provide a crucial support level, as a sustained break below it could attract further selling pressure, a pattern observed when this support level failed back in February.

Oil surges as geopolitical cauldron boils over

The catalyst for this market turbulence was a dramatic escalation in the Middle East.

The per-barrel price of WTI crude oil surged by over 6% to $74.30, reaching its highest level since February 3 and extending its weekly gain to an impressive 13%, according to data from TradingView.

This sharp upward movement in oil prices reportedly followed news of Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which supposedly drew retaliatory missile action from Tehran, though details remained fluid.

Inflationary shadows and Fed policy under scrutiny

Sudden and significant spikes in oil prices tend to have a global inflationary impact, and this latest surge is no exception.

Concerns are now mounting that this could inject fresh inflationary pressures into economies worldwide, at a time when President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war already threatens to disrupt economic stability and fuel inflation, particularly in net-importer countries.

This confluence of factors could significantly dent market expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts.

If inflation re-accelerates, the Fed may be less inclined to ease monetary policy, potentially adding to downside volatility in both stocks and cryptocurrencies.

As of writing, futures tied to the S&P 500 were trading 1.5% lower on the day, reflecting the broader risk-off sentiment.

Traditional markets reel from geopolitical shock

The reaction in traditional markets was swift and pronounced. US stock index futures were down approximately 1.5% across the board following the news from the Middle East.

European market futures mirrored this decline, also trading down by roughly the same margin.

In a classic flight to safety, bond prices moved higher as investors sought refuge from the volatility.

Gold, another traditional safe-haven asset, also saw increased demand, adding about 0.75% in the past hour to trade at $3,428 per ounce.

Crude oil, as previously noted, had soared by an even more dramatic 9% to $74 per barrel in the immediate aftermath of the reports.

The 10-year Treasury yield dipped two basis points to 4.32%, indicating increased demand for US government debt.

Currency markets also reflected the shifting risk landscape, with the US dollar gaining against the euro and the British pound, but losing ground against traditional safe-haven currencies like the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc.

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