Canada Banking Giants Pour Millions Into Bitcoin ETF Amid Inflow Resurgence

As a researcher with a background in finance and experience in tracking institutional investment trends in digital assets, I find the recent disclosures from Canadian banking giants Scotiabank and Toronto Dominion Bank (TD Bank) regarding their investments in U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs to be an intriguing development.


In a significant move, two major Canadian banks – Scotiabank and TD Bank – have disclosed their investment in US Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) through recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings. This marks the entrance of these Canadian banking giants into the competitive US Bitcoin ETF market with substantial financial commitment.

How Much Did These Canadian Banks Invest?

Scotiabank has revealed over $1.5 million worth of investments spread out among the top three Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs): BlackRock’s IBIT, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), and Fidelity Wise’s FBTC. By investing in a diverse range of these ETFs, Scotiabank is signaling its deliberate entry into the rapidly expanding crypto market. Furthermore, this investment serves as evidence of increasing institutional trust in Bitcoin, notwithstanding its past price instability and regulatory challenges.

Breaking down the investments, the bank reported a $512,988 stake in the Fidelity Wise Bitcoin ETF. In addition, the 13F filing reveals that Scotiabank invested $486,472 in Grayscale’s GBTC ETF. Whilst, it allocated the highest share to BlackRock’s IBIT, accounting for a stake of $580,339. Therefore, the total investment amounts to $1.57 million.

Toronto-Dominion Bank, which is the second largest bank in Canada, has entered the cryptocurrency market with a modest investment of approximately $121,410 in BlackRock’s IBIT Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF). Despite this being a small investment for such a cautious institution, it represents a significant move towards embracing the crypto space.

Additionally, Canadian heavyweight banks contemplated allocating funds towards the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO). As per the recent 13F disclosures, TD Bank holds an investment worth $484,500. Consequently, TD Bank’s combined Bitcoin-ETF holdings reach $605,910. Collectively, these banks have committed a total of $2.18 million to such investments.

Bitcoin ETF Inflow Resurgence

The disclosures represent a substantial change in attitude towards digital assets by Canadian banks, following the market instability in 2021. This shift comes as large sums of money have flowed into Spot Bitcoin ETFs this week, with over $166 million invested in the past two days. Furthermore, this marks a strong rebound from last week’s three-day streak of outflows.

Based on Farside Investors’ latest figures, Bitcoin ETFs saw a net investment of approximately $100.5 million on May 14. Notably, ARKB took the lead with an impressive inflow of around $133.1 million. This significant influx countered the $50.9 million outflow recorded from Grayscale, resulting in a relatively stable overall situation for Bitcoin ETFs.

During the early part of the week, BlackRock’s IBIT has experienced subdued market activity, with trading volumes remaining low. Conversely, Fidelity Wise’s FBTC ETF attracted a moderate inflow of approximately $8.1 million.

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2024-05-15 11:15