Spot Bitcoin ETF To See Majority Inflows Linked To Arbitrage, Here’s Why

As a crypto investor with some experience in the market, I find Raoul Pal’s perspective on the dominance of institutional investors and arbitrage transactions in the Bitcoin ETF market particularly insightful. Based on the data presented, it appears that large hedge funds are indeed driving the majority of net inflows into these funds, exploiting price discrepancies between markets or instruments through sophisticated financial strategies.


According to Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal’s analysis, most of the new bitcoin investments into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are primarily driven by arbitrage deals. This is evident from the data which shows that hedge funds are the principal investors in U.S. Bitcoin ETFs, implying that institutional investors, rather than individual retail investors, have a significant presence in this market.

Raoul Pal’s post on X revealed that most Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) transactions in the cryptocurrency market are carried out by arbitrage traders rather than retail investors. This discovery underscores the intricate financial maneuvers prevalent in the crypto ETF sector, specifically those capitalizing on price disparities between various markets or financial instruments to generate profits.

Institutional Dominance and Divergent Views

As Markus Thielen, CEO of 10x Research, I have been consistently emphasizing this observation since March. Evidence from Farside Investors corroborates our perspective. The top 80 Bitcoin spot ETF shareholders collectively manage approximately $10.26 billion, representing about two-thirds of the net inflows totaling $15.42 billion since their launch on January 11.

Spot Bitcoin ETF To See Majority Inflows Linked To Arbitrage, Here’s Why

Significantly, Millennium Management, a prominent international hedge fund, holds approximately $1.94 billion in shares of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) from various issuers such as Bitwise, Grayscale, Fidelity, BlackRock, ARK, and 21Shares. However, this figure represents only a portion of the total assets under management in Bitcoin ETFs in the US. Skeptics within the industry challenge this claim, highlighting that excluding the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), the combined assets under management for the 10 US Bitcoin ETFs amount to around $42 billion. Additionally, there is short interest on the CME related to these funds.

Recent Outflows and Market Caution

The synchronous occurrence of Pal’s criticism and substantial withdrawals from U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs is noteworthy. On June 11 alone, these funds experienced a combined outflow of approximately $200.4 million, halting the strong inflows seen previously and indicating heightened investor apprehension. This trend was particularly pronounced in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), which recorded $121 million in redemptions, and the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF ARKB, with $56.5 million being withdrawn.

The way investors are acting lately indicates a shift towards a more cautious approach, possibly due to anticipated economic signals and Federal Reserve announcements. According to crypto trader Joseph B., only about 15% of the recent inflows into ETFs can be explained by the basis trade. This observation from Pal highlights that the main hedge funds dealing with these ETFs are more inclined towards arbitrage opportunities rather than making directional bets based on Bitcoin’s price swings.

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2024-06-12 12:55