U.S. spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs add $23.3B in AUM as crypto prices jump

U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs posted a sharp jump in assets under management last week, with most of the increase driven by rising token prices rather than fresh subscriptions, CoinDesk reported. Data for the week ended Aug. 21 show combined net inflows of about $2.6 billion across the two ETF groups, while total AUM climbed roughly $23.3 billion. SoSoValue figures indicate spot Bitcoin ETFs took in $1.92 billion of net inflows for the week, and spot Ethereum ETFs added $697.2 million, bringing total net inflows to approximately $2.6 billion. It was the strongest week for both product categories since October 2025. AUM for spot Bitcoin ETFs rose to $96.1 billion from $76.6 billion, a weekly increase of 25.4%. Ethereum ETF AUM grew to $14.3 billion from $10.5 billion, up 35.9% on the week. Together, the products expanded by about $23.3 billion. After subtracting the $2.6 billion in net inflows, roughly $20.7 billion of the week's AUM growth is attributed to the appreciation of assets already held by the funds. Bitcoin rallied from around $62,000 to briefly above $79,000, a weekly gain of about 24%. Ethereum advanced from below $1,900 to above $2,500, up roughly 30% on the week. The move lifted the market value of ETF holdings. CoinDesk cited three main catalysts behind the rally. The U.S. Treasury doubled the size of its long-term Treasury buyback program, a move described as weakening the dollar and boosting demand for inflation-hedging assets. The report also pointed to Trump's meeting with crypto industry executives at the White House and his call for Congress to advance the Clarity Act. In addition, short covering added momentum as prices cleared key levels. The report said about $3 billion in short positions were liquidated within 24 hours, followed by another $1 billion the next day, with forced buying contributing to further gains. Despite last week's surge, the year-to-date funding picture remains negative. CoinDesk reported that Bitcoin ETFs are still showing net outflows for 2026, and Ethereum ETFs also remain in net outflow territory. Combined year-to-date net outflows for the two product groups have narrowed to $3.1 billion from $5.7 billion.