CoinSpotMarket Update
Bitcoin ETF Buying Ramps Up Amid 'Stablecoin Summer'
6 minutes
12 hours ago
6 minutes
12 hours ago
Demand for Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is at its strongest levels since January. Across the past week, these ETFs attracted $2.1 billion (USD $1.5 billion) in net inflows, despite Bitcoin trading well below its October 2025 peaks.
What makes this notable is who is buying and when they are buying. Contrary to some who speculated that Bitcoin ETF holders would be quick to sell during the onset of a bear market, the data shows that ETF holders are staying put for the most part. Some have even added to their holdings in recent months.
Of the top 25 largest Bitcoin ETF holders, 17 have added to their positions since October 2025, according to Zac Townsend (CEO, Meanwhile). This suggests a shift in how larger, longer-term money is treating Bitcoin, more like a long-term allocation than a short-term trade. Combined, all ETF issuers hold more than 6% of the total supply, a figure that has been gradually increasing in recent years.
Bitcoin held by ETF issuers has fallen by 6% since mid-October, a period in which BTC’s price has declined by roughly 45% (Source: _checkonchain)
In its annual letter, payments giant Stripe said that its stablecoin volume more than quadrupled in the past year. “Stablecoin payments are advancing quietly and inexorably as real-world uptake continues apace,” wrote the company’s founders, John and Patrick Collison.
Stripe is one of several fintech companies building with stablecoins. It was one of the first to go heavy into the technology early last year when it acquired stablecoin company Bridge for $1.57 billion ($1.1 billion USD), the largest-ever acquisition of a crypto company at the time.
The team behind Bridge have been building Tempo, a payments-focused blockchain that is expected to launch soon. The blockchain is being purpose-built to make it as fast and cheap as possible to move stablecoins around the world.
This comes as Visa and Bridge expanded their partnership earlier this week. The two companies announced an intention to launch stablecoin-backed cards in 100 countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Meta, the company behind Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, is reportedly aiming to enter the stablecoin space later this year. By integrating a U.S. dollar stablecoin into its platforms and introducing a wallet, Meta could bypass expensive traditional banking fees.
This potential stablecoin integration would be administered by a third party. The company has no plans to develop its own stablecoin, clarified Meta spokesman Andy Stone in a post on X. “This is about enabling people and businesses to make payments on our platforms using their preferred method,” he added. Regardless, this news is yet another indicator of further stablecoin adoption.
Read more: Stablecoins Explained
U.S. President Trump publicly stated that banks are trying to undermine the GENIUS Act and threaten the progress of the CLARITY Act. The GENIUS Act was signed into law in the middle of last year, marking the first federal framework for stablecoin issuers, sparking a wave of announcements from banks and fintech companies.
The CLARITY Act is a much broader piece of legislation for regulating cryptocurrencies in the U.S. It faced roadblocks in January when the Senate Banking Committee abruptly cancelled its scheduled markup (i.e. the session where a committee debates and votes on a bill) just hours before it was set to begin.
The core dispute is about whether companies that offer stablecoin products can pay interest to customers on those holdings. Banks argue this would pull money out of the traditional banking system. The crypto industry argues it should be allowed under the existing law.
On Wednesday, Trump sided publicly with the crypto industry, warning that without progress, the sector could shift to other countries. A deal has not yet been reached, and time is becoming a factor with U.S. midterm elections set for early November.
