Crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) saw their largest weekly inflows in more than a year, according to an Oct. 30 report from asset management platform CoinShares. Inflows were $326 million for the week ending Oct. 27, dwarfing the $66 million recorded over the previous week.
Digital asset investment products saw inflows of US$326m, the largest single week of inflows since July 2022!
These numbers are due to what we believe was rising optimism from investors that the US SEC is poised to approve a spot-based Bitcoin ETF in the US.
ETPs are investment funds whose notes or shares are designed to track the price of a particular asset. In the case of crypto ETPs, they usually track the price of large market-cap cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH). Some investors prefer to get exposure to crypto prices through funds rather than holding these assets themselves, as shares of these funds can be held in a traditional brokerage account.
An ETP “inflow” occurs when the fund’s price rises faster than its underlying asset, which causes the fund to buy the asset. This is generally seen as bullish for the underlying asset. By contrast, an “outflow” occurs when the fund has to sell the asset because the prices of their notes or shares are declining relative to their target, which is usually seen as bearish.
According to CoinShares’ report, weekly inflows for the week ending Oct. 27 were $326 million. This was the highest since July 2022, 15 months ago. It was also the fifth straight week of ETP inflows.
According to CoinShares, one possible explanation for the sudden rise in inflows could be “rising optimism from investors that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is poised to approve a spot-based Bitcoin ETF in the U.S.,” which could anticipate that there will be inflows to U.S.-based funds after approval.
Despite the sharp increase in inflows, this week represented only the 21st largest increase ever recorded, CoinShares said. The largest weekly inflows last week went into Bitcoin ETPs, which represented 90% of the total. Solana’s SOL (SOL) also benefited from the optimistic spirit pervading the market, as it saw $24 million in inflows. However, Ether funds went in the opposite direction, suffering $6 million worth of outflows.
Despite multiple applications being filed over the years, the SEC has yet to approve a spot Bitcoin ETP. Van Eck amended its application on Oct. 19, presumably to comply with the agency’s concerns. Hashdex also met with the SEC on Oct. 25 in an effort to get their spot Bitcoin ETP approved.
According to the US Department of Justice, Wolf Capital’s co-founder has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for luring 2,800 crypto investors into a Ponzi scheme.
Making Britain better off will be “at the forefront of the chancellor’s mind” during her visit to China, the Treasury has said amid controversy over the trip.
Rachel Reeves flew out on Friday after ignoring calls from opposition parties to cancel the long-planned venture because of market turmoil at home.
The past week has seen a drop in the pound and an increase in government borrowing costs, which has fuelled speculation of more spending cuts or tax rises.
The Tories have accused the chancellor of having “fled to China” rather than explain how she will fix the UK’s flatlining economy, while the Liberal Democrats say she should stay in Britain and announce a “plan B” to address market volatility.
However, Ms Reeves has rejected calls to cancel the visit, writing in The Times on Friday night that choosing not to engage with China is “no choice at all”.
Spreaker
This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Spreaker cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Spreaker cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Spreaker cookies for this session only.
On Friday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy defended the trip, telling Sky News that the climbing cost of government borrowing was a “global trend” that had affected many countries, “most notably the United States”.
“We are still on track to be the fastest growing economy, according to the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] in Europe,” she told Anna Jones on Sky News Breakfast.
“China is the second-largest economy, and what China does has the biggest impact on people from Stockton to Sunderland, right across the UK, and it’s absolutely essential that we have a relationship with them.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
10:32
Nandy defends Reeves’ trip to China
However, former prime minister Boris Johnson said Ms Reeves had “been rumbled” and said she should “make her way to HR and collect her P45 – or stay in China”.
While in the country’s capital, Ms Reeves will also visit British bike brand Brompton’s flagship store, which relies heavily on exports to China, before heading to Shanghai for talks with representatives across British and Chinese businesses.
It is the first UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) since 2019, building on the Labour government’s plan for a “pragmatic” policy with the world’s second-largest economy.
Sir Keir Starmer was the first British prime minister to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping in six years at the G20 summit in Brazil last autumn.
Relations between the UK and China have become strained over the last decade as the Conservative government spoke out against human rights abuses and concerns grew over national security risks.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
2:45
How much do we trade with China?
Navigating this has proved tricky given China is the UK’s fourth largest single trading partner, with a trade relationship worth almost £113bn and exports to China supporting over 455,000 jobs in the UK in 2020, according to the government.
During the Tories’ 14 years in office, the approach varied dramatically from the “golden era” under David Cameron to hawkish aggression under Liz Truss, while Rishi Sunak vowed to be “robust” but resisted pressure from his own party to brand China a threat.
The Treasury said a stable relationship with China would support economic growth and that “making working people across Britain secure and better off is at the forefront of the chancellor’s mind”.
Ahead of her visit, Ms Reeves said: “By finding common ground on trade and investment, while being candid about our differences and upholding national security as the first duty of this government, we can build a long-term economic relationship with China that works in the national interest.”