Crypto & Forex July 18, 2026 0 Comments

Could Bitcoin ETFs Echo Gold’s Wild Ride? What Every Investor Must Know Before the Next Big Move!

Ever wonder why Bitcoin’s institutional demand keeps playing hide and seek with us? Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas throws down a fascinating script here: U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs might just be following gold ETFs’ rollercoaster ride of glory and gloom—think epic highs, stomach-churning dips, and that maddening “two steps forward, one step back” shuffle. Remember, gold ETFs snagged the crown as the largest ETF back in 2011, only to wrestle for eight long years trying to grab it back. Fast forward to 2024, they briefly reclaimed that throne—and now, BTC ETFs look poised to dance to the same erratic but promising tune. It’s a wild journey, testing the grit and patience of investors, but as history whispers, the payoff could be legendary. Ready to see where the next wave takes us? LEARN MORE.

Bitcoin’s institutional demand will come back stronger, according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas. The analyst noted that U.S. spot BTC ETFs could follow gold ETFs’ ‘triumph and pain’ pattern and would eventually surge to a new record high.

Gold ETFs were briefly the world’s largest ETF in 2011 but spent another eight years in a downtrend trying to reclaim the spot, added Balchunas.

It briefly reclaimed it again in 2024, and a similar ‘two steps forward, one step back’ could happen for BTC.

Bitcoin ETFs may be following the same script: spectacular gains, painful drawdowns and recoveries that may test investors’ patience

Spot Bitcoin ETF still holding strong, but…The

Bitcoin price has dropped by nearly half from over $126K to $64K. In May and June 2026, the spot BTC ETF outflows hit $7B as the crypto asset briefly slipped below $60K.

Even so, only 10% of spot BTC ETF holders are left, compared to a third of gold ETF investors, Balchunas highlighted.

Another positive sign that BTC could show resilience and try to defend $60K support was the long-term holder (LTH) supply. Although they have slowly reduced exposure in the past few weeks, this cohort was not net sellers yet.

According to Bitfinex analysts, BTC’s recent dip below $60K was due to deleveraging and ETF outflows as LTH conviction was still intact. But the analysts warned,

Their 30-day net position stayed positive as ETFs shed nearly $4bn in June. Flows have now turned positive three straight sessions. The risk is LTHs finally flipping to net sellers.

That said, amid renewed U.S-Iran escalations, the two safe havens have not seen strong investor interest, as seen earlier in the year. In the past three months, gold ETFs recorded about $11B outflows while spot BTC ETFs bled $6B. In other words, gold bled twice as much as BTC.

It’s unclear whether BTC will attract more capital and behave like a hedge if the West Asia crisis escalations extend into Q3.

However, the rising oil price above $80 coincided with Bitcoin [BTC]’s sideways structure below $65K, signalling that energy market shocks could still derail the crypto’s upside.

Final Summary

Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas projected U.S. Spot BTC ETFs will surge to a record high, citing gold’s past patterns
In the meantime, rising oil prices could cap BTC’s upside potential amid renewed West Asia escalations