Bitcoin advances toward US$80,000 as ETF demand builds

Bitcoin surged approximately 23% in the previous week, marking its most significant weekly increase in over three years following a sharp drop from a record high of over US$126,000 on October 6. The cryptocurrency was trading around US$79,000 in New York markets. A surge in demand is evident as 13 US-listed funds collectively received a net inflow of US$1.92 billion, the highest since early October last year, according to Bloomberg data.

This increase in inflows was the largest since Bitcoin's crash from the record high in October and marked the beginning of a "crypto winter." The inflows have been driven by plans by the U.S. to increase buybacks of long-dated bonds to lower yields, as well as a short squeeze caused by traders being forced to close bearish bets.

Gracie Lin, CEO of crypto exchange OKX SG, noted that there was net inflow on every trading day last week, suggesting renewed investor interest in Bitcoin. However, the outlook remains uncertain as some profit-taking is expected following such a sharp move. BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust alone contributed US$1.3 billion to last week's inflows.

Despite this, a total of US$2.9 billion has been withdrawn from the ETFs this year. Whether Bitcoin's rally will translate into sustained demand and a new bull market is yet to be seen.