TL;DR
Bitcoin ETFs closed out August with their strongest monthly performance of 2026, only to see momentum fade as September opened with a sharp reversal. The funds posted a powerful $3.52 billion in net inflows last month, coinciding with Bitcoin’s 25% rally, its best monthly gain since late 2024. That strength quickly cooled on Tuesday when Bitcoin ETFs swung to $236.46 million in net outflows, erasing the prior day’s inflows and marking their largest daily withdrawal since July.
Bitcoin ETFs dominated August, attracting inflows on 16 of 21 trading days and cutting year‑to‑date net outflows by roughly two‑thirds. Total net assets climbed to $99.61 billion from $76.29 billion in July, while monthly trading volume jumped nearly 49% to $58.63 billion. The run included nine straight sessions of inflows from Aug. 17 through Aug. 27, fueled by Bitcoin’s push above $80,000 late in the month.
The tone shifted quickly as September began. Bitcoin ETFs saw $236.46 million in outflows on Tuesday, reversing Monday’s $216.70 million inflow. The move came as Bitcoin briefly dipped below $77,000 after trading above $80,000 just days earlier. The setback echoed earlier periods of volatility, including June’s $4.51 billion in outflows and May’s $2.43 billion.

While Bitcoin ETFs stumbled, XRP ETFs continued to build on a steady inflow streak that has now stretched across eleven consecutive trading sessions. The category added about $170 million during the run, including $14.38 million on Tuesday. Cumulative net inflows since launch reached roughly $1.68 billion, led by Franklin Templeton’s $6.63 million haul and Grayscale’s $4.72 million. XRP traded near $1.33 early Wednesday, down from late‑August highs but still well above mid‑August levels.
Year‑to‑date net inflows climbed to $502 million, up 46% from July. Ethereum ETFs also remained positive, adding around $11 million on Tuesday and pushing their 2026 net inflows to $732 million. Even with XRP’s recent strength, Bitcoin ETFs remain far larger in scale. U.S. Bitcoin funds absorbed $2.26 billion over six sessions in late August alone, surpassing the total XRP ETF inflows since their debut.