U.S. bitcoin ETFs pull in $152M ahead of Fed decision

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $152 million in net inflows on Tuesday, led by Fidelity’s FBTC, as investors remained defensive ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision on Wednesday. Data from SoSoValue showed FBTC took in about $199 million, with outflows at other funds narrowing the total to the $152 million net figure. Bitcoin held near recent levels after a brief jump earlier in the week.

Flows broadened beyond Bitcoin. Ether-focused products attracted about $178 million in net inflows on Tuesday, with Fidelity’s strategy contributing roughly $51.5 million. Solana funds added about $16.5 million, including a $7.8 million inflow to Bitwise’s BSOL.

Market focus centered on the Federal Open Market Committee’s final meeting of the year. Futures and prediction markets reflected high odds of a rate cut, with many desks treating the immediate decision as largely priced. Attention shifted to Chair Jerome Powell’s comments on the balance sheet and the path for easing into 2026.

Coinbase Institutional wrote on X that its systemic leverage ratio, which tracks speculative positioning, has stabilized near 4% to 5% of total market capitalization, adding: “Lower leverage = healthier market structure.”

QCP Capital described Asia’s Wednesday open as “calmer but cautious,” citing a modest pickup in ETF demand after sizable weekly redemptions through November and a holding pattern in Bitcoin ahead of the announcement.

Despite Tuesday’s inflows, caution persisted across trading firms. QCP’s latest update described the tone as “cautious rather than constructive,” noting that Bitcoin remains below its mid-2025 high after a volatile year.

As we reported earlier, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao said on December 10, 2025 at the Bitcoin MENA Conference in Abu Dhabi that a “supercycle” for digital assets could emerge in 2026, citing broader adoption and improvements in market structure. He gave no price targets or formal guidance.