March Marks First Positive Month for Bitcoin ETFs in 2026 with $1.3B Influx
Despite recording $1.3 billion in March inflows, US spot Bitcoin ETFs concluded the first quarter with approximately $500 million in net redemptions as weak market sentiment persisted through geopolitical uncertainties.
United States spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) concluded the opening quarter of 2026 recording net redemptions, despite March bringing the first monthly capital inflows the category has witnessed this year.
According to data from SoSoValue, spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs attracted $1.32 billion during March, marking the initial monthly gain recorded in 2026 and the first positive month observed since October 2025.
These March inflows proved insufficient to counterbalance the redemptions witnessed earlier in the quarter, which included $1.61 billion in outflows during January and an additional $207 million withdrawn in February, culminating in approximately $500 million of net redemptions across Q1.
The redemptions accumulated as BTC declined more than 22% throughout Q1, marking its second straight quarterly loss following a 23% decrease recorded in Q4 2025, data from CoinGlass shows.
Inflows come despite persistent investor caution
Nevertheless, March succeeded in attracting capital into spot Bitcoin ETFs notwithstanding ongoing investor hesitation, with bearish sentiment dominating throughout most of the quarter. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index remained predominantly beneath 20 during the entire month, indicating "Extreme Fear" conditions prevailed across the marketplace.
Market analysts highlighted the staying power of cryptocurrency investment products despite escalating geopolitical uncertainties associated with ongoing Middle East conflict.
Consistent with the subdued sentiment, monthly transaction volumes for spot Bitcoin ETFs declined to approximately $79 billion during March, down from $93 billion recorded in February and $87 billion witnessed in January.
Total cumulative inflows had reached approximately $56 billion when the quarter concluded, while overall assets under management were positioned at roughly $87.5 billion at the end of the quarter.
Ether posts worst quarterly losses, while XRP and Solana ETFs end Q1 in the green
In contrast to Bitcoin ETFs, spot Ether (ETH) ETFs concluded March showing negative performance, recording $46 million in net monthly redemptions.
Within the spot crypto ETF universe, Ether registered the most significant quarterly losses, accumulating $769 million in total outflows across three straight months of redemptions.
XRP (XRP) ETFs similarly experienced redemptions during March, accumulating approximately $31 million in outflows. Nevertheless, the quarterly net flow figures maintained positive territory at around $43 million.
Solana (SOL) ETFs persisted in building traction throughout the quarter, registering successive inflows that totaled $213 million. The investment vehicles have yet to experience a single month of redemptions since their October 2025 launch, as of March 2026's conclusion.