Ethereum spot ETFs mark a historic milestone with a $332.92 million daily inflow, surpassing Bitcoin ETFs amid the ETH price surge.

The latest data from SoSoValue reveals that Ethereum (ETH) spot ETFs have recorded $332.92 million in daily net inflows as of Nov. 29, outpacing Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETFs’ $320.01 million for the first time since inception.

This development coincides with Ethereum’s price surge of over 3% in the last 24 hours, while Bitcoin showed minimal movement during the same period.

Ethereum ETF performance breakdown

The first spot Ethereum ETFs in the U.S. began trading on July 23. These ETFs, approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, include products from well-known financial institutions like BlackRock, Fidelity and Grayscale, among others. They provide investors exposure to Ethereum’s price without needing to directly hold the cryptocurrency.

Here’s a look at how those ETFs are performing today:

• BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF, trading on NASDAQ, emerged as the top performer. It boasts $250.39 million in daily net inflow. The fund’s cumulative net inflow stands at $2.1 billion, with net assets of $2.5 billion.

• Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust, listed on NYSE, recorded $3.39 million in daily inflows, contributing to its substantial cumulative net inflow of $420.15 million. The fund currently maintains a 0.35% ETH share with a market price of $33.84.

• Fidelity Ethereum Fund, on the Cboe Exchange, secured $79.44 million in daily inflows, pushing its cumulative total to $824.23 million. The fund trades at $35.88 with a 0.22% ETH share.

Bitcoin ETFs maintain strong presence

Despite being overtaken in daily flows, Bitcoin spot ETFs demonstrate strong performance. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF recorded $137.49 million in daily net inflow. IBIT’s cumulative net inflow has reached $31.74 billion, commanding a 2.51% BTC share.

Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, or FBTC, followed with $106.46 million in daily inflow, while Bitwise Bitcoin ETF, or BITB, secured $26.54 million.

Notably, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust showed no daily inflow, maintaining its cumulative position at -$20.52 billion.

The total value traded for Ethereum ETFs reached $313.61 million, while Bitcoin ETFs recorded a higher volume of $2.51 billion. The cumulative total net inflow stands at $573.32 million for Ethereum ETFs and $30.70 billion for Bitcoin ETFs.

The first spot Bitcoin ETF was approved and launched in Canada by Purpose Investments. It began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the ticker BTCC on Feb. 18, 2021. This was a significant milestone, as it marked the world’s first-ever ETF directly holding Bitcoin.

In the U.S., however, the SEC has not yet approved a spot Bitcoin ETF as of November 2024. The U.S. market currently only has futures-based Bitcoin ETFs, which started with the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) in October 2021.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued an advisory through its Division of Clearing and Risk stating it would no longer have a role in clearing Bitcoin ETF options.

The agency is transferring this responsibility to the Options Clearing Corporation, according to a prepared statement.

“[..] In light of relevant precedents in the courts, it is substantially likely these spot commodity ETF shares would be held to be securities. Therefore, DCR’s position is the listing of these shares on SEC-registered national securities exchanges does not implicate the CFTC’s jurisdiction.”

CFTC staff advisory.

According to the commission, the OCC, which serves as the “sole issuer of all equity options” in the U.S., now holds the final authority to decide whether these options will be listed.

Experts believe the OCC’s approval could be imminent, with ETF analyst Eric Balchunas predicting it will come “very soon.” 

Meanwhile, market commentator Andrew said the CFTC’s move came much quicker than expected, as approval was initially anticipated by late Q1 2025, but this decision could speed things up.

Bitwise Invest’s Jeff Park suggested that while he was optimistic about the chances of a year-end approval, he wouldn’t “short the odd.”

The advisory follows the SEC’s approval last month, which cleared applications from the New York Stock Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange to list and trade Bitcoin ETF options.

Options contracts give investors the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specified price before a set date. The SEC believes options trading could bring “better price efficiency” and “less volatility” to Bitcoin ETFs, helping to stabilize the market while making it more transparent and efficient overall.

Bitcoin advocates view the approval of Bitcoin ETF options as a game-changer, bringing more liquidity to the market. See below.

“Assets in the US spot bitcoin ETFs are now up to $84b, which is 2/3 of the way to what gold ETFs have, all the sudden there’s a decent shot they surpass gold before their first birthday (we predicted it would take 3-4yrs),” Eric Balchunas, a senior analyst at Bloomberg, said in a post on X.