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Bitcoin above $78,000: ETF inflows deliver best month in a year
Bitcoin prices rose during Saturday morning trading, continuing the bullish trend as the market absorbed record institutional demand that began in April.
The world’s largest cryptocurrency climbed to $78,323.5 as of 07:22GMT, reflecting a significant increase after breaking key resistance levels. Bitcoin’s momentum followed a month in which it gained approximately 12%, marking its best monthly performance since April 2025.
Record ETF inflows drive institutional accumulation
The main catalyst behind the current price dynamics remains the massive inflow of institutional capital. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of about $2.44 billion in April 2026, nearly double the $1.32 billion recorded in March.
The capital inflows successfully absorbed market supply, even amid daily mining, with BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) alone attracting more than 70% of total capital for the month.
Analysts suggest that the steady presence of institutional investors provides strong support for the asset’s valuation, reducing volatility driven by retail investors.
Despite the positive monthly trend, there was some cooling in the last week of April, with outflows totaling about $490 million between April 27 and April 29, 2026.
Nevertheless, the broader structural shift toward institutional ownership remains intact, as total assets under management in U.S. spot ETFs reached approximately $102 billion by the end of the month.
Investors are now eyeing the $80,000 level, as exchange supply continues to decline while demand remains steady.
Geopolitical headwinds and Federal Reserve divergence
The macroeconomic environment continues to act as a major obstacle, limiting a full breakout toward $80,000. Heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran and the ongoing naval blockade of Iran’s coastline are maintaining a “war premium” in oil prices, directly complicating inflation outlooks.
Nexo Dispatch analysts note that Bitcoin’s path to new highs largely depends on Brent crude prices falling below $100 and further easing of geopolitical risks.
The situation is further complicated by the Federal Reserve’s recent rate decision, where policymakers were divided. Although the Fed kept rates at 3.50%–3.75%, the meeting saw the highest level of disagreement since 1992, revealing a deep split over future policy “easing bias.”
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who is set to step down later this month, warned that inflation has not yet peaked. His hawkish tone forced markets to reassess expectations for rate cuts under incoming Chair Kevin Warsh, whose first meeting is scheduled for June.
Crypto prices today: altcoins rise
Altcoins rose on Saturday.
The world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, Ethereum, gained 0.99% to $2,302.02.
The third-largest cryptocurrency, XRP, rose 0.87% to $1.3867.
Solana increased by 0.27%, while Cardano added 0.36%.
Among meme tokens, Dogecoin fell by 0.18%.
See also: "Rising Zcash metrics set the stage for a move toward $400 for ZEC"
