2026 Will be a Year of Growth for Crypto ETFs: Analysts

Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are set to explode in 2026, with over 100 new ETF filings expected and billions of dollars in net inflows pouring into the investment vehicles, according to analysts.

Senior Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas forecast a base case of $15 billion in capital flows in 2026 and as much as $40 billion if market conditions improve. The US Federal Reserve is “probably” going to lower the interest rate in 2026, pushing net inflows toward the mid or upper limits of the estimate, Balchunas told Cointelegraph. 

ETF investors have also become a structural price support for Bitcoin (BTC), he said, adding that Bitcoin ETF holders held strong during the market drawdown and that long-term Bitcoin natives, also called “OGs,” were to blame for the recent selling pressure. He said:

“Only 4% of the assets exited in this recent 35% drawdown; 96% of the assets hung tough. In some weeks. There were even inflows. But all told, that’s pretty good because if you think about it, a 35% drawdown is the equivalent of 2008, for equities. 

That’s a lot to stomach, and I think they really showed their mettle,” Balchunas said. He attributed the discipline among ETF holders to higher levels of financial education and long-term investment horizons.

Balchunas told Cointelegraph that one of the main things to watch in 2026 is increased crypto ETF allocation by institutional investors, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, registered investment advisers and endowments. “That’s where all the real money is,” he said.

Related: Spot Bitcoin ETFs record $457M inflows in ‘early positioning’ push

Regulatory clarity and policy developments to fuel new ETF products in 2026

The number of new ETF filings is expected to surge in 2026, driven by US crypto regulations, Fabian Dori, chief investment officer at Sygnum Bank, told Cointelegraph.

If US lawmakers pass the CLARITY Act, a comprehensive crypto market structure bill, it will open the floodgates for new crypto ETFs in 2026, according to Dori and Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at investment company Bitwise. 

“On the basis of the potential passing of the Clarity Act, we would expect that new filings continue to go beyond BTC and ETH, Dori said, adding that “staking yields attract very solid demand, and rule-based index or basket products may emerge as a new frontier.” 

Balchunas said the number of altcoins with ETFs in the US could double in 2026, opening those digital assets to flows from traditional financial markets.