Bitcoin ETF Inflows, Altcoin Approvals Drive Crypto Rally
October saw strong Bitcoin ETF inflows of $4.21 billion, reversing prior outflows and pushing total ETF assets under management to $178.2 billion. Approvals for Solana (SOL), Litecoin (LTC) and Hedera (HBAR) ETFs—and 155 altcoin ETF filings pending—could inject fresh liquidity. Major institutions like BlackRock, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan expanded Bitcoin and Ethereum services, reflecting growing institutional adoption.
Macro factors also favoured risk assets: Fed rate cut expectations (98.3% probability) and a weaker dollar supported markets. On-chain data confirm bullish momentum: DeFi TVL rose 3.5% to $157.5 billion, Bitcoin futures open interest climbed to $53.7 billion, and whale wallets accumulated over $350 million in BTC. Traders should stay alert for further Bitcoin ETF inflows as new altcoin products come online.
Analysts Arthur Hayes and Raoul Pal argue that liquidity cycles now dictate crypto trends, forecasting Bitcoin may exceed $200,000 by mid-2026. Traders should remain positioned for continued upside toward year-end.
Bullish
Heavy Bitcoin ETF inflows reversing earlier outflows, alongside new altcoin ETF approvals, institutional service expansion and supportive macro factors, have created strong positive momentum. On-chain metrics—rising DeFi TVL, higher futures open interest and whale accumulation—confirm bullish sentiment. In the short term, ETF flows and Fed rate cut expectations can drive further price gains, while in the long term, liquidity cycles backed by institutional adoption and regulatory clarity support a sustained uptrend toward and beyond $200,000.