Bitcoin’s Renewed Push To $100k Sparked By Fresh Institutional Demand (2026)

Sustained US Bitcoin ETF inflows are supporting prices near $97,000, raising questions about whether institutional demand is reshaping Bitcoin’s market cycle.

Bitcoin’s price climbed back above $97,000 this week, supported by a sustained return of capital into US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, data and market watchers say, suggesting a structural shift in demand after months of sideways trading.

Since the start of the year, US spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs have collectively attracted nearly $1.5 billion in net inflows, according to data cited by Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas. That total reflects a multi-day stretch of positive creation activity amid renewed interest from larger allocators, following a period of muted ETF flows at the end of 2025.

Balchunas said in a post on X that the pattern of ETF demand “suggests that maybe the buyers have exhausted the sellers,” a reference to Bitcoin breaking out of a prolonged consolidation around the $88,000 level.

ETF buyers accounted for $843.6 million in net inflows on Wednesday alone, bringing the weekly total to $1.07 billion and lifting the year-to-date figure. While single-day inflows have grabbed attention, the broader narrative is one of steadier demand returning after earlier rotation within the products.

Related: Five Bitcoin narratives analysts are watching beyond price

Bitcoin is rallying at the start of a period that has historically been more challenging for the asset. Market observers often point to Bitcoin’s four-year cycles, which are loosely aligned with its halving events and have typically seen prices peak 12 to 18 months after each supply reduction, a pattern that would suggest the market may already be past its cyclical high.

While the four-year cycle is not a rule, past market behavior has led many analysts to approach this phase with caution.

The current rebound follows a mixed performance in 2025, when Bitcoin reached new all-time highs but failed to sustain momentum across the broader crypto market. Despite headline price gains, the rally did not translate into a prolonged “altcoin season,” leaving many investors disappointed by the lack of follow-through.

According to Wintermute, a structural shift in Bitcoin markets may be required to support a broader recovery heading into 2026. In a recent outlook, the market maker said a market-wide rebound would likely depend on continued accumulation by exchange-traded funds and digital asset treasury companies, or an expansion of the

Source: CoinTelegraph