Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States are heading for a record-breaking month, helping push Bitcoin to new all-time highs amid rising institutional demand.

The US-listed spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs recorded more than $1.5 billion in combined inflows over a two-day period, with $608 million on May 21 and $934 million on May 22, according to data from Sosovalue.

A repeat performance of the past two days’ inflows would see monthly inflows surge to $6.68 billion, surpassing the monthly record of $6.49 billion from November 2024.

Bitcoin ETF inflows, monthly, all-time chart. Source: Sosovalue

Related: German gov’t missed out on $2.3B profit after selling Bitcoin at $57K

ETF inflows helped Bitcoin rise to a new all-time high of $112,000 on May 22 before retracing to above $110,700 on May 23, up over 19% in the past week, TradingView data shows.

BTC/USD, 1-year chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The “robust” ETF inflows and Bitcoin’s rise to new all-time highs signal growing institutional demand and rising realized profits “without increased sell pressure,” Nexo dispatch editor Stella Zlatareva told Cointelegraph.

“Institutional inflows, corporate balance sheet moves, and macro dislocation converge into a clear message: Bitcoin is no longer the alternative — it’s becoming the benchmark,” she added.

Recent surges in ETF demand coincided with $1 billion worth of Bitcoin being withdrawn from Coinbase on May 9 — a move analysts view as a signal of increasing institutional appetite.

Related: Exponential currency debasement: ‘You don’t own enough crypto, NFTs’

Institutional inflows to push Bitcoin to $200,000 in 2025

The “structural” inflows from institutions may help Bitcoin surpass the $200,000 “base case” before the end of 2025, according to Bitwise’s head of European research, André Dragosch.

“So the base case is $200,000, conditional on the US government not stepping in. If they step in, it will move closer toward $500,000,” Dragosch told Cointelegraph, referring to the US government’s proposition to make direct Bitcoin acquisitions through “budget-neutral” strategies.

Bitwise’s “in-house prediction” for 2029 is a $1 million Bitcoin price target, as Bitcoin’s market cap will surpass the market capitalization of gold, as the leading safe-haven asset, Dragosch explained.

Top 10 global assets by market capitalization. Source: CompaniesMarketCap

However, gold’s $22.3 trillion market capitalization is still over 10 times larger than Bitcoin’s $2.2 trillion, which makes BTC the world’s fifth-largest asset, according to CompaniesMarketCap data.

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight

Digital asset lender Ledn is transitioning to fully collateralized Bitcoin lending and discontinuing support for Ethereum, in moves designed to consolidate its BTC-focused business and further safeguard client assets against credit risks.

In adopting a full custody structure for Bitcoin (BTC) loans, Ledn will no longer lend out client assets to generate interest, the company disclosed on May 23. Instead, Bitcoin collateral will remain under full custody by Ledn or one of its designated funding partners. 

“This means assets aren’t rehypothecated, reused, or loaned out to generate yield,” Ledn co-founder and CEO Adam Reeds told Cointelegraph.

Reeds said the move brings the company back to its roots and aligns more closely with Bitcoin’s founding principles.

“Bitcoin was created as a direct response to the risks of fractional reserve banking and unchecked use of client assets to generate interest,” said Reed, adding:

“Traditional finance relies on constantly reusing client assets to create leverage and, ultimately, inflation. Bitcoiners instinctively reject that model. That’s why we’ve moved away from this approach entirely. 

Reed told Cointelegraph that the company is ending support for Ether (ETH) as “part of a broader strategic shift,” as Bitcoin represents over 99% of Ledn’s client activity.

“Rather than fragmenting the platform to chase marginal volume, we’re going all-in on Bitcoin and simplifying our stack to reflect what our clients actually value,” said Reed.

Founded in 2018, Ledn has emerged as one of the largest lenders in the digital asset space with a loan book value of $9.9 billion, according to Galaxy Research. The company enables Bitcoin holders to borrow against their assets, giving them access to liquidity without having to sell their holdings or trigger a taxable event.

This approach is commonly used by wealthy investors, who take out low-interest loans against stocks, real estate, and other assets to access cash.

Bitcoin’s price has reached new all-time highs above $111,000. Instead of selling their assets for cash, long-term investors can borrow against their holdings. Source: Cointelegraph

Related: ‘Before Bitcoin, my most successful investment was shorting the Bolivar’ — Ledn co-founder

Digital assets are disrupting TradFi

Bitcoin’s genesis block was mined in the wake of the global financial crisis in 2008, offering the world a sound money alternative to the inflation-prone fiat monetary system. 

Bitcoin now thrives within traditional finance, especially after the successful launch of spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in 2024.

Institutional investors have embraced the spot Bitcoin ETFs, as evidenced by the continued surge in cumulative inflows. Source: Farside

While financial institutions are increasingly embracing Bitcoin, some members of the banking lobby are reportedly concerned about other blockchain innovations disrupting their business models. 

Specifically, the banking lobby is “panicking” over yield-bearing stablecoins, which can pay higher interest rates and other financial incentives that traditional banks have largely abandoned, according to New York University professor Austin Campbell. 

Referring to banks as a “cartel,” Campbell said financial institutions rely on fractional reserves to maximize profits while offering depositors minimal interest. 

Magazine: Danger signs for Bitcoin as retail abandons it to institutions: Sky Wee

Key takeaways:

Bitcoin hit a new all-time high of $111,970 on May 22, but retraced to $110,700, with analysts noting mixed signals on market overheating.

Funding rates and other metrics suggest a “healthy upward phase.”

Bitcoin’s (BTC) price recorded a new all-time high of $111,970  on May 22. However, BTC price retraced shortly after to trade at $110,700 at the time of writing.

Despite the correction, there are mixed signals about whether the price rally is overheated or whether this is a healthy pullback.

Bitcoin “still not overheated” — analyst

Bitcoin is not showing any signs of being overheated despite reaching new all-time highs this week, with several analysts pointing to fundamentals suggesting Bitcoin could rise further.

“Overheating indicators such as the funding rate and short-term capital inflow remain low compared to previous peaks, and profit-taking by short-term investors is limited,” said CryptoQuant analyst Crypto Dan in a May 22 Quicktake note. 

Crypto Dan pointed out that Bitcoin’s funding rate, an indicator of market overheating, shows an increase in long bets. However, these bets “remain much smaller compared to previous peaks,” suggesting “futures market overheating is negligible.”

Bitcoin funding rates and STH SOPR. Source: CryptoQuant

A spike in Bitcoin funding rates can sometimes cause worry among market participants about increased Bitcoin volatility and liquidation risks.

Still, the funding rates are moderately positive, signaling that traders are optimistic about Bitcoin’s price and buyers are willing to pay sellers a fee to hold their positions.

Meanwhile, the short-term holder (STH) Spent Output Profit Ratio (SOPR) metric reveals that despite STHs returning to profit, few have taken profits during the recent rise. 

This indicator is currently valued at 1.02%, suggesting that STHs are realizing some profits at much lower rates.

“In March 2024, there was significant profit-taking and a prolonged correction, but currently, profit-taking is much lower than in November 2024,” the analyst explained, adding that despite the price at all-time highs, whales’ profit-taking activity remains relatively subdued.

CryptoQuant’s Crypto Dan expected Bitcoin to continue rising higher, noting:

“Overall, the Bitcoin market is still in a healthy upward phase.”

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s MVRV Z-score value — a metric that compares BTC’s market value to its realized value and adjusts for volatility — has seen a notable surge over the last month. 

Historically, all previous Bitcoin bull runs started with a notable surge in MVRV Z-score and ended with the metric entering the red zone (see chart below) to signal that Bitcoin is significantly overvalued.

At 2.8, the MVRV Z-score is still significantly below the red zone, suggesting that the market top is not yet in.

Bitcoin’s MVRV Z-score. Source: Glassnode

Bitcoin’s RSI entering “exhaustion”

Bitcoin’s relative strength index, or RSI, displays overbought conditions in two out of five timeframes. Bitcoin’s RSI is now at 70 in the 12-hour timeframe and 75 on the daily chart. Other intervals show near-oversold RSI values on the weekly and four-hour timeframes. 

Crypto market RSI heatmap. Source: CoinGlass

Data from TradingView shows BTC’s RSI at 75, 71, 68 and 66 on daily, 12-hour, weekly and four-hour timeframes, respectively. Meanwhile, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index is 78, indicating “extreme greed” conditions.

Crypto Fear and Fear Index chart. Source: Alternative.me

When investors get too “greedy,” the market is often overdue for a correction. The last time this index was at similar levels was at the height of the Trump-driven pump in December 2024, just before BTC dropped down from its then-all-time high of around $108,000 and tumbled toward $74,000 in March.

Related: Bitcoin buyer dominance at $111K suggests ‘another wave’ of gains

Even though these metrics are cautioning market participants to manage risks, it is important to note that RSI conditions do not guarantee a trend reversal. Crypto prices are highly volatile, and BTC could continue to rally, fueled by increasing spot ETF demand and easing trade war tensions.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.