2026-01-02 19:21:33

Since the beginning of this year, many people have felt that the gameplay in the crypto market has completely changed.

Compared to the retail crowd rallying around altcoins and the surge of meme coins in 2021, the current market rhythm is entirely different—institutional investors are gradually taking over the market. Starting with the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs, the gates of traditional finance have been fully opened. By July 2025, when Ethereum spot ETFs go live, the situation will become even more evident.

Numbers speak very interestingly. Over the past year, Bitcoin ETFs have attracted more than $40 billion in inflows, a volume that small retail investors cannot shake. Ethereum ETFs are even more aggressive—during their first week, net inflows exceeded $1.5 billion. The BlackRock ETHA fund also set a record with a single-day net inflow of $500 million. Once this money flows in, the market’s temperament changes.

Institutional funds have a characteristic—they don’t engage in short-term stimulation but focus more on fundamentals and long-term value. Therefore, Bitcoin’s status as “digital gold” has been reinforced, but at the same time, market volatility has decreased, and the duration of market trends has lengthened. What does this mean? It means that the “full-scale takeoff and meteoric rise of everything” meme season may really be gone for good.

But don’t be too pessimistic. The meme season of the institutional era will still exist, but its form will change—it may focus more on fundamentals and projects with real applications, and the shotgun-style broad rallies will become less frequent. This is the real change to watch for in 2026.

BTC1,44%

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SandwichTrader

· 5h ago

BlackRock sees a daily net inflow of 500 million, the retail investor era is truly over

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SocialFiQueen

· 5h ago

The era of retail investors is truly over; now it's a game for institutions. --- BlackRock is eating the meat while we are drinking the soup, there's nothing we can do. --- So now choosing coins depends on fundamentals; the days of randomly buying anything are truly over. --- Less volatility makes it even harder to make money, which is a problem. --- Shanzhai seasons don't die; they just change their gameplay. Those who know how to filter still have a chance. --- The profits I made in 2021 are now all invested in BTC. Accept your fate, everyone. --- Once institutions enter the crypto space, retail investors are no longer relevant. This statement is a bit absolute. --- ETF siphons off 40 billion, which is really exaggerated. How can small investors still play? --- Checking whether a project has practical applications has become a mandatory course; wildcat coins are completely cooling off.

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ForkTongue

· 5h ago

BlackRock's single-day net inflow of 500 million, in simple terms, means the retail investor era is truly over. Why still hold out hope for the clone season? Fundamentals are too unfamiliar to the crypto world. 400 billion into Bitcoin—such a volume could easily scare retail investors to death. Now it's the game of institutional players; we need to wake up. Talking about long-term value, isn't it just to lock in liquidity? That's too sincere. Wait, what about those shitcoin projects? Is there really no chance anymore?

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