Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan took to the spotlight on Monday, noting that investment advisors are adopting spot Bitcoin ETFs at an unprecedented pace, faster than any other exchange-traded fund (ETF) in history.
Hougan’s comments were a direct response to claims made by market researcher Jim Bianco, who suggested that spot Bitcoin ETFs have limited adoption by traditional financial advisors.
Speaking on social media platform X, Hougan disputed Bianco’s claims, citing significant interest in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, which has seen $1.5 billion in net inflows from investment advisors. “Investment advisors are adopting Bitcoin ETFs faster than any new ETF in history,” Hougan said, emphasizing that while $1.5 billion may seem small compared to the $46 billion that has flowed into Bitcoin ETFs, it still represents a significant achievement.
Bianco has previously criticized spot Bitcoin ETFs, arguing that they have not gained traction among traditional financial experts or older generations. He also claimed that most inflows into these ETFs have come from existing on-chain holders moving their holdings back into traditional financial accounts, rather than new money entering the crypto space.
Hougan rebutted that rhetoric by providing context: “If you exclude all other flows and just look at the $1.5 billion tied to investment advisors, IBIT would be the 2nd fastest-growing ETF launched this year.”
*This is not investment advice.