Bitcoin ETFs Add $189M as August Net Inflows Near $1B

SEC and CFTC clarified crypto asset classifications, designating Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), XRP, and Cardano (ADA) as digital commodities, not securities, effective March 23, 2026. Payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act are also non-securities. The framework categorizes crypto assets into five regulatory buckets, resolving prior uncertainties. SEC Chairman Atkins and CFTC Chairman Selig emphasized the importance of clear regulations for industry growth.

Strategy (MSTR) did not sell any Bitcoin last week, instead repurchasing $132.2M of its preferred stock (STRC) and adding $150M to its USD reserve. The company holds 840,447 BTC, unchanged from the prior week. Strategy raised $333.7M through MSTR share sales, allocating funds to STRC repurchases, dividends, and reserves. The company has $4.8B in cash reserves, covering 2.8 years of preferred-stock obligations.

Strategy (MSTR) disclosed in an 8-K that it sold 1,690 Bitcoin for $108.6 million at an average $64,262 per coin, below its $75,385 cost basis, and sold about 6.59M shares for $653.1 million to fund a USD reserve. Riot (RIOT), MARA (MARA), and CleanSpark (CLSK) fell about 5% to 6% amid weaker Bitcoin sentiment.

Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius said a September Fed rate hike is “very unlikely,” citing improving inflation and softer retail sales and employment data, according to Bloomberg. He argued market pricing for the federal funds rate is too hawkish. Bitcoin was around $63,600, up about 1%, trading in a $62,000 to $66,000 range.

Bloomberg reports that US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs saw net outflows of $389.7 million in the week of Aug. 10, after net inflows of $853.5 million the prior week. Bitcoin traded around $63,400 and was largely rangebound. The article links weaker ETF demand to cautious institutional sentiment and macro and US legislative uncertainty.

Bitcoin saw muted price action on July CPI day as headline CPI matched consensus at 3.4% y/y and core CPI eased to 2.5%, according to BLS. K33 Research said BTC/USDT perpetual volumes on Binance and Bybit fell to a 3-year low (30-day avg $10.8B) while open interest stayed near 300,000 BTC. Russia’s new crypto law limits retail to BTC, ETH, USDT.