Market analysts predict that altcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be the next catalyst for institutional capital flowing into the cryptocurrency market. With at least five new altcoin ETF filings submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the first half of October, despite the ongoing government shutdown, observers see significant potential.
According to Leon Waidmann, head of research at Web3 analytics firm Onchain, each approval could "open the door for the next wave of institutional buying." Waidmann further stated, "Altcoin ETF inflows are the inevitable next step after Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs proved institutional demand." He emphasized that this reflects a "translation of regulatory confidence into capital flows."
In a notable development, spot Ether (ETH) ETFs attracted $9.6 billion in inflows during the third quarter of 2025, surpassing the $8.7 billion generated by spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs, according to data from SosoValue. This shift indicates a growing institutional appetite for alternative crypto exposure.
Waidmann suggests that altcoin ETFs may catalyze the next wave of institutional altcoin adoption, leading to years of sustained inflows. "Institutions found Bitcoin via ETFs, now they're moving into Ethereum, and other altcoins are coming next," he added.
Some of the industry's most successful firms are also positioning themselves for the approval of altcoin ETFs. Data from Nansen shows that Uniswap (UNI), Aave (AAVE), and Chainlink (LINK) were among the top tokens held by smart money traders.
However, some analysts are concerned that BlackRock's absence from the altcoin ETF landscape could lead to limited overall inflows. BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF has amassed $28.1 billion in investments so far in 2025, making it the only fund to log positive year-to-date (YTD) inflows. Without BlackRock's fund, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a cumulative net outflow of $1.27 billion YTD, according to K33's head of research, Vetle Lunde.
Based on the dynamics seen in Bitcoin ETF investments, BlackRock's absence from the altcoin ETF wave may limit cumulative inflows and their potential tailwind effect on the underlying tokens.
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