U.S. Crypto-based Funds Dominate Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Classification
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The U.S. cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) market has experienced significant growth in the past year, with several ETFs attracting substantial investments.
Leading the pack is the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), offered by BlackRock, which has delivered a 28.1% return year-to-date since January 2024 and boasts assets around $2.2 billion [2][3]. This ETF has benefited greatly from favorable regulatory changes in 2025, including SEC approvals that improved ETF operations, contributing to rapid asset inflows totaling $29.4 billion through August 2025 across crypto ETFs in general [3].
Other notable crypto-related ETFs with strong recognition in 2024 include the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), although it's more a trust than a traditional ETF, and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, which also ranks highly among Bitcoin-focused investment products [2]. However, specific performance figures for these are less detailed compared to IBIT.
Among global performers, the DigitalX Bitcoin ETF, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, reported an impressive 95.5% return over the year to mid-2025 [5]. The VanEck Bitcoin ETF followed with a return of 76.5% over the same period [5].
In the U.S. market, the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) has attracted $9.6 billion, while the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Trust (BITB) and the Fidelity Ethereum Fund ETF (Feth) have each attracted $2.3 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively [1]. The Ark 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) has also drawn $2.2 billion [1].
However, August saw a slight dip in investments, with Bitcoin-ETF experiencing a withdrawal of over $643 million in the first week, resulting in a negative monthly influx [4]. In contrast, July saw Bitcoin-ETF raise $6.02 billion [4].
The President has noted that half of the 20 most successful ETFs in the U.S. are associated with cryptocurrencies [6]. The 2x Ether ETF (ETHU) has attracted $1.6 billion, but it's worth noting that the Yieldmax MSTR Option Income Strategy (msty), which invests in the shares of Michael Saylor's Strategy, which is actively buying Bitcoin, has attracted $7.2 billion, although it is not directly related to cryptocurrencies [6].
As of now, under the control of ETH-ETF is $25.71 billion, representing 4.77% of the ether supply [7]. In July, Spot Ethereum-ETF set a record for a monthly capital inflow of $5.4 billion [7].
The U.S. crypto ETF market expanded rapidly in 2025, with 76 spot and futures crypto ETPs totaling $156 billion in assets, supported by key U.S. legislative frameworks and regulatory clarity [3][4].
Here's a summary of the current leading crypto ETFs and their performance:
| ETF Name | Provider | Approximate YTD Return (2024-2025) | Notes | |---------------------------|------------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------------| | iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) | BlackRock | 28.1% (YTD) | Largest U.S. crypto ETF by AUM | | Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) | Grayscale | N/A (Trust, not traditional ETF) | Established Bitcoin exposure vehicle | | Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund | Fidelity | N/A | Highly rated Bitcoin fund | | DigitalX Bitcoin ETF | DigitalX (Australia) | 95.5% over last year | Australian market, exceptional growth | | VanEck Bitcoin ETF | VanEck | 76.5% over last year | Strong global Bitcoin ETF | | iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) | BlackRock | N/A | Largest U.S. Ethereum ETF by AUM | | Bitwise Bitcoin ETF Trust (BITB) | Bitwise | N/A | Established Bitcoin exposure vehicle | | Fidelity Ethereum Fund ETF (Feth) | Fidelity | N/A | Highly rated Ethereum fund | | Ark 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) | Ark Invest | N/A | Highly rated Bitcoin fund | | 2x Ether ETF (ETHU) | ProShares | N/A | 2x Leveraged Ether ETF | | Yieldmax MSTR Option Income Strategy (msty) | Yieldmax | N/A | Michael Saylor's Bitcoin-focused strategy |
[1] Source: CoinDesk, Yahoo Finance [2] Source: CNBC, Forbes [3] Source: CoinShares, CoinDesk [4] Source: Bloomberg, Coindesk [5] Source: Finder, ETF Stream [6] Source: CNBC, Bloomberg [7] Source: CoinShares, CoinDesk
- The digital currency market has seen the growth of Defi with Ethereum, as the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) has attracted $9.6 billion, making it the largest U.S. Ethereum ETF by AUM, according to CoinDesk and Yahoo Finance.
- Bitcoin continues to dominate the finance sector through technology, with the Bitcoin-focused Yieldmax MSTR Option Income Strategy (msty) attracting $7.2 billion, despite not being directly related to cryptocurrencies, as mentioned in CNBC and Bloomberg.
- As for strategic investments, both Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs are worth considering, as the VanEck Bitcoin ETF reported an impressive return of 76.5% over the same period as the DigitalX Bitcoin ETF's 95.5% return (YTD), making them strong contenders in the finance market, based on the data from Finder and ETF Stream.
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