Institutionals return to Bitcoin while altcoins lose ground

American spot Bitcoin ETFs posted a strong recovery on Monday with $167 million in net inflows. Meanwhile, Ether, XRP, and Solana funds saw a third consecutive day of outflows. A gap is widening, revealing much about institutional investors’ mindset.

Bitcoin recovers, institutionals return to fundamentals

Monday, March 10, US spot Bitcoin ETFs registered $167 million in net inflows, ending two consecutive sessions in the red.

Bitcoin traded around $70,800 according to CoinGecko data, fueled by renewed institutional investor appetite for the queen of cryptos.

This turnaround comes in a slightly eased geopolitical context. Donald Trump told reporters Monday that an agreement with Iran was shaping up, easing pressure on oil prices and giving risky assets renewed breath. Markets breathed, and Bitcoin benefited.

This rebound is part of a broader dynamic. For the first time in five months, US spot Bitcoin ETFs posted two consecutive weeks of positive inflows, with $568 million last week, after $787 million the previous week. A strong signal, especially after these products went through five weeks of outflows totaling $3.8 billion.

And Strategy was not mistaken. Michael Saylor seized the opportunity to acquire 17,994 additional bitcoins between March 2 and 8, for $1.28 billion. His portfolio now stands at 738,731 BTC, or 3.7% of the total supply. A conviction as solid as concrete, despite an unrealized loss of $5.5 billion across all his positions.

Altcoins under pressure, investor confidence not following

Despite a 3 to 5% rebound in underlying tokens over 24 hours, Ether, XRP, and Solana ETFs all posted outflows on Monday. SoSoValue figures are clear:

• Ether: $51 million outflows, $225 million since Thursday
• XRP: $18 million outflows, $41 million since Thursday
• Solana: $2.5 million outflows, $16 million since Thursday

The paradox is striking. Prices rise, but money leaves. This reflects persistent institutional distrust toward altcoins, which struggle to convince beyond speculative traders.

Bitcoin, meanwhile, benefits from strengthened legitimacy through ETFs, the strategic national reserve envisaged by the US, and continuous accumulation by players like Strategy.

CryptoQuant analysts nonetheless call for caution. The ratio of spent profits between long-term and short-term holders reached 0.89, a sign that small holders are selling at a loss. Total capitulation is not yet here. A deeper bottom remains possible.

The crypto market sends a signal of increasing selectivity: Bitcoin consolidates its status as a reference asset, while altcoins struggle to retain institutional capital. The real question is not whether Bitcoin will rebound, but how far altcoins will have to fall before confidence returns.