Bitcoin Sees $2.6B in ETF Outflows as Retail Investors Turn to AI Stocks; Bernstein Maintains $150K Year-End Target

According to Bernstein's research note published Monday, Bitcoin experienced a significant slowdown in institutional inflows this year, with net inflows from exchange-traded funds and corporate treasury buyers declining to roughly $12 billion year-to-date compared with $60 billion across all of 2025—an 80% drop. Bitcoin ETFs have seen net outflows of $2.6 billion from a total asset base of $75 billion, as retail investors have redirected their focus toward AI-related stocks.

Bernstein's Global Digital Assets team argued this shift reflects growing institutional stability rather than structural decline, with the holder base increasingly dominated by institutional players, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and corporate treasury buyers. Meanwhile, Strategy raised $7.5 billion through preferred stock issuance this year to purchase approximately 100,000 Bitcoin, bringing its total holdings to over 845,000 BTC worth roughly $53.6 billion. Bernstein maintained its $150,000 price target for Bitcoin by year-end despite the cryptocurrency trading just above $63,000.