Bitcoin ETFs Hit $900M Weekly Inflows as CLARITY Act Nears Senate Vote

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds drew $900 million in net inflows last week, the largest weekly intake since early May, according to Bloomberg data. BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, known as IBIT, led the surge with $193 million last week and has pulled in $501 million in July alone, putting it on pace for its largest monthly haul since launch. The sharp rebound follows a period of persistent redemptions that had weighed heavily on Bitcoin sentiment throughout late May and June.

The renewed institutional appetite comes as Bitcoin trades near $64,000, still holding its dominant market position with a 56.4% share of the total $2.28 trillion crypto market cap. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have now recorded cumulative net inflows of $51.8 billion since their January 2024 launch, and total net assets across the fund complex have recovered to $80.9 billion, up from $74.37 billion at the start of the month.

CLARITY Act Awaits Full Senate Vote Amid Bipartisan Tension

On the legislative front, the CLARITY Act remains in limbo as Congress approaches its August recess. The bill passed the House in July 2025 by a 294-134 margin and cleared the Senate Banking Committee in May 2026, but it has yet to receive a full Senate floor vote. The legislation would allocate regulatory jurisdiction between the SEC and the CFTC, establish registration categories for digital asset exchanges, and add consumer protection requirements to govern the broader crypto market.

The bill needs bipartisan support to clear the Senate's 60-vote threshold, and disagreements over ethics provisions remain a sticking point. Senate Republicans unveiled updated draft language on July 22 that would ban presidents and federal officials from issuing or sponsoring crypto and preserve self-custody protections. Observers note that if Senate Majority Leader Thune does not file for cloture before August 10, a summer floor vote becomes effectively impossible, potentially pushing final passage into 2027.

Separately, a proposed class-action lawsuit filed against derivatives exchange BitMEX on the same day the platform announced plans to shut down on September 23 is drawing scrutiny across the industry. Plaintiffs allege systemic Bitcoin theft and insider trading, with one claimant reporting personal losses of 622 Bitcoin worth $40.7 million and another claiming forced liquidations cost it 305 Bitcoin. The complaint names parent company HDR Global Trading and co-founders Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed as primary respondents.