Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $6.34 billion of net inflows in the third quarter. Bitcoin also rose 42.71 percent over the same period, posting its highest third-quarter return since 2017.

Cointelegraph, a blockchain media outlet, reported on Wednesday that net inflows into bitcoin spot ETFs in the third quarter were the biggest on a quarterly basis this year.

The shift is drawing attention because it signals a reversal in fund flows after a weak first half. Bitcoin spot ETFs logged about $5.0 billion of net outflows in the second quarter, but rebounded in the third quarter as net inflows exceeded that amount.

By month, September saw the largest net inflows at $2.65 billion. That was down about 25 percent from $3.52 billion in August, while July net inflows came to just $172 million. At the end of September, net outflows of about $149 million in a single day snapped a nine-session streak of inflows. Cumulative inflows over that period were about $3.1 billion.

Price action also improved alongside ETF inflows. Bitcoin rose 42.71 percent in the third quarter, marking its strongest quarterly gain since the fourth quarter of 2024. After a first-half correction, money flowed back into spot ETFs, sustaining the price rebound.

Ethereum showed a similar pattern. Ethereum spot ETFs posted net inflows of $3.05 billion in the third quarter. They had seen about $714 million of net outflows in the second quarter, but buying interest revived in the third quarter. Ethereum rose about 71 percent over the period.

Inflows also continued into altcoin-related ETFs. XRP spot ETFs pulled in $308 million in the third quarter, lifting cumulative net inflows to $1.79 billion. Solana spot ETFs and Zcash spot ETFs also recorded net inflows in September of $272 million and $246 million, respectively.

For the quarter as a whole, the key point was that second-quarter outflows shifted to clear inflows in the third quarter. Bitcoin spot ETFs posted their strongest quarterly inflows of 2026, with funds spreading to ethereum and some altcoin spot ETFs. The market is now watching how ETF flows in the fourth quarter will affect bitcoin and major digital asset prices.