Bitcoin price today surged past $120,000 on October 1, powered by record demand for spot ETF and renewed institutional inflows.
The rally added about 9.8% in value over the past week and roughly 8.2% in the past month, extending momentum from late September levels near $109,000.
Bitcoin (BTC USD) price was around $120,129 at the time of writing, up 1.2% in the past 24 hours.
Institutional Flows Set the Tone, Bitcoin ETF $58.44 B Inflows Till Date
Trading activity in Bitcoin-linked exchange-traded funds reached an unprecedented $5 billion in a single day.
Large-scale investors led the charge, with $676 million entering the market on October 1 alone.
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust absorbed $405 million, while Fidelity added 1,570 BTC, worth $179 million, marking one of its most aggressive daily allocations so far.
Across all markets, Bitcoin trading volumes soared past $50 billion, underscoring the growing dominance of institutional capital in shaping price direction.
BlackRock’s IBIT fund now controls 773,000 Bitcoin valued at approximately $93 billion, giving the firm custody of 3.88% of the total supply.
Spot Bitcoin ETF in totality pulled in $58.44 billion since their debut in January 2024, pushing their combined net assets to $155.89 billion, 6.66% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization.
Vanguard Rethinks its Hardline Stance
In a twist, Vanguard, the world’s second-largest asset manager, overseeing $11 trillion, appears to be softening its position on crypto products.
The firm quietly deleted a blog post that once argued Bitcoin had “no inherent economic value,” sparking speculation about a policy reversal.
Under new CEO Salim Ramji, who previously held senior roles at BlackRock, Vanguard is said to be exploring whether to provide access to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs for its 50 million clients.
Even a modest adoption rate could reshape flows: if only 1% of Vanguard’s customers entered the market, that would mean half a million new ETF investors.
Despite its previous skepticism, Vanguard already holds exposure to companies like Coinbase through its index funds, making its current posture increasingly difficult to reconcile.
A company spokesperson told Bloomberg the firm was “continuously evaluating investor preferences and the regulatory environment,” but stopped short of confirming new products.
BlackRock Tests Income-Focused Crypto Products
Not content with dominating spot Bitcoin ETF, BlackRock has filed for a new fund: the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF.
The product would apply a covered-call strategy to generate yield from Bitcoin holdings, mirroring traditional income-focused strategies but in a crypto wrapper.
According to Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas, this vehicle could serve as a direct successor to BlackRock’s $87 billion IBIT, but with an income twist designed to appeal to conservative allocators.
BlackRock’s crypto suite is already highly profitable, earning over $260 million annually from its Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
Digital asset custody across the firm’s products now exceeds $101 billion, with $14.1 billion in inflows reported in Q2 alone.
Ethereum funds in particular gained traction last week, pulling $512 million in new capital.
While these numbers represent just 1% of BlackRock’s $12.5 trillion empire, the segment is among its fastest-growing, highlighting the firm’s aggressive expansion in digital assets.
Technical Picture: Room to Climb, but With Caution
On the charts, Bitcoin price was trading around $120,129 at the time of writing, pressing against the upper end of its current price channel.
Since 2023, each surge has followed the same rhythm: multi-week consolidation followed by sharp upward breaks.
The market established a clear break-and-retest near $110,000. Price pushed above that zone, pulled back to check former resistance, then advanced again.
Traders often view successful retests as confirmation that buyers defended the new floor.
From there, projections pointed toward intermediate markers around $128,000 and $135,000. Those areas aligned with measured-move extensions from the prior base.
Analysts also noted that percentage gains appeared to moderate versus earlier cycles.
The leg from roughly $70,000 to near $120,000 produced smaller proportional returns than the prior expansion, suggesting momentum cooled even as trend direction stayed positive.
Support clustered near $110,000–$112,000, where prior resistance turned into a demand area.
If price lost that shelf decisively, technicians mapped the next support near $103,000–$105,000, a zone that matched channel boundaries from earlier consolidation.
On strength, sustained closes above roughly $128,000 opened room toward $135,000–$140,000. Higher-timeframe resistance remained overhead near $173,000.
That’s where trend channels converged. This framework relies on simple trend analysis rather than advanced oscillators.
When traders reference “price discovery,” they mean markets trade in ranges without dense historical transactions.
So levels may form quickly and moves can stretch as participants negotiate value.
Outlook for Bitcoin ETF
The surge in Bitcoin ETF participation, shifting attitudes at asset managers like Vanguard, and BlackRock’s push into yield strategies all pointed toward a structural shift in how Bitcoin integrates with traditional finance.
Institutional demand continued to shape both price action and product innovation, but investors may need to brace for sharper swings as the market tested higher ground.