Bitcoin ETFs Draw $526.7m as BlackRock's IBIT Ends Two Weeks of Selling

US spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded their strongest day of inflows in a month, drawing a net $526.7m and ending two weeks of selling. The move was driven almost entirely by BlackRock's IBIT, which took in $665.2m while rival funds saw money leave. The return of buyers comes despite a difficult macro backdrop, with oil prices, inflation and 5% Treasury yields continuing to weigh on risk appetite.

Markets at a glance

Sentiment in digital assets is leaning positive. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index stands at 63 this morning, placing it in "Greed" territory.

That reading sits comfortably above neutral and is consistent with the renewed demand seen in ETF flows, although the index offers a broad gauge of mood rather than a signal of direction.

The stories that mattered

Bitcoin ETFs draw $526.7m in best day since 22 September as BlackRock's IBIT leads. The session marked the largest net intake since 22 September and broke a two-week run of outflows. The concentration of demand in IBIT, as competing funds bled assets, underlines BlackRock's growing dominance of the category. Whether the inflows persist will depend in part on how investors weigh elevated bond yields and inflation concerns.

Super League shareholders approve Metaplanet's 2,100 BTC investment and takeover. The vote clears a key hurdle for the Japanese bitcoin treasury company to transform the Nasdaq-listed advertising business into Superplanet, which will trade under the ticker SUPA. The deal gives Metaplanet a US-listed vehicle and extends the corporate treasury model into a new market.

Your crypto could soon pay anywhere Visa works. Mesh and Visa plan to let users tap to pay at more than 175 million merchant locations directly from crypto and stablecoin balances, without a card and without first selling their holdings. The scale of the network is notable, but the companies have not yet given a launch date.

Nasdaq-backed Puro.earth applies to certify carbon removals under new EU rules. The Helsinki-based firm is seeking Brussels' approval to issue EU-certified carbon removal units covering biochar, bioCCS and direct air capture. The application comes as the bloc's first certified credits draw near, marking a step towards a regulated market for removals.

Hobbyists boot Apple's iOS on Android phones as viral demo passes 2 million views. Early builds reach the iPhone home screen on Redmi and Poco handsets, but Wi-Fi, audio and graphics acceleration are missing. Installs also leave security largely disabled, making the project a technical curiosity rather than a practical alternative.

A 26-year-old built a Green Goblin-style flying skateboard and flew it 300 metres. Song Xingyu rebuilt his homemade hoverboard around 10 electric rotors after an earlier jet-powered version caught fire. The flight is striking, but the device remains far from a commercial product.

What to watch

• Whether bitcoin ETF inflows continue beyond a single strong session, and how far IBIT's share of demand keeps widening against rival funds.
• The pace of Metaplanet's conversion of Super League into Superplanet and the start of trading under SUPA.
• A launch date and further detail from Mesh and Visa on crypto and stablecoin payments at merchant locations.
• Brussels' response to Puro.earth's application as the EU prepares its first certified carbon removal credits.