Bitcoin remained narrowly range-bound near $82,000 on Monday. The market continued its modest upward trend from the past week, but the driving force is no longer retail sentiment; rather, it is the sustained inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs and progress on regulatory developments in Washington.
As of press time, Bitcoin is up approximately 0.65% from early Sunday. However, the current price remains below levels from a year ago and is significantly lower than the peak of over $126,000 reached in October 2025.
ETF continues to attract funds
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of approximately $1.9 billion in April, marking the strongest monthly performance since October 2025 and bringing the year-to-date net flows back into positive territory. Since their launch in 2024, cumulative net inflows into these ETFs have approached $58 billion.
According to the data provided, these funds currently hold over 1.3 million BTC in total. During parts of April, daily net inflows reached hundreds of BTC, significantly exceeding the additional mining supply during the same period, further reducing the available supply on exchanges.
Since early May, spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded nine consecutive trading days of net inflows, totaling approximately $2.7 billion. This is estimated to have removed around 33,000 to 35,000 BTC from the market’s tradable supply. The majority of funds flowed into BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC, with IBIT regarded as a key indicator of institutional sentiment.
The CLARITY Act becomes another main thread
In addition to capital flows, regulatory developments in the United States are also simultaneously influencing the market. One of the current focal points for the market is the CLARITY Act currently being advanced by the U.S. Congress. This bill aims to delineate the regulatory jurisdictions of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over most digital assets.
The report states that the bill is nearing consideration by the Senate Banking Committee. After reaching a compromise on the stablecoin yield provisions, the bill aims to move to a full chamber vote this summer.
This process builds on last year’s GENIUS Act, which established a comprehensive regulatory framework for payment stablecoins and set a deadline of July 2026 for subsequent rules.
Banks and the crypto industry publicly clash
Just before the Senate Banking Committee’s hearing, the American Bankers Association launched a lobbying effort to block the advancement of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act. In a letter to member banks, ABA CEO Rob Nichols stated that the bill’s stablecoin yield arrangements could lead deposits to shift from traditional banks to payment-oriented stablecoins, thereby undermining financial stability and economic growth.
This statement quickly sparked backlash from the crypto industry and lawmakers supporting the bill. Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal said that banks had previously secured concessions in negotiations with the White House. Senator Bernie Moreno accused banks of trying to suppress innovation and expressed support for moving the bill forward.
In addition, the White House is continuing to advance the framework for a "strategic Bitcoin reserve," exploring how the government can manage seized Bitcoin without directly increasing budget expenditures. If such arrangements are ultimately codified into law rather than remaining at the administrative level, government-held Bitcoin expectations could continue to influence the market.