Bitcoin inflows to the US set to turn positive in 2026, Chainalysis says
Oct 16, 2026
The United States has recorded net Bitcoin inflows for the first time since 2022, with transfers above $10 million bringing in 53,200 BTC during Chainalysis’s 2026 reporting period.
Chainalysis reported in its Oct. 14 study, “North America: Inside the Growth of Agentic Commerce,” that institutional buying drove the country’s return to net Bitcoin inflows during the 12 months ending June 2026.
Institutional transfers drive Bitcoin inflows to the US
Within the largest transaction bracket, transfers exceeding $10 million accounted for 53,200 BTC in net arrivals, according to the study. The report placed the return to net imports alongside a steady increase in America’s share of global Bitcoin activity since U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in January 2024.
US Bitcoin ETFs draw fresh allocations after withdrawals
Recent fund-flow reports have documented renewed buying through U.S.-listed investment products, although daily allocations have varied.
As crypto.news reported on Sep. 4, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $730.9 million in inflows during the Sep. 3 session, their largest daily intake since Jan. 14, according to SoSoValue data.
BlackRock’s IBIT received $454 million, followed by $138 million for ARK Invest and 21Shares’ ARKB and roughly $74 million for Fidelity’s FBTC, the report said. Combined net assets across the funds reached $103.34 billion, equivalent to 6.32% of Bitcoin’s market capitalization at the time.
Dollar stablecoins serve different needs outside America
Alongside institutional Bitcoin purchases, the Chainalysis report described growing overseas use of dollar stablecoins for savings, person-to-person transfers and cross-border business payments.
The firm attributed the difference partly to banking access: Americans can already hold dollars through domestic bank accounts, while stablecoins offer people elsewhere a way to hold dollar-denominated assets without a U.S. account.
According to the study, stablecoins represent a smaller proportion of American crypto activity than they do elsewhere, and the gap has increased across successive reporting periods. The report characterized American Bitcoin use as increasingly tied to demand for a scarce store of value.
BlackRock’s head of digital assets research, Will Su, told the researchers that interest in Bitcoin “as a monetary alternative remains strong,” citing rising government debt and spending.
For stablecoins, the report linked overseas adoption to economic activity benefiting American companies and the federal government. In its assessment, reserve holdings connect demand for digital dollars with demand for U.S. government debt, while the tokens support payments outside conventional banking channels.
Fed proposals set reserve and bank application requirements
On the regulatory side, President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act in 2025, establishing a federal framework for payment stablecoins that includes reserve backing and monthly reserve disclosures.
In Sep. 24 coverage, the Federal Reserve’s proposed stablecoin reserve rules set out how issuers under its supervision would back their tokens and how covered banks would seek approval to issue them through subsidiaries.
According to the Fed’s announcement, the first proposal would require full backing with permitted assets, including short-term Treasury bills and certain other high-quality liquid assets. The draft would also establish capital requirements for credit and operational risks, risk-management standards and rules for supervised firms safeguarding stablecoin reserves.
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