Prefer us on Google 
Download App 
Download App
Bitcoin traded near the $63,000 mark on Monday, recovering from a low seen two months prior on June 5. This rebound occurred as several factors, including outflows from spot ETFs, broader market uncertainty, and a shift of capital towards artificial intelligence stocks, caused the leading cryptocurrency to fall approximately 50% from its peak value of $126,279 reached in October 2025.
The downturn has led to a predictable sense of surrender. Individual investors have largely withdrawn, and mainstream media coverage has amplified concerns. However, a growing number of institutional perspectives are strongly contesting this narrative.
In a report released Monday, analysts at the Wall Street brokerage Bernstein affirmed that Bitcoin’s enduring “store of value” argument remains intact. This comes despite a slowdown in net inflows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds and corporate treasury departments, which have totaled $12 billion in 2026, a significant decrease from the $60 billion recorded in 2025.
The firm indicated that the majority of selling pressure originated not from ETF holders, but from corporate treasury entities liquidating their holdings. Spot ETFs, in contrast, experienced net outflows of only about $2.6 billion year-to-date.
“Bitcoin’s lack of volatility this cycle should not be held against it,” Bernstein stated, further elaborating that the cooling of retail interest does not diminish the fundamental case for Bitcoin ownership.
The brokerage’s analysis pointed out that 61% of Bitcoin’s available supply has remained untouched for over a year, suggesting a segment of holders reluctant to divest at current price levels.
Bernstein has sustained its price projection of $150,000 for Bitcoin in 2026, attributing this outlook to a fundamental shift in the investor landscape towards institutional players such as wealth management firms, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds.
The firm had previously characterized early 2026 as presenting the “weakest bear market scenario” in Bitcoin’s history, arguing that increased acceptance by banks and major investment entities distinguishes the current market adjustment from prior crypto downturns.
Institutions Increase Bitcoin Holdings as Retail Investors Shift Focus
The recent price pressures on Bitcoin stem from several identifiable causes. There has been a significant reallocation of capital into the artificial intelligence sector, with hundreds of billions flowing into major tech companies and hyperscalers over recent months.
According to analysts observing this market shift, the upcoming SpaceX IPO, scheduled for June 12 on Nasdaq with an anticipated valuation between $1.75 trillion and $2 trillion, has diverted considerable attention from individual investors away from digital assets. Furthermore, sales by Strategy have added to the market’s selling pressure.
On the regulatory front, the CLARITY Act, a comprehensive bill defining the market structure for digital assets by allocating regulatory oversight between the SEC and the CFTC, advanced from the Senate Banking Committee in May with a 15-9 vote.
This legislation previously passed the House in July with a 294-134 vote. Its enactment could alleviate years of regulatory ambiguity that has deterred institutional investment from fully entering the market.
Ben Lilly, a senior crypto analyst at Brownstone Research, drew a parallel to the 2022 bear market, when BlackRock introduced a private Bitcoin trust in August of that year during the market’s trough. This move foreshadowed the record-breaking launch of BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), which rapidly accumulated $80 billion in assets under management, surpassing the previous record set by Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF by a significant margin.
Lilly contends that a similar pattern is unfolding again: institutional investors are accumulating assets while retail participants are stepping back.
Original article : bitcoinmagazine.com