Bitcoin ETF Assets May Triple Gold's Within Three Years

Bloomberg Intelligence's Eric Balchunas predicts that Bitcoin ETFs could triple gold ETF assets within three to five years, citing younger investors' growing preference for Bitcoin as a store of value. The current pace of inflows has exceeded initial forecasts by far.

Gold ETFs took over a decade to reach the same asset levels, whereas Bitcoin ETFs have reached comparable milestones in just 18 months. Balchunas notes that both assets are non-yielding and their prices are driven by market sentiment.

Investors are buying both gold and Bitcoin ETFs, with combined inflows of $7 billion over five trading days in August 2026. The ETF wrapper has solved Bitcoin's biggest distribution problem, making it accessible to financial advisors and investors through regulated brokerage accounts.