Institutional Buying Boosts Bitcoin Demand to Positive Territory

For the first time since February, Bitcoin's spot demand has turned positive, signaling renewed institutional interest in the cryptocurrency. According to CryptoQuant's 'apparent demand' metric, which measures on-chain demand, the reading has reached +25,000 BTC. This shift follows six months of negative readings, with a low of -147,000 BTC in May when prices hovered around $60,000.

The positive demand is driven largely by institutional investors, who have been buying Bitcoin through US ETFs. By mid-August 2026, there had been over $52 billion in cumulative net inflows into these ETFs, including a notable single-day inflow of $297.5 million.

While this positive reading suggests renewed buying pressure and could ease miner selling, sustained ETF inflows will be key to maintaining upward momentum in Bitcoin prices.