Predictive Strength

Negligible
Bitcoin historically had 9.21% 30 days returns when ETF Net Flow was▆ High (0.6 - 0.8). It indicates higher than average expected returns.
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BTC Price with ETF Net Flow

Factor Plot

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▆ Very Low▆ Low▆ Moderate▆ High▆ Very High

Predictive Strength

Negligible

Measures the net flow of capital into ETFs.

Potential Edge

Institutional Sentiment Proxy

ETF flows act as a real-time gauge of institutional confidence. Sustained inflows signal bullish positioning by large investors (e.g., BlackRock, Fidelity), while outflows often precede bearish trends.

Liquidity Amplification or Contraction

Each $1 of ETF inflow injects liquidity into the market, reducing bid-ask spreads and slippage. Analysis shows that ETF-driven liquidity enables smoother large transactions (e.g., 10,000 BTC trades) with minimal price impact. Conversely, outflows tighten liquidity, exacerbating volatility during sell-offs.

Reflexive Feedback Loops

ETF flows create self-reinforcing cycles. Inflows attract more capital by validating bullish narratives, while outflows can spark deleveraging cascades.

Data Collection Methodology

ETF Net Flow data is sourced by tracking daily/monthly changes in shares outstanding and net asset value (NAV), adjusting for price movements to isolate pure capital inflows/outflows. This calculation typically involves comparing the current period's AUM changes against historical averages to create a normalized index. The final metric reflects relative capital movement intensity rather than absolute dollar values.

Read more about our methodology

Track this predictive factor on your dashboard

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Scatter plot - ETF Net Flow and BTC 30 and 90 Day Average Returns

Backtest - Strategy Performance

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To understand a predictive factors predictive power, we create a simple long/short strategy and simulate its past performance (with daily rebalancing):

  • 100% Long when the predictive factor is close to 1, with a position size equivalent to the predictive factor value.
  • Flat when the predictive factor is close to 0, with a position size equivalent to the predictive factor value.

The strategy is rebalanced daily, on a continuous basis. There are 0.5% transaction costs applied on each position adjustment.

API

Get started by validating the historical performance of the strategy with our transparent code snippets.
Copy and paste the code snippets below into your Python environment or download the files below.

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Our Methodology