Bitcoin faces 20-month low in volatility and monthly transactions as ETFs set new cumulative inflow record

As the second half of 2025 begins, Bitcoin is showing decreased volatility and logging fewer monthly transactions, as its U.S.-based spot ETFs near $50 billion in cumulative net inflows. 

Bitcoin's "at-the-market" implied volatility, a measure of how volatile Bitcoin is expected to trade across timespans ranging from seven days to six months, has fallen in July to its lowest levels since October, 2023, when Bitcoin traded around a third of its current value, according to data from The Block. 

Alongside the decrease in volatility, monthly transactions on the Bitcoin network fell by 15% in June compared to May, The Block's data shows, logging the fewest monthly transactions since October, 2023. Transaction activity has seen notable lows in recent weeks, with some abnormally low-fee transactions even being scooped up by miners looking deep in the mempool for transactions to add to blocks. 

As transaction activity on the network falls, Wall Street's demand for BTC has only increased, with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs continually logging new cumulative inflow records. The funds logged over $1 billion in inflows over two days last week, bringing the cumulative total net inflow to just below $50 billion. The funds hold around $137.6 billion worth of BTC in total, a new all-time high. 

Publicly-listed companies also bought BTC in June—around 65,000 BTC, worth about $7 billion at current prices, according to data from BitcoinTreasuries. A Glassnode analysis in June found that, though Bitcoin's onchain activity is a 'ghost town,' the increase in transactions from high net worth agents signals institutions and whales are becoming more dominant on the network. 

A decrease in Bitcoin futures volume could also signal a summer slump for the world's largest cryptocurrency, The Block recently reported.