2 Bitcoin ETFs to Avoid—and 1 to Watch in 2026

Core Insights - The initial optimism surrounding President Trump's deregulatory stance for the crypto industry has not materialized as expected, with financials underperforming and Bitcoin experiencing significant losses [2][3] - The approval of the first 11 spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2024 led to nearly $10 billion in inflows for Bitcoin ETPs in 2025, despite Bitcoin's poor performance [4][5] - Investors are increasingly turning to Bitcoin ETFs for exposure to the crypto market, with the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF attracting over $20 billion in assets under management [5][6] Financial Sector Performance - In 2025, the financial sector ranked second-to-last among the S&P 500's 11 sectors, achieving a gain of just over 5% [2] - Bitcoin has lost nearly 15% since its all-time high on January 25, 2025, and over 27% since its record high on October 4, 2025 [2] Bitcoin ETPs and ETFs - Bitcoin ETPs saw inflows of nearly $10 billion in 2025, driven by the SEC's approval of spot Bitcoin ETPs [4] - The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF has a highly liquid average daily trading volume of just over 4 million shares [5] - The ProShares Bitcoin ETF and Grayscale Bitcoin Trust are criticized for not justifying their elevated expense ratios, while the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF offers a more favorable expense ratio of 0.25% [6]