Bitcoin Inflows Slowed by Shift Towards AI Investments

Bitcoin's investment narrative is shifting as investors increasingly favor artificial intelligence-linked stocks over the cryptocurrency. According to Bernstein, a leading investment research firm, capital flowing into bitcoin has slowed significantly in 2026 compared to last year. In contrast to 2025 when strong ETF demand propelled bitcoin to record highs and fueled one of the largest institutional adoption cycles in its history.

Corporate treasury companies have emerged as the primary source of bitcoin demand, with software firm Strategy surpassing 800,000 bitcoins after a record purchase. This trend has inspired dozens of publicly listed companies to add the cryptocurrency to their balance sheets. The changing flow dynamics come amid a difficult year for the world's largest cryptocurrency, which remains well below its late-2025 peak.