ETF Inflows & Outflows
Performance Leaders & Laggards
Source: ETF Action; flows and performance data as of 6/4/26; performance data excludes leveraged and inverse products
Weekly ETF Reads
Vanguard fund becomes first ETF to top $1tn in assets by Steve Johnson and Emily Herbert
“It is now the second-largest investment fund in the world.”
Know When to Fold ‘Em: Why the SEC Should Reject Prediction-Market ETFs by Jeffrey Ptak
“Even if event contracts and, thus, these ETFs make it simpler than ever to bet on an event, investors still have to contend with the reality that by the time they place that wager, the odds already reflect that outcome’s likelihood.”
The “Democratization” Rush: Liquid Alts ETFs Explode by HedgeCo.Net
“If an ETF can deliver a reasonably diversified managed-futures or hedge fund replication strategy with daily liquidity and a lower fee, allocators will ask harder questions about what they are paying for in private vehicles.”
Leveraged ETF assets double in two months as investors press AI bet by Deena Zaidi
“It does seem like it’s in unsustainable territory.”
You Bought a Fund That Owns SpaceX. Now What? by Jeffrey Ptak
“Paradoxically, the more popular these ETFs become with investors, the greater the possibility that influx of assets will dilute the SpaceX weighting, thereby potentially lessening the very thing it’s being so sought for in the first place: its potential to contribute to performance.”
Bitcoin is cratering, but a new Wall Street crypto hype is on the rise by Krysta Escobar
“The rapid hyperliquid ETF asset growth story shows that some investors are not waiting.”
Coinbase investing into stablecoin reserves ETF issued by ProShares by RT Watson
“The fund, called the GENIUS Money Market ETF, has $22 billion in assets under management and is structured to hold assets that meet the legal reserve requirements for dollar-backed stablecoins in the U.S.”
The Boom in Crypto ETFs Has a Downside for Investors by Tanzeel Akhtar
“Since U.S. regulators approved spot crypto funds—those investing in a single cryptocurrency—in January 2024, asset managers have launched 130 funds and attracted tens of billions of dollars in assets.”
ETF Post of the Week
In January, Cullen Roche, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Discipline Funds, launched a first-of-its-kind suite of Defined Duration ETFs. With the lineup recently surpassing $100 million in assets, Cullen shared several lessons from operating a boutique ETF business. This should be required reading for anyone interested in bringing an ETF to market (click post to view the entire thread).
Some lessons I've learned being a boutique ETF operator:
— Cullen Roche (@cullenroche) June 3, 2026
1) Distribution is everything. The catch 22 of fund management is you need assets to make a fund work, but you can't get assets into young funds. This makes the early going a grind. It helps to have a network and/or…
ETF Chart of the Week
With U.S. stocks near record highs and investors continuing to pile in, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF became the industry’s first $1 trillion fund last week. Vanguard investors have long been known for steadily putting money to work through all market environments, but the AI-driven rally has fueled demand to an even greater degree. The ETF has attracted more than $350 billion in net inflows over the past three years alone!
Source: Jim Bianco
ETF Prime Podcast
Last week’s ETF Prime featured Cinthia Murphy, Director of Research at VettaFi, and Ally Wallace, Global Head of ETFs at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Cinthia counted down the 10 most successful ETF launches of the past decade. Ally discussed the firm’s strategy in the rapidly evolving ETF market and highlighted several funds, including the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin ETF (MSBT).
Crypto Prime Podcast
Andy Baehr, Managing Director of Asset Management at GSR, joined me on last week’s Crypto Prime to highlight the GSR Crypto Core3 ETF (BESO) and explain how it combines broad crypto exposure, staking rewards, and active management. He also discussed the recent crypto selloff, what’s driving market sentiment, and whether the industry may be nearing a turning point.
