SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) have both climbed back into the top 10 most traded ETFs, pushing out the semiconductor funds that led earlier in 2026. GLD hit $6.80 billion in single-session volume, while IBIT printed $5.21 billion on the same session.
Two very different assets are sending one clear message. GLD and IBIT have both climbed back into the top 10 most traded ETFs, knocking out the semiconductor-focused funds that dominated earlier in 2026.
GLD recorded $6.80 billion in single-session trading volume, hitting 228% of its 30-day average. IBIT printed $5.21 billion on the same session, equal to 415% of its own average.
The numbers behind the rotation
Digital asset ETFs collectively posted $10.16 billion in turnover on that session, equal to 252% of their recent average. Most of that came from IBIT, which has also seen net creations running through the August 21-24 period, meaning new money is flowing in rather than existing holders simply trading among themselves.
GLD had already been building momentum before that peak session. On August 7, it ranked among the 20 most actively traded ETFs in the market, with volume reaching $4.27 billion.
Why gold and Bitcoin are moving together
GLD is the oldest and most liquid expression of the alternative-to-dollar-denominated-assets trade. IBIT, launched in January 2024, has rapidly become the institutional-grade vehicle for the Bitcoin version of the same idea.
BlackRock's IBIT offers direct exposure to Bitcoin through a regulated, exchange-listed ETF wrapper, which removed a friction point for large allocators who could not hold the underlying asset directly. Because IBIT is seeing net creations rather than just secondary market trading, those allocators are adding new positions instead of reshuffling existing ones.
GLD holds physical gold bullion, so the ETF's trading volume works as a proxy for genuine demand for the underlying metal, not just derivative speculation.
Source: Crypto Briefing
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