FlowDesk

Outlook

Bitcoin is up 4.1% on the month in an uptrend with steady institutional buying. Next 30 days: $76.9k–$89.0k is the likely zone and flows give no edge on the next month. Through Q4 2026: $64.9k–$115.2k covers four outcomes in five, and the quarter has been positive in 58% of past years.

Daily closes from Yahoo Finance; settled ETF flows from the public Farside mirror. Rebuilt every 10 minutes.

Past 30 days · 21 Aug – 21 Sep

Bitcoin +4.1% over 30 days while the ETFs netted +$1.45bn.

It bottomed at $75.6k on 15 Sep, then climbed to $81.5k on 21 Sep; the worst peak-to-trough inside the window was −7.0%. ETFs took in money on 11 of 19 sessions and lost it on 8. Price rose and the ETFs bought. The move has a sponsor — that is the durable kind of rally.

Bitcoin price and ETF flow

Daily close · US$

ETF net flow per session · US$m

  • Inflow
  • Outflow
Show as table
DateCloseETF flowRunning total
21 Sep$81.5k+$1.45bn
19 Sep$81.2k+$1.45bn
18 Sep$80.9k+$433m+$1.45bn
17 Sep$76.4k+$160m+$1.02bn
16 Sep$76.2k−$296m+$862m
15 Sep$75.6k−$450m+$1.16bn
14 Sep$78.2k+$160m+$1.61bn
13 Sep$76.8k+$1.45bn
12 Sep$77.3k+$1.45bn
11 Sep$77.2k−$13m+$1.45bn
10 Sep$76.6k−$283m+$1.46bn
9 Sep$78.3k−$120m+$1.74bn
8 Sep$78.4k−$47m+$1.86bn
7 Sep$79.1k+$1.91bn
6 Sep$80.4k+$1.91bn
5 Sep$79.8k+$1.91bn
4 Sep$79.7k+$175m+$1.91bn
3 Sep$81.3k+$731m+$1.74bn
2 Sep$77.3k+$101m+$1.01bn
1 Sep$77.4k−$237m+$905m
31 Aug$78.5k+$217m+$1.14bn
30 Aug$77.7k+$925m
29 Aug$78.2k+$925m
28 Aug$77.8k−$202m+$925m
27 Aug$80.3k+$242m+$1.13bn
26 Aug$79.0k+$232m+$884m
25 Aug$78.6k+$314m+$652m
24 Aug$79.0k+$338m+$338m
23 Aug$77.8k+$0m
22 Aug$77.1k+$0m

Price

+4.1%

Worst dip inside the window −7.0%.

ETF net flow

+$1.45bn

11 inflow days, 8 outflow days.

Biggest days

+$731m

In on 3 Sep. Largest out −$450m on 15 Sep.

Flow vs price

0.78

Same-day correlation. Flow and price moved together — ETFs were driving.

Week by week

WeekPriceETF flow
24 Aug – 30 Aug−0.1%+$925m
31 Aug – 6 Sep+3.5%+$987m
7 Sep – 13 Sep−4.4%−$463m
14 Sep – 21 Sep+6.1%+$6m

Now · as of 21 Sep 2026

Bitcoin at $81.5k: uptrend, steady institutional buying.

Spot is above both its 50- and 200-day averages — the trend is up, sitting in the upper third of its 90-day range ($58.6k–$81.5k) and −35% from the $124.8k high of 6 Oct 2025. The last 21 ETF sessions netted +$2.37bn — steady institutional buying (stronger than 58% of all such windows). Volatility is ordinary for the past year.

Trend

Uptrend

+11.4% vs 50-day ($73.2k), +15.7% vs 200-day ($70.5k).

90-day range

100%

$58.6k$81.5k

−35% from the all-time high.

Volatility

Ordinary

quietest of yearwildest

37% annualised over 30 days.

ETF flow · 21 sessions

+$2.37bn

heaviest sellingheaviest buying

Inflow. Ranked against every window since launch.

Next 30 days · to 21 Oct 2026

Next 30 days: half of outcomes between $76.9k and $89.0k.

Direction is close to a coin flip (55% of paths finish above today). Four in five land between $72.2k and $95.5k; the middle path is $82.4k (+1.1%). A move of 15% or more is a 13% chance to the upside and 5% to the downside. ETF flows add no directional edge at this horizon.

Where price can go · 60 days back, 30 ahead
  • Daily close
  • Middle path
  • Half of outcomes
  • Four in five
Show as table
Date1 in 10 belowLower quartileMiddleUpper quartile1 in 10 above
28 Sep$77.5k$79.5k$81.7k$84.1k$87.1k
5 Oct$75.3k$78.6k$82.0k$85.8k$90.3k
12 Oct$74.0k$77.9k$82.2k$87.3k$92.9k
19 Oct$72.9k$77.2k$82.4k$88.5k$95.0k
21 Oct$72.2k$76.9k$82.4k$89.0k$95.5k

Finishes higher

55%

Share of simulated paths above today's price.

+15% or more

13%

Ends above $93.8k.

−15% or worse

5%

Ends below $69.3k.

Odds of trading at a level by 21 Oct

  • All-time high

    $124.8k · +53.0% away

    0%

  • 30-day low

    $75.6k · −7.3% away

    35%

  • 50-day average

    $73.2k · −10.2% away

    22%

  • 200-day average

    $70.5k · −13.5% away

    12%

  • 90-day low

    $58.6k · −28.2% away

    0%

A touch counts any daily close through the level, even if price comes back.

What ETF flows say about this horizon

Median moveFinished higher
Flow like today+3.2%60%
Every window+1.4%54%

Net flow over the last 21 sessions sits in the middling flows (middle fifth) of every 21-session stretch since the ETFs launched. From readings like this, the next 30 days had a median of +3.2% and finished higher 60% of the time, against +1.4% and 54% for every window (126 overlapping sessions, roughly 6 independent episodes). Not different enough from the average window to lean on.

Has this cone been right before? Rebuilt at 36 past dates using only the data available then, the realised 30-day move landed inside the 80% band 75% of the time and inside the 50% band 56%. The cone has been honest: about as wide as it needed to be.

Next quarter · Q4 2026, to 31 Dec 2026

To the end of Q4 2026: half of outcomes between $73.6k and $100.1k.

Direction is tilted higher (59% of paths finish above today). Four in five land between $64.9k and $115.2k; the middle path is $85.9k (+5.3%). A move of 25% or more is a 23% chance to the upside and 6% to the downside. ETF flows add no directional edge at this horizon.

Where price can go · through the end of Q4 2026
  • Daily close
  • Middle path
  • Half of outcomes
  • Four in five
Show as table
Date1 in 10 belowLower quartileMiddleUpper quartile1 in 10 above
28 Sep$77.5k$79.5k$81.7k$84.1k$87.1k
5 Oct$75.3k$78.6k$82.0k$85.8k$90.3k
12 Oct$74.0k$77.9k$82.2k$87.3k$92.9k
19 Oct$72.9k$77.2k$82.4k$88.5k$95.0k
21 Oct$72.2k$76.9k$82.4k$89.0k$95.5k
26 Oct$71.4k$76.8k$82.8k$89.6k$97.0k
2 Nov$70.7k$76.2k$82.9k$90.8k$99.2k
9 Nov$69.6k$75.8k$83.1k$92.0k$101.8k
16 Nov$68.8k$75.5k$83.5k$93.2k$104.1k
23 Nov$67.7k$74.9k$83.9k$94.7k$105.8k
30 Nov$67.1k$74.6k$84.4k$96.0k$107.9k
7 Dec$66.2k$74.1k$84.7k$96.9k$109.3k
14 Dec$65.5k$74.0k$85.2k$98.1k$111.0k
21 Dec$65.1k$73.6k$85.4k$98.9k$112.8k
28 Dec$64.8k$73.9k$85.8k$99.8k$114.8k
31 Dec$64.9k$73.6k$85.9k$100.1k$115.2k

Finishes higher

59%

Share of simulated paths above today's price.

+25% or more

23%

Ends above $101.9k.

−25% or worse

6%

Ends below $61.2k.

Bitcoin in Q4, every year on record

Bitcoin has finished Q4 higher in 7 of 12 years, with a median of +27% and a range from −44% to +226%. 12 observations is a tendency, not a law — the range matters more than the median.

MonthMedianUp years
October+12.9%9 of 12
November+7.6%7 of 12
December−3.2%5 of 12
Show as table
YearQuarter return
2025−23.3%
2024+47.5%
2023+56.7%
2022−14.8%
2021+5.7%
2020+168.9%
2019−13.3%
2018−43.5%
2017+226.3%
2016+58.1%
2015+82.4%
2014−17.3%

Dated catalysts

  1. 25 Sep

    in 4d

    Quarterly options expiry Options

    The largest open interest of the quarter rolls off. Price is often pinned into it and freer to trend after.

  2. 30 Sep

    in 9d

    Quarter end Calendar

    Portfolio rebalancing. After a strong quarter allocators trim; after a weak one they top up.

  3. Beyond 30 days

    28 Oct

    in 37d

    Fed decision Fed

    Rate decision and press conference. Flows often pause into it and resume after.

  4. 30 Oct

    in 39d

    Monthly options expiry Options

    Monthly crypto options expire. Dealer hedging can pin price into the date.

  5. 16 Nov

    in 56d

    13F deadline Filing

    Institutions disclose quarter-end ETF holdings. It shows who owns the ETFs — late, but it sets the narrative.

  6. 27 Nov

    in 67d

    Monthly options expiry Options

    Monthly crypto options expire. Dealer hedging can pin price into the date.

  7. 9 Dec

    in 79d

    Fed decision + projections Fed

    Rate decision with the dot plot. The projections reprice the path of liquidity, which is what ETF allocators trade.

  8. 25 Dec

    in 95d

    Quarterly options expiry Options

    The largest open interest of the quarter rolls off. Price is often pinned into it and freer to trend after.

  9. 31 Dec

    in 101d

    Quarter end Calendar

    Portfolio rebalancing. After a strong quarter allocators trim; after a weak one they top up.

Odds of trading at a level by 31 Dec

  • All-time high

    $124.8k · +53.0% away

    9%

  • 30-day low

    $75.6k · −7.3% away

    61%

  • 50-day average

    $73.2k · −10.2% away

    50%

  • 200-day average

    $70.5k · −13.5% away

    39%

  • 90-day low

    $58.6k · −28.2% away

    9%

A touch counts any daily close through the level, even if price comes back.

What ETF flows say about this horizon

Median moveFinished higher
Flow like today−7.5%35%
Every window−2.8%46%

Net flow over the last 21 sessions sits in the middling flows (middle fifth) of every 21-session stretch since the ETFs launched. From readings like this, the next 101 days had a median of −7.5% and finished higher 35% of the time, against −2.8% and 46% for every window (117 overlapping sessions, roughly 2 independent episodes). Too few independent episodes to lean on — treat it as colour, not signal.

Has this cone been right before? Rebuilt at 36 past dates using only the data available then, the realised 101-day move landed inside the 80% band 81% of the time and inside the 50% band 44%. The cone has been honest: about as wide as it needed to be.

How the forecast is made

4,000 price paths are drawn from Bitcoin's own last 1,460 days, in 10-day blocks so that volatile stretches stay clustered the way they do in life. Each path starts at today's volatility (37% annualised) and fades toward the long-run level (47%). Historical drift is halved to +20% a year, because past bull-market returns are a poor promise.

The cone is a range of outcomes, not a call. It carries no view on direction — ETF flows are tested separately and shown beside it, and only lean when enough independent episodes agree. Each cone is graded against its own past performance above. None of this is a trade ticket.