Gold, Silver, and Bitcoin ETFs Are Booming In 2025, But Paper Isn’t Enough: Kiyosaki

Financial expert Robert Kiyosaki has shared a powerful reminder to his followers on X. This message is for those investors who rely heavily on paper assets like ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds). Although ETFs can make investing easier for beginners, they might not always be the smartest choice in uncertain times, he says.

Know When To Go Beyond ETFs

In his words, “An ETF is like having a picture of a gun for self-defense.” That is why he urges people to understand the difference between owning papers and the “real thing.”

For an average investor, he recommends Gold, Silver, and Bitcoin ETFs. But he also stresses the importance of knowing when it’s better to have physical gold and silver, real Bitcoin (not just ETF shares). His message is simple but powerful: Know the difference between paper and real assets — and know when to use each one. This is what separates the average from the truly prepared.

He is not against Bitcoin ETFs, but he prefers holding real Bitcoin himself. Because if the system fails, paper or digital claims might not mean much. That is why he favors assets that can be held directly, like gold, cash, and self-custodied Bitcoin.

Gold, Bitcoin up 28%: ETFs in Focus

Gold and Bitcoin are both up 28% in 2025, as investors turn to alternatives for diversification. With stock markets volatile and bond returns uneven, ETFs have become the go-to way to gain exposure to assets like gold, Bitcoin, and even altcoins. Gold ETFs remain strong, with over $170 billion in assets as of April.

Silver Steals The Spotlight

Silver ETFs are up over 30% this year, with UTI Silver ETF leading at 32.84%. While Gold ETFs have returned around 29% so far this year, Silver has outperformed gold, fueled by tight supply, strong ETF demand, and global trade tensions.

Bitcoin ETFs, launched last year, have seen tremendous success, and now Ethereum ETFs are gaining momentum too. With big players like BlackRock and Fidelity, the institutional interest and inflows continue to rise.

Ethereum ETFs Outpace Bitcoin

U.S. spot ETFs saw strong momentum yesterday. Bitcoin ETFs pulled in $226.7 million in net inflows, with BlackRock alone contributing $32.5 million. Ethereum ETFs performed even better, with $231.2 million in net inflows. Fidelity led the charge, adding a massive $210.1 million in ETH.

BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) recently hit $10 billion in assets, doubling from $5B in just 10 days. That makes it the fastest Ethereum ETF to reach $10B, and the third fastest ETF ever in U.S. history. Lately, Ethereum ETFs have even outpaced Bitcoin in inflows.

As of July 24, Spot Ethereum ETFs have seen a cumulative net inflow of $8.88 billion. However, Bitcoin still leads with $54.69 billion in total net inflows, as per data from SoSoValue. 

Nate Geraci, President of ETF Store, notes that spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have completely reshaped the industry narrative over the past 18 months. Together, they’ve forced traditional finance to take notice.