Investment firms are on track to launch a record number of exchange‑traded funds this year, with 1,084 new ETFs listed by mid‑July, already surpassing 2025’s full‑year total of 1,161.

Surging investor demand, especially in the US, pushed net inflows past $1tn in the first half and State Street forecasts $2.3tn for the full year. The Roundhill Memory ETF rocketed to $10bn in assets in just 50 days, illustrating the appetite for hot‑theme funds.

Start‑up Corgi Funds has debuted 188 funds since December and filed for 360 more, positioning it to overtake BlackRock’s 488 US ETFs, though its assets remain under $1bn versus BlackRock’s $4.5tn.

Leveraged single‑stock ETFs now account for roughly a quarter of launches, up from 4 % in 2024, but Morningstar’s Bryan Armour warns they are “awful long‑term investments on average.”