Blackrock’s Bitcoin ETF Hits Milestone: 270K BTC & Counting!
In its financial report for the first quarter of 2024 ending March 31, Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, revealed a record-breaking $10.5 trillion in assets under management (AUM), marking a $1.4 trillion surge from the previous year.
Maintaining its dominance in the U.S. spot bitcoin ETF market, Blackrock’s Ishares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) currently holds approximately 269,314 BTC, valued at over $18.9 billion as of April 11. Larry Fink, Blackrock’s CEO, lauded IBIT as “the fastest growing ETF in the history of ETFs,” expressing optimism about Bitcoin’s long-term prospects and the robust retail demand for IBIT.
An amendment to IBIT’s prospectus disclosed nine new authorized participants, including major financial institutions such as ABN AMRO Clearing USA, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan Securities. Meanwhile, Blackrock has submitted an application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a spot ether ETF, despite growing skepticism surrounding the likelihood of approval by the May deadline.
Recent reports suggest the SEC may be considering classifying ether as a security, though Fink remains confident that Blackrock can proceed with launching a spot ether ETF regardless.
Circle, a financial technology firm and stablecoin provider, introduced smart contract capabilities to facilitate conversions of shares in the Blackrock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) into USDC tokens.
