BlackRock's Bitcoin and Ether ETFs Surpass Grayscale's Holdings for the First Time

In a significant shift within the cryptocurrency investment landscape, BlackRock's spot bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have overtaken Grayscale's products to become the largest crypto-focused publicly traded funds by assets under management (AUM).
Dot
August 16, 2024
Dean Fankhauser

Dean has an economics and startup background which led him to create Bitcompare. He primarly writes opinion pieces for Bitcompare. He's also been a guest on BBC World, and interviewed by The Guardian and many other publications.

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In a significant shift within the cryptocurrency investment landscape, BlackRock's spot bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have overtaken Grayscale's products to become the largest crypto-focused publicly traded funds by assets under management (AUM).

For years, Grayscale has been a dominant force in the crypto investment space, particularly through its flagship Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) and other crypto funds. However, as of Friday, data from the on-chain analytics tool Arkham revealed that BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF (IBIT) and ether ETF (ETHA) have surpassed Grayscale’s offerings. BlackRock’s ETFs now collectively hold over $21.217 billion in assets, slightly edging out Grayscale’s $21.202 billion, according to Arkham's analysis shared in a post on X.

This notable shift in market leadership has been driven by recent fund flows. Grayscale's GBTC, once the go-to product for institutional investors seeking bitcoin exposure, recorded significant outflows, with $25 million withdrawn just on Thursday. In contrast, BlackRock’s ETHA recorded net inflows of $740,000 on the same day, according to data from SoSoValue. Additionally, Grayscale’s ether-focused product, ETHE faced substantial outflows amounting to $42 million, highlighting a potential shift in investor preference towards BlackRock's products.

BlackRock’s rapid ascent in the ETF space is particularly remarkable considering that its bitcoin ETF, IBIT, was only launched in January of this year. Despite its recent entry, IBIT became the largest bitcoin ETF by assets under management as early as May and surpassed the $20 billion mark by June. This contrasts sharply with the performance of Grayscale's GBTC, which has seen its BTC holdings decrease by approximately $19.57 billion since January.

The rise of BlackRock's ETFs reflects a broader trend of increasing institutional interest in cryptocurrency investment products, particularly those that offer the regulatory clarity and ease of access that ETFs provide. With BlackRock now leading in terms of assets under management, the competitive landscape in the crypto ETF market is likely to see further developments as both companies continue to vie for investor capital.

BlackRock's Bitcoin and Ether ETFs Surpass Grayscale's Holdings for the First Time

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In a significant shift within the cryptocurrency investment landscape, BlackRock's spot bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have overtaken Grayscale's products to become the largest crypto-focused publicly traded funds by assets under management (AUM).

For years, Grayscale has been a dominant force in the crypto investment space, particularly through its flagship Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) and other crypto funds. However, as of Friday, data from the on-chain analytics tool Arkham revealed that BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF (IBIT) and ether ETF (ETHA) have surpassed Grayscale’s offerings. BlackRock’s ETFs now collectively hold over $21.217 billion in assets, slightly edging out Grayscale’s $21.202 billion, according to Arkham's analysis shared in a post on X.

This notable shift in market leadership has been driven by recent fund flows. Grayscale's GBTC, once the go-to product for institutional investors seeking bitcoin exposure, recorded significant outflows, with $25 million withdrawn just on Thursday. In contrast, BlackRock’s ETHA recorded net inflows of $740,000 on the same day, according to data from SoSoValue. Additionally, Grayscale’s ether-focused product, ETHE faced substantial outflows amounting to $42 million, highlighting a potential shift in investor preference towards BlackRock's products.

BlackRock’s rapid ascent in the ETF space is particularly remarkable considering that its bitcoin ETF, IBIT, was only launched in January of this year. Despite its recent entry, IBIT became the largest bitcoin ETF by assets under management as early as May and surpassed the $20 billion mark by June. This contrasts sharply with the performance of Grayscale's GBTC, which has seen its BTC holdings decrease by approximately $19.57 billion since January.

The rise of BlackRock's ETFs reflects a broader trend of increasing institutional interest in cryptocurrency investment products, particularly those that offer the regulatory clarity and ease of access that ETFs provide. With BlackRock now leading in terms of assets under management, the competitive landscape in the crypto ETF market is likely to see further developments as both companies continue to vie for investor capital.

Dean Fankhauser

Dean has an economics and startup background which led him to create Bitcompare. He primarly writes opinion pieces for Bitcompare. He's also been a guest on BBC World, and interviewed by The Guardian and many other publications.

In a significant shift within the cryptocurrency investment landscape, BlackRock's spot bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have overtaken Grayscale's products to become the largest crypto-focused publicly traded funds by assets under management (AUM).

For years, Grayscale has been a dominant force in the crypto investment space, particularly through its flagship Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) and other crypto funds. However, as of Friday, data from the on-chain analytics tool Arkham revealed that BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF (IBIT) and ether ETF (ETHA) have surpassed Grayscale’s offerings. BlackRock’s ETFs now collectively hold over $21.217 billion in assets, slightly edging out Grayscale’s $21.202 billion, according to Arkham's analysis shared in a post on X.

This notable shift in market leadership has been driven by recent fund flows. Grayscale's GBTC, once the go-to product for institutional investors seeking bitcoin exposure, recorded significant outflows, with $25 million withdrawn just on Thursday. In contrast, BlackRock’s ETHA recorded net inflows of $740,000 on the same day, according to data from SoSoValue. Additionally, Grayscale’s ether-focused product, ETHE faced substantial outflows amounting to $42 million, highlighting a potential shift in investor preference towards BlackRock's products.

BlackRock’s rapid ascent in the ETF space is particularly remarkable considering that its bitcoin ETF, IBIT, was only launched in January of this year. Despite its recent entry, IBIT became the largest bitcoin ETF by assets under management as early as May and surpassed the $20 billion mark by June. This contrasts sharply with the performance of Grayscale's GBTC, which has seen its BTC holdings decrease by approximately $19.57 billion since January.

The rise of BlackRock's ETFs reflects a broader trend of increasing institutional interest in cryptocurrency investment products, particularly those that offer the regulatory clarity and ease of access that ETFs provide. With BlackRock now leading in terms of assets under management, the competitive landscape in the crypto ETF market is likely to see further developments as both companies continue to vie for investor capital.

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Dean Fankhauser