Crypto

BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Breaks Record With Over $1.1 Billion Daily Inflow

Published November 8, 2024

BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, known as IBIT, has marked a significant milestone by achieving its largest single-day inflow since its establishment in January. This surge comes as investor interest in U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds has markedly increased, resulting in heightened trading activity.

On Thursday, IBIT attracted a substantial influx of $1.12 billion, surpassing its previous record of $872 million set on October 30, as reported by SoSoValue. The fund stands out among ten competitive Bitcoin ETFs, boasting a net asset value of $34.2 billion, largely fueled by the rising valuation of Bitcoin itself.

Pav Hundal, a lead market analyst at the crypto exchange Swyftx, commented on the current favorable market conditions, stating, "We're in a goldilocks scenario right now of monetary easing, political certainty, and robust US data. Capital is everywhere, and right now, it’s flooding into the ETFs at an extraordinary velocity." This commentary underscores the strong momentum propelling IBIT and its peers.

Investor enthusiasm for Bitcoin, the world's leading cryptocurrency, has reached record levels, contributing to continuous peaks for the asset, which has recently surpassed $76,870. The vibrant trading activity among altcoins and meme coins has further stimulated this interest.

Hundal noted, "The ETFs are accumulating Bitcoin faster than it can be created by a factor of two to one. Sooner or later, this will tip across into a broad-based crypto rally. Probably sooner." This statement suggests that the current trading environment could herald an even larger market surge.

IBIT also achieved impressive trading volumes, recording $4 billion on Wednesday, a figure that greatly eclipsed those of its competitors, including Fidelity. This spike in activity has coincided with the political landscape following President-elect Donald Trump's re-election, who many in the community view as a pro-crypto leader due to his commitment to protecting crypto mining and establishing favorable regulations.

The rise of IBIT as a leading Bitcoin ETF reflects changing perceptions around institutional investments in cryptocurrency. While IBIT has consistently experienced positive inflows since its launch, its competitor, Grayscale's GBTC, with assets totaling $16.8 billion, has been facing outflows attributed to its high fee structure.

Notably, BlackRock maintains a significantly lower fee at 0.25%, which is presently waived until January. In contrast, GBTC's fee stands at 1.5%, and Fidelity's FBTC, also at 0.25%, saw its waiver expire in July. This pricing strategy could be influencing investor decisions, driving more capital toward IBIT.

Overall, the record-breaking inflow to BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF highlights a robust demand for cryptocurrency investments as the market evolves.

BlackRock, Bitcoin, ETF