BlackRock Launches iShares Bitcoin ETP, Giving European Investors Direct Exposure to Bitcoin

BlackRock has launched the iShares Bitcoin ETP, giving European investors direct exposure to bitcoin through a fully physically backed exchange traded product ( ETP).

BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) has launched the iShares Bitcoin ETP, providing European investors with direct exposure to bitcoin through a fully physically backed exchange traded product.

The ETP, listed on European exchanges, grants investors access to bitcoin without the technical and custodial complexities of holding the cryptocurrency themselves. Each unit of the ETP is 100% backed by bitcoin, held via Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) and subject to daily transfers into segregated cold storage.

To encourage early adoption, BlackRock is offering a reduced total expense ratio (TER) of 15bps until the end of 2025, down from the standard 25bps, thanks to a temporary fee waiver.

A recent BlackRock and Focal Data survey among 500 wealth professionals across Europe found that 75% expect to invest in bitcoin ETPs within two years, highlighting the demand for regulated, familiar investment structures.

The ETP builds on BlackRock’s long term integration with Coinbase, utilizing advanced custody and security protocols. Coinbase employs multiparty computation, physical safeguards and cold storage wallets to protect private keys and assets.

The move follows the U.S. firm’s recent entry into the crypto space with the integration of Coinbase’s institutional-grade crypto services into its systems earlier this year.

The BlackRock Investment Institute has previously stated that, for investors with suitable governance and the ability to tolerate the large short-term drawdowns that can be associated with bitcoin, an allocation of up to 1-2% to bitcoin is a reasonable range in multi-asset portfolios.

With more than $4.2 trillion in AUM and over 1,500 ETFs globally, BlackRock’s iShares continues to push the frontier of digital and traditional finance integration.

“We’re seeing increasing demand from European investors for efficient, institutionally-grade products to access bitcoin in a familiar investment format,” said Jane Sloan, Emea head of global product solutions at BlackRock.

“With 25 million cryptocurrency investors across Europe, we believe ETPs have an important role to play to build a bridge between crypto and traditional finance through their efficiency and convenience. Alongside ease of access, the iShares Bitcoin ETP is built to provide institutional grade security for bitcoin holdings for investors in Europe.”

The iShares Bitcoin ETP (ticker: ISBC) can be bought and sold via traditional trading accounts and is available in both dollar-denominated (DEUTSCHE BOERSE:ISBC) and euro-denominated (EUR Xetra: ISBC) units. It is also eligible for inclusion in the iShares indexes, potentially enabling integration into multi-asset strategies.