BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with approximately $11.6 trillion in assets under management, currently holds over 567,000 Bitcoin ( BTC ), valued at over $47.8 billion — making the asset manager one of the largest holders of BTC in the world. According to Arkham Intelligence, the asset manager’s most recent BTC acquisition occurred on March 14 when a Coinbase Prime wallet transferred 268 BTC, valued at over $22 million, to the asset manager’s iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) wallet. Tracking onchain funds to and from BlackRock. Source: Arkham Intelligence Data from Arkham also shows that the asset manager holds over 1.2 million Ether ( ETH ), valued at over $2.3 billion, roughly 70 million of the USDC ( USDC ) stablecoin and a long list of altcoins. The Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are widely cited as the most successful ETF launch in history, as asset managers like BlackRock drive tens of billions in liquidity to the crypto markets and disrupt the cyclical capital rotation that characterizes crypto investment. BlackRock’s crypto holdings. Source: Arkham Intelligence Related: BlackRock Bitcoin fund sheds $420M as ETF losing streak hits day 7 Crypto ETFs experience four weeks of outflows Crypto ETFs experienced four consecutive weeks of outflows in February 2025 and early March due to macroeconomic uncertainty and fears over a prolonged trade war . According to CoinShares, outflows from the recent market downturn totaled $4.75 billion, with the week of March 9 recording a total of $876 million in outflows. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin fund experienced $193 million in outflows for the week of March 9, with all BTC ETFs recording $756 million in month-to-date outflows. Weekly crypto fund flows show a recent downturn featuring four weeks of consecutive outflows. Source: CoinShares Despite the heightened volatility and macroeconomic uncertainty, BlackRock added IBIT to its model portfolio in February 2025. BlackRock’s model portfolios are preset investment plans that feature a range of diversified financial instruments and different risk profiles. The portfolios are promoted to asset managers, who pitch the preset investment plans to investors. The inclusion of an ETF or an asset in the model portfolio can significantly boost inflows into the asset by attracting fresh capital. In the case of IBIT, including the ETF in a preset investment portfolio will expose investors, who may take a more passive approach, to Bitcoin without those investors having to self-custody the digital asset or make any onchain transactions. Magazine: Bitcoin ETFs make Coinbase a ‘honeypot’ for hackers and governments: Trezor CEO
