Tag: iShares

Nasdaq seeks to quadruple iShares Bitcoin Trust options limits for bigger institutional hedging

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Nasdaq’s ISE asks the SEC to lift iShares Bitcoin Trust options limits to one million contracts, enabling larger institutional hedging but potentially more volatility. Summary The proposal would move iShares Bitcoin Trust into a top derivatives tier alongside Apple , Nvidia , the S&P 500  and Nasdaq-100 , citing its market cap and volume.​ A one-million-contract position would equal about 7.5% of the ETF’s float and 0.284% of all bitcoin , allowing dealers to hedge bigger pension and hedge fund flows.​ Analysts say higher limits and FLEX options relief could tighten spreads and support structured…

BlackRock launches iShares Bitcoin ETP on London Stock Exchange

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The crypto investment landscape in the UK just took a significant step forward as British investors get access to Bitcoin through regulated markets. Summary BlackRock has launched its iShares Bitcoin ETP on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker IB1T. The FCA recently lifted its ban on crypto ETNs and sped up licensing for digital-asset firms. The launch expands BlackRock’s global crypto footprint and signals the UK’s shift toward regulated Bitcoin access. According to an October 20 CoinDesk report, BlackRock has launched its iShares Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Product on the London…

IShares BTC ETF Bitcoin Holdings Surge Past 700K in Record-Breaking Run

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) now holds 700,000 bitcoin , according to Glassnode data, and has amassed $76 billion in assets under management in just 18 months, outstripping both the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), which tracks the U.S. equity benchmark, and iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM), which tracks the performance of small-cap U.S. stocks. The figures beats the 600,000 BTC held by Strategy (MSTR), which started purchases in 2020, and compares with Fidelity FBTC’s 203,000 BTC and Grayscale GBTC’s 184,000 BTC. “New milestone, iShares Bitcoin ETF now holds…

Russia’s Biggest Stock Exchange Debuts BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Futures ETF for Trading

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The biggest stock exchange in Russia is adding futures trading for asset management titan BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), one of the biggest exchange-traded funds in the world, to its suite of products. In a new announcement, Moscow Exchange (MOEX) – the government of Russia’s venture into the world of crypto assets – says that starting on June 4th, it’s adding support for the product, though only to accredited investors. “Please note that today, June 4, 2025, trading in the IBIT-9.25 (IBU5) futures contract, permitted only to qualified investors,…

iShares Bitcoin ETF futures go live on Moscow Exchange

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Moscow Exchange (MOEX), Russia’s largest stock exchange, launched futures trading for BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), as the fund climbed into the world’s top 25 ETFs by assets under management (AUM). MOEX introduced a futures contract tied to IBIT on June 4, according to an announcement by the exchange. The new investment product is accessible exclusively to accredited investors, with MOEX planning to introduce qualification testing from June 23. The launch comes as IBIT entered the list of top 25 ETFs by assets worldwide, with an AUM of $72.4…

BlackRock’s iShares ETF Makes History with Unique Blockchain-Backed Municipal Debt Deal

On Wednesday, BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, successfully acquired municipal debt through a transaction that exclusively utilizes blockchain technology. According to a Bloomberg report, this marks the first instance of municipal bonds being purchased, settled, and held entirely on a blockchain platform. BlackRock’s Historic Bond Deal Per the report, the bonds were issued earlier this year by the city of Quincy, Massachusetts, and were underwritten by JPMorgan Chase & Co.  The transaction was facilitated through an application on JPMorgan’s private, permissioned blockchain platform, known as Digital Debt Service. Interestingly,…

SEC OKs options trading for BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust

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The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission granted approval for Nasdaq to list and trade options on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust. Per the details shared in the official filing on Sept. 20, the SEC’s approval comes after a lengthy review process that started on Jan. 9, 2024. That was when Nasdaq initially filed the proposal to trade options on exchange-traded products. Nasdaq consistently followed up on its proposal with multiple amendments, which began on Jan 11. Over the following months, the exchange submitted additional amendments and information regarding IBIT and other…

SEC meets with BlackRock for iShares Bitcoin ETF 

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In their latest meeting, SEC and BlackRock reportedly discussed the iShares Bitcoin ETF on Dec. 14, raising questions about in-kind transactions. Unlike previous meetings, James Seyffart, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, reports that there were no presentations. As part of a follow-up thread on X, Seyffart reminds the community that Hashdex, another firm in the spot Bitcoin ETF race, had also engaged with SEC’s Office of the Chair. After this, a community member asked Seyffart about the likelihood of SEC approval, given Chairman Gary Gensler’s comment on listening to the courts from yesterday. …