BlackRock Increases Holdings In Bitcoin Trust

According to PANews, recent filings from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reveal that BlackRock has increased its holdings in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) across two of its funds, totaling $78 million as of September 30. BlackRock's Strategic Income Opportunities Fund (BSIIX), which manages $39 billion in assets, disclosed an increase of over 2 million shares of IBIT during the period ending September 30. The fund now holds 2,140,095 shares of IBIT, valued at approximately $77 million. Another document indicates that BlackRock's Strategic Global Bond Fund (MAWIX), managing $816 million in assets, purchased over 24,000 shares of IBIT, raising its total holdings to 40,682 shares, valued at around $1.4 million. Both funds are managed by Rick Rieder, BlackRock's Global Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income. Since its trading inception in January, IBIT has experienced rapid growth, with assets under management reaching approximately $48 billion as of November 27. The fund has surpassed its gold-focused counterpart, the iShares Gold Trust Fund (IAU), which manages around $33 billion in assets. IBIT has attracted a diverse group of investors, including hedge funds, pension funds, and institutional investors. In the latest 13F filings, Millennium Management leads with approximately $848 million in IBIT shares, followed by Goldman Sachs with $461 million, and Capula Management with $308 million.