BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has recently outpaced its iShares Gold Trust (IAU) in total assets, marking a significant milestone for the asset management giant. According to data shared by BlackRock, IBIT, which launched earlier this year, now holds $33.2 billion in net assets, slightly more than the $32 billion held by the IAU, BlackRock’s gold ETF established in 2005.
The rapid growth of IBIT underscores a shift in investor interest, especially following a rally in bitcoin. BlackRock data indicates that IBIT’s surge in assets was accelerated by both bitcoin’s year-to-date price gains of approximately 80% and fresh inflows sparked by Donald Trump’s recent election victory.
While gold has also performed well this year, its growth has been outpaced by bitcoin’s performance. Industry analysts note that the record inflows to bitcoin ETFs, which reached $1.3 billion on Thursday alone, saw BlackRock’s IBIT account for an unprecedented $1.1 billion of that total, according to Farside Investors.
As IBIT gains momentum, experts highlight the fund’s rapid growth as a key indicator of changing trends in asset allocation. However, IBIT still trails behind the largest gold ETF, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), which holds $76 billion.
The rising asset values in BlackRock’s IBIT suggest a shifting landscape as digital assets increasingly attract investor capital once reserved for traditional assets like gold.
