On Dec. 9, Nicholas Financial Corporation filed paperwork with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the Nicholas Bitcoin and Treasuries AfterDark ETF, a product designed to hold Bitcoin-linked exposure only during overnight hours, exiting positions before the U.S. market opens. The strategy is built around the idea that Bitcoin’s strongest price action tends to occur outside traditional Wall Street trading hours, particularly overnight when U.S. equity markets are closed and glob ...

BlackRock is ramping up its digital asset strategy with a wave of new hires aimed at expanding its crypto and blockchain-related products globally, amid growing institutional interest in tokenized and onchain assets. In a job posting board, the $10 trillion asset manager said it is hiring for seven digital asset positions, six based in the United States and one in Singapore. The move follows BlackRock's head of digital assets, Robert Mitchnick, posting about the open roles on LinkedIn last week. One of ...

BlackRock Inc.’s flagship Bitcoin ETF has delivered strong returns since its launch — but for most investors, the outcome has been far more modest. The iShares Bitcoin Trust (ticker IBIT) posted a more than-40% annualized return from its January 2024 debut through November 2025, data compiled by Bloomberg show, even after the recent crypto selloff. But the average investor earned just 11% annualized over the same period, according to new analysis by Morningstar. Much of that disconnect owes to poor timing ...

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:BLK) is seeing persistent withdrawals from its iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ:IBIT) as investors pulled more than $2.7 billion over five consecutive weeks. Largest Outflow Stretch Since IBIT's Launch IBIT is facing its longest run of withdrawals since it began trading in January 2024, Bloomberg reported on Friday. Bloomberg data shows more than $2.7 billion left the fund over the five ...

Sovereign wealth funds were buying the dip in bitcoin (BTC), according to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. “We’re seeing more and more legitimate, long-holding investors investing in it,” Fink said Wednesday at the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York. “I can tell you there are a number of sovereign funds [...] they are adding incrementally at $120,000, $100,000; I know they bought more in the $80s.” That state actors have been buyers of bitcoin isn't news — Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Company and Lux ...

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued warnings to issuers of high-leveraged exchange-traded funds, including proposed crypto ETFs, citing concerns over potential risks of such products.  In letters sent Tuesday, the regulator halted the review of the funds until concerns were addressed by the issuers. The SEC reviews applications for ETFs before they start trading on stock exchanges.  The regulator warned a total of nine issuers, including ProShares, which already has leveraged crypto ETFs ...

Bitcoin posted its fifth best daily return for the year on Tuesday, gaining 5.7% for the day. But analysts are weighing whether the spike is the start of a prolonged breakout. They note investors’ concerns about macroeconomic uncertainties, including the U.S. central bank’s upcoming decision on interest rates, that are keeping markets unsettled. “On December 3, the crypto market saw broad gains as BTC briefly broke above $93,000 before swiftly giving back its advance—a structure that resembles a potentia ...

Core Insights - U.S.-listed ETFs attracted $147.7 billion in November, marking a significant total despite being lower than October's record of $176 billion. Year-to-date inflows reached $1.27 trillion, setting an annual record with one month remaining [1] - The current pace suggests that net creations for 2025 could exceed $1.4 trillion [1] Inflows by Category - U.S. equity ETFs led the inflows with $73.6 billion, followed by U.S. fixed income ETFs at $33.1 billion, international equity ETFs at $24.6 billion, and international fixed income ETFs at $10.7 billion. Currency ETFs experienced outflows of $3.8 billion, primarily due to cryptocurrency funds [2] Market Performance - The S&P 500 experienced volatility, dropping 5.1% from peak to trough before recovering nearly all losses by month-end, finishing close to its starting point. The 10-year Treasury yield fluctuated, ending the month near 4.08% [3] Cryptocurrency Performance - Bitcoin and ether saw significant declines, with Bitcoin briefly falling to $80,000, approximately one-third below its October all-time high of $125,000 [4] Top Fund Performers - The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) led all ETFs with nearly $21 billion in inflows for November, achieving a year-to-date total of almost $125 billion, a new annual record for any ETF [5] - In fixed income, the iShares 0–3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) and the iShares 7–10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) were the top asset gatherers, attracting $5.5 billion and $4.7 billion, respectively. The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) led international equity ETFs with $4.6 billion in inflows [6] Top Outflows - The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL), the iShares MBS ETF (MBB), and the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) experienced the largest outflows, with IBIT losing $2.4 billion and the iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) shedding $1.1 billion [7]

Core Insights - BlackRock has rapidly established itself as a leader in the cryptocurrency ETF market, particularly with its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which has become the company's top revenue generator since the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024 [1][5][7] - The combined allocations in BlackRock's Bitcoin ETFs, including IBIT and Brazil's IBIT39, have approached $100 billion, indicating a significant shift in investor behavior towards regulated cryptocurrency exposure [2][3][7] - As of September 30, 2025, BlackRock's assets under management (AUM) in digital assets reached $104 billion, reflecting a growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies in diversified investment portfolios [4][5][7] Investment Behavior - Traditional market participants, such as hedge funds and corporate treasuries, are increasingly seeking regulated exposure to Bitcoin, favoring products that offer transparency and liquidity [3] - The rapid inflows into IBIT demonstrate a major change in investment strategies, with BlackRock's reputation and distribution network providing a competitive edge [3][4] Financial Performance - The revenue generated from BlackRock's ETFs is primarily driven by asset growth and management fees, with IBIT outperforming many of the company's established equity and fixed-income funds [4][7] - BlackRock has achieved a record AUM of $13.46 trillion as of September 30, 2025, marking it as the first asset manager to surpass $13 trillion [5] Market Position - BlackRock's shares have increased by 7.1% over the past six months, contrasting with a 5.8% decline in the industry [6] - The company's leadership in the ETF space is expected to influence the future of crypto-driven financial innovation, positioning digital-asset investment products as central to global asset management strategies [5]

Core Viewpoint - Nasdaq's International Securities Exchange is seeking to elevate BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) to the same status as major equities and ETFs by increasing its options position limits from 250,000 contracts to 1 million, reflecting a shift in Bitcoin's role from a speculative asset to a core institutional investment [1][2]. Group 1: Institutional Demand and Market Impact - The current cap on IBIT options is seen as a restriction that limits traders' ability to implement effective hedging and risk management strategies, and an increase in limits would enhance liquidity and reduce spreads [3]. - The request for expanded limits indicates a growing demand for Bitcoin derivatives, suggesting that institutions are increasingly interested in structured products related to IBIT [4]. - Nasdaq is also seeking to eliminate limits on customized physically delivered FLEX options, which could shift trading from opaque over-the-counter markets to more transparent exchange-based venues [5]. Group 2: Broader Implications for Bitcoin ETFs - The proposal is expected to benefit the overall spot Bitcoin ETF market, as increased derivatives capacity around IBIT may enhance usability for allocation-focused investors [6]. - Other Bitcoin ETFs, such as Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB), and Bitwise Bitcoin ETF (BITB), could experience increased flows as institutional interest in a derivatives-supported ETF ecosystem grows [7]. - The expansion of IBIT options may encourage other issuers and exchanges to adopt similar frameworks for their own ETFs over time [8].