BlackRock's (BLK) bitcoin exchange-traded product (ETP) started trading on the London Stock Exchange on Monday, the asset manager’s first such product in the U.K., after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) lifted its ban on certain bitcoin-based ETPs.
The iShares Bitcoin ETP, trading on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker IB1T, allows retail investors to buy exposure to bitcoin through a regulated market without needing to hold the cryptocurrency directly.
The product is already available elsewhere in Europe, having been listed on Xetra, Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Paris in late March according to the BlackRock’s page for the product.
Switzerland-based 21Shares also debuted four of its flagship crypto ETNs for U.K. retail investors for the first time. These include its bitcoin (ABTC) and ether (AETH) staking products, as well as two lower-fee "Core” offerings, CBTC and ETHC, with management fees of 0.10%.
“Today’s launch represents a landmark step for the U.K. market and for everyday investors who, for years, have been excluded from regulated crypto products,” 21Shares CEO Russel Barlow said in an emailed press release. Ending the ban “begins to level the playing field with Europe.”
BlackRock, which manages over $13 trillion in assets globally, has seen strong growth in its crypto-focused products. Its flagship bitcoin ETF, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), has $85.5 billion in net assets according to SoSoValue data. This makes it the largest spot bitcoin ETF, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC, which has $21.9 billion in net assets.
The IB1T ETP has seen a trading volume of 1,000 shares in the first hour of trading on the London Stock Exchange.
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