While crypto enthusiasts have been watching Bitcoin’s price climb to $88,000, financial giant BlackRock quietly dropped a bombshell in Europe’s investment landscape. On March 25, 2025, the world’s largest asset manager launched its iShares Bitcoin ETP on multiple European exchanges. No big deal, just the first crypto product from an $11.55 trillion behemoth outside North America.
The ETP is trading under different tickers—IB1T on Xetra and Euronext Paris, BTCN on Euronext Amsterdam. It’s physically backed by Bitcoin and custodied by Coinbase. Real Bitcoin, not some financial mumbo-jumbo derivative.
BlackRock isn’t messing around with fees either. They’re waiving part of the expense ratio until the end of 2025, bringing it down to 0.15%. After that, it jumps to 0.25%. Still competitive. Still matching CoinShares’ offering. They’re clearly gunning for market share in Europe’s $13.6 billion crypto ETP market.
This launch follows the staggering success of BlackRock’s US Bitcoin ETF, which already holds $50.7 billion in assets. That’s 2.73% of all Bitcoin in existence. Let that sink in.
Europe’s warming up to crypto in a big way. The continent already hosts 135 ETPs compared to America’s measly 35. And with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation providing clarity, the runway is clear for takeoff. This comes at a time when the cryptocurrency ecosystem has expanded dramatically, with over 21,000 cryptocurrencies now existing in the digital asset space.
Industry experts are calling this a “landmark development.” No kidding. When 75% of asset professionals express interest in Bitcoin ETPs, you know something’s brewing. Analysts predict up to $60 billion in purchases during the first quarter alone.
BlackRock executives are calling this a “tipping point” for the industry. They might be right. The lines between traditional finance and digital assets are blurring fast. This development comes as digital asset investment products saw positive inflows of $644 million last week, ending a five-week streak of outflows in the broader crypto market.
The message is clear: Bitcoin isn’t just for crypto bros anymore. BlackRock’s European play legitimizes cryptocurrency as an asset class for the masses. The suits have officially entered the chat.
