2 months ago
Bloomberg reported on August 25, 2026, that BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) cut the minimum size for converting large Bitcoin holdings directly into shares of its iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF to $1 million in July, down from $25 million when the in-kind conversion process first became available. The fund has facilitated more than $5 billion of these conversions, up from more than $3 billion when Bloomberg first reported on the trend in October, according to Robbie Mitchnick, BlackRock's head of digital ******* ets. The process, which can take more than a week, lets holders move Bitcoin from private wallets into a regulated fund structure while retaining price exposure. Mitchnick said "kidnappings, ransom demands, and custody failures" motivate some holders to make the switch. Rival issuer Bitwise has cut its own minimum even further, from $100 million to $3 million, Bloomberg reported.
This is a fast-scaling new source of fee-generating ******* ets for BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK). The $5 billion processed through IBIT is up from $3 billion just months earlier. It shows accelerating adoption of a service that pulls previously self-custodied Bitcoin wealth directly into BlackRock's ******* et base rather than competing for ******* ets already inside the traditional financial system.
Cutting the minimum by 96% meaningfully widens who can use the service. Dropping the threshold from $25 million to $1 million brings the option within reach of family offices and wealthy individual holders, rather than limiting it to the largest Bitcoin holders. That gives BlackRock access to a substantially larger pool of potential conversions as the practice becomes more common.
IBIT's scale gives it a head start in capturing this migration. The fund already holds roughly 3.645% of Bitcoin's total supply and lists net ******* ets of $60.65 billion. It is scale advantage that likely makes it the default destination for holders deciding where to move their coins, reinforcing BlackRock's position as conversions boost industry-wide.
The process remains manual and slow despite the lower headline minimum. Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said the conversion process industry-wide is "still bespoke, from introducing a client to a market maker to working with the adviser, but it's becoming more standardized," and Mitchnick himself said conversions can take more than a week. That means BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) has not yet turned this into a fully automated, scalable pipeline even as it markets lower minimums to a broader audience.
#blackrock #billion #minimum
This is a fast-scaling new source of fee-generating ******* ets for BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK). The $5 billion processed through IBIT is up from $3 billion just months earlier. It shows accelerating adoption of a service that pulls previously self-custodied Bitcoin wealth directly into BlackRock's ******* et base rather than competing for ******* ets already inside the traditional financial system.
Cutting the minimum by 96% meaningfully widens who can use the service. Dropping the threshold from $25 million to $1 million brings the option within reach of family offices and wealthy individual holders, rather than limiting it to the largest Bitcoin holders. That gives BlackRock access to a substantially larger pool of potential conversions as the practice becomes more common.
IBIT's scale gives it a head start in capturing this migration. The fund already holds roughly 3.645% of Bitcoin's total supply and lists net ******* ets of $60.65 billion. It is scale advantage that likely makes it the default destination for holders deciding where to move their coins, reinforcing BlackRock's position as conversions boost industry-wide.
The process remains manual and slow despite the lower headline minimum. Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said the conversion process industry-wide is "still bespoke, from introducing a client to a market maker to working with the adviser, but it's becoming more standardized," and Mitchnick himself said conversions can take more than a week. That means BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) has not yet turned this into a fully automated, scalable pipeline even as it markets lower minimums to a broader audience.
#blackrock #billion #minimum
2 months ago
Investors just moved a record $7 billion into gold and Bitcoin (BTC) funds in five days. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan blames a flaw in the 60/40 portfolio, which is 100% exposed to fiat currency.
Bloomberg senior ETF ******* yst Eric Balchunas calls it the debasement trade, a bet on ******* ets no government can print. This week, that bet pushed AI funds out of the headlines.
SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) took in $3.4 billion in the week through August 21. BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) added just over $1 billion, data shows.
Meanwhile, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) bled $1.7 billion, more than any other fund. Money did not leave the market. It switched sides.
"DEBASER: Gold and Bitcoin ETFs have combined for +$7b in flows in past week, by far a record for a 5-day period as debasement trade steals spotlight from AI. GLD, IBIT leading, in Top 10 for week. Also notable $IBIT YTD flows are now positive, completely dug out of sizable hole," Balchunas shared.
#trade
Bloomberg senior ETF ******* yst Eric Balchunas calls it the debasement trade, a bet on ******* ets no government can print. This week, that bet pushed AI funds out of the headlines.
SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) took in $3.4 billion in the week through August 21. BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) added just over $1 billion, data shows.
Meanwhile, the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) bled $1.7 billion, more than any other fund. Money did not leave the market. It switched sides.
"DEBASER: Gold and Bitcoin ETFs have combined for +$7b in flows in past week, by far a record for a 5-day period as debasement trade steals spotlight from AI. GLD, IBIT leading, in Top 10 for week. Also notable $IBIT YTD flows are now positive, completely dug out of sizable hole," Balchunas shared.
#trade
3 months ago
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
With days left before the August 7 deadline, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan says passing the CLARITY Act has a coin flip's chance—though the market could even stomach a failed attempt.
Hougan told Cointelegraph that BlackRock's largest ETF is now a crypto ETF, Goldman Sachs is hiring in tokenization, and JPMorgan is building on blockchain.
Two more years of the current regulatory environment, he argued, gives the industry enough runway to become too large for any future administration to meaningfully roll back.
Don't Miss:
#hougan #august #chief #officer
With days left before the August 7 deadline, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan says passing the CLARITY Act has a coin flip's chance—though the market could even stomach a failed attempt.
Hougan told Cointelegraph that BlackRock's largest ETF is now a crypto ETF, Goldman Sachs is hiring in tokenization, and JPMorgan is building on blockchain.
Two more years of the current regulatory environment, he argued, gives the industry enough runway to become too large for any future administration to meaningfully roll back.
Don't Miss:
#hougan #august #chief #officer
3 months ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Bitcoin (BTC-USD) opened at $66,081.05 on Thursday, July 23, 2026, 0.6% lower than Wednesday's opening price. As of 9:22 a.m. ET this morning, the price of bitcoin moved down to $65,054.55.
Ethereum (ETH-USD) opened at $1,933.32 on Thursday, July 23, 2026, up 0.3% from Wednesday's opening price. The price of ethereum moved lower this morning to $1,899.38 as of 9:22 a.m. ET.
Bitcoin and ethereum have shown slight gains over the past month, fueling cautious optimism that the crypto market has hit a bottom.
In June, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said that bitcoin hit its low point near $60,000. After Armstrong's prediction, the digital currency dipped below $58,000 briefly. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan expressed a similar sentiment in early July.
#ethereum #morning
Bitcoin (BTC-USD) opened at $66,081.05 on Thursday, July 23, 2026, 0.6% lower than Wednesday's opening price. As of 9:22 a.m. ET this morning, the price of bitcoin moved down to $65,054.55.
Ethereum (ETH-USD) opened at $1,933.32 on Thursday, July 23, 2026, up 0.3% from Wednesday's opening price. The price of ethereum moved lower this morning to $1,899.38 as of 9:22 a.m. ET.
Bitcoin and ethereum have shown slight gains over the past month, fueling cautious optimism that the crypto market has hit a bottom.
In June, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said that bitcoin hit its low point near $60,000. After Armstrong's prediction, the digital currency dipped below $58,000 briefly. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan expressed a similar sentiment in early July.
#ethereum #morning
6 months ago
Bitcoin Price To $1M? VanEck Makes Bullish Five Year Prediction, Joining BitWise...
Key Takeaways
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says Bitcoin could reach $1 million in about 10 years.
Bitcoin ETFs have returned to net inflows.
Some ****** ysts project major upside for Bitcoin, but others, such as Arthur Hayes, remain cautious.
Bitcoin could reach $1 million within five years, VanEck’s head of digital ****** ets research Matthew Sigel said in a bullish forecast, adding to a growing wave of optimistic predictions from major crypto industry figures.
https://finance.yahoo.com/...
Key Takeaways
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says Bitcoin could reach $1 million in about 10 years.
Bitcoin ETFs have returned to net inflows.
Some ****** ysts project major upside for Bitcoin, but others, such as Arthur Hayes, remain cautious.
Bitcoin could reach $1 million within five years, VanEck’s head of digital ****** ets research Matthew Sigel said in a bullish forecast, adding to a growing wave of optimistic predictions from major crypto industry figures.
https://finance.yahoo.com/...
7 months ago
Bitcoin-Led 'Crypto Winter' Is Thawing, Bitwise's Matt Hougan Says
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) may be approaching the end of its current "crypto winter," according to Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise ***** et Management, who says the market is likely closer to a recovery phase than another downturn.
In an Apr. 10 interview with Cointelegraph, Hougan said the broader four-year crypto cycle remains intact and could be entering a bottoming phase around mid-April.
He pointed to seasonal tax-related selling pressure in the United States as a possible factor contributing to recent wea
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) may be approaching the end of its current "crypto winter," according to Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise ***** et Management, who says the market is likely closer to a recovery phase than another downturn.
In an Apr. 10 interview with Cointelegraph, Hougan said the broader four-year crypto cycle remains intact and could be entering a bottoming phase around mid-April.
He pointed to seasonal tax-related selling pressure in the United States as a possible factor contributing to recent wea
10 months ago
Getty Images
Retail crypto's mood is "extraordinarily negative," but institutional investors are "unremittingly bullish," according to Bitwise ******* et Mangement's Matt Hougan.
Amberdata's Greg Magadini expects interest in bitcoin as a "debasement hedge" to pick up next year.
The rise and subsequent retreat of bitcoin perfectly encapsulates the crypto industry's year. It won big—but it doesn't have much to show for it yet.
The price of bitcoin, the world's most well-known cryptocurrency, soared above $126,000, a record, but those gains evaporated and it's poised to finish down for 2025.
Retail crypto's mood is "extraordinarily negative," but institutional investors are "unremittingly bullish," according to Bitwise ******* et Mangement's Matt Hougan.
Amberdata's Greg Magadini expects interest in bitcoin as a "debasement hedge" to pick up next year.
The rise and subsequent retreat of bitcoin perfectly encapsulates the crypto industry's year. It won big—but it doesn't have much to show for it yet.
The price of bitcoin, the world's most well-known cryptocurrency, soared above $126,000, a record, but those gains evaporated and it's poised to finish down for 2025.
11 months ago
Strategy won’t be forced to sell Bitcoin if stock drops, Bitwise CIO says
Strategy has $1.4 billion in cash, no debt due until 2027, and Bitcoin's price is above the company’s cost basis, making a sale unlikely, argues Matt Hougan.
Strategy (MSTR) won’t be forced to sell Bitcoin to stay afloat if its share price drops, and those who say otherwise are “just flat wrong,” says Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan.
“There is nothing about MSTR’s price dropping below NAV [net ******* et value] that will force it to sell,” Hougan argued in a note on Tuesday, pointing to chairman Michael
Strategy has $1.4 billion in cash, no debt due until 2027, and Bitcoin's price is above the company’s cost basis, making a sale unlikely, argues Matt Hougan.
Strategy (MSTR) won’t be forced to sell Bitcoin to stay afloat if its share price drops, and those who say otherwise are “just flat wrong,” says Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan.
“There is nothing about MSTR’s price dropping below NAV [net ******* et value] that will force it to sell,” Hougan argued in a note on Tuesday, pointing to chairman Michael
11 months ago
Bitcoin may still have room to fall before finding a true cycle bottom, according to André Dragosch, European head of research at Bitwise.
Key Takeaways:
Bitwise ****** yst André Dragosch says Bitcoin’s “max-pain” zone sits between $73K and $84K.
Dragosch calls this range “fire sale” territory, warning it could mark a full cycle reset as traders debate where capitulation will hit.
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan argues the downturn is short-term noise and Bitcoin’s long-term value remains intact.
https://finance.yahoo.com/...
Key Takeaways:
Bitwise ****** yst André Dragosch says Bitcoin’s “max-pain” zone sits between $73K and $84K.
Dragosch calls this range “fire sale” territory, warning it could mark a full cycle reset as traders debate where capitulation will hit.
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan argues the downturn is short-term noise and Bitcoin’s long-term value remains intact.
https://finance.yahoo.com/...
11 months ago
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan is urging investors to look past Bitcoin’s sharp pullback, arguing that the cryptocurrency’s long-term value has little to do with its recent slide and everything to do with the service it provides.
Key Takeaways:
In a memo sent to clients late Tuesday, Hougan dismissed concerns about a deeper downturn, saying the current drop, roughly 27.5% from Bitcoin’s October all-time high, is “short-term noise.”
Bitcoin briefly dipped below $90,000 this week, prompting renewed questions from investors about what underpins its value.
https://cryptonews.co
Key Takeaways:
In a memo sent to clients late Tuesday, Hougan dismissed concerns about a deeper downturn, saying the current drop, roughly 27.5% from Bitcoin’s October all-time high, is “short-term noise.”
Bitcoin briefly dipped below $90,000 this week, prompting renewed questions from investors about what underpins its value.
https://cryptonews.co
