Barclays boosts BlackRock Bitcoin ETF stake 48% as banks expand holdings
Barclays reported a $187 million stake as of Sept. 30, while Citigroup disclosed a new $119 million position in Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF.
Barclays reported holding 3.94 million shares in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) at the end of the third quarter, up 48% from the previous quarter.
The position in the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) was worth about $187 million on Sept. 30, up from $88.5 million for 2.66 million shares on June 30, according to Barclays’ Friday Form 13F filing.
“Early readings suggest longer-term holders make up a growing share of the spot bitcoin ETF investor base,” Bitwise analyst Camran Khosravi told Cointelegraph, pointing to increased bank exposure, including at Citigroup.