BlackRock Buys Another $480M in BTC & ETH—What Do They Know?

Key Insights:

• BlackRock boosts Bitcoin exposure with a $481M buy and grows IBIT ETF position by 25%.
• Ethereum investments grow with $52.7M in new inflows as BUIDL fund TVL approaches $3B.
• Combined BTC and ETH ETFs saw $517M net inflows on May 28, signalling strong institutional momentum.

BlackRock increased its digital asset exposure this week, purchasing $533 million worth of Bitcoin and Ethereum. Its Ethereum-focused BUIDL fund crossed $2.9 billion in total value locked, while its holdings in the IBIT ETF rose by 25%.

Bitcoin Allocation Rises Amid ETF Strength

BlackRock added $481 million in Bitcoin, raising its total holdings to 659,847 BTC. At a market price of $107,707, the stake was worth about $71.07 billion, reinforcing the firm’s positioning in Bitcoin as a digital reserve asset.

It also increased its position in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), its U.S.-based spot Bitcoin ETF. The firm now holds 2.1 million IBIT shares valued at $99.4 million, up from 1.69 million shares worth $79.6 million in Q4 2024. That marked a 25% quarterly rise.

On May 28, Bitcoin spot ETFs registered $433 million in net inflows, following $385 million the previous day. That marked the tenth consecutive day of net positive flows, supported by GameStop’s addition of 4,710 BTC to its reserves.

Analysts now expect Bitcoin ETFs to attract $120 billion by 2025, with potential to double by 2026. Sovereign funds, listed companies, and regulated ETF growth continue to drive institutional appetite.

Ethereum Exposure Expands with BUIDL Fund and Direct Purchases

This week, BlackRock also invested $52.7 million in Ethereum, making its total ETH holdings 1.311 million ETH. At the time of writing, Ethereum is trading at $2,728.79, and BlackRock’s ETH position is worth roughly $3.58 billion. This means ETH is a crucial second leg of its crypto strategy.

To further reinforce its ETH commitment, BlackRock’s tokenized asset fund “BUIDL” has now grown to $2.904 billion in total value locked.

Incredibly, 93% of BUIDL’s capital is deployed on Ethereum, making it the infrastructure layer of choice for real-world asset tokenization. Ethereum’s utility goes beyond price speculation, and the fund’s rapid growth since April proves it.

Meanwhile, Fidelity also entered the ETH market, buying $25.7 million. BlackRock’s expansion complements the move, and other asset managers see Ethereum as a must-have in their digital portfolios.

Ethereum ETFs saw $84.89 million in net inflows on May 28, after $38 million on May 27. This was the eighth straight day of positive ETH ETF inflows, bringing total Ethereum ETF assets up to $9.48 billion. The steady growth indicates that institutional belief in Ethereum’s long term value proposition is growing.

ETF Inflows Accelerate as Altcoin Prospects Emerge

Crypto market dynamics are still being shaped by spot ETF flows. On May 28, net inflows for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs totalled $517 million. These flows show continued institutional demand and rising interest in regulated digital asset investment vehicles.

By 2025, Polymarket puts the odds of ETF approvals for assets like XRP, SOL and ADA above 70%. Major investors are already positioning for broader exposure of digital assets while SEC decisions are still pending.

This momentum is underscored by the ETF inflow streaks—10 days for Bitcoin, 8 days for Ethereum. Notably,  according to data from CryptoQuant, the 30-day moving average of daily net inflows is still north of $330 million.

Backing this up, the Coinbase Premium Gap is at a 2025 high of 55, indicating strong U.S. institutional participation, especially on platforms such as Coinbase Pro.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide any financial, investment, or other advice. The author or any people mentioned in this article are not responsible for any financial loss that may occur from investing in or trading. Please do your research before making any financial decisions.