BlackRock's physical Bitcoin ETF surpasses the world's largest gold fund in year-to-date inflows | CoinDesk JAPAN

• BlackRock’s IBIT has surpassed SPDR Gold Trust in year-to-date inflows despite the decline in Bitcoin prices.
• Strong capital inflows indicate that institutional investors are confident in the long-term outlook for Bitcoin.

The price of gold has surged nearly 29% since the beginning of this year, significantly outpacing the 3.8% rise in Bitcoin (BTC). Nevertheless, investors’ willingness to add the largest cryptocurrency to their portfolios has not waned.

BlackRock’s physical Bitcoin ETF (exchange-traded fund) IBIT has recorded a net inflow of $6.96 billion (approximately ¥1.092 trillion, based on an exchange rate of ¥145 per dollar) since the beginning of the year, making it the sixth largest among all ETFs, according to data from Bloomberg’s senior ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas. The world’s largest physically-backed gold ETF, SPDR Gold Trust, has seen a net inflow of $6.5 billion (approximately ¥942.5 billion), dropping to seventh place.

The strong performance of IBIT demonstrates the sustained confidence of institutional investors in the long-term outlook for Bitcoin. Gold prices have risen to around $3385, driven mainly by international trade friction, renewed inflation concerns, and geopolitical tensions. On the other hand, BTC, known as digital gold, reached a record high in January but is currently more than 10% below that level.

“Raising more cash under those circumstances is a very positive sign from a long-term perspective, and it gives us confidence in our prediction that the AUM of BTC ETFs will reach three times that of gold in three to five years,” said Mr. Balchunas on X.

[Year-to-date net inflows top ETFs: Eric Balchunas/Bloomberg]**【Related Reading】**What is Bitcoin

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