BlackRock has accumulated 3% of all bitcoins. How safe is it?

On January 11, 2024, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) called IBIT was launched by BlackRock, the world’s largest investment company. This fund buys bitcoins and sells shares in them through a traditional stock exchange. Since its launch, IBIT has grown incredibly fast — as of June 10, 2025, BlackRock owns more than 662 500 bitcoins, which is more than 3% of the total volume of bitcoin in the world. That’s about $72,4 billion. GetBlock AML Research is looking into whether BlackRock’s accumulation policy contradicts the basic principles of BTC.

For comparison, it took the SPDR Gold Trust more than 1600 trading days to reach $70 billion. BlackRock did it in just 341 days — it is the fastest-growing ETF in history. This suggests that large investors (institutions) are now taking bitcoin seriously.

In terms of the number of bitcoins, BlackRock has surpassed most crypto exchanges and even large companies such as MicroStrategy. Only the creator of bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, currently has more bitcoins than BlackRock, but even his lead is shrinking.

If the influx of money into IBIT continues, this fund could become the largest holder of bitcoin in the world. This will significantly change the distribution of bitcoins and may lead to the concentration of cryptocurrency in the hands of a small number of large players.

Interesting fact: BlackRock does not store bitcoins itself. This is done by Coinbase Custody, which keeps private keys in “cold” (offline) storage and has insurance for these assets.

Why BlackRock is accumulating bitcoin

Source: bitbo.io

BlackRock’s bitcoin accumulation chart

BlackRock no longer considers bitcoin a risky toy. Now they see it as a full-fledged asset for long-term money storage. They understand that bitcoin can fluctuate greatly in price, but believe that it will become more stable in the future as more people and companies start using it. This will improve pricing, increase liquidity, and reduce the difference between the purchase and sale price.

BlackRock considers bitcoin to be part of the “new money” — the digital economy that is replacing the old financial systems. They are confident that bitcoin can be used as a diversification tool — that is, to avoid keeping all your money in one asset.

Why bitcoin is interesting in 2025

Here are the main reasons why BlackRock considers bitcoin a profitable investment:

• Limited quantity: no more than 21 million Bitcoins can be created. Many have already been lost, so there are even fewer available.
• An alternative to the dollar: bitcoin is not dependent on governments, so it can serve as a hedge against inflation, government debt, and political risks.
• Part of the digital revolution: The transition from traditional money and finance to online tools is a global trend that is particularly supported by younger generations.

BlackRock recommends that investors hold between 1% and 2% of their funds in bitcoin. This is not much, but for large investment funds, even 1% represents huge sums. They also compare the risks of bitcoin with those of shares in large technology companies such as Apple and Amazon.

IBIT’s impact on the market

BlackRock is buying up huge amounts of bitcoins, and this could change the cryptocurrency market itself. Bitcoin has always been volatile (i.e., its price has fluctuated greatly) because supply is limited and demand is constantly changing. When a giant like BlackRock enters the market, the question arises: will this stabilize the market or make it even more unstable?

Proponents of institutional investment believe that the participation of such companies makes the market more mature, transparent, and stable. Opponents warn that now the risks of traditional financial markets are coming to bitcoin: algorithmic failures, speculation, and price manipulation.

Bitcoin is becoming mainstream

BlackRock has done what previously seemed impossible: it has transformed bitcoin from a controversial asset into a respected financial instrument. Now, other companies are beginning to consider investing in cryptocurrency because BlackRock has removed the “stigma” from it.

This is also convenient for ordinary people: they can buy bitcoin through a fund without having to deal with wallets, private keys, and complex technologies.

Centralization of decentralization

There is also a paradox: bitcoin was created as an alternative to banks and governments, as a decentralized system. But now the world’s largest asset manager is buying it through a centralized fund. As a result, more and more bitcoins are controlled by centralized structures, exchanges, custodians, and ETF funds. This makes access to bitcoin easier, but at the same time distances it from its original idea.

The world is now moving towards a hybrid model: the basis of bitcoin remains decentralized, but most people prefer to use it through centralized services.

Conclusion

BlackRock already owns 3% of all bitcoins — and that changes the rules of the game. Bitcoin is increasingly becoming part of the global financial system, on the one hand remaining a unique digital asset, and on the other becoming increasingly centralized in the hands of major players.