Asset management giant BlackRock continues its offensive on cryptos. The company has just acquired $99.5 million worth of bitcoin and Ethereum from Coinbase, taking a new step in bridging traditional finance and digital assets.
In brief
- BlackRock purchased 567 bitcoins ($65 million) and 8,238 ether ($34 million) through Coinbase.
- This acquisition confirms the growing appetite of institutional investors for cryptos in 2025.
- Bitcoin and Ethereum dominate institutional portfolios thanks to their liquidity and relative stability.
- The operation is part of a broader dynamic driven by crypto ETFs and macroeconomic easing.
A strategic investment that confirms a fundamental trend
BlackRock, the world's largest asset management company, made a massive purchase from Coinbase: 567 bitcoins for around $65 million and 8,238 ethers for $34 million. This $99.5 million transaction comes in a context where traditional financial institutions are increasing their positions in digital assets.
The operation is not a trial run. It follows on from the dazzling success of the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) launched by BlackRock, which attracted $28.1 billion in 2025.
This fund now holds $92.66 billion in assets, representing approximately 4% of the total Bitcoin supply. Without IBIT, net flows into Bitcoin ETFs would even be negative this year.
This direct acquisition strengthens the credibility of cryptocurrencies among conservative investors. By choosing Coinbase as its purchasing platform, BlackRock is also sending a message about the importance of regulated infrastructure to secure institutional transactions.
The timing of this investment deserves attention. With inflation slowing and the prospect of central banks lowering policy rates, capital is starting to redeploy towards digital alternatives offering greater growth potential than traditional assets.
Bitcoin and Ethereum, the essential pillars of institutional adoption
Why does BlackRock exclusively favor bitcoin and Ethereum? The answer lies in three essential factors: liquidity, relative stability and the economic utility of these two cryptos.
Bitcoin has established itself as “digital gold,” a store of value recognized even by the most conservative institutions. Ethereum, for its part, offers much more than a currency: its blockchain hosts the smart contracts that power decentralized finance (DeFi) and asset tokenization.
This complementarity explains why the two assets systematically represent the heart of institutional allocations to cryptocurrencies.
Jamie Elkaleh, marketing director at Bitget Wallet, analyzes this development:
The acceleration in institutional demand for bitcoin reflects a maturing infrastructure. As large investors and custodians play a larger role, decentralization is evolving towards hybrid models, where on-chain transparency coexists with regulated off-chain custody.
The acquisition of BlackRock perfectly illustrates this strategic preference. While new projects emerge daily, institutions continue to focus their capital on proven blockchains.
The figures confirm this trend. Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs capture most of the flows, leaving little room for altcoins despite their promises.
This cautious strategy also reflects BlackRock's macroeconomic expectations. Faced with an uncertain economic environment, the group is banking on liquid assets that can be sold quickly if necessary. Bitcoin and Ethereum offer this flexibility that niche tokens cannot guarantee.
In short, BlackRock's impact goes beyond simple asset accumulation. With 60% of the market share of American Bitcoin ETFs, the company directly influences the institutional perception of cryptos. Its presence reassures hesitant investors in particular and gradually legitimizes the sector with Wall Street. Without BlackRock, the crypto ecosystem would sorely lack this institutional credibility.
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