BlackRock IB1T Bitcoin ETP Debuts on LSE with Retail Access
BlackRock has launched its iShares IB1T Bitcoin ETP on the London Stock Exchange, giving UK retail investors regulated access to spot bitcoin through ISAs, SIPPs and brokerages. The physically backed Bitcoin ETP is custodied by regulated entities like Coinbase and tracks spot bitcoin prices without direct crypto ownership. A promotional fee of 0.15% applies until 31 December 2025, rising to 0.25% thereafter. The launch follows the FCA’s reversal of its ban on retail crypto products, allowing bitcoin ETP trading on FCA-approved exchanges. Competitors such as 21Shares, Bitwise and WisdomTree have also listed low-cost bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs on the LSE, intensifying fee competition. For BlackRock—manager of over $13 trillion and issuer of the $90 billion US spot bitcoin ETF—the IB1T launch deepens its digital asset suite and is expected to support market stability amid renewed institutional inflows.
Bullish
The launch of BlackRock’s IB1T Bitcoin ETP on the LSE expands regulated retail access to spot bitcoin and follows favorable FCA policy changes. Promotional fees and competition from low-cost ETPs should attract new retail and institutional inflows. This added liquidity and growing adoption of regulated Bitcoin ETPs are likely to boost demand and price support in both the short and long term, reinforcing positive market sentiment.