Barclays has become the latest major financial institution to jump on the Bitcoin ETF bandwagon, reporting a new position in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) in its latest 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The UK-based bank now holds 2,473,064 shares of IBIT, valued at $131 million as of December 31, as per the Thursday filing.
The purchase took place during the fourth quarter, spanning October to December, and coincides with the post-election surge in the Bitcoin price, which is now trading at a price of $97,030.17, up 0.8% over the past day, per CoinGecko data.
The filing shows that Barclays’ move follows a trend in institutional adoption of crypto-related products, with banking giants such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan also raking up Bitcoin ETF holdings in recent months.
As BTC surged to a record high of $109,000 just before the U.S. presidential inauguration, big players are seized the opportunity to capitalize on the crypto’s rise without directly owning BTC itself.
The approval of Bitcoin ETFs by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has made it easier for these institutions to get exposure to BTC, while sidestepping some of the volatility and regulatory concerns surrounding direct crypto ownership.
Goldman Sachs, for instance, reported a 121% jump in its Bitcoin ETF holdings, bringing its total stake to $1.57 billion.
Banking giant JPMorgan recently reported an increase in its BTC fund exposure in its latest filing, which now totals $964,322.
In January 2025, U.S. Bitcoin ETFs saw a massive $5 billion in inflows, a trend expected to continue in 2025 with forecasts of over $50 billion in inflows, as per Farside Investors data.
BlackRock’s IBIT saw the largest net inflows during January, pulling in $3.2 billion, followed by Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) with $1.3 billion.
In January alone, IBIT pulled in $3.2 billion, making it the top-performing Bitcoin ETF of the month, followed by Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) with nearly $1.3 billion in inflows.
Analysts are predicting more gains for BTC in the coming years, with projections suggesting it could reach as high as $200,000 by late 2025.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.
