BlackRock has increased its Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio’s exposure to the Bitcoin IBIT ETF by 14%, reaching 2.39 million shares worth $155.8 million, confirming the growing integration of Bitcoin into its multi-asset strategies.
Institutional positions on IBIT now exceed 400 million shares according to Fintel, a record that highlights strong and continued demand for the ETF.
The backdrop is supportive with Bitcoin above $91,000 and a demand to increase position limits on IBIT options, strengthening the product’s attractiveness among professional players.
IBIT Gains Weight in BlackRock’s Income Strategy
The Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio of BlackRock is strengthening its bet on Bitcoin. According to the latest SEC filing, this in-house fund increased its holdings in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) to 2.39 million shares as of September 30, representing a 14% increase over a quarter. Another signal that institutional demand continues to thicken around the market’s star ETF.
The fund held 2,096,447 shares at the end of June. Three months later, the count rises to 2,397,423 shares, with a total value of $155.8 million. The movement is significant since the Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio is primarily a flexible bond portfolio, navigating between sovereign debt, corporate credit, MBS, emerging markets, and cash positions.
However, its charter allows for the addition of “non-traditional” allocations when it improves total performance or diversification. It is this flexibility that opens the door to IBIT in a mix historically focused on fixed income. This quarter’s increase confirms that Bitcoin is finding an increasingly accepted place in BlackRock’s multi-asset strategies.
Institutional Demand for IBIT at a Record Level
On the other side of the market, Fintel data shows a steady increase in institutional positions on IBIT. The total now exceeds 400 million shares, a historic high since the ETF’s launch. The trend is stable, linear, and driven by an increasingly broad investor base.
This dynamic comes as the Nasdaq ISE has applied to raise the position limit on IBIT options to one million contracts. An evolution that, if approved, would further enhance the product’s attractiveness to derivatives desks and managers seeking more sophisticated Bitcoin strategies.
Bitcoin Above $91,000, IBIT Progresses
The outlook remains favorable. Bitcoin is trading above $91,000 this weekend, extending its rebound after the recent correction. IBIT is up about 2% in pre-market trading around $52, benefiting from this renewed appetite for risk.
For BlackRock, this 14% increase in the IBIT allocation is not just a tactical bet. It is part of a much larger movement: the gradual integration of Bitcoin into institutional management, through liquid, regulated vehicles perfectly compatible with traditional mandates.
