BlackRock Debuts Pair of Canadian ETFs, Including Fund with 3% Bitcoin Exposure
The newly introduced IBQT fund from BlackRock Canada offers investors worldwide equity market access combined with a 3% allocation to Bitcoin via the company's Canadian iShares Bitcoin ETF.
On Monday, BlackRock Canada introduced a pair of exchange-traded funds to the market, one of which features a portfolio blending globally diversified equity holdings with a 3% position in Bitcoin.
Trading commenced on the Toronto Stock Exchange for both funds: the iShares Equity + Bitcoin ETF Portfolio (IBQT) and the iShares Core MSCI All-International Equity Index ETF (XINT).
The IBQT fund dedicates 97% of its holdings to equities spanning Canadian, US, international and emerging-market stocks, while the remaining 3% provides Bitcoin (BTC) exposure via BlackRock's Canadian iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), listed on Cboe Canada. Instead of purchasing individual equities directly, IBQT achieves its equity and Bitcoin exposure predominantly through investments in other iShares ETFs.
Meanwhile, XINT follows the MSCI ACWI ex North America IMI Index, offering investors access to a portfolio of more than 5,000 companies spanning over 40 developed and emerging markets that exclude Canada and the US.
BlackRock Asset Management Canada oversees both funds via the RBC iShares alliance. According to BlackRock, its iShares division oversaw approximately $6.2 trillion in assets distributed across more than 1,700 ETFs as of June 30.
In the United States, the investment management firm's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) holds the position as the largest US spot Bitcoin ETF measured by assets under management, commanding about $47.9 billion in AUM, based on CoinMarketCap data.
