BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF removes 9,631 BTC from open market as lawmakers buy in

The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) removed 9,631 BTC from the open market over five days, including a single-day purchase of 2,870 BTC. The fund has reached $57.67 billion in assets under management, commanding approximately 70% of the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF market share. These inflows followed a reduction in inflation concerns as crude oil prices held beneath $100 per barrel. The price retreat in oil was driven by President Trump's revelation that communication channels between Washington and Tehran have been established and an announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that the Strait of Hormuz has reopened under a 10-day truce. This shift in geopolitical risk increased institutional appetite for riskier assets, leading BlackRock's crypto exchange-traded products to pull in $935 million in net inflows in the first quarter of 2026. The activity generated $42 million in quarterly base fees for BlackRock. On March 4, 2026, Representative Sheri Biggs of South Carolina purchased between $100,001 and $250,000 of IBIT through the W.S.B. Trust at UBS Financial Services. Biggs joins Senator David McCormick and Representative Brandon Gill, who have reported hundreds of thousands of dollars in the same vehicles. These purchases occur as the Senate Banking Committee considers S.954, the BITCOIN Act of 2025, which would direct the U.S. Treasury to acquire one million BTC over five years, and the Mined in America Act, which would allow certified U.S. miners to sell newly mined BTC directly to the Treasury. IBIT bought 2,870 BTC in a single day.