B lackRock's iShares ETF business experienced a record first quarter, contributing to adjusted earnings per share of $12.53, which topped the analyst estimate of $11.48. Revenue reached $6.7 billion against a consensus forecast of $6.43 billion.
Related Brief 3h ago
cryptocurrency Ether ETF Investors Shift Toward Staking-Focused Funds
Investors are prioritizing staking yields and lower fees over standard spot Ether ETFs. BlackRock’s staking-focused ETHB led the charge with $5.78 million in inflows, while Grayscale’s Mini ETH fund added $5.15 million and Fidelity’s FETH added $3.93 million. This shift in appetite reflects a broader trend of sustained demand for spot Ether ETFs, which saw $9.44 million in net inflows on June 13. The momentum was not uniform across all products. BlackRock’s ETHA lost $4.07 million and 21Shares’ TETH shed $1.35 million. The net result was sustained investor appetite for spot Ether ETFs ETFs despite product-level divergence.
Assets under management rose 27% year-over-year to $13.89 trillion, and the firm pulled in $130 billion in total net inflows during the quarter. Adjusted operating income climbed 31% year-over-year to $2.67 billion, with the adjusted operating margin expanding to 44.5% from 43.2% a year earlier.
Related Brief 13h ago
asset management BlackRock's $14 Trillion Empirey manages the world's largest asset management firm
Individual investors and institutional clients, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and governments, hold their assets with BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager. As of 2025, the firm manages more than $14 trillion in assets. Through this broad investor base, BlackRock holds stakes in nearly all publicly traded companies in the United States. The firm's influence extends beyond its assets under management. Its Aladdin software is used by more than 200 financial and nonfinancial companies, including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Apple to analyze and manage investment risk. Because most index funds are weighted by market capitalization, they concentrate ownership in the largest companies. This concentration of ownership among index fund providers gives BlackRock significant influence through proxy voting.
Growth was further supported by technology services and subscription revenue, which grew 22% year-over-year, driven by the aforementioned Aladdin platform and the Preqin acquisition.
Related Brief 23h ago
cryptocurrency iShares Bitcoin Trust holders face $12 billion in unrealized losses
iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) holders are down an estimated total of $12 billion in unrealized losses. This loss is driven by an average purchase price of $89,000, which sits well above current market levels of nearly $71,000. The losses occur despite renewed institutional appetite for the asset. Last week, BlackRock's IBIT recorded approximately $612 million in net inflows.
As part of its expansion, BlackRock has filed with Irish regulators for the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defence UCITS ETF, bringing a strategy that has gathered €12 billion in assets in the US market since 2006.
Related Brief 1d ago
bitcoin investing BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Now Holds More BTC Than Any Corporation, Closing In On 800,000 Coins
BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) now holds more Bitcoin than any corporate treasury in the world, with total holdings just below 800,000 BTC—valued at approximately $56 billion. Over the past week alone, IBIT added roughly $600 million in Bitcoin, according to on-chain data tracked by Arkham Intelligence. That accumulation has pushed it ahead of Strategy Inc (MSTR), which holds 780,897 BTC, or about $55 billion, after adding 13,927 BTC on Monday at an average price of $71,902 per coin. The 8,030-BTC gap means Strategy would need to spend another $600 million to reclaim the top spot. Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor signaled ongoing commitment to expansion with a Sunday post reading “Think ₿igger” and a chart of recent purchases. Meanwhile, BlackRock is building beyond passive exposure: it recently filed an amended S-1 with the SEC for the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, expected to trade under BITA, which will generate income via a covered call strategy on its Bitcoin holdings—marking a shift from pure spot-price tracking. IBIT’s growth has cemented its position as the largest Bitcoin investment vehicle in the market, even as its stock dipped more than 3% in pre-market trading Friday, with retail sentiment on Stocktwits remaining bearish. The new filing underscores BlackRock’s deepening institutional bet on Bitcoin as both an asset and a platform for structured financial products. BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) bought approximately $600 million in Bitcoin over the past week.
This move comes as European investors shift toward defence sector exposure. According to Morningstar data, approximately €2.6 billion flowed into defence ETFs in the ETFs in Q1, spurred by heightened market uncertainty linked to the Iran conflict and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Related Brief 6h ago
cryptocurrency Institutional Demand for XRP Grows as Retail Fades and Regulatory Clarity Takes Hold
XRP ETFs have recorded $178 million in inflows this month, even as retail engagement with the asset has dropped 26% in the past week. The divergence underscores a shift in who is driving the market: institutional investors are stepping in as retail traders retreat. XRP trades at $1.40, down 61% from its $3.60 high last year, and the asset’s market cap has shed $128 billion over eight months. Yet the inflows suggest larger players see value where others have lost interest. BlackRock added XRP to its portfolio, following prior investments in Bitcoin and Ethereum, adhering to a consistent volume-first strategy. The firm prioritizes digital assets with infrastructure capable of handling high transaction throughput. Its BUIDL fund, the largest tokenized treasury product on-chain, reflects this infrastructure-focused approach. Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin is now live on the XRP Ledger’s native decentralized exchange, offering programmable liquidity that aligns with BlackRock’s tokenization ambitions. The partnership gains further strength from regulatory clarity: the SEC lawsuit concluded with a ruling that favors Ripple’s position, establishing legal precedent that makes XRP a more viable asset for regulated institutions. Together, Ripple’s payment rail and BlackRock’s institutional reach create a functional framework for tokenized finance — one where infrastructure, not speculation, drives adoption. Institutional investors are accumulating XRP despite declining retail participation and price depreciation.
There are now 17 defence ETFs listed in Europe, with combined assets of €18 billion.
Related Brief 7h ago
hedge fund A hedge fund’s 11.6% grip on a UK trust is all but untouchable
An investor holds 11.606604% of the voting rights in BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust Plc through a mix of direct ownership and synthetic instruments as of 10-Apr-2026. Only 2.568941% comes from actual share ownership. The rest—9.037663%—stems from a total return swap set to expire on 12/15/2026, which delivers economic exposure without transferring title or voting power. The swap settles in cash, meaning no shares change hands. Saba Capital Management, L.P., the entity behind the position, reports the exposure under UK disclosure rules because the combined effect of ownership and derivatives crosses a notifiable threshold. That 11.6% stake is economically significant but structurally untouchable: it cannot be outvoted, diluted through rights issues, or displaced by proxy contests. The position is held through a web of affiliated funds domiciled in the Cayman Islands, Ireland, and the United States, with ultimate control traced to Boaz Weinstein. Regulatory filings require such transparency, but the mechanism reveals a deeper reality: in public markets, control no longer requires ownership, and disclosure does not enable redress. Investors in the trust cannot displace this position through ordinary voting mechanisms.
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