BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF dominance and the Samara Cohen stewardship

IBIT reached the $45 billion inflow milestone. The fund currently holds $90.7 billion in assets. IBIT captured $405.5 million in inflows on a single recent day. These flows pushed the fund into the top 20 ETFs by assets. The fund maintains high liquidity with 55 million shares of average daily trading volume. IBIT’s growth arrived 341 days after its debut. IBIT reached the $70 billion asset mark five times faster than the previous record holder. IBIT is the largest Bitcoin ETF on the market. Total net inflows for the fund reached $61.376 billion. In late May, total net assets across all 12 Bitcoin ETFs reached $134 billion when Bitcoin hit $111,900. In February 2026, Bitcoin dropped below $61,000, but IBIT maintained smooth trading with a 0.02% bid-ask spread. One week in August, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs absorbed $1.92 billion in net inflows, and IBIT captured $1.33 billion of that demand. The amount is 70% of the entire week’s U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF demand. As of August 21, net assets across all U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs stood at $96.1 billion. IBIT provides the largest market footprint for Bitcoin in the ETF category.

Samara Cohen leads 350 investment professionals, including portfolio managers, risk managers, and platform architects, who collectively manage $6.6 trillion across the vast array of BlackRock’s index funds and iShares ETFs. Cohen, who earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, focuses on connecting traditional financial systems to digital assets. She previously worked at Goldman Sachs, where she led the Global Market Transition team to develop solutions in the regulatory environment following the 2008 crisis. Her leadership helps shape the evolution of market structure to support investor access. Cohen is a member of the Global Executive Committee and the GEC Talent Subcommittee. She also sponsors the Women’s Initiative & Allies Network and leads a majority female leadership team. Cohen, who holds a BA in Theatre Arts, manages complex systems like trading floors. Will Morgan Stanley’s MSBT overtake IBIT’s liquidity? Cohen explains that there is nothing passive about managing index portfolios. The professional teams perform the engineering and trading precision required to match index outcomes. BlackRock uses its technology to improve systemic resilience and the end investor experience. This modernization effort includes building safer financial roads on top of old structures.

The Bitcoin ETF market contains thirteen spot products. Morgan Stanley’s MSBT has the lowest annual expense ratio at 0.14%. IBIT follows with a 0.25% fee. You know the basics of Bitcoin, so observe how these fees impact long-term holdings. Grayscale’s GBTC is a poor choice for cost-sensitive investors because its 1.50% fee is six times higher than IBIT’s. BITO uses a futures-based strategy with a 0.95% fee. An investment of $50,000 in GBTC costs $750 per year, while IBIT costs only $125 for the same amount.

The industry saw 13 spot Bitcoin ETFs launch since January 2024. IBIT provides direct exposure by holding Bitcoin in institutional-grade cold storage. It avoids the roll costs that come with futures-based products like BITO. In December 2025, BITO underperformed Bitcoin’s spot price by 1.2% due to contango drag. While MSBT is the cheapest, it only has two years of operating history and holds roughly $299 million in net assets. More than 120 million people globally use BlackRock products to access markets and build portfolios. IBIT’s massive asset base ensures consistent liquidity for large trades.