BlackRock’s IB1T Goes Live in London — First-Hour Volume Hints at Growing UK Bitcoin Appetite

BlackRock’s long-awaited iShares Bitcoin ETP (IB1T) made its debut on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on Monday, allowing the United Kingdom users to be exposed to retail assets.) recent decision to lift its multi-year ban on crypto-based exchange-traded ￰3￱ its first hour of trading, the physically backed product custodied by Coinbase saw over 1,000 shares change hands, indicating a cautious but growing interest among UK investors in regulated Bitcoin ￰4￱ launch comes amid institutional adoption for ETFs surging globally following the success of ￰5￱ Bitcoin ETFs, which have collectively drawn billions in inflows since approval earlier this ￰6￱ FCA’s August policy reversal effectively reopened the UK’s retail crypto investment market, which had been closed since ￰7￱ BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, the move shows confidence that British investors are ready for mainstream digital asset ￰8￱ Surpasses $245M in Annual Fees as it Expands Bitcoin ETP Footprint with UK Launch While early trading volume remains modest compared to U.

S. figures, analysts say the launch is symbolically ￰9￱ positions London, which was once cautious toward digital assets, as a re-emerging hub for regulated crypto finance. “IB1T’s debut is more than just another Bitcoin product,” said one market strategist. “It’s a signal that the UK is warming up to digital assets again, bridging traditional finance with the next generation of investment demand.” With global spot Bitcoin ETF inflows surging and regulatory clarity improving, BlackRock’s London listing may mark the beginning of a new chapter for crypto participation in the UK, while also extending its footprint globally.

Notably, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETP (IB1T), which officially debuted today, was already listed across several European markets , including Germany’s Xetra, Euronext Amsterdam, and Euronext Paris, before making its UK ￰10￱ the IB1T launch is significant for both the UK crypto community and BlackRock itself, the launch comes as part of BlackRock’s broader global strategy to expand its digital asset ￰11￱ firm, which manages over $13 trillion in assets, has enjoyed strong momentum in crypto markets since the success of its U. S.-listed iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). BlackRock generates $260 million annually from Bitcoin and Ether ETFs as Wall Street institutional adoption reaches new heights. #Bitcoin #Ethereum ￰0￱ — ￰12￱ (@cryptonews) September 23, 2025 That fund, launched in early 2024, now holds $85.5 billion in net assets, making it the largest spot bitcoin ETF in the world, and has generated nearly $245 million in annual fees , surpassing long-established funds such as the iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF and the iShares MSCI EAFE ￰13￱ to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, IBIT is on pace to become the fastest ETF in history to reach $100 billion in assets, potentially surpassing Vanguard’s S&P 500 index ￰14￱ momentum around IB1T’s London debut also reflects the growing institutional acceptance of Bitcoin as an asset class.) and ETPs for retail ￰15￱ UK FCA will allow retail investors to access crypto ETNs starting Oct 8—reversing a 4+ year ban. #FCA #ETNs ￰1￱ — ￰16￱ (@cryptonews) August 1, 2025 The move ended restrictions imposed in 2021 when the regulator barred such products over concerns about volatility and ￰17￱ FCA’s reversal, effective October 8, has been widely seen as a turning point for UK crypto ￰18￱ years of caution, the regulator accelerated its review process this year , cutting approval times by nearly ￰19￱ rollout of crypto ETPs on the LSE had faced short delays as the FCA and exchange finalized operational procedures, including discussions over whether to introduce a dedicated segment for retail-eligible crypto ￰20￱ those issues now resolved, the arrival of IB1T marks the first time UK retail investors can access a regulated bitcoin ETP through the domestic ￰21￱ what: The debut of IB1T indicates a shift in UK financial policy that could normalize crypto exposure within traditional portfolios and attract a new wave of institutional and retail ￰22￱ say the move could pave the way for more issuers to enter the market, with London now positioning itself as Europe’s next crypto-financial ￰23￱ has received approval from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to offer its UK-listed crypto ETPs to retail investors. #ETPs #FCA ￰2￱ — ￰24￱ (@cryptonews) October 16, 2025 Notably, other rivals like 21Shares and WisdomTree also launched similar bitcoin and ether ETPs for British clients, suggesting that competition and liquidity are about to heat up fast.