Bitcoin overtakes gold: New record

2025-06-24

BlackRock's Spot Bitcoin ETF (ticker symbol IBIT) made history again on Monday, 9 June 2025. The fund, the largest of its kind, surpassed the $70 billion mark in assets under management – in just 341 trading days. This smashes the previous record and establishes it as the fastest ETF ever to reach this milestone.

Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, commented euphorically on X: ‘IBIT has just broken through the $70 billion mark and is now the fastest ETF to ever reach this milestone, in just 341 days. That's five times faster than GLD's old record of 1,691 days.’

IBIT: The undisputed crypto king

With this impressive volume, BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF is by far the most popular among funds that track the price of the cryptocurrency. Fidelity's spot Bitcoin ETF ranks a distant second with around $31 billion in assets. IBIT also recently recorded an impressive 34-day streak of continuous inflows – a clear sign of sustained investor interest.

Gold ETF GLD has to admit defeat

The previous record holder was the SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD). It allows investors to bet on the price of gold without having to physically purchase the precious metal. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in November 2004 and, according to its website, is considered ‘the world's largest physically backed gold ETF’. GLD currently manages assets of around $100 billion. But its throne is shaking – at least in terms of growth rate.

Bitcoin and gold: beneficiaries of uncertainty?

Both the price of gold and Bitcoin have performed well this year amid economic uncertainty, fuelled in part by President Donald Trump's tariff strategy. Many investors see both assets as a hedge against inflation and geopolitical risks.

Bitcoin is increasingly establishing itself as a serious asset class, and institutional acceptance, led by heavyweights such as BlackRock, is accelerating this trend. For investors, this means new diversification opportunities, but also the need to take a close look at the opportunities and risks of this young asset class. Invested investors remain on board.