BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Surpasses Gold Fund With 4% Gain

BlackRock’s (BLK) spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund has surpassed the world’s largest gold fund in terms of inflows this year. Through four months of 2025, BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) has attracted a net $6.96 billion of inflows. That’s more than the $6.50 billion of net inflows seen in the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), which is the world’s largest physically backed gold ETF.

That the Bitcoin ETF has attracted more investor capital than the Gold Trust is a bit surprising as the price of gold has risen nearly 30% this year compared to a 4% gain in Bitcoin. However, investor interest in crypto has risen in recent weeks as risk appetite returns to equity markets and digital assets.

BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF also continues to attract strong interest from institutional investors as well as individual retail investors. Referred to by some analysts and investors as “digital gold,” Bitcoin’s price hit a record high of $109,000 in January of this year but is currently trading about 10% below that level.

Gold meanwhile has hit a record high in recent weeks amid ongoing market volatility, rising above $3,500 per ounce for the first time. Bitcoin is currently trading at $97,000 per digital token, having rebounded from a recent low near $80,000.

BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has made significant strides in the investment landscape, attracting a net inflow of $6.96 billion since the beginning of the year. This figure positions IBIT as the sixth-largest fund in terms of year-to-date inflows in the United States. Notably, IBIT has outperformed the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), which recorded around $6.5 billion in inflows during the same period. This achievement is particularly impressive given that gold's price hit a new all-time high of $3,500 per ounce and its share of global reserves surged to 18%, a 26-year high.

The steady inflows into IBIT over the past three weeks have been a driving force behind its record numbers. The fund has experienced continuous inflows for 15 straight trading sessions, with nearly $2.5 billion in net inflows added in the last week alone. This momentum continued on May 5 with an additional $531 million, highlighting the fund's strong performance.

The shift in market participants towards IBIT suggests a more diverse and institutional audience is now participating in the market. This trend is likely driven by increased demand for regulated exposure to Bitcoin, especially during uncertain macroeconomic times. ETFs like IBIT offer traditional investors a gateway to tap into crypto markets without directly holding the assets, reinforcing Bitcoin's growing role in modern portfolios.

The performance of IBIT has reinforced confidence in Bitcoin ETFs. Attracting more capital than gold under such market conditions is seen as a strong signal of IBIT’s long-term potential. Analysts have noted that this performance inspires confidence in the prediction that Bitcoin ETFs will have triple gold’s assets under management in the next 3-5 years.