Goldman Sachs Increases Its Stake in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by 28%

According to a new filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Goldman Sachs has significantly increased its exposure to Bitcoin ETFs.

Goldman Sachs has signaled a stronger interest in Bitcoin exposure through traditional finance, incrementally increasing its stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by 28%.

According to a new filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the investment bank now holds 30.8 million shares of IBIT, valued at over $1.4 billion.

The updated position, first reported by financial analyst MacroScope, places Goldman Sachs as the largest institutional holder of IBIT, surpassing other major investors like Brevan Howard, which holds over 25 million shares worth nearly $1.4 billion.

Other notable IBIT investors include Jane Street, D.E. Shaw, and Symmetry Investments, highlighting the growing confidence of hedge funds and trading firms in the Bitcoin ETF market.

The latest 13F report from Goldman Sachs shows the bank has made no major changes to its portfolio in FBTC. But the lack of any Bitcoin options contracts is striking.

By December 2023, the bank owned more than $157 million in call options and more than $527 million in put options on IBIT, a hedged position that would provide gains from price swings. It also had $84 million in put on FBTC.

As market volatility and risk appetite changed, those positions are not listed in the latest report, indicating that Goldman may have eliminated those contracts or let them expire.

The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) continues to be a dominant force in the ETF landscape, having quickly become the largest of the spot Bitcoin ETFs for BlackRock.

As of May early 2025, IBIT has about $62.8 billion in assets under management, according to Farside Investors figures. Since starting the fund, IBIT has taken in over $44 billion in net inflows — a historic clip for any ETF, crypto or not. The fund has $674 million in new inflows so far this week.

On Friday, shares of IBIT climbed by $1.04 to close at $58.66. The price jump tracks a higher rebound for Bitcoin over the past month amid a broader stabilization above $60,000.

suggest that institutional confidence in the long-term value of Bitcoin is growing, particularly through regulated vehicles like ETFs. These funds allow regular investors to get involved in crypto without needing to self-custody or use unregulated exchanges.

Goldman’s expanding presence in the Bitcoin ETF realm is viewed by many as a powerful vote of confidence — not just in Bitcoin itself but also in the development of financial products that facilitate broader access to digital assets.

This move also signals a broader shift: Wall Street is increasingly weaving digital assets into standard investment portfolios, particularly as several spot Bitcoin ETFs were greenlit by US regulators recently.

With institutional inflows anticipated to increase and regulatory clarity continuing to take shape, the Bitcoin ETF landscape may still have room for growth. For the moment, Goldman Sachs is leading the way.KEY Difference Wire helps crypto brands break through and dominate headlines fast