Bitcoin ETF Holdings Rise 14% in BlackRock’s Income Fund

BlackRock’s Strategic Income Fund Increases Bitcoin ETF Holdings by 14%

BlackRock’s Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio, an in-house mutual fund, has expanded its exposure to bitcoin through additional purchases of the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) exchange-traded fund (ETF), according to its latest SEC filing.

As of September 30, the fund held 2,397,423 IBIT shares valued at $155.8 million, marking a 14% increase from the 2,096,447 shares reported at the end of June.

The Strategic Income Opportunities Portfolio is an unconstrained bond fund that invests across government debt, corporate credit, mortgages, emerging markets, and cash-like assets. Its flexible mandate allows for the inclusion of nontraditional holdings, such as ETFs, when they contribute to total return and diversification objectives—enabling the fund to hold IBIT alongside fixed-income assets.

IBIT has gained additional attention after Nasdaq ISE filed to raise the position limit for IBIT options to one million contracts. Institutional ownership of IBIT has also been rising steadily, now surpassing 400 million shares, the highest level since the ETF’s launch.

Bitcoin (BTC) recently climbed above $91,000, while IBIT traded up about 2% premarket at roughly $52 per share.