In January 2024, BlackRock introduced the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), a Bitcoin ETF that swiftly emerged as the largest cryptocurrency fund globally. Notably, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who had once labeled Bitcoin as an "index of money laundering," has recently redefined his stance, describing it as an alternative to gold.
BlackRock's change of heart is notable, especially as other Wall Street giants like Vanguard and State Street remain cautious on Bitcoin. Wall Street analyst and longtime investor Charles Ortel believes they have valid reasons for their skepticism.
What are Risks Associated With Bitcoin?
Ortel outlines several concerns usually cited by investors:
They could have deeper concerns about being associated with bad actors who may use cryptocurrencies to launder money or for other illegal activities
Governments could make sudden regulatory changes that might diminish the appeal of owning cryptocurrencies, including forcing more disclosures from investors
Advances in quantum computing could potentially make it easier to hack into cryptocurrency infrastructure
The indirect impact of crypto-mining on electricity costs, inflation, and the environment could also fuel their concerns
"Cryptocurrencies have posted impressive gains, and it takes brave investors to bet against 'proven' winners. However, gold has served as a reliable store of value for millennia," Ortel emphasizes.
At the same time, Ortel acknowledges that "BlackRock has a good sense of what investors want, and they now believe that cryptocurrencies have gained a veneer of respectability."
Given BlackRock's bullish approach to Bitcoin, it is clear they also believe their firm can profit by offering this option to investors, according to the analyst.
BlackRock's Bitcoin push has led some netizens to speculate that the firm is attempting to dominate the cryptocurrency market.
What Could be Behind BlackRock's Interest in Bitcoin?
The answer might lie in BlackRock's Outlook 2025, which calls Bitcoin "a tactical hedge against specific risks, like gold."
In its report, the firm warns of an impending economic transformation that could surpass the Industrial Revolution in its scope and impact.
BlackRock anticipates "geopolitical fragmentation" of the world into competing blocs, with mega forces fundamentally reshaping the economy.
Under these circumstances, BlackRock sees "the potential for …diversifiers, old like gold and new like Bitcoin, to step in."
Gold has surged as investors seek protection against soaring inflation. Asset management firms are emphasizing this trend while also promoting Bitcoin, highlighting its potential as a new diversifier thanks to its unique value drivers.
"Bitcoin’s potential to appreciate over time when its predetermined supply is met with growing demand – and demand is based on investor belief in Bitcoin’s potential to become more widely adopted as a payment technology," writes Samara Cohen, Chief Investment Officer of ETFs and Index Investments at BlackRock.
BlackRock Seems to Take De-Dollarization Seriously
Why would BlackRock be interested in a new payment technology, other than the dollar-centered one?
"The rewiring of globalization is also playing out in reserve currencies," writes Tom Donilon, Chairman of the BlackRock Investment Institute. "As the world divides into competing blocs, and the US and Western governments lean on sanctions and other restrictions, some countries are shifting their reserves out of US dollars into gold and other assets, while increasingly conducting trade finance in non-dollar currencies."
Does this mean BlackRock is taking de-dollarization seriously and preparing for a post-dollar decentralized global order of multiple payment systems, currencies, and digital assets? Time will tell what the firm’s strategic shift towards Bitcoin means.
Meanwhile, Ortel doesn't rule out that the investment company that big could even play against the greenback and other established fiat currencies for the profit's sake:
"As others have learned through history it is dangerous for private investors to challenge governments. That said, George Soros broke the Bank of England [in 1992] so, perhaps, a firm like BlackRock will believe it can profit from breaking over-leveraged nations that today still have 'hard' fiat currencies," Ortel concludes, referring to the 1992 sterling crisis which was estimated to have cost the British Treasury over $3.7 billion.