BlackRock Canada has launched two new exchange-traded funds, including a portfolio that allocates 3 percent to bitcoin, expanding the asset manager’s push to bring digital assets deeper into traditional investment products.
The iShares Equity + Bitcoin ETF Portfolio, trading under the ticker IBQT, targets a strategic mix of 97 percent equities and 3 percent bitcoin, according to BlackRock. The fund carries a 0.22% management fee and is designed as an all-in-one portfolio combining global stocks with a modest allocation to the cryptocurrency.
IBQT plans to gain its bitcoin exposure through iShares products while spreading its equity allocation across Canadian, U.S., international and emerging-market stocks, with BlackRock’s Canadian fund directory listing the ETF with an Aug. 5 inception date.
BlackRock broadens Canadian ETF lineup
Alongside IBQT, BlackRock launched the iShares Core MSCI All-International Equity Index ETF, or XINT, providing investors with broad exposure to developed and emerging markets outside North America.
The fund is designed to track international equities through the MSCI ACWI ex North America IMI Index and carries a 0.23 percent management fee. Both XINT and IBQT are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, widening the range of portfolio-building products available through the RBC iShares alliance.
The 3 percent bitcoin allocation stands out because it places cryptocurrency directly alongside conventional equities rather than offering it solely through a standalone digital-asset fund, giving investors a single product through which to maintain a relatively small exposure to bitcoin.
Bitcoin push continues despite market retreat
The launch comes as BlackRock continues expanding its Bitcoin offerings even after a sharp retreat in cryptocurrency prices.
Bitcoin traded near $65,000 on Monday, roughly half its record level of around $126,000 reached in October 2025, reflecting the scale of the pullback that has swept through the market.
BlackRock’s flagship U.S.-listed iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, IBIT, has also been hit by the downturn. Its net asset value was down 25.81 percent for the year through Aug. 7, although the fund still held about $48.4 billion in net assets, keeping it among the largest vehicles for regulated bitcoin exposure.
Investor flows have recently begun showing signs of improvement. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $853.54 million in net inflows during the week ended Aug. 7, their strongest weekly performance since mid-April. BlackRock’s IBIT captured about $693 million of that total, accounting for roughly 81 percent of the money entering the category.
The rebound follows months of weaker demand, with U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs still sitting at roughly $4.5 billion in net outflows for 2026 despite the latest recovery.
IBQT marks another step in BlackRock’s evolving Bitcoin strategy, moving crypto exposure beyond dedicated funds and embedding it directly inside a diversified investment portfolio even as the broader market works to recover from its recent slump.
BlackRock’s on-chain cash fund gets top S&P mark
The expansion comes as the asset management giant pushes deeper into blockchain-based finance, with its new tokenized reserve fund earning S&P Global Ratings’ highest principal-stability grade.
In the first week of August, S&P assigned an “AAAm” rating to the BlackRock Daily Reinvestment Stablecoin Reserve Vehicle, or BRSRV, indicating an extremely strong capacity to preserve principal and limit losses tied to credit risk.
The fund invests in cash, short-dated U.S. Treasuries and overnight Treasury-backed repurchase agreements while targeting a stable $1 net asset value.
Its shares can also be represented as tokens on supported public blockchains, giving investors blockchain-based access to a portfolio invested entirely in cash, short-term U.S. Treasuries and Treasury-backed repurchase agreements rather than cryptocurrencies.
