BlackRock (@BlackRock) has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the iShares Bitcoin Managed Protect ETF, a new fund linked to Bitcoin ($BTC) that aims to limit losse
BlackRock (@BlackRock) has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the iShares Bitcoin Managed Protect ETF, a new fund linked to Bitcoin ($BTC) that aims to limit losses while keeping some of the upside.
According to The Block, the filing was submitted on Monday, October 19. BlackRock said in the document that the fund seeks to provide upside exposure to the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) and similar bitcoin exposure up to an approximate limit, while seeking a level of downside protection.
Unlike a conventional spot Bitcoin ETF, the product would not hold bitcoin directly. FinanceFeeds reports that the filing lists the ticker PBIT and describes a strategy that combines call-option spreads linked to IBIT with short-term fixed-income investments. BlackRock cautioned that the approach does not guarantee protection against losses.
Details of the protection are limited. Reports based on the prospectus say each options tranche targets an initial loss threshold of roughly 10% of the reference asset's starting value, though losses can still exceed that level. The fund would also sell call options, which caps gains when prices rise. The management fee has not yet been set.
The filing is a registration statement and not an approval. The product still needs to clear the SEC process before it can trade.
IBIT, BlackRock's flagship Bitcoin ETF, holds more than $65 billion in assets, according to The Block's Bitcoin ETF tracker. BlackRock's own fund page lists net assets of about $65.3 billion as of October 16. The fund launched in January 2024. In June, BlackRock added the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, which is designed to generate monthly options premium income.
Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Seyffart noted that this is BlackRock's third Bitcoin ETF filing. He also pointed out that the firm's crypto lineup still covers only Bitcoin and Ethereum, with no products tied to other digital assets.
If approved, the fund would give investors a choice between straight Bitcoin price exposure through IBIT, an income-focused option, and a buffered product that trades some upside for a cushion against declines. How it compares with simply holding IBIT will depend on the final fee, the cap on gains and the depth of the protection, none of which has been fully disclosed.
The Block: BlackRock files for bitcoin ETF offering downside protection and upside exposure to IBIT
FinanceFeeds: BlackRock Files for iShares Bitcoin Managed Protect ETF With Downside Buffer
BlackRock: iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF fund page
