World’s Largest Asset Manager BlackRock Owns $383M of Bitcoin Miners Stocks: Report

BlackRock, a $9 trillion multinational investment behemoth, has purchased considerable stakes in two BTC mining firms – Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA) and Riot Blockchain (RIOT). The institution, which has previously shown an appetite for the crypto industry, has put approximately $383M in both.

• Citing a mandatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Forbes reported that BlackRock had made two allocations in Bitcoin miners.
• As of June 30th, 2021, the institution owned 6.71% in Marathon Digital Holdings and 6.61% in Riot Blockchain.
• BlackRock invested in the two BTC-related companies through some of its mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. The total allocation is approximately $383 million.
• As such, the asset manager has followed other notable organizations that have invested in Bitcoin mining firms, including Fidelity Group and Valley Forge.
• Both companies’ stocks have been on a roll in the past year, perhaps mimicking the price performance of BTC.
• RIOT shares traded at $4 this time in 2020 but closed at $32 yesterday, meaning a 700% surge. MARA’s increase is somewhat similar, as it displayed $3.2 in August 2020 but its Thursday price tag was at $31 – a roughly 850% jump.
• It’s worth noting that this is not BlackRock’s first endeavor in the cryptocurrency space. Back in February, the Managing Director, Rick Rieder, confirmed that the institution was looking into the BTC market.
• Later on, the company revealed registering some minor gains for its size – keeping in mind the entire portfolio – of $360,000 through CME futures.
• The CEO, Larry Fink, further outlined that the primary cryptocurrency could become a “great asset class,” but it still had to prove itself.