BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) has surpassed 500,000 BTC in holdings as more investors seek exposure to the asset.

On Dec. 2, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF’s Bitcoin ( BTC ) holdings reached 500,380, worth around $48 billion at current market prices. 

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF tops 500K BTC holdings worth $48B image 0

iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF holdings data. Source: iShares

According to BlackRock, the ETF allows investors to access Bitcoin with an exchange-traded product (ETP), removing the “operational, tax, and custody complexities of holding Bitcoin directly.”

Bitcoin ETFs close in on Satoshi’s BTC holdings 

BlackRock’s IBIT ETF has become the most actively traded spot Bitcoin ETF since its launch, now holding 2.38% of Bitcoin’s total capped supply of 21 million.

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF tops 500K BTC holdings worth $48B image 1

Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows and net assets. Source: SoSoValue

Data from ETF tracker SoSoValue also showed that apart from the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), all the other spot Bitcoin ETFs had positive cumulative inflows as of Dec. 2. 

Data from ETF tracker SoSoValue reveals consistent inflows across spot Bitcoin ETFs, excluding the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC). Collectively, Bitcoin held by ETFs is nearing the 1.1 million BTC attributed to the cryptocurrency’s pseudonymous creator , Satoshi Nakamoto.

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF tops 500K BTC holdings worth $48B image 2

Source: Carl B Menger

Related: US government selling Bitcoin is a ‘huge strategic mistake,’ say observers

BlackRock ETF’s Bitcoin surpasses MicroStrategy holdings

The IBIT ETF’s Bitcoin holdings now exceed those of MicroStrategy, the largest corporate Bitcoin holder. BitcoinTreasuries data shows that MicroStrategy remains the largest corporate Bitcoin holder. 

In a Dec. 2 filing, MicroStrategy revealed that the company had sold 3.7 million shares of its Class A common stock and used almost $1.5 billion in proceeds to purchase 15,400 BTC . This follows a previous $5.4 billion Bitcoin purchase and brings its total Bitcoin to 402,100. 

Apart from MicroStrategy, crypto miner MARA Holdings also recently added more BTC to its holdings . In a filing on Dec. 2, the company said it purchased 6,484 Bitcoin between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30. The firm bought the coins for $618.3 million at an average price of $95,352 per coin.

BitcoinTreasuries data shows that MARA Holdings is the second-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, with 34,794 BTC. 

Magazine: Bitcoin’s $100K push wakes taxman, Vitalik visits real Moo Deng: Asia Express