Larry Fink, chair and CEO of BlackRock, discussed his evolving view on cryptocurrencies at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Wednesday.
Fink addressed questions from journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin about his stance on Bitcoin and the broader crypto market.
The BlackRock CEO described his journey from associating cryptocurrencies primarily with illicit activity to now overseeing one of the largest spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds. He said this transformation was “a very glaring public example of a big shift in [his] opinions.”
“My thought process always evolves,” Fink added.
Bitcoin’s Volatility and Market Timing
Sharing the stage with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Fink tempered enthusiasm for Bitcoin. He referred to Bitcoin as “an asset of fear,” highlighting its sensitivity to global developments.
Fink noted the cryptocurrency’s price had reacted sharply to news of a US-China trade deal and the potential end of the war in Ukraine.
He warned investors: “If you bought [Bitcoin] for a trade, it’s a very volatile asset. You’re going to have to be really good at market timing, which most people aren’t.”
Past Criticism vs. Present Adoption
Fink’s comments contrast with his 2017 statement before Bitcoin’s significant bull run. At that time, he remarked the cryptocurrency “shows you how much demand for money laundering there is in the world.”
Since then, BlackRock received SEC approval to launch one of the first spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024. The iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, ticker IBIT, reached a peak value near $70 billion.
ETF Performance and Market Confidence
According to reports, IBIT saw over $2.3 billion in net outflows in November, including withdrawals of approximately $463 million on Nov. 14 and $523 million on Nov. 18. Despite this, BlackRock’s business development director, Cristiano Castro, emphasized confidence in ETFs as “liquid and powerful instruments.”
Other large spot Bitcoin ETFs are offered by Grayscale, Bitwise, Fidelity, ARK 21Shares, Invesco Galaxy, and VanEck.