Italian Bank UniCredit SpA Announces Investment On BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF IBIT

Italy-based UniCredit SpA announced today it will offer to its professional clients a structured investment product tied to BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), offering their clients full capital protection against losses, Bloomberg reported.

“The bank plans to issue a five-year, dollar-denominated investment certificate linked to the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF which will offer a 100% capital protection at maturity,” according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg News that was also confirmed by the bank.

The maximum return of the investment is up to 85% of the ETF’s performance, with a minimum investment requirement of $25,000, according to the memo. The UniCredit certificate will be only available to the bank’s professional clients in Italy from July 1 to July 28.

The move reflects growing institutional demand for regulated Bitcoin investments. BlackRock’s IBIT has seen a rapid growth since launching in the U.S. in January 2024, which now manages $75 billion.

“We are seeing increasing interest from professional investors in instruments tied to emerging asset classes such as cryptocurrencies,” said the Head of Group Investment Product Solutions and Equity & Credit Sales and Trading of UniCredit Chicco di Stasi. “With this product, we offer our professional clients a distinctive solution —the first of its kind in Italy.”

On March 25, 2025, BlackRock expanded its footprint in the space with the launch of a Bitcoin exchange traded product in Europe. The iShares Bitcoin ETP began trading on Xetra and Euronext Paris under the ticker IB1T, and on Euronext Amsterdam under BTCN. The product launched with a temporary fee waiver of 10 basis points, lowering its expense ratio to 0.15% until the end of the year.

“It reflects what really could be seen as a tipping point in the industry — the combination of established demand from retail investors with more professionals now really getting into the fold,” stated the Head of Europe & Middle East iShares Product of BlackRock Manuela Sperandeo.

This post Italian Bank UniCredit SpA Announces Investment On BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF IBIT first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

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