BlackRock Canada launches two ETFs, one with 3% Bitcoin

BlackRock Canada began trading two exchange-traded funds on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday: the iShares Equity + Bitcoin ETF Portfolio (IBQT) and the iShares Core MSCI All-International Equity Index ETF (XINT). IBQT allocates 97% of its assets to a diversified mix of equities and 3% to Bitcoin exposure through BlackRock’s Canadian iShares Bitcoin ETF, which trades on Cboe Canada.

IBQT gains its equity and crypto exposure mainly by holding other iShares ETFs rather than buying individual stocks or coins directly. The equity portion is split among Canadian, U.S., international and emerging-market stocks, while the 3% Bitcoin slice tracks spot Bitcoin via the Canadian bitcoin ETF.

XINT follows the MSCI ACWI ex North America IMI Index. The index covers large-, mid- and small-cap companies and provides exposure to more than 5,000 issuers across over 40 developed and emerging markets outside Canada and the United States.

Both funds are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada in partnership with the RBC iShares alliance. The iShares platform managed about $6.2 trillion in assets across more than 1,700 ETFs as of June 30. BlackRock’s U.S.-listed iShares Bitcoin Trust holds roughly $47.9 billion and is the largest U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF by assets.

An exchange-traded fund is a pooled investment vehicle that trades on an exchange. A spot Bitcoin ETF holds Bitcoin or exposure designed to track the price of Bitcoin rather than using futures or other derivatives.

The new listings add two options to BlackRock’s Canadian ETF lineup: a blended portfolio combining broad equity exposure with a small direct allocation to Bitcoin, and a separate fund that offers wide international equity exposure outside North America.