Barclays has entered the Bitcoin ETF market by investing $131 million in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). According to its most recent SEC filing, the UK bank now has 2,473,064 IBIT shares.
This approach is consistent with the growing trend of institutional cryptocurrency usage. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan have both raised their Bitcoin ETF holdings. Goldman Sachs reported a 121% increase, raising its total shareholding to $1.57 billion. Bitcoin's price has risen to $97,030.17, up 0.8% in the last day. Prior to the US presidential inauguration, the cryptocurrency achieved a record high of $109,000.
In January 2025, U.S. Bitcoin ETFs saw large inflows totaling $5 billion. BlackRock's IBIT topped with $3.2 billion, followed by Fidelity's FBTC ($1.3 billion). Analysts expect that this trend will continue, with inflows exceeding $50 billion by 2025. The SEC's approval of Bitcoin ETFs has made it simpler for institutions to get crypto exposure.
Experts predict that Bitcoin will reach $200,000 by late 2025, suggesting increased institutional interest and acceptance.
