Four U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs Among Top 20 ETF Launches of All Time

Four U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have made it into the top 20 best ETF launches of all time, marking a significant milestone in the cryptocurrency industry one year after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first-ever spot Bitcoin ETFs. This landmark approval took place on January 10, 2024, and led to a surge of 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs going live on U.S. exchanges, fundamentally changing how traditional investors are able to gain exposure to Bitcoin.

The launch of these spot Bitcoin ETFs coincided with a major bull run in the Bitcoin market, which saw the digital asset surge to a new all-time high in March 2024. Bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 price mark for the first time before facing a slight correction. This remarkable price action, coupled with the entry of these ETFs into the market, has played a key role in the exponential growth of the Bitcoin ETF sector.

Over the past year, the spot Bitcoin ETFs have set multiple records, and their rapid growth has been nothing short of impressive. According to James Seyffart, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg, one of the most notable outcomes of this first year is the fact that four spot Bitcoin ETFs are now ranked among the top 20 ETF launches of all time. These ETFs include BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), Ark/21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB), and Bitwise’s Bitcoin ETF (BITB).

Among these, BlackRock’s IBIT stands out as the most successful spot Bitcoin ETF launch, surpassing $50 billion in assets under management (AUM) in less than a year. To put this into perspective, BlackRock’s gold ETF took nearly 20 years to achieve $30 billion in AUM. The rapid growth of IBIT underscores the increasing demand from institutional investors for direct exposure to Bitcoin, as well as the growing acceptance of Bitcoin as a legitimate asset class.

Despite being relatively smaller players in the market, Ark/21Shares and Bitwise’s ETFs have also made significant strides, with both ETFs amassing around $4 billion in AUM each. These smaller issuers have managed to break into the top 20 list of best ETF launches of all time, which is a testament to the high level of interest in Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market. According to Seyffart, this is a “crazy” achievement, considering the size of the issuers, which highlights the remarkable demand for crypto-based financial products in traditional financial markets.

As of January 9, 2025, the total net assets in U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have reached an impressive $106 billion. This represents approximately 5.74% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization, demonstrating the growing integration of Bitcoin into the broader financial system. The significant size of the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF market further solidifies Bitcoin’s status as an institutional-grade asset.

The rise of these Bitcoin ETFs has not only provided individual and institutional investors with an easier way to gain exposure to Bitcoin, but it has also created new opportunities for traditional finance to engage with the cryptocurrency market. This shift in the market has opened the door for other cryptocurrencies to eventually follow suit and potentially see similar products launched on major stock exchanges.

Looking ahead, the continued success of spot Bitcoin ETFs is likely to pave the way for more crypto-related financial products, such as Ethereum ETFs or DeFi-focused funds, which could further accelerate the growth of the crypto industry. As institutional adoption continues to expand and regulatory clarity improves, 2025 promises to be another pivotal year for the intersection of cryptocurrency and traditional financial markets.

In conclusion, the first year of spot Bitcoin ETFs has proven to be a monumental success. The launch of these ETFs has not only broken records but also signaled a turning point in how the world views Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general. With the market showing no signs of slowing down, it is clear that Bitcoin is continuing to gain legitimacy and acceptance in the financial world, and the demand for crypto-based investment products is likely to continue growing in the years to come.