BlackRock Launches Bitcoin ETP as UK Opens Crypto Market to Retail Investors
The United Kingdom’s financial landscape shifted on October 20, 2025, when BlackRock listed its Bitcoin investment product on the London Stock Exchange.
This launch came 12 days after regulators lifted a four-year ban that blocked everyday investors from buying crypto through traditional stock markets.
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETP, trading under ticker IB1T, joins similar products from 21Shares, WisdomTree, and Bitwise on the exchange. For the first time since 2021, UK residents can now invest in Bitcoin without opening a crypto wallet or dealing with cryptocurrency exchanges directly.
What Changed in UK Crypto Rules
The Financial Conduct Authority originally banned these products in January 2021. Officials worried that crypto’s…
