UK Bitcoin ETPs From BlackRock, Others Start Trading in London After FCA Ends Ban

Markets

Share this article

By Francisco Rodrigues|Edited by Sheldon Reback

Oct 20, 2025, 9:19 a.m.

BlackRock logo in front of a building (BlackRock/Modified by CoinDesk)
  • BlackRock’s bitcoin exchange-traded product (ETP) started trading on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker IB1T.
  • The ETP is already been listed on several European exchanges, and comes to the UK after Financial Conduct Authority lifted its ban on certain bitcoin-based exchange-traded products.
  • BlackRock has seen success in its crypto offerings, including its flagship bitcoin ETF, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which has $85.5 billion in net assets.

BlackRock’s (BLK) bitcoin BTC$110,774.45 exchange-traded product (ETP) started trading on the London Stock Exchange on Monday, the asset manager’s first such product in the U.K., after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) lifted its ban on certain bitcoin-based ETPs.

The iShares Bitcoin ETP, trading on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker IB1T, allows retail investors to buy exposure to bitcoin through a regulated market without needing to hold the cryptocurrency directly.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Don’t miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today.See all newslettersBy signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to ourterms of useandprivacy policy.

The product is already available elsewhere in Europe, having been listed on Xetra, Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Paris in late March according to the BlackRock’s page for the product.

Switzerland-based 21Shares also debuted four of its flagship crypto ETNs for U.K. retail investors for the first time. These include its bitcoin (ABTC) and ether (AETH) staking products, as well as two lower-fee “Core” offerings, CBTC and ETHC, with management fees of 0.10%.

“Today’s launch represents a landmark step for the U.K. market and for everyday investors who, for years, have been excluded from regulated crypto products,” 21Shares CEO Russel Barlow said in an emailed press release. Ending the ban “begins to level the playing field with Europe.”

BlackRock, which manages over $13 trillion in assets globally, has seen strong growth in its crypto-focused products. Its flagship bitcoin ETF, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), has $85.5 billion in net assets according to SoSoValue data. This makes it the largest spot bitcoin ETF, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC, which has $21.9 billion in net assets.

The IB1T ETP has seen a trading volume of 1,000 shares in the first hour of trading on the London Stock Exchange.

More For You

By CoinDesk Research

Oct 16, 2025

OwlTing logo

Commissioned by

OwlTing

OwlTing Report Open Graph Image

Stablecoin payment volumes have grown to $19.4B year-to-date in 2025. OwlTing aims to capture this market by developing payment infrastructure that processes transactions in seconds for fractions of a cent.

More For You

Federal Reserve logo highlighted on a U.S. banknote (joshua-hoehne/Unsplash)

Your look at what’s coming in the week starting Oct. 20.

What to know:

You are reading Crypto Week Ahead: a comprehensive list of what’s coming up in the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain in the coming days, as well as the major macroeconomic events that will influence digital asset markets. For an updated daily email reminder of what’s expected, click here to sign up for Crypto Daybook Americas. You won’t want to start your day without it.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *