How BlackRock, the World's Largest Asset Manager, Took Crypto Mainstream

BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF has set new ETF records, driving unprecedented inflows and making Bitcoin more accessible. Robbie Mitchnick, head of digital assets at BlackRock, breaks down how this came to be. 🔥 EPISODE LINK 🔥 CHECK OUT THE EPISODE LINKS AND DETAILS HERE 👉 unchainedcrypto.com/podcast/ho... 👈 BlackRock’s entry into crypto through its bitcoin ETF (and later on the spot ether ETF) has rewritten the record books, driving massive inflows and reshaping the narrative for institutional crypto adoption. Robbie Mitchnick, head of digital assets at BlackRock, unpacks the story behind this monumental shift. He shares the journey from skepticism to success, how BlackRock’s ETF has changed the market, and the surprises even he didn’t expect. Plus, he explains why he believes people mistake bitcoin for a risk-on asset, what the investment case is for Ethereum, and what’s next for crypto in 2025. Show highlights: 🔹 What and who is driving this massive amount of activity in bitcoin trading 🔹 Why Robbie offers some caution about the future of digital asset regulation 🔹 What about crypto captivated Robbie 🔹 Whether Robbie was the one who “orange pilled” BlackRock CEO Larry Fink 🔹 Why Robbie thinks that bitcoin is not a risk-on asset 🔹 The backstory of how BlackRock ended up filing for a spot bitcoin ETF 🔹 How inflows into ETFs surprised Robbie, even considering fairly optimistic projections 🔹 Why BlackRock’s clients always ask about bitcoin’s correlation with other assets 🔹 Robbie’s take on the critique that BlackRock could centralize a decentralized ecosystem 🔹 What his thesis is on stablecoins, payments, and tokenization 🔹 The reasons why Ethereum ETFs have not been as successful as bitcoin 🔹 How Robbie pitches the ether ETF to clients 🔹 Why BUIDL is built on Ethereum, a public blockchain, rather than on a private one 🔹 Why DeFi’s potential is “immense,” according to Robbie 🔹 How bitcoin ETF options will impact the behavior of investors 🔹 What features BlackRock would love to see under a new SEC regime 🔹 What it’ll take for regulators to approve staking in ether ETFs 🔹 Why Robbie is not sure which crypto ETFs might come next 🔹 Whether BlackRock will develop proof of reserves for its ETFs 🔹 Robbie’s outlook for the markets in 2025 Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! ➡️ Polkadot polkadot.network/ecosystem/com... ➡️ Mantle’s FBTC http:/fbtc.com Guest: ⭐️Robbie Mitchnick, Head of Digital Assets for BlackRock www.linkedin.com/in/robert-mit... Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:31 What’s behind the massive surge in bitcoin trading? 05:05 Why Robbie urges caution about crypto regulation 08:35 What first captivated Robbie about crypto? 13:32 Did Robbie “orange pill” Larry Fink? 14:37 Why bitcoin isn’t a risk-on asset, according to Robbie 18:08 How BlackRock decided to file for a bitcoin ETF 20:15 ETF inflows that even surprised BlackRock 24:14 Why clients always ask about bitcoin’s correlation with other assets 27:22 Could BlackRock centralize a decentralized ecosystem? 29:34 Robbie’s thesis on stablecoins, payments, and tokenization 31:25 Why ether ETFs have been lagging behind bitcoin ETFs 34:14 How Robbie pitches the ether ETF to clients 35:26 Why BlackRock uses public blockchains like Ethereum 36:48 Robbie’s thoughts on DeFi’s immense potential 41:56 How bitcoin ETF options could change investor behavior 43:57 What BlackRock wants from a new SEC regime 45:32 What regulators need in order to approve staking in Ether ETFs 46:33 Which crypto ETFs might come next? 48:16 Will BlackRock adopt proof of reserves for ETFs? 52:21 Robbie’s outlook for crypto markets in 2025 55:34 News Recap _______________________________________________________ #bitcoin #ethereum #crypto #cryptocurrencies ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Subscribe to our channel! CHECK OUT THE CRYPTOPIANS → www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFzunC... WEBSITE → unchainedcrypto.com UNCHAINED DAILY NEWSLETTER → unchainedcrypto.substack.com LAURA'S TWITTER → twitter.com/laurashin UNCHAINED TWITTER → twitter.com/unchained_pod FACEBOOK → www.facebook.com/unchainedwith... INSTAGRAM → www.instagram.com/laurashin/?h... LINKEDIN → www.linkedin.com/in/laurashin MERCHANDISE → unchainedpodcast.company.site ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEW EPISODES OF UNCHAINED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY! ALONG WITH BITS & BIPS AND THE CHOPPING BLOCK Apple → podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/... Spotify → open.spotify.com/show/1cJrrfGY... RSS Feed → feeds.megaphone.fm/LSHML476194... YOUR NO-HYPE RESOURCE FOR ALL THINGS CRYPTO!