BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Returns Hit 71%, Topping Vanguard’s S&P 500 Fund

BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF has quietly pulled off something few Wall Street watchers expected: it’s outperforming one of the most trusted benchmarks in traditional investing. The BlackRock bitcoin ETF returns since its 2024 debut have edged past those of Vanguard’s S&P 500 fund, according to Bloomberg data cited by senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, a comparison that says as much about crypto’s arrival on Wall Street as it does about bitcoin’s price swings.

Key takeaways

• BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has returned 71% since launching in January 2024, compared with 66% for Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF over the same stretch.
• IBIT now manages $61.4 billion in assets, making it the largest bitcoin ETF by far, ahead of Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund at nearly $11 billion.
• The fund launched after the SEC approved 11 spot bitcoin ETFs in 2024, ending a decade of rejected applications.
• Investors poured over $2.8 billion into bitcoin ETFs between August 17 and 27, 2026, the strongest inflow stretch since October.
• Bitcoin recently touched $81,281 before slipping to around $77,539, still up nearly 30% over the past month.

BlackRock Launches Leading Bitcoin ETF in 2024

BlackRock’s entry into the bitcoin ETF market wasn’t just another product launch — it was the moment regulators finally let one of the world’s biggest asset managers put crypto exposure inside a familiar, regulated wrapper. That shift reshaped how everyday investors could access bitcoin, and it set the stage for the performance numbers now turning heads on trading desks.