Today in crypto, asset manager BlackRock’s IBIT was the best performing US spot Bitcoin ETF of 2024, global asset manager Franklin Templeton predicted more nations to adopt strategic Bitcoin reserves in 2025, and the infamous “Blockchain Bandit” hacker who stole 51,000 Ether by guessing weak private keys has started shifting the stolen ETH after two years of dormancy.
BlackRock’s IBIT ETF tops rivals in 2024
Asset manager BlackRock emerged as the champion of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in 2024, with its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) attracting more than three times the net inflows of the second-largest fund.
According to data from Farside Investments, IBIT netted more than $37 billion in net inflows during the year, far outpacing second-place Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), which attracted nearly $12 billion in net inflows.
Source: Farside Investors
Overall, US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted roughly $144 million in net inflows each trading day. The figures would have been much higher if not for Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), which saw $20 billion in net outflows during the year.
ETF inflows accelerated in November after Donald Trump secured the US presidential nomination. On Nov. 21, US spot Bitcoin ETFs exceeded $100 billion in net assets for the first time, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
The surge reflected “a more positive outlook for the future of Bitcoin after Trump’s election win,” Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research at Morningstar, told Cointelegraph.
Franklin Templeton predicts Bitcoin reserves to expand globally in 2025
Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) issuer Franklin Templeton expects more nations to adopt strategic Bitcoin reserves in 2025, according to the company’s digital assets outlook.
On Dec. 30, the ETF issuer published a list of predictions for next year, including its expectations for “several nations” to adopt Bitcoin (BTC) reserves. Franklin Templeton said Bitcoin will solidify its position as a global asset that acts as a digital store of value. The ETF issuer said this will be accelerated by institutional and sovereign adoption.
Source: Franklin Templeton
While the ETF issuer did not provide details on which countries may adopt Bitcoin reserves, Franklin Templeton expects a “shift from speculation to utility” in 2025. The company said crypto’s foundational technologies will become integral to global financial systems next year.
Blockchain Bandit moves $172 million ETH after two years
Blockchain Bandit, a notorious hacker who stole 51,000 Ether mostly by successfully guessing weak private keys, has consolidated the funds into a single wallet after nearly two years of dormancy.
The entire 51,000 Ether (ETH) was transferred from 10 wallet addresses to multisignature address “0xC45…1D542,” blockchain investigator ZachXBT said in a Dec. 30 Telegram post.
Movement of funds stolen by Blockchain Bandit. Source: ZachXBT
The funds were transferred in mostly 5,000 Ether batches between Dec. 30 at 8:54 pm UTC and 9:18 pm UTC.
Before that, the stolen funds had remained dormant in the 10 wallet addresses since Jan. 21, 2023, when the 51,000 Ether was previously moved. Around the same time, the hacker also moved 470 Bitcoin (BTC).
