📊 ETFs & Index Funds · Lesson 2 of 10 · 9 min

Bitcoin ETFs

₿ For a decade Wall Street called Bitcoin a scam. Then in 2024 they launched Bitcoin ETFs and tens of billions poured in within months. Turns out the only thing they hated more than Bitcoin was missing out on the fees.

💡 Key idea

Bitcoin ETFs = own Bitcoin through your regular brokerage.

🧠 Why it matters

Spot Bitcoin ETFs hold actual Bitcoin. Trade like stocks. Major: IBIT (BlackRock), FBTC (Fidelity), BITB (Bitwise).

🌍 In the real world

🚀 January 10, 2024: the SEC approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs; ten started trading the next morning. By late 2024: over $100 billion in assets — IBIT alone topped $50B. Game-changing.

📌 Takeaways

Approved Jan 2024
IBIT (BlackRock) leading
Trade like stocks — but Bitcoin can drop 50%+ in a year; size it like a speculation, not a core holding

✅ Test yourself

BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF?

BTC
IBIT
BITB
FBTC

Answer: B · IBIT

IBIT is BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust — a spot Bitcoin ETF.

Why is a Bitcoin ETF convenient?

It is free
You get Bitcoin exposure in a normal brokerage account
It guarantees gains
It avoids all taxes

Answer: B · You get Bitcoin exposure in a normal brokerage account

A Bitcoin ETF lets you hold Bitcoin exposure in a regular brokerage account — no wallets or exchanges needed.

When did spot Bitcoin ETFs launch in the US?

2015
2020
January 2024
They have not

Answer: C · January 2024

Spot Bitcoin ETFs were approved and launched in January 2024 — a landmark moment for crypto.

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