BlackRock’s IBIT Crowned Best New ETF as It Records $643M Inflows in a Day

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) was honored with the prestigious “Best New ETF” award at the annual etf.com Awards held on April 23, as it posted its highest single-day inflow in three months — a staggering $643.2 million. The achievement comes amid renewed enthusiasm in the cryptocurrency markets and a wave of interest in spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The inflow marks the highest since January 21, underscoring a resurgence in investor appetite for digital asset exposure through traditional financial vehicles. On that same day in January, IBIT recorded $661.9 million in inflows, following a week of significant crypto milestones, including Bitcoin hitting an all-time high of $109,000.

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas praised the recognition, saying in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “I’m pretty sure this is how I voted. Both of them did things no one has seen [before],”

referencing both IBIT and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), which won “ETF of the Year.” Over the past five years, VOO has delivered an 89% return, according to Google Finance, reflecting its own consistency and investor trust.

In addition to the top award, IBIT was also named “Crypto ETP of the Year,” solidifying its dominant presence in the rapidly evolving digital asset ETF space. Since launching in January 2024 alongside ten other U.S.-based spot Bitcoin ETFs, IBIT has grown into a market leader, with net assets now totaling approximately $53.77 billion. It currently averages 45.02 million shares traded daily over the last 30 days.

The April 23 milestone saw IBIT contribute the majority of the $917 million in inflows recorded across all 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs. It marked the second consecutive day where total spot Bitcoin ETF inflows exceeded $900 million — a sharp contrast to earlier in the month, which was characterized by outflows linked to macroeconomic uncertainty and interest rate speculation.

Bitcoin analyst Vivek called the development “massive,” while Thomas Fahrer, co-founder of Apollo Sats, described it as a “huge inflow,” pointing to renewed investor momentum in Bitcoin-related products. On-chain analytics platform Glassnode noted that the $912 million ETF inflows from April 22 were over 500 times the projected 2025 daily average, suggesting an unprecedented acceleration in institutional Bitcoin adoption.

IBIT’s rapid rise is emblematic of broader trends within the digital asset space. As regulatory clarity around cryptocurrency ETFs continues to improve and mainstream financial institutions increasingly embrace blockchain-based assets, vehicles like IBIT are becoming a bridge between traditional finance and decentralized innovation.

At the time of publication, IBIT shares are trading at $53.20, according to Google Finance. Meanwhile, the VanEck Bitcoin ETF (HODL) also received recognition, winning “Best New ETF Ticker,” thanks to its clever nod to crypto culture.