BlackRock is quietly reshaping crypto’s supply dynamics — and the market is starting to feel it. What happened - In mid-January 2026, BlackRock’s IBIT ETF recorded a single-day purchase of nearly 6,647 BTC. That was not the company speculating with its own balance sheet, but an intermediary move: buying Bitcoin on behalf of pension funds, asset managers and other long-term institutional investors. - Those steady purchases have pushed BlackRock’s Bitcoin holdings to about 781,000 BTC — roughly 4% of all Bitcoin currently in circulation — putting the firm among the world’s largest long-term holders. - Over a recent accumulation window, BlackRock also moved nearly $1 billion of crypto into custodial storage: 9,619 BTC (about $878 million) plus 46,851 ETH (about $149 million). These coins are being placed in secure, often offline storage, effectively removing them from the liquid market. - BlackRock’s ETFs saw strong inflows as well: IBIT recorded $648.4 million and ETHA $81.6 million in recent inflows. - On the Ethereum side, BlackRock added “tens of thousands” of ETH, while other large players have been staking ETH. Staked ETH is illiquid by design, further tightening the supply available for trading. Why it matters - As custodians park coins offline and staking locks up ETH, a meaningful portion of Bitcoin and Ethereum supply is exiting active circulation. That reduces the inventory available on exchanges and can diminish short-term selling pressure. - Despite this absorption, prices haven’t surged dramatically. Ethereum was trading near $3,335 at the time of reporting, and Bitcoin remains well off its Q4 2025 lows (below $90,000). The market response so far suggests accumulation is steady but not yet leading to explosive price moves. - The bigger question for 2026: it’s no longer whether institutions are participating — they clearly are — but whether enough liquid BTC and ETH will remain on exchanges to satisfy growing institutional demand. Bottom line BlackRock’s ETF-driven accumulation and broader staking trends are slowly tightening the pool of tradeable crypto. That structural shift may support prices over time, even if immediate volatility remains muted. Disclaimer: AMBCrypto’s content is informational and not investment advice. Cryptocurrency trading carries high risk; do your own research before making decisions. © 2026 AMBCrypto Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

#BTC #ETF #ETH