Blackrock is exploring tokenized versions of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to Bloomberg, a move that would drag a staid wrapper onto blockchains.
Report: World’s Largest Asset Manager Blackrock Mulls Turning ETFs Into Tokens
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Blackrock Explores Blockchain-Ready ETFs
“People familiar with the matter” — who declined to be identified because the talks are confidential — told Bloomberg the world’s largest asset manager is weighing ways to make ETFs available as tokens on public ledgers. The idea is simple enough: take an ETF, mint a blockchain-based representation, and let the token do the shuttling.
At its core, tokenizing an ETF means creating a digital twin that can move across blockchain rails while still referencing the underlying fund. In practice, that could open the door to around-the-clock transferability, fewer frictions at the edges, and a distribution model that travels better outside U.S. market hours.
Bloomberg reporters Olga Kharif and Silla Brush reported on the sources who disclosed Blackrock‘s alleged tokenization exploration, noting it’s subject to regulatory considerations. Translation: any rollout will hinge on rulebooks, not vibes — but the exploratory work is reportedly happening now.
Some would ask: Why bother? ETFs already package stocks efficiently; a token format could add programmability, staking ideas, and settlements in seconds. Think easier composability with crypto-native tooling, or new collateral options in digital ecosystems — all without reinventing the ETF itself.
Blackrock, for its part, isn’t commenting, per the report published by Bloomberg’s Kharif and Brush. Still, the focus here is narrow: making ETFs token-friendly, not reinventing the product’s guts. If it advances, Wall Street’s favorite wrapper may soon speak fluent solidity as well as English — and yes, even a brokerage app might one day share screen time with a wallet.
Major crypto trading platforms have already dipped their toes into stock-wrapping experiments. Kraken unveiled its xStocks model through a tie-up with Backed Finance, while Robinhood opened the gates to more than 200 tokenized U.S. equities — even a few private names — for its European users in 2025, running on the Arbitrum blockchain. Moreover, Kraken’s xStocks comes with a multichain twist.
