#CryptocurrencyWealth #bitcoin As BlackRock accelerates its expansion into digital assets in 2025, the divergence between Bitcoin and Ethereum in institutional adoption has become increasingly pronounced. In a interview on the Empire podcast, Samara Cohen, Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of ETF and Index Investments at BlackRock, offered a rare window into how the world’s largest asset manager views the two largest crypto assets — and why Bitcoin stands decisively ahead of Ethereum in client demand and portfolio integration.

BlackRock’s historic launch of the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) marked a pivotal moment in the firm’s digital asset strategy. “It was all three of those things,” Cohen said, referring to the factors that drove the Bitcoin product launch. “But it really did start with the investment thesis and client demand to market structure and readiness to obviously the regulatory backdrop.” Cohen emphasized that before any regulatory greenlight, BlackRock’s decision was rooted in the strong desire from investors to access Bitcoin as part of diversified portfolios