BlackRock IBIT Sheds $1 Billion in Bitcoin as Larry Fink Quote Misleads Traders

BlackRock-linked wallets sold $1.01 billion in Bitcoin (BTC) across five trading days last week, a wave of selling that surfaced just as a viral clip of Larry Fink praising crypto recirculated.

The juxtaposition drives notable debate as BTC holds near $77,000, suggesting other buyers absorbed the supply pushed out by iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) redemptions.

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto

Old Quote Meets Fresh BlackRock Outflows

The Larry Fink soundbite currently going around is months old. The clip in which he calls crypto “not a bad asset” with “a role” alongside gold comes from a CBS 60 Minutes segment that aired in October 2025.

With the soundbite making headlines alongside BlackRock redemptions, institutional endorsement is now pitted against redemption data that pointed the other way.

Fink’s broader stance has not shifted. Past Fink crypto comments lean heavily on tokenization of real-world assets, with Bitcoin ETFs positioned as the entry point.

“I’m a believer because I believe it is an alternative source for wealth holding. I don’t believe [Bitcoin] will ever be a currency. I believe it is an asset crass. But, we will create digital currencies and we will use the blockchain,” Fink said in a 2024 interview.

The recycled clip aligned with that long-running view.

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Flows Reveal Client Behavior, Not Strategy

The IBIT sales are mechanical. When investors redeem ETF shares, the fund sells underlying Bitcoin to cover the exit. That makes the $1.01 billion figure a measure of client withdrawals, not a BlackRock directional bet.

IBIT still holds one of the largest BTC stockpiles globally, a position built during its record inflow streaks.

BlackRock Bitcoin Holdings. Source: BlackRock

The redemption wave followed weeks of mixed ETF sentiment swings as higher Treasury yields pushed risk-off behavior.

Earlier in May, IBIT also recorded a record IBIT outflow day, per SoSoValue.

BlackRock’s IBT ETF Flows in May 2026. Source: SoSoValue

Whether last week’s outflows mark short-term profit-taking or a deeper macro shift will become clearer this week.