BlackRock Canada has launched a new Toronto Stock Exchange-listed fund that pairs broad stock market exposure with a small allocation to Bitcoin. The product, the iShares Equity + Bitcoin ETF Portfolio, trades under the ticker IBQT and is designed around a target mix of 97% equities and 3% Bitcoin.
According to BlackRock, the fund gives investors access to Canadian, U.S., international and emerging-market equities through a single listed security, while its crypto allocation is delivered through BlackRock’s Canadian iShares Bitcoin ETF. The annual management fee for IBQT is set at 0.22%, including the fees of the underlying ETFs it holds.
One-ticker portfolio with Bitcoin exposure
IBQT is built as a portfolio fund rather than a vehicle that directly buys individual stocks or holds Bitcoin itself. Instead, it invests mainly in other iShares ETFs, combining them into a single package for investors who want both diversified equity exposure and a modest allocation to the largest cryptocurrency.
BlackRock said the fund’s Bitcoin position comes through its Canadian iShares Bitcoin ETF, also known as IBIT. That ETF began trading on Cboe Canada in January 2025, and now serves as the source of crypto exposure inside the new portfolio product.
Global stock allocation remains the core holding
The overwhelming majority of the fund is allocated to equities. BlackRock said the 97% stock component spans Canadian, U.S., international and emerging markets, making the Bitcoin weighting a small satellite position rather than the fund’s main driver.
The structure reflects a packaged approach to asset allocation. Instead of requiring investors to assemble a global equity portfolio and add Bitcoin separately, IBQT places both exposures inside one exchange-traded fund listed on the TSX.
BlackRock frames the launch around access and cost
In the company’s announcement, Steven Leong, head of Canada product and iShares at BlackRock, said the launch of two new funds reflects BlackRock’s ongoing effort to expand access to investing for Canadians through low-cost, one-ticker products.
For IBQT, that approach is tied to the 0.22% annual management fee, which BlackRock said already includes the fees charged by the underlying ETFs used in the portfolio.
Second ETF launch targets non-North American equities
Alongside IBQT, BlackRock Canada also introduced the iShares Core MSCI All-International Equity Index ETF, which trades under the ticker XINT. That fund carries a 0.23% annual management fee.
XINT tracks the MSCI ACWI ex North America IMI Index. According to BlackRock, the benchmark includes more than 5,000 large-, mid- and small-cap companies across more than 40 developed and emerging markets.
Because the index excludes both Canada and the United States, BlackRock presented the fund as a possible building block for Canadian investors who already own North American stocks and want wider international exposure.
What is confirmed so far
The confirmed details from the launch are the listings, target allocations and fees. IBQT is now positioned as a TSX-listed equity-and-Bitcoin portfolio with a 97% to 3% strategic split, while XINT offers international equity exposure outside North America.
The next practical step for the market is how these newly launched funds are adopted by investors. For now, BlackRock’s announcement establishes the product structure: one new ETF combining global equities with Bitcoin through an underlying Canadian spot Bitcoin fund, and another focused on international stocks.
Source: crypto.news