BlackRock expanded its Canadian exchange-traded fund lineup on Monday with two new products launched through the RBC iShares alliance, including a fund that allocates 3% to Bitcoin exposure. Both ETFs began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The launch arrives as asset managers increasingly fold digital assets into diversified portfolio products rather than offering them solely through standalone vehicles, lowering the barrier for investors seeking indirect cryptocurrency exposure within a conventional allocation framework.

iShares Equity + Bitcoin ETF Portfolio (IBQT)

The iShares Equity + Bitcoin ETF Portfolio, trading under the ticker IBQT, combines global equity exposure with a modest Bitcoin allocation. BlackRock assigns 97% of the fund to Canadian, US, international, and emerging-market equities, while the remaining 3% targets Bitcoin through the Canadian iShares Bitcoin ETF, which trades under IBIT.

Rather than holding individual stocks, IBQT primarily invests in other iShares ETFs. This structure provides diversified equity exposure across multiple regions while maintaining Bitcoin as a smaller portfolio component. The fund is designed for long-term capital growth through a blend of traditional equities and limited cryptocurrency exposure. The fund-of-ETFs approach mirrors the all-in-one portfolio format that gained traction among Canadian investors through earlier providers, now extended to include a digital asset sleeve.

IBQT carries an annual management fee of 0.22%. BlackRock positions the product as a single-ticker portfolio that integrates conventional equity markets with digital asset exposure, extending its all-in-one ETF range to include cryptocurrency. Canada approved spot Bitcoin ETFs beginning in 2021, predating US spot Bitcoin ETF approvals by several years and giving Canadian investors earlier access to regulated crypto-linked exchange-traded products.

iShares Core MSCI All-International Equity Index ETF (XINT)

Alongside IBQT, BlackRock launched the iShares Core MSCI All-International Equity Index ETF under the ticker XINT. This fund targets companies located outside Canada and the United States by tracking a broad international benchmark.

XINT charges a management fee of 0.23% annually and tracks the MSCI ACWI ex North America IMI Index. The underlying index comprises more than 5,000 companies across over 40 developed and emerging markets, covering large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks.

BlackRock designed XINT as a single-ticker building block for international equity diversification outside North America. The fund seeks long-term capital growth by following its underlying index and complements existing Canadian and US equity products available through iShares.

RBC iShares Alliance

Both new ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada under the RBC iShares alliance, a partnership that combines BlackRock's ETF platform with RBC's distribution capabilities across Canada. The firms aim to simplify market access through low-cost exchange-traded products.

The latest launches strengthen BlackRock's Canadian fund range by adding another Bitcoin-linked strategy alongside a broad international equity option. IBQT differs from a direct Bitcoin fund in that equities dominate 97% of its portfolio, with cryptocurrency exposure remaining a limited component.

BlackRock's iShares business managed approximately $6.2 trillion across more than 1,700 ETFs as of June 30. The new Canadian funds extend that platform into international equity and digital asset strategies. Further product launches in the all-in-one category across other markets would signal whether the integrated equity-plus-crypto format gains broader traction among institutional and retail investors.

Source: CoinCentral