[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong] BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, presents cryptocurrencies and tokenised assets as one of the key investment themes shaping markets this year. With artificial intelligence and energy infrastructure still forming major pillars, it analyses that digital assets centred on bitcoin, ethereum and stablecoins will also play an important role in medium- to long-term investment trends.

On Jan. 21 (local time), CoinDesk, a blockchain media outlet, reported that an investment strategy team led by Jay Jacobs (제이 제이콥스), head of BlackRock’s U.S. equity ETF business, rated cryptocurrencies as one of the “mega forces” changing markets in an unprecedented way in its “2026 thematic outlook.” It was notable that it viewed blockchain not as a speculative asset but as technological infrastructure modernising how investors access traditional financial assets.

From the perspective of the world’s largest asset manager, which manages more than $10 trillion, it is significant that it officially mentioned tokenisation and digital assets. BlackRock analysed that blockchain can convert existing real assets such as real estate, stocks and bonds into digital form to improve accessibility and efficiency. It presented stablecoins as an early example of this trend toward asset tokenisation.

It also says results are already emerging. BlackRock’s spot bitcoin ETF, iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), has been recorded as the fastest-growing exchange-traded product (ETP) in history since its launch in January 2024. IBIT’s net assets have topped $70 billion, showing that institutional investors’ demand for bitcoin exposure remains strong.

The report also pointed to the Ethereum blockchain as a key beneficiary of the spread of tokenisation. Ethereum is widely used to build decentralised applications and token infrastructure, and it said Ethereum could serve as a core platform if, in the future, assets beyond cash and U.S. Treasuries are traded on a blockchain basis.

BlackRock assessed that cryptocurrencies and tokenised assets are not the main focus of the report, but are acting as a long-term driver changing economic structure and portfolio management alongside growing computing-power demand driven by AI, increased defence spending due to geopolitical shifts and global infrastructure investment.

For cryptocurrency investors, BlackRock’s message suggests that digital assets and blockchain technology are gradually being incorporated into mainstream financial infrastructure. It did not directly mention price volatility or regulatory risks, but BlackRock made clear that cryptocurrencies have tangible potential to modernise the financial system beyond being a short-term speculative asset.