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Crypto ETF Investing · Tool Face-Off

Fidelity Bitcoin ETF vs iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)

Quick answer

Both are spot Bitcoin ETFs approved in January 2024, but iShares (BlackRock) dominates on AUM and liquidity while Fidelity wins on no-sponsor-fee period for some investors. For most people, IBIT's liquidity edge is hard to ignore.

Fidelity Bitcoin ETF (FBTC)
Fidelity's own Bitcoin custody, low fees, legacy trust
4.2
VS
Our pick
iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)
BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF — biggest, most liquid, most copied
4.7
Ticker
FBTC
IBIT
Sponsor / Issuer
Fidelity Investments
BlackRock iShares
Ongoing Expense Ratio
0.25%
0.25% (0.12% waived until 2026 or $70B AUM)
AUM (approx. mid-2025)
~$17–19B
~$55–60B
Average Daily Volume
High (~$300–500M/day)
Very High (~$1–2B+/day)
Bitcoin Custody
Fidelity Digital Assets (self-custodied)
Coinbase Prime
Bid-Ask Spread
Tight (~0.01–0.02%)
Very tight (~0.01%)
Options Available
Yes
Yes
In-Kind Redemption
Cash only (currently)
Cash only (currently)
Fidelity Platform Perk
Commission-free & seamless on Fidelity.com
Available everywhere but no extra perks
Institutional Adoption
Strong
Dominant (top ETF launch ever)
Fund Inception
Jan 11, 2024
Jan 11, 2024

Fidelity Bitcoin ETF (FBTC)

Liquidity★★★★
AUM & Scale★★★½
Transparency★★★★½
Broker Access★★★★½
Expense Ratio★★★★½
Custodial Trust★★★★½
Spread Tightness★★★★

iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)

Liquidity★★★★★
AUM & Scale★★★★★
Transparency★★★★½
Broker Access★★★★★
Expense Ratio★★★★
Custodial Trust★★★★½
Spread Tightness★★★★★

Worth knowing

IBIT gathered more AUM in its first year than most ETFs collect in a decade — Larry Fink went from calling Bitcoin an 'index of money laundering' to running the world's biggest Bitcoin fund. Glow-up of the century.

If you want

You already invest on Fidelity's platform

FBTC is commission-free and deeply integrated — zero friction for existing Fidelity customers.

→ Pick Fidelity Bitcoin ETF (FBTC)
If you want

You want maximum liquidity and tightest spreads for active trading

IBIT's volume dwarfs nearly every ETF on the market, making entries and exits razor-sharp.

→ Pick iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)
If you want

You want the lowest cost during the fee waiver period

IBIT's 0.12% promotional rate beats FBTC's 0.25% until 2026 or $70B AUM threshold.

→ Pick iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)
If you want

You prefer self-custody of the underlying asset by the issuer

Fidelity Digital Assets holds FBTC's Bitcoin in-house — no third-party custodian like Coinbase involved.

→ Pick Fidelity Bitcoin ETF (FBTC)
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