While many traditional banks have been cautiously eyeing the crypto market from the sidelines, Bank of Montreal just dove in headfirst with a massive $150 million Bitcoin ETF investment. The move, revealed through a February 14, 2025 SEC filing, shows Canada’s third-largest bank isn’t messing around when it comes to digital assets.
The bank went all-in on BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), dumping a whopping $139 million into the fund. That’s some serious confidence in BlackRock, considering IBIT already manages a staggering $57.03 billion in assets.
The remaining $11 million? BMO spread it around like a cautious gambler, dabbling in other major providers including Ark 21Shares, Grayscale, and Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund. With key competitors like Fidelity’s FBTC managing $20.57 billion in assets, BMO’s diversification strategy makes perfect sense.
Talk about covering your bases. BMO even threw $17,000 at ProShares Bitcoin futures ETF – pocket change compared to their other bets, but hey, diversification is diversification. The professional fund managers handle all technical aspects of Bitcoin ownership, making it a hands-off investment for the bank. The strategy cleverly balances risk across multiple fund managers while sticking to regulated products. No wild west crypto trading here, folks.
Smart money plays it safe: BMO’s multi-fund approach shows you can chase crypto gains while keeping things legit and regulated.
This isn’t just another day at the office for the banking world. BMO’s move sends a clear message to other institutions still watching from the bleachers: the crypto game is getting serious. And they’re not just dipping their toes in – they’re doing cannonballs into the deep end.
The timing couldn’t be more interesting. As a firm managing over $100 million, BMO had to disclose these holdings through Form 13F-HR. But they didn’t just meet the minimum requirements; they blew past them with this bold strategy.
By choosing spot Bitcoin ETFs that directly track Bitcoin’s price, BMO’s found a way to get massive crypto exposure while staying within the comfortable confines of regulated investment products.
The message is clear: institutional crypto adoption isn’t coming – it’s already here. And BMO just made sure everyone knows it.
