BlackRock Ramps Up Hiring, Eyes Next Phase of Crypto Expansion

BlackRock Inc. BLK is accelerating its hiring as it prepares for the next leg of its crypto push. BlackRock is hiring senior leaders in New York and Singapore to drive firmwide digital assets initiatives, including crypto, stablecoins and tokenization. The move comes as the company is shaping long-term strategy, regulatory engagement and distribution across banks, brokers, exchanges and fintech platforms.The openings range from associate roles to senior leadership, covering product strategy, research, fund services and compliance, according to job listings and role descriptions posted on BlackRock’s careers pages.Rationale Behind BlackRock’s MoveThe hiring spree follows BlackRock’s role in bringing crypto further into mainstream portfolios via its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETF), alongside its expansion into on-chain finance through a tokenized institutional liquidity fund on Ethereum.BlackRock has placed its iShares Bitcoin Trust among its top  investment themes in 2025, alongside short-term Treasuries and mega-cap U.S. tech, while advancing the same strategy through tokenization, with its BUIDL fund now embedded in market infrastructure.Taken together, the hiring slate points to a push to institutionalize the entire stack, spanning product development, market structure, risk and compliance, and regional execution, as BlackRock prepares for crypto’s next phase beyond headline-driven rallies.Since the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, BLK’s flagship product, the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), has surged ahead to become its leading revenue generator, outperforming several of its long-established equity and fixed-income funds.As Bitcoin continues to solidify its role as an alternative store of value, BlackRock’s leadership in the ETF space may set the tone for the next era of crypto-driven financial innovation. The company’s performance suggests that digital-asset investment products are no longer a niche. They are becoming central to global asset-management strategies. As of Sept. 30, 2025, digital assets AUM was $104 billion.BlackRock’s Price Performance & Zacks RankShares of BlackRock have gained 3.9% over the past six months against the industry’s decline of 5.7%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchAt present, BLK carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Crypto Expansion Efforts by Other Finance FirmsEarlier this month, PNC Bank, a subsidiary of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. PNC, became the first major U.S. bank to enable direct Bitcoin trading for its clients. The bank introduced direct spot bitcoin trading capabilities for eligible PNC Private Bank clients. The eligible clients can now buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin directly through PNC’s own digital banking platform, thanks to a strategic partnership with Coinbase Global (COIN) and its institutional-grade “Crypto-as-a-Service” (CaaS) infrastructure.This rollout represents the first step following its July 2025 strategic partnership with Coinbase to provide trusted, secure and innovative digital asset solutions to PNC's private banking clients.Similarly, starting January 2026, Bank of America BAC will let its wealth advisers recommend a small crypto allocation, typically 1% to 4%, for suitable clients across Merrill, Bank of America Private Bank and Merrill Edge. The key change isn’t that clients can buy crypto exposure (many already could on request), but that crypto is moving into the bank’s house view: research coverage, portfolio guidelines and adviser-led conversations.In practice, BAC’s initial implementation is expected to focus on regulated spot Bitcoin ETFs (rather than direct coin custody), providing clients with a wrapper that resembles a traditional security, offering daily liquidity, statements and operational controls. The bank's CIO-covered Bitcoin ETFs will include the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF, Fidelity's Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, Grayscale's Bitcoin Mini Trust and BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust.Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5. Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Bank of America Corporation (BAC): Free Stock Analysis Report The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc (PNC): Free Stock Analysis Report BlackRock (BLK): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks