The world’s largest asset manager has yet to file for an exchange-traded XRP fund, but a growing body of evidence suggests the distance between BlackRock and that move is narrowing.
Discussions about whether BlackRock is preparing to move into XRP are on the rise again, but the real reason is not coming from official filings or announcements. This comes from recent comments on how the investment firm is talking about the next phase of cryptocurrency ETFs and the benchmarks it is closely monitoring.
BlackRock ETF Strategy
BlackRock was one of the first major institutions To pay to Cryptocurrency-based spot ETFs set the pace with the launch of the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT). IBIT quickly became the most widely traded spot Bitcoin exchange-traded product, with assets exceeding $100 billion by early 2026.
The company has since expanded this strategy beyond Bitcoin. It was followed by the spot ETF and, more recently, the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust (ETHB). Trading started Nasdaq on March 12, 2026.
Its leading investment manager Haven’t entered yet XRP-based spot ETFs, although this has not stopped XRP investors from analyzing every signal coming from its leadership. The latest window into BlackRock’s thinking about a potential XRP ETF came from Robert Mitchnik, head of digital assets at BlackRock, during an appearance on CNBC’s Crypto World.
in Recent interview on Robert Mitchnick, head of digital assets at CNBC Crypto World, explained that the company is in no rush to create new cryptocurrency ETFs, but is actively evaluating them.
He explained that Bitcoin and Ethereum are where the “interest is overwhelmingly” but added that there are pockets of interest in other digital assets. He went further to state that BlackRock continues to evaluate these assets as their maturity, liquidity, size and usage situations evolve, while maintaining a very distinct approach to what qualifies as an iShares ETF.
Does XRP fit the iShares ETF mold?
XRP is already operating at a level that is in line With the criteria set by Mitchnick. It has significant liquidity in global markets, significant market capitalization, and a clear use case related to payments, settlement, And now the premium assets.
BlackRock has not yet indicated that the altcoin meets the required criteria for its iShares ETF, which explains the lack of a filing yet. However, XRP is already ticking the box for other investment firms, as there are XRP-based spot ETFs in the US from investment firms such as Canary, Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale and 21Shares.
Canary Capital CEO Stephen McClurg It expects BlackRock to be able to file Spot XRP ETF by late 2026 or 2027. According to him, XRP ETF assets would need to reach over $3 billion in net inflow before the business case becomes strong enough for BlackRock to act. This is about three times the current level.
Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
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