BlackRock launches ETF for cryptocurrency stocks

According to the document, shares of the iShares Blockchain and Tech ETF will be based on the NYSE FactSet Global Blockchain Technologies Index. The composition of this index has not yet been determined, but it will include stocks of various blockchain and cryptocurrency companies. We should expect to see shares of mining firms, cryptocurrency exchanges and brokers. In addition, companies "that manufacture semiconductor systems for video gas pedals" may be included in the index.

"The NYSE FactSet Global Blockchain Technologies Index is a modifiable index of stocks whose proportions are determined according to the market capitalization of companies. It tracks the stock price performance of U.S. and foreign companies involved in the development, innovation and use of blockchain and cryptocurrencies," the ETF application said.

This is not the first time BlackRock has shown interest in the cryptocurrency industry. Last summer, for example, it was revealed that the investment giant had invested $383 million in various mining companies.