BlackRock seeks to shield bitcoin investors from losses after rival fund weathers 50% crash

Skip to main contentCrypto NewsUpdated Oct 20, 2026, 10:43 a.m. EDTPublished Oct 20, 2026, 10:28 a.m. EDT2 min read(Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)SummaryBlackRock filed Monday to offer a bitcoin-linked ETF that seeks to limit losses while allowing investors to benefit from price gains. Calamos' protected bitcoin ETF lost just 1% since October 2025, even as bitcoin tumbled more than 50% from its peak. The filing follows BlackRock's June introduction of a bitcoin income ETF as the firm expands beyond funds that track bitcoin's price. While bitcoin BTC$82,936.07 lost more than half its value in the past year's selloff, investors in one Calamos Investments’ fund were spared much of the pain. The Naperville, Illinois-based firm's Bitcoin Structured Alt Protection ETF – October (CBOO) dropped just 1% since the start of its one-year protection period in October 2025, according to a Calamos spokesperson. The largest cryptocurrency, in contrast, tumbled as much as 52% from its record high of roughly $126,000. Now BlackRock (BLK), the world's largest asset manager, wants to offer investors a similar way to protect themselves from bitcoin's price swings.