BlackRock Bitcoin holdings exceed 400,000 raise questions about the decentralized spirit of Bitcoin

BlackRock's recent acquisition of Bitcoin set a new record. The company currently holds more than 400,000 bitcoins, worth nearly $26.98 billion. In the past two weeks alone, BlackRock has bought an additional 34,085 bitcoins, worth about $2.30 billion. The surge in Bitcoin holdings coincides with a growing trend for institutional investors to invest through Bitcoin ETFs, which are gradually becoming the preferred way for traditional financial firms to invest in Bitcoin. Today, however, BlackRock's holdings have rapidly increased, raising some questions about the company's potential impact on the Bitcoin ecosystem. Speculation has swirled over whether BlackRock will attempt to fork the Bitcoin blockchain in the future to build a version more in line with its interests. While many see this as impossible, or even a conspiracy theory, the sheer size of BlackRock's Bitcoin holdings does spark debate about the implications of the decentralized ethos of Bitcoin. (Jin Ten)