BlackRock exploring crypto: The CEO of the world’s largest exchange-traded fund (ETF) provider, BlackRock, just announced that his company has assembled a group to look into cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin (available on Coinbase) (BTC).

BlackRock Exploring Crypto

Larry Fink told Reuters that he does not see “massive investor demand” currently, but his company will continue to look into cryptocurrency regardless.

Fink didn’t have much to add to his statement, but any news regarding BlackRock potentially making moves into the cryptocurrency space is good news. As of June 30th, the company has managed nearly $6.4 trillion in assets.

A spokesperson from BlackRock sent an email to CNBC about the latest company news and said:

“We have been looking at blockchain technology for several years, recognizing potential for shared processes and data across market participants, clearing, settlement and reconciliation and simplified securities issuance.”

This working group was established back in 2015, but it seems that the group may be eyeing cryptocurrencies more closely now.

Bitcoin (available on Coinbase) (BTC) & Crypto Lift Off

Source: CoinMarketCapThe cryptocurrency market jumped up this morning as news spread about the ETF provider’s interest in crypto. News like this gives investors confidence, but will it last?

Lately, there has been nothing but news about cryptocurrency regulations around the world, which has driven the market down to its year-low of just over $235 billion on June 29th. While this BlackRock news isn’t really new news at all, it does show that the company is serious about its explorations.

The CEO’s comments this morning may have been to boost his company’s image, as Blackrock’s main competitor, Fidelity, has been exploring blockchain extensively for quite some time.

At press time, the total cryptocurrency market is trading just below $266 billion. Bitcoin (available on Coinbase) (BTC) is currently trading at $6,606.76 a coin, up 3.86%, in 24 hours. Ethereum (available on Coinbase) (ETH) is also seeing gains trading at $472.26 a coin, up 5.57%.