BlackRock's Crypto Chief Takes Stage at Bitcoin Treasuries Conference

Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock's Managing Director and global head of digital assets, will speak at the Bitcoin Treasuries Conference in New York City on September 28. As the architect behind the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), his presence is significant. The conference has a hard cap of 300 attendees and features a speaker roster that collectively represents more than 1 million BTC in holdings.

The event aims to facilitate deal-making, with last year's inaugural edition contributing to a $1.4 billion acquisition involving approximately 11,000 BTC. This year's lineup includes Adam Back, CEO of Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company ($BSTR), Grant Cardone, Matt Cole of Strive, and Ric Edelman.

Ticket pricing reflects a tiered approach: general admission is $795, VIP access costs $1,995, and students or nonprofit representatives can apply for a $295 rate. Mitchnick's participation is notable because he built IBIT from concept to one of the most successful ETF launches in history.

The conference agenda will cover practical dimensions of corporate Bitcoin ownership, including custody frameworks, trade-offs between holding through ETFs versus direct on-chain ownership, and strategic implications of mergers and acquisitions in the crypto sector. The debate over ETFs versus direct holdings is particularly relevant given BlackRock's position.