1. Scheduled news: How far will the first global inclusion go?

The world's largest asset manager BlackRock has begun hiring personnel to expand its digital asset business. Following the launch of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) and the operation of an Ethereum-based tokenization fund, the firm is said to be entering a phase of significantly expanding its digital asset organization.

According to CryptoNews on the 24th (local time), BlackRock posted numerous new digital asset-related positions centered in New York, London and Singapore. Robert Mitchnick, head of BlackRock Digital Assets, said, "BlackRock is currently hiring multiple leadership positions to expand the organization covering tokenization, stablecoins, and the overall digital asset market structure."

The job postings range broadly from junior to senior executive levels. Roles include responsibilities across the digital asset business such as product strategy and research, fund services, and regulatory and compliance. Notably, a significant portion of the global roles are focused on the European and Asian markets.

In New York, a top-level position, Managing Director, is being recruited. The salary range for the position was listed as 270,000 dollars to 350,000 dollars, and the role will oversee enterprise-wide digital asset strategy linked to digital assets, stablecoins, and tokenization.

In Singapore, BlackRock is recruiting a Managing Director to lead digital asset strategy for the Asia-Pacific region. The role includes multi-year business planning, collaboration with regulators, and designing distribution strategies through banks and brokers, digital asset exchanges, and fintech platforms. BlackRock is also expanding tokenization-related fund services, financial crime response, and legal personnel for the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

This hiring comes after BlackRock has played a leading role in bringing digital assets into traditional portfolios. BlackRock led institutional inflows through spot Bitcoin ETFs and expanded into on-chain finance on the Ethereum network by launching the institutional tokenized liquidity fund BUIDL.

BlackRock has cited the iShares Bitcoin Trust as one of its key investment themes for 2025, mentioning it alongside short-term government bonds and a basket of large technology stocks. The BUIDL fund was recently accepted as collateral on Binance, drawing attention as an example of tokenized government bonds being integrated into institutional financial infrastructure. Industry observers analyze that this hiring is a move to establish digital assets as long-term financial infrastructure rather than a one-off investment theme.