BlackRock's iShares Micro-Cap ETF, ticker IWC, added nearly 80,000 shares of Strive Inc. The position is now valued at roughly $3 million.
Strive, trading as ASST on Nasdaq, is building its corporate strategy around Bitcoin. The company held over 19,800 BTC as of late June 2026, making it one of the most aggressive corporate accumulators in its class.
The IWC is a passive fund tracking the Russell Microcap Index. Its inclusion of Strive is automatic, driven by the company's growth in market cap and trading activity. The $3 million position represents a small fraction of the fund's $1.5 billion in assets.
Strive's Bitcoin buying has accelerated. Recent purchases include 759 BTC for about $50 million and another 73 BTC for $4.7 million. The company treats the cryptocurrency as its primary reserve asset.
This strategy creates a potential feedback loop for investors. Index inclusion can increase liquidity and valuations, which may trigger more passive buying. However, it also exposes the ETF's broad micro-cap investors to concentrated crypto volatility.