BTEK.L vs. BTC-USD

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF (BTEK.L) and Bitcoin (BTC-USD).

BTEK.L is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ Biotechnology TR USD. It was launched on Oct 19, 2017.

Performance

BTEK.L vs. BTC-USD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF (BTEK.L) and Bitcoin (BTC-USD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BTEK.L vs. BTC-USD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BTEK.L iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF	4.05%	23.81%	-0.32%	0.33%	-1.55%	0.90%	23.11%	21.63%	-6.34%	-3.31%
BTC-USD Bitcoin	-22.28%	-12.95%	125.81%	140.73%	-59.81%	60.91%	292.68%	86.71%	-73.15%	156.11%

Different Trading Currencies

BTEK.L is traded in GBP, while BTC-USD is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the BTC-USD values have been converted to GBP using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BTEK.L achieves a 4.05% return, which is significantly higher than BTC-USD's -20.87% return.

BTEK.L

• 1D: -0.58%
• 1M: 0.47%
• YTD: 4.05%
• 6M: 18.33%
• 1Y: 36.37%
• 3Y*: 10.24%
• 5Y*: 5.34%
• 10Y*: —

BTC-USD

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.44%
• YTD: -20.87%
• 6M: -42.75%
• 1Y: -19.02%
• 3Y*: 31.89%
• 5Y*: 3.80%
• 10Y*: 67.59%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

BTEK.L vs. BTC-USD — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

BTEK.L

BTEK.L Risk / Return Rank: 86
BTEK.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
BTEK.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
BTEK.L Omega Ratio Rank: 76
BTEK.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
BTEK.L Martin Ratio Rank: 92

BTC-USD

BTC-USD Risk / Return Rank: 39
BTC-USD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
BTC-USD Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
BTC-USD Omega Ratio Rank: 59
BTC-USD Calmar Ratio Rank: 12
BTC-USD Martin Ratio Rank: 0

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

BTEK.L vs. BTC-USD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF (BTEK.L) and Bitcoin (BTC-USD). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	BTEK.L	BTC-USD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.68	-0.44	+2.12
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.28	-0.37	+2.65
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	0.96	+0.34
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.63	-1.08	+5.71
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.81	-1.97	+16.77
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BTEK.L vs. BTC-USD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BTEK.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.68, which is higher than the BTC-USD Sharpe Ratio of -0.44. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BTEK.L and BTC-USD, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BTEK.L	BTC-USD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.68	-0.44	+2.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.27	0.07	+0.20
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	1.00	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.31	1.21	-0.90

Correlation

The correlation between BTEK.L and BTC-USD is 0.11, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Drawdowns

BTEK.L vs. BTC-USD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BTEK.L drawdown since its inception was -30.86%, smaller than the maximum BTC-USD drawdown of -84.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BTEK.L and BTC-USD.

Drawdown Indicators

	BTEK.L	BTC-USD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-30.86%	-85.30%	+54.44%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.56%	-49.65%	+39.09%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-30.86%	-76.67%	+45.81%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-83.80%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.65%	-46.47%	+44.82%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.18%	-42.00%	+31.82%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.71%	27.75%	-25.04%

Volatility

BTEK.L vs. BTC-USD - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF (BTEK.L) is 6.92%, while Bitcoin (BTC-USD) has a volatility of 13.30%. This indicates that BTEK.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BTC-USD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BTEK.L	BTC-USD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.92%	13.30%	-6.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.73%	34.98%	-21.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.53%	36.08%	-14.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.14%	46.46%	-26.32%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.71%	56.09%	-34.38%