AIQ vs BLOK: Which ETF Is Better in 2026?
A metric-by-metric comparison of Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ) and Amplify Blockchain Technology ETF (BLOK) — both Thematic funds — using ETFValuer's daily-updated rankings.
Educational content — not financial advice. Data as of September 07, 2026. ~5 minute read.
The Verdict
AIQ and BLOK compete directly — both are Thematic funds chasing the same job in a portfolio. That makes this a genuine either/or: the index each tracks, what it costs, and how it has handled drawdowns are what separate them, not the broad exposure they give you.
On ETFValuer's overall model — which blends return, risk-adjusted performance, cost, drawdown, size and volatility — AIQ scores higher: 66.0 (Grade C) versus 44.0 for BLOK. That doesn't make BLOK a bad fund; it means AIQ currently edges it out on this specific mix of factors. Read the metric-by-metric breakdown below before deciding which matters more for your own portfolio.
Head-to-Head: Every Metric
| AIQ | BLOK | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Thematic | Thematic |
| Expense ratio | 0.68% | 0.70% |
| Fund size (AUM) | $10.2B | $1.1B |
| Dividend yield | 0.07% | 0.78% |
| 1-year return | +42.87% | +12.58% |
| 3-year return | +128.78% | +232.12% |
| Volatility | 29.07% | 41.05% |
| Max drawdown | -26.35% | -35.64% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.30 | 0.18 |
| ETFValuer score | 66.0 | 44.0 |
| Grade | C | D |
| Overall rank | #166 | #411 |
Bold marks the better value in each row. "Better" is directional only (e.g. lower cost, higher return) — it isn't a recommendation by itself. See the full methodology.
Cost
On cost, the two are essentially tied — AIQ charges 0.68% a year versus BLOK's 0.70%. A difference this small (about $2.00 a year on a $10,000 position) isn't a reason to choose one fund over the other.
What BLOK's Fees Cost You
BLOK charges an expense ratio of 0.70% a year, deducted automatically from the fund's value. Small percentages compound into real money — adjust the figures below to see the impact on your own numbers.
Assumes a constant gross return and no additional contributions — a simplification, but it isolates exactly what the expense ratio costs. Try the full fee calculator to model contributions and compare any two funds.
Performance & Risk
Over the trailing 3 years, BLOK returned +232.12% versus +128.78% for AIQ — a gap of about 103.3 percentage points. On risk, AIQ has held up better historically, with a shallower max drawdown (-26.35% vs. -35.64%). AIQ currently has the better risk-adjusted return (Sharpe ratio of 1.30 vs. 0.18), meaning it delivered more return per unit of volatility taken on.
How Closely Do They Track Each Other?
Over the last 3.0 years of daily returns (753 shared trading days), AIQ and BLOK show a moderate correlation of 0.714 — related but meaningfully different. That's loose enough that the two funds do behave differently in a meaningful share of market conditions — holding both is defensible if you want exposure to each mandate.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Daily return correlation | 0.714 | Moderate — related but meaningfully different |
| R-squared | 50.9% | 50.9% of AIQ's daily moves are explained by BLOK's |
| Tracking error (annualised) | 28.88% | Typical yearly spread between the two funds' returns |
| Annualised return over 3.0y | AIQ +31.02% · BLOK +48.33% | BLOK ahead by 17.31 points a year |
Correlation alone understates how far these can drift. Across every rolling 12-month window in the period, AIQ finished as much as +39.5 points ahead of BLOK at the best extreme and -92.9 points at the worst — a 132.4-point spread between the best and worst year of relative performance. Two funds can correlate tightly day to day and still deliver very different outcomes over any single year you happen to hold them.
Calculated from daily total returns over the trailing 3-year window, recomputed every day this site refreshes. Correlation of 1.00 means the two funds moved in lockstep; 0.00 means their daily moves were unrelated.
Holdings Overlap
AIQ and BLOK hold 1 of the same companies among their top 10 positions. Those shared names make up 4.8% of AIQ and 3.5% of BLOK. That's modest duplication — the funds are mostly distinct at the top, so holding both can still add diversification.
| Shared Holding | AIQ Weight | BLOK Weight |
|---|---|---|
| ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC. | 4.80% | 3.52% |
Compares the top 10 reported holdings from each fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing, so it understates total overlap — funds tracking similar indexes overlap far more deeply than the top 10 alone can show. Search any company across all tracked funds with the Stock Overlap tool.
Which One Should You Pick?
Lean AIQ if…
- You want the lower running cost — 0.68% vs 0.70%, about $2 a year less on a $10,000 position
- It has been the calmer ride (29.1% volatility vs 41.0%) with a shallower worst-case fall (-26.4% vs -35.6%)
- You care about return per unit of risk — its Sharpe ratio of 1.30 beats 0.18
- You want the deeper, more liquid market ($10B in assets vs $1B) and the tighter spread (0.316% vs 2.783%)
Lean BLOK if…
- Current income matters to you — it yields 0.78% against 0.07%
- You weight recent results heavily — it returned 232.1% over 3 years against 128.8%
Whichever you pick, holding both at full weight is usually the wrong answer — see the overlap and correlation sections above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AIQ or BLOK better?
On ETFValuer's overall model — which blends return, risk-adjusted performance, cost, drawdown, size and volatility — AIQ scores higher: 66.0 (Grade C) versus 44.0 for BLOK. That doesn't make BLOK a bad fund; it means AIQ currently edges it out on this specific mix of factors. Read the metric-by-metric breakdown below before deciding which matters more for your own portfolio.
Which has the lower expense ratio, AIQ or BLOK?
AIQ currently has the lower expense ratio (0.68% vs. 0.70%).
Can I hold both AIQ and BLOK?
Yes, and it may be worth doing. AIQ and BLOK correlate at only 0.71 over the past 3.0 years, so they behave differently enough that holding both is a genuine diversification decision rather than a redundant one. Size each to the role you want it to play.
Go deeper on either fund
Full daily-updated metrics, holdings context, and category peers.