iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF Data Downloader

This PowerShell script downloads the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF fund data from the official iShares website and converts it from XML to pandas friendly XLSX format.

Features

• Downloads fund data directly from iShares.com
• Converts XML format to modern XLSX format
• Colored console output for better user experience
• Error handling and cleanup
• Optional parameters for customization

Prerequisites

• Windows PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell Core 6.0+
• Microsoft Excel (for XML to XLSX conversion)
• Internet connection

Usage

Basic Usage

.\download_ishares_bitcoin_etf.ps1

This will download the file and save it as ishares_bitcoin_etf.xlsx in the current directory.

Advanced Usage

Specify custom output path:

.\download_ishares_bitcoin_etf.ps1 -OutputPath "C:\Data\bitcoin_etf_data.xlsx"

Force overwrite existing file:

.\download_ishares_bitcoin_etf.ps1 -Force

Combine parameters:

.\download_ishares_bitcoin_etf.ps1 -OutputPath "C:\Data\bitcoin_etf_data.xlsx" -Force

Parameters

• -OutputPath: Specifies the output file path (default: .\ishares_bitcoin_etf.xlsx)
• -Force: Forces overwrite of existing files without prompting

What the Script Does

1. Downloads the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF fund data from:

   https://www.ishares.com/us/products/333011/fund/1521942788811.ajax?fileType=xls&fileName=iShares-Bitcoin-Trust-ETF_fund&dataType=fund
   

2. Converts the downloaded XLS file to XLSX format using Excel COM automation

3. Cleans up temporary files automatically

4. Provides detailed progress information with colored output

Error Handling

The script includes comprehensive error handling for:

• Network connectivity issues
• File download failures
• Excel availability checks
• File conversion errors
• Permission issues

Output

• Success: Creates an XLSX file with the fund data
• Failure: Provides detailed error messages and cleanup

Troubleshooting

Excel Not Available

If Excel is not installed or accessible, the script will:

• Download the XLS file to a temporary location
• Inform you where the file is located
• Suggest manual conversion

Permission Issues

Run PowerShell as Administrator if you encounter permission errors.

Execution Policy

If you get execution policy errors, run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

File Information

The downloaded file contains iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF fund data including:

• Fund performance metrics
• Holdings information
• Risk statistics
• Other fund-related data

Security Notes

• The script uses a standard User-Agent header for web requests
• Temporary files are automatically cleaned up
• No sensitive data is logged or stored

Version

This script was designed with help from Cursor/Claude Sonnet and is designed for Windows PowerShell environments.