TL;DR
- Harvard University’s endowment fund disclosed a $116 million position in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), making it one of its largest single holdings.
- Other elite universities, including Brown and Emory, have also revealed Bitcoin ETF investments, signaling a strategic shift toward digital assets.
- Bitcoin trades at $122,170, nearing its all-time high. The trend points toward deeper integration of Bitcoin in traditional portfolios.
A recent SEC filing confirmed that Harvard University’s endowment fund has entered the Bitcoin ETF market in a decisive way. The Harvard Management Company (HMC) reported holding 1.9 million shares of the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), valued at over $116 million as of Q2 2025. This position now ranks among the top five holdings in HMC’s portfolio, ahead of stakes in tech giants such as Alphabet and NVIDIA. The move is widely seen as a signal of long-term confidence in Bitcoin’s role as a store of value.
Universities With Growing Bitcoin Exposure
Prestigious academic institutions are increasingly allocating capital toward Bitcoin ETFs. Brown University disclosed a $13 million position in IBIT, while Emory University was the first in the U.S. to invest in the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust in late 2024. The University of Austin has gone further, establishing a dedicated $5 million Bitcoin endowment fund to support blockchain research and adoption.
Since launching in January 2024, BlackRock’s IBIT has experienced rapid asset growth. From December 2024 to mid-2025, assets under management rose 34.5%, climbing from $51.7 billion to $86.3 billion. Analyst Eric Balchunas noted that IBIT reached $80 billion in just 374 days, significantly faster than traditional equity ETFs like Vanguard’s S&P 500 fund.
Institutional Momentum In The Bitcoin ETF Market
IBIT now accounts for a major share of all U.S. Bitcoin ETF assets, holding more Bitcoin than any entity except its pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Across all Bitcoin ETFs, holdings represent over 7% of the circulating supply. More than 1,300 institutional investors are currently involved, including pension funds, hedge funds, and sovereign wealth funds from multiple continents.
The State of Michigan’s pension fund has nearly tripled its ETF exposure, while Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment holds over $500 million in Bitcoin-related funds. Wall Street players like Goldman Sachs, Millennium Management, and Citadel Advisors are also involved, underscoring Bitcoin’s growing status as a strategic and inflation-resistant asset.
Bitcoin’s price climbed to $122,170 this morning, just shy of its $123,091 all-time high, reinforcing the confidence of large-scale investors betting on the cryptocurrency’s long-term potential.
