Catenaa, Saturday, November 22, 2025-Harvard University has nearly tripled its holdings in BlackRock’s IBIT spot bitcoin ETF, raising its stake to 6.8 million shares worth $442.8 million as of September 30, according to filings.
The move makes IBIT Harvard’s largest declared US investment, surpassing Microsoft, Amazon, and the SPDR Gold Trust.
The increase represents a 257% jump from the 1.9 million shares previously reported in June. Although IBIT’s value has since declined to about $364.4 million following a drop in bitcoin’s price to roughly $96,180, the investment still accounts for approximately 0.6% of Harvard’s $57 billion endowment.
It remains the largest increase in the endowment’s holdings during the quarter.
Industry analysts see Harvard’s purchase as validation for spot bitcoin ETFs, noting that large endowments rarely allocate directly to cryptocurrency products.
Emory University and Abu Dhabi’s Al Warda Investments have also expanded their bitcoin ETF holdings, signaling broader institutional interest.
Emory holds over one million shares of Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF, while Al Warda increased its IBIT holdings to nearly 8 million shares, valued at roughly $517.6 million.
The filings underscore a growing trend among universities and sovereign funds to include regulated bitcoin ETFs in their portfolios, offering exposure to digital assets without the risks of direct cryptocurrency custody. Despite market volatility, these investments highlight confidence in the long-term prospects of bitcoin-backed exchange-traded products.
