Comprehensive Insights into Harvard’s Strategic Bitcoin Investments
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Harvard University Embraces Bitcoin as a Strategic Asset
In recent years, Bitcoin has emerged as a prominent store of value, gaining substantial attention from institutional investors. This year, institutional adoption of Bitcoin has reached unprecedented levels, with Harvard University making a significant investment that underscores this trend. As one of the world’s most renowned academic institutions, Harvard’s involvement in Bitcoin is noteworthy.
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In August, Harvard disclosed an investment portfolio that included $117 million in shares of BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) at the close of Q2. Their latest investment disclosures reveal that the university’s exposure to Bitcoin nearly tripled in the following quarter.
Harvard’s Investment in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust
According to Harvard’s recent 13F filing, by September 30, the university held a substantial 6,813,612 shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), valued at approximately $443 million. This significant acquisition reflects Harvard’s expansive investment strategy, which also included increasing their holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) to 661,391 shares, worth about $235 million in Q3 2025.
Harvard’s current holding in BlackRock’s leading spot Bitcoin ETF represents a remarkable 257% increase from the 1,906,000 shares reported in June. Despite comprising only a small fraction of Harvard’s $57 billion endowment, this investment is significant enough to position the university as the 16th-largest holder of IBIT shares. Such institutional adoption reinforces Bitcoin’s growing reputation as a strategic reserve asset and highlights the increasing demand for exchange-traded funds.
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas commented on this development, noting, “It’s incredibly rare and challenging to see an endowment like Harvard or Yale invest in an ETF. This serves as a strong endorsement for the ETF. However, it’s important to note that half a billion dollars represents just 1% of the total endowment, yet it ranks Harvard 16th among IBIT holders.”
Trends in Bitcoin ETF Investments
While Harvard’s investment in Bitcoin ETFs is significant, the broader market has experienced fluctuations. Recently, US-based Bitcoin ETFs have faced decreasing investor interest, with the past weeks showing notable declines. Recent market data indicates a total net outflow of $1.1 billion from these funds in the past week.
Leading these outflows is BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, which has experienced a three-day outflow streak. According to data from SoSoValue, $463.1 million was withdrawn from the BTC ETF on Friday, November 14. Despite these outflows, BlackRock’s IBIT remains the largest spot Bitcoin ETF, with net assets valued at approximately $74.98 billion.
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