Harvard University Escalates Bitcoin Bet, IBIT Becomes Largest Declared Holding

A seismic shift in institutional investment is underway as Harvard University, one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions, dramatically amplified its exposure to Bitcoin. Recent public filings reveal that the venerable endowment fund made a colossal acquisition of BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) during the third quarter, escalating its holdings by over 3.5 times.

Harvard’s Bold Dive into Digital Assets

The filings detail a staggering 257% surge in Harvard’s Q3 holdings, bringing its total to 6,813,612 shares of the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), up from 1,906,000 shares reported at the close of June. This monumental increase has propelled IBIT to become Harvard’s single largest declared investment, eclipsing even traditional giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and the SPDR Gold Trust.

While valued at $442.8 million on the filing date, the current market downturn for Bitcoin and IBIT has seen this position contract to approximately $364.4 million. The exact acquisition costs and transaction timelines remain undisclosed. It’s crucial to contextualize this substantial investment: despite its impressive scale, it represents a fractional portion of Harvard’s colossal $57 billion endowment fund.

Expert Validation: A Rare Endorsement

Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas underscored the significance of this move on X, stating, “It’s super rare/difficult to get an an endowment to bite on an ETF – especially a Harvard or Yale. It’s as good a validation as an ETF can get.” He further noted that while the approximate $500 million position constitutes just 1% of Harvard’s total fund, it positions the university as the 16th largest holder of IBIT.

Just checked and yeah $IBIT is now Harvard’s largest position in its 13F and its biggest position increase in Q3. It’s super rare/difficult to get an endowment to bite on an ETF- esp a Harvard or Yale, it’s as good a validation as an ETF can get. That said, half a billion is a… https://t.co/oTiSL29llB pic.twitter.com/yw0tRcD1ad

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) November 15, 2025

Market Dynamics and Broader Institutional Trends

Despite its recent growth, IBIT continues to lead the market as the largest spot Bitcoin ETF by Assets Under Management (AUM). However, recent SoSoValue data indicates a net outflow of $532.4 million over the past week, signaling a broader surge in institutional risk aversion. Mirroring this sentiment, Bitcoin’s price has also retreated, currently trading around the $95,120 mark.

Beyond Harvard’s groundbreaking moves, other prominent institutions are also deepening their foray into digital assets. Atlanta-based Emory University, in its latest filing, substantially increased its spot Bitcoin ETF holdings. Its Q3 report shows ownership of over 1 million shares in Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF (BTC), marking a 91% increase from 535,781 shares held at the end of June. Additionally, Emory maintained its position of 4,450 IBIT shares, keeping its overall Bitcoin spot ETF portfolio valued at approximately $42.9 million.

Concurrently, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, Al Warda Investments, has also made a significant statement. Its latest filing reveals an impressive 7,963,393 shares of IBIT held as of September 30th, valued at approximately $517.6 million. This represents a staggering 230% increase from the 2,411,034 shares initially disclosed at the end of June.