Key Takeaways
Harvard Management Company disclosed 1.9M shares in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETF, worth $116M as of June 30.
The Bitcoin ETF stake ranks as Harvard’s fifth-largest holding, behind Microsoft, Amazon, Booking Holdings, and Meta.
Harvard’s $53.2B endowment is the largest among U.S. universities, historically focused on tech-heavy allocations.
The BlackRock Bitcoin ETF — approved by the SEC in January 2024 — has grown to $86B in net assets.
SEC’s new options contract limit increase could boost ETF demand further.
Largest U.S. University Endowment Adds Significant Bitcoin Exposure
Harvard Management Company, which oversees the $53.2 billion Harvard University endowment, has disclosed a substantial position in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), signaling growing institutional comfort with crypto exposure.
According to a Friday SEC filing, Harvard held roughly 1.9 million IBIT shares valued at more than $116 million as of June 30, 2025. This makes the Bitcoin ETF Harvard’s fifth-largest reported holding for the quarter, after Microsoft, Amazon, Booking Holdings, and Meta.
Institutional Adoption Gains Momentum
While Harvard has been primarily tech-focused in 2025, reports suggest it explored crypto investments as early as 2018. Its disclosure follows other universities, such as Emory University, which in 2024 reported buying 2.7M shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust, then worth $15M.
The move reflects a broader trend of U.S. institutional investors — including major endowments — integrating digital assets into diversified portfolios.
From SEC Approval to University Portfolios
The SEC approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs, including BlackRock’s IBIT, in January 2024. Since launch, IBIT has grown to $86 billion in net assets, making it one of the largest Bitcoin investment vehicles.
In a recent policy shift, the SEC announced it will raise the options contract limit for all ETFs — including IBIT — from 25,000 to 250,000 contracts, a change analysts say could boost trading activity and investor demand.
