Harvard University has significantly increased its exposure to Bitcoin, tripling its stake in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF during Q3 2025. The move marks one of the most notable institutional steps yet from a major U.S. endowment fund — a sector traditionally reluctant to enter ETF-based crypto investments.
📈 Harvard Boosts IBIT Holdings by 250%
A new SEC filing released Friday shows that Harvard Management Company (HMC) — the group overseeing Harvard’s $57 billion endowment — now holds:
6.8 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT)
Valued at $442.8 million as of Sept. 30, 2025
This is a massive jump from its initial position reported in August:
1.9 million shares, worth $116.6 million at the time
This means Harvard increased its exposure to Bitcoin through IBIT by over 250% in just one quarter.
🔍 “Super Rare” for Endowments to Buy ETFs
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas highlighted how unusual this move is:
University endowments are typically “notoriously anti-ETF”
Described Harvard’s buy as “as good a validation as an ETF can get”
Noted that this investment still represents just ~1% of Harvard’s overall endowment
Despite being a small slice of total holdings, IBIT was:
Harvard’s largest position increase in Q3
The fund’s biggest ETF addition overall
Enough to make Harvard the 16th-largest holder of IBIT
📊 Harvard Expands Gold & Tech Positions
Alongside Bitcoin exposure, Harvard also made significant moves in other markets:
Tech Holdings
Harvard continued to invest heavily in major U.S. tech names, including:
Amazon
Meta
Microsoft
Alphabet (Google)
New Investments
$16.8M stake in buy-now-pay-later giant Klarna
$59.1M in TSMC, the world’s top semiconductor manufacturer
Gold Exposure Nearly Doubled
Harvard also increased its stake in SPDR Gold Shares (GLD):
New total: 661,391 shares worth $235.1M
Up from 333,000 shares in August
This marks a major diversification play into traditional safe-haven assets.
📉 Market Context: Bitcoin ETFs See Outflows
According to SoSoValue data:
Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.11 billion in net outflows in the week ending Friday
This coincided with Bitcoin falling below $100,000
Bitcoin is currently trading around $94,922, after touching a 24-hour low of $93,029, temporarily wiping out most of its year-to-date gains.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial professional before making investment decisions.
