Harvard University’s endowment fund management arm, Harvard Management Company, has secured a $116 million position in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), according to institutional investment filings. The Ivy League university’s substantial investment coincides with Brown University expanding its holdings in the same ETF to approximately $13 million.
These allocations highlight accelerating institutional adoption of cryptocurrency through regulated investment vehicles. Bitcoin ETFs enable traditional investors to gain digital asset exposure without direct cryptocurrency ownership, lowering technical barriers. BlackRock’s IBIT leads this market segment with $86.3 billion in assets under management, underscoring Wall Street’s growing confidence in cryptocurrency infrastructure.
The university investments exemplify a broader pivot among established financial institutions toward digital assets. This trend validates Bitcoin’s evolution from niche technological experiment to mainstream portfolio asset within diversified investment strategies.