Harvard Discloses $116 Million Investment in Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund, Boosting Bitcoin Price Towards All-Time High

The world of finance is witnessing a significant shift as institutional investors continue to pour funds into Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). Here's a roundup of the latest developments:

The State of Michigan pension fund has nearly tripled its investment in Bitcoin ETFs, demonstrating a growing interest among institutional investors.

Meanwhile, the University of Austin (UATX) has taken a bold step by setting up a dedicated $5 million Bitcoin fund as part of its endowment, further cementing its position as one of the most vocal proponents of digital assets.

The growth of Bitcoin ETFs has been nothing short of phenomenal. Since December 2024, the assets under management (AUM) of the leading Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, have surged over 34.5%, from $51.7 billion to $86.3 billion.

This growth can be attributed to strong institutional demand and the sustained rally in Bitcoin's price. Currently, Bitcoin is trading at an impressive $122,170, according to CoinMarketCap data.

IBIT has become the second-largest holder of Bitcoin globally, with over 1,300 institutional holders holding IBIT alone. Notable investors include Goldman Sachs, Millennium Management, and Citadel Advisors, among others.

The accessibility and regulatory clarity provided by new ETFs have facilitated significant institutional investments. For instance, the Harvard Management Company's (HMC) position in IBIT is its fifth-largest single position, surpassing holdings in tech giants like Alphabet and NVIDIA, and is nearly on par with its investment in Meta.

Mubadala Investment, a sovereign wealth fund from Abu Dhabi, holds over $500 million in Bitcoin-related funds. Even universities like Emory and Brown are getting in on the action, with Emory University holding investments in the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust (BTC) and Coinbase Inc. holdings, while Brown University's endowment holds a position of more than $13 million in BlackRock's IBIT.

The rapid growth of IBIT is worth noting. According to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas, IBIT took 374 days to cross the $80 billion AUM mark - five times faster than Vanguard's S&P 500, which took 1,814 days.

In conclusion, the trend of institutional investors pouring into Bitcoin ETFs shows no signs of slowing down. As regulatory clarity continues to improve and the accessibility of these funds increases, we can expect to see more and more institutional investors jumping on the Bitcoin bandwagon.