Harvard Endowment Invests $443M in Bitcoin Through BlackRock's IBIT

Harvard University's endowment has invested $443 million in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, known as IBIT, marking a significant entry into the cryptocurrency space. According to the university's latest 13F filing with the U.S.

Securities and Exchange Commission, the endowment holds 6.8 million shares of IBIT as of the third quarter of 2025. This investment represents over 20 percent of its reported U.S.-listed public equity holdings.

Harvard's endowment, which totals more than $55 billion, shows that this Bitcoin position, while less than one percent of total assets, places it among the top 20 holders of the fund, as noted by Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.

Institutional investors like Harvard typically avoid exchange-traded funds, leaning instead towards private equity, real estate, and direct investments. Thus, this move into IBIT is particularly noteworthy.

The filing comes at a time when Bitcoin prices have recently dropped by more than 5 percent, hovering around $96,000. IBIT is recognized as the world's largest spot Bitcoin ETF, boasting nearly $75 billion in net assets, according to data from SoSoValue.

Harvard's investment reflects a growing trend towards the acceptance of Bitcoin as a legitimate asset class, which could potentially influence other institutions to consider similar investments in cryptocurrencies.

This development highlights the evolving landscape of institutional interest in digital currencies, amidst ongoing discussions about regulation and market stability.