SEC Filings Show Harvard and Brown Universities Bought Bitcoin Via BlackRock’s IBIT in Q2

Story Highlights

• Harvard University is the 29th largest holder of IBIT out of the 1,300 investors.

• Brown University reported 212,500 IBIT shares as of June 30, valued at over $13 million.

• BlackRock’s IBIT endowment by Ivy League universities has helped it grow to over $86 billion in net assets.

The mainstream adoption of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has proliferated Ivy League Universities, led by Harvard and Brown, in the United States. According to a filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Harvard University doubled down on its IBIT holdings during the second quarter to around 1,906,000 shares of IBIT as of June 30, valued at $116.6 million.

As a result, Harvard University through the Harvard Management Company is the 29th biggest holder of IBIT shares out of the total 1,300 investors. On the other hand, Brown University reported a net holding of 212,500 shares of IBIT, valued at around $13 million as of June 30.

Remarkably, Brown University increased its IBIT shares from 105,000 shares reported on March 31, 2025. According to Eric Balchunas, an EFT analyst at Bloomberg, IBIT’s endowment by Ivy League universities significantly contributes to its growth.

BlackRock’s IBIT Leads Spot Bitcoin ETFs in Growth

BlackRock’s IBIT has grown to more than $86 billion in net assets under management. Since its inception, IBIT has recorded a cumulative cash inflow of about $57.4 billion, thus outpacing its Gold ETF in yearly growth.

The wider spot BTC ETFs have also recorded significant cash inflows led by Fidelity’s FBTC, and Ark’s ARKB. Earlier this week, Michigan’s state pension fund reported owning 300,000 shares of the Ark Bitcoin ETF as of June 30, valued at $10.7 million.

Market Impact

The rising demand for Bitcoin by spot BTC ETF issuers has increased the existing supply vs demand shock. Furthermore, Strategy Inc. has led dozens of corporations in the implementation of Bitcoin treasury, whereby market data from BitcoinTreasuries shows over 3.6 million BTCs are held for this purpose.

As a result, BTC price is well positioned to rally exponentially akin to the 2017 summer. Moreover, BTC has already entered its price discovery phase with a parabolic rally on the horizon

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