Harvard University shocked investors by increasing its Bitcoin ETF holdings by 257% to $442.8 million in Q3 2025. The prestigious institution now holds 6.8 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, making crypto its largest public equity position. Talk about zigging while others zag. This contrarian move came while retail investors pulled $500 million from Bitcoin ETFs. Harvard simultaneously boosted gold holdings by 99%. Their strategy hints at something others aren’t seeing.
While prestigious universities typically move with cautious deliberation, Harvard’s endowment has made a stunning leap into cryptocurrency. The Ivy League giant increased its Bitcoin ETF holdings by a whopping 257% in Q3 2025, bringing its total stake to $442.8 million. That’s no small change, even for Harvard.
The university now holds 6.8 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, making it one of the top 30 institutional holders of the IBIT fund. Bitcoin now represents about 20% of Harvard’s U.S.-listed public equity holdings – surpassing its positions in tech heavyweights like Microsoft, Amazon, and Nvidia. Who would’ve thought Bitcoin would outrank Big Tech in Harvard’s portfolio?
This move breaks the traditional endowment playbook. These institutions usually stick to private equity and real estate, not crypto ETFs. Harvard’s bold bet signals confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term role in financial markets, despite recent price volatility. The institutional confidence in Bitcoin as a portfolio asset continues to grow across the financial sector. This positions Harvard among the top 20 largest IBIT holders in the market. The message to other institutions? Bitcoin’s far more than just for crypto bros anymore.
Harvard’s crypto pivot is breaking the institutional mold, validating Bitcoin’s legitimacy far beyond its early adopter roots.
The timing is interesting. While retail investors pulled nearly $500 million from Bitcoin ETFs recently, Harvard doubled down. Classic contrarian move. The university also boosted its gold ETF holdings by 99% to $235 million. Seems like Harvard’s preparing for economic storms ahead.
Let’s keep perspective though. The $442.8 million position represents less than 1% of Harvard’s massive $55 billion endowment. But the rapid scale-up within a single quarter is unprecedented in the university’s recent history.
Harvard’s public equity portfolio grew from $1.13 billion to $1.43 billion in Q2 2025, with notable shifts away from traditional tech stocks. They cut Meta positions while partially returning to Amazon.
The IBIT fund itself manages nearly $75 billion in assets as of late 2025. With Harvard now among its largest holders, other universities and sovereign wealth funds are surely taking notice. When Harvard places a bet this big, people pay attention.
