09.08.2025 01:06

Harvard University's substantial investment in BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, has sent ripples through the financial world. SEC filings unveiled a staggering $116.6 million investment during the second quarter of 2025, making IBIT the university's fifth-largest portfolio holding, surpassing even Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company. The timing of this investment remains undisclosed, adding to the surprise.

This significant allocation represents a noteworthy departure from Harvard's previous, largely tangential, involvement in the cryptocurrency space. While the university's Business School has previously engaged with the industry through case studies, such as one on Helium, and has been indirectly involved in unrelated controversies, this marks its most substantial and direct foray into the Web3 ecosystem. Initial reports on social media platforms, albeit slightly inaccurate, initially suggested a $120 million investment.

The revelation, stemming from official SEC documentation, details a meticulously constructed investment strategy. Harvard's position in IBIT, significantly larger than its investment in Alphabet, positions the Bitcoin ETF among its top five holdings, alongside giants like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Booking Holdings Inc. This remarkable placement underscores the university's considerable confidence in the fund's potential. It is important to note that this figure excludes other asset classes within Harvard's expansive portfolio.

Despite further diversification within the portfolio—including a notable investment in NVIDIA—IBIT stands as Harvard's sole direct investment in Web3 technologies. Given BlackRock's dominant position in the Bitcoin ETF market and IBIT's popularity among retail investors, Harvard's choice appears strategically sound. The university's bold move highlights the growing institutional interest in Bitcoin and the increasing mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a viable asset class.