Harvard University’s endowment has disclosed a $116 million investment in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT), according to a recent regulatory filing. The filing shows the Harvard Management Company held 1.9 million shares as of June 30th. The move comes just a few years after a prominent Harvard economist, who had famously predicted a collapse for Bitcoin, retracted his bearish stance.

A High-Conviction Allocation

The scale of the investment is notable, with the endowment's position in the Bitcoin ETF being larger than its reported stake in Alphabet. This allocation is part of a broader trend, as other Ivy League endowments and institutional investors have also begun utilizing the new spot ETFs to gain exposure to the asset class.

According to a Bloomberg analyst, data reveals that Harvard´s investment into the IBIT ETF is significantly high relative to the other holders. Marking their position as the 29th largest out of 1300 total. Post via X as of 8.8.25 by Eric Balchunas.

The Blueprint for Institutional Adoption

The use of BlackRock's IBIT product by an institution like Harvard helps to solidify the ETF as the preferred, compliant vehicle for market entry. It provides a clear blueprint for other conservative capital allocators on how to structure a similar investment, satisfying internal governance and risk management standards.

Chart of Blackrock IBIT ETF inflows via The Block as of 20.8.25.

Conclusion

Harvard's $116 million allocation provides one of the strongest endorsements to date of Bitcoin's viability within a modern institutional portfolio. It demonstrates how regulated products have created a defensible pathway for conservative funds, a move that will likely serve as a catalyst for other long-term investors to accelerate their own adoption strategies.

Harvard University Campus, Cambridge, MA, USA

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