Brown University has made a notable shift in its investment strategy by significantly increasing its exposure to Bitcoin. The university recently doubled its stake in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF, bringing its holdings to around $13 million. This move marks a departure from traditional assets and fits into a larger trend among prestigious universities exploring cryptocurrency investments.
The investment office at Brown acquired 212,500 shares of IBIT, a product managed by BlackRock, which boasts over $88 billion in assets under management as of mid-2025. While the university hasn’t publicly explained this strategy change, experts see it as a sign of growing institutional confidence in Bitcoin as a legitimate investment option.
Brown’s decision follows a similar investment by Harvard University, which invested $116 million in the same ETF, surpassing its holdings in Alphabet stock. This reallocation of assets signals a broader trend among educational institutions moving away from traditional investments to embrace cryptocurrencies.
Eric Balchunas, a Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, points out that endowments have traditionally been cautious about ETFs. Brown’s investment, even though modest relative to its overall endowment, indicates a significant interest in diversifying into cryptocurrency.
As more institutions consider Bitcoin, it could lead to increased liquidity in the market and better price discovery for digital assets. This trend is bolstered by regulatory transparency, as all transactions are disclosed through official SEC filings.
In today’s uncertain economic landscape, Brown University’s decision reflects a desire for diverse investment opportunities, especially as digital assets gain traction. As more educational institutions explore similar paths, cryptocurrencies may become a more normalized part of broader financial markets.
For more insights on this topic, you can check out these sources:
[1] Pensions & Investments
[4] AIInvest
[6] Coinpedia
[7] Bitrue
[8] AIInvest
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