A first reported entry into Bitcoin (BTC) was made by Brown University through a $4.9 million investment in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), as disclosed in a recent 13F filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Brown’s investment has been aligned with a growing trend in which universities are adopting Bitcoin ETFs to gain exposure to digital assets.
During the first quarter, 105,000 shares of the ETF were acquired by the Ivy League institution, representing roughly 2.3% of its disclosed $216 million in equity holdings.
With this purchase, Brown has been added to the expanding list of traditional institutions that are turning to regulated investment vehicles to gain exposure to digital assets.
Mainstream Adoption Accelerates Through Bitcoin ETFs
Spot Bitcoin ETFs, which are structured to mirror Bitcoin’s market price directly, have been widely adopted across hedge funds, pension funds, and more recently, university endowments.
Since receiving approval from the SEC in January 2024, BlackRock’s IBIT has been regarded as a preferred gateway for institutional investors. Within less than a year, it was established as one of the top-performing ETFs in the history of the market.
As of March 31, approximately 576,038 Bitcoin were held by IBIT, amounting to net assets valued at $47.78 billion.
Brown’s decision has been seen as part of a wider movement among long-term asset managers pursuing Bitcoin exposure through conventional financial instruments. Spot ETFs such as IBIT are utilized by institutions to gain access to Bitcoin without assuming the operational responsibilities of custody or direct token handling.
Universities Turn to Bitcoin as Digital Asset Adoption Grows
Although caution had largely been exercised by university endowments, a shift has been observed in recent months. In February, a $5 million allocation to Bitcoin was announced as part of the University of Austin’s endowment strategy.
The fund was established in collaboration with Unchained and was structured with a minimum holding period of five years.
Exposure to Bitcoin through regulated investment products has also been reported by other institutions, including Stanford and Emory. These actions are viewed as indicative of a slow normalization of digital assets within institutional portfolios that were previously regarded as too conservative for cryptocurrency investments.
At the time the disclosure was made, Bitcoin was being traded at just below $97,000, according to data provided by CryptoSlate.
 was made by Brown University through a $4.9 million investment in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), as disclosed in a recent 13F filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.){kind=link}