Brown University Places Bets on Bitcoin Using Millions in BlackRock ETF Shares.

According to a recent 13F-HR filing with the SEC, Brown University at the Ivy League has millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin exposure through BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF ( IBIT ) ETF. &nbsp,

The school held 105, 000 stocks of IBIT, valued at about$ 4.9 million as of the end of the first quarter on March 31 according to the assets report released on Friday. The registration for the past quarter did not include the IBIT stocks.

The stocks are now thought to be worth about$ 5.8 million. Although a significant investment, the position is only a drop in the bucket for a endowment that increased by more than$ 7.2 billion at the end of its 2024 fiscal year.

The financial markets have substantially increased in difficulty over the past few years, and Brown has adapted as the endowment’s value has increased, according to its 2024 endowment report. A group of highly skilled investors is engaged in a variety of investment strategies that call for high levels of expertise and purchase acumen today.

Diversified assets that include “investments in shares, bonds, private businesses, real estate, and commodities” are included in the college’s investment.

Brown is not the first college to pursue Bitcoin exposure. &nbsp,

The University of Austin ( UATX ) and Unchained collaborated in May 2024 to establish a$ 5 million Bitcoin endowment. &nbsp,

The Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust, Atlanta’s Emory University, reported practically$ 16 million in Bitcoin coverage in October. The shares report that was most recently filed for holdings shows a decrease in shares but a decrease of about$ 22 million in Bitcoin coverage as a result of the stock’s cost increase. Additionally, it features shares worth more than$ 1 million on the world’s largest crypto exchange, Coinbase.

The group of universities are positioned in the middle of a growing list of institutions, ranging from world governments to publicly traded companies, that are attempting to get crypto’s largest asset by industry cap. &nbsp,

For the first time since February, the price of Bitcoin increased from a local small of$ 75, 000 in early April to close to$ 98, 000 on Friday. It’s now priced at$ 96, 330.

made an attempt to touch Brown’s funding company for comment, but the company’s agent was unable to call them prior to the publication of this article.

edited by Andrew Hayward