Harvard’s $443M Bitcoin ETF Wager: A Landmark Bet That’s Still a “Mere 1%” of Its Fund

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Harvard University has dramatically increased its conviction in cryptocurrency, nearly tripling its stake in BlackRock’s spot bitcoin ETF (IBIT) in the third quarter.

The endowment’s holding surged to 6.8 million shares, valued at roughly $443 million at the end of the quarter, making it the fund’s largest declared individual position.

Despite the headline-grabbing size of the bet, analysts were quick to provide context for the $57 billion endowment. Bloomberg’s Eric Balchunas called the move a rare and difficult “validation” for any ETF, but also pointed out that “$443 million is a mere 1% of total endowment.”

This indicates that while Harvard is taking a notable directional bet on bitcoin, the position remains a carefully sized allocation within its vast and diversified portfolio. The holding has since decreased in value to approximately $364 million amid a broader market decline.