Brown University has made its first reported foray into Bitcoin (BTC), investing $4.9 million in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), according to a recent 13F filing submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Ivy League institution acquired 105,000 shares of the ETF during the first quarter, making the position approximately 2.3% of its reported $216 million equity holdings.

The purchase adds Brown to a growing roster of traditional institutions turning to regulated vehicles for digital asset exposure.

Adoption via Bitcoin ETFs

Designed to track the price of Bitcoin directly, spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen widespread adoption across hedge funds, pensions, and now university endowments.

BlackRock’s IBIT has emerged as a favored entry point for institutions since the SEC approved it in January 2024. In less than a year, the fund became one of the best-performing ETFs in the market’s history.

As of March 31, IBIT held roughly 576,038 Bitcoin, equating to net assets of $47.78 billion.

Brown’s decision reflects a broader trend among long-term asset managers seeking Bitcoin exposure through familiar financial structures. Spot ETFs like IBIT allow institutions to access Bitcoin without the operational burden of custody or direct token management.

Universities embracing Bitcoin

While university endowments have largely remained cautious, recent months have seen a shift. The University of Austin announced in February that it would allocate $5 million of its endowment to Bitcoin.

The fund would be held in partnership with Unchained and was set up with a five-year minimum holding period.

Other schools, including Stanford and Emory, have also reported exposure to Bitcoin through regulated investment products. These moves suggest a gradual normalization of digital assets within institutional portfolios once considered too conservative for crypto holdings.

At the time of the disclosure, Bitcoin was trading just under $97,000, based on CryptoSlate data.

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