Harvard Endowment Cuts Bitcoin ETF, Opens BlackRock Ether ETF
The Harvard Management Company, which oversees the university’s $56.9 billion endowment, trimmed its holdings in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund and initiated a position in the asset manager’s spot Ether fund, according to a Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The filing shows Harvard reduced its stake in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin (BTC) Trust ETF to $265.8 million as of Dec. 31, down from $442.9 million in Q3 2025. The endowment cut its holdings by more than 1 million shares, to 5.4 million in Q4 from 6.8 million in Q3, reflecting a 21% decrease in its Bitcoin exposure.
Harvard also disclosed a new position with exposure to Ether (ETH), purchasing more than 3.8 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust valued at about $87 million as of Dec. 31.
The portfolio adjustments came during a period of pronounced volatility across digital assets. Bitcoin fell to less than $90,000 by January 2026 after exceeding $120,000 at the beginning of July 2025, while Ether declined to under $3,000 from more than $4,000 over the same period.
As of June 30, 2025, Harvard reported endowment assets of $56.9 billion. Based on the filing, the endowment’s combined investments in BlackRock’s crypto ETFs represented 0.62% of total assets under management. In the same quarter, the endowment increased its position in Alphabet by almost $100 million and reduced its Amazon stake by about $80 million.
AI hedge fund backed by “top university endowments”
Separately, Numerai, an AI-focused hedge fund, said in November it raised $30 million in a round led by “top university endowments,” without naming the participants. Following the announcement, the price of its native NMR token rose by more than 40%.
All portfolio figures reflect positions as of the dates indicated in the SEC filing and may have changed since those reporting periods.
Stay informed, read the latest news right now!
Disclaimer
The content on TrustsCrypto.com is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile, always do your own research before making decisions.
Some content may be assisted by AI and reviewed by our editorial team, but accuracy is not guaranteed. TrustsCrypto.com is not responsible for any losses resulting from the use of information provided.
