Harvard invests $116M into BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF: 5th largest endowment fund holding

Although, mostly not in the way the majority of crypto enthusiasts would have wanted, we are witnessing rapid adoption of crypto, every passing day.

In the long run, we can expect significant evolvement as the ecosystem matures and product offerings expand. Self-custody will become increasingly relevant and incentivized, enabling the materialization of the true mission of cryptographic and decentralized digital assets.

In today's news, Harvard has been reported to hold a significant stake in BlackRock's Bitcoin exchange-trade fund (ETF), IBIT.

Harvard Management Company, the entity responsible for managing the university’s $53-billion endowment fund, has reported a multimillion-dollar investment in BlackRock’s Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

In a Friday filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Harvard disclosed holding about 1.9 million shares of the iShares Bitcoin ETF as of June 30. The BTC exposure was valued at more than $116 million, making it the fund’s fifth-largest investment for the period after Microsoft, Amazon, travel technology company Booking Holdings, and Meta.

Harvard reported its endowment fund was $53.2 billion as of June 30, 2024, making it the largest among US universities, ahead of Yale, Stanford and Princeton. – Cointelegraph report

We have long talked about mass adoption and we've talked about adoption by the banks and other financial institutions but what I'd say that most, may have not anticipated, is adoption by companies or organizations with products or services, serving industries or markets with no direct relationship to financial systems.

Certainly, most didn't sit to anticipate Universities buying up crypto-linked assets, yet, this is happening and that changes a lot of things.

First, it suggests that we could have significantly downplayed what mass adoption would actually look like.

Secondly, with the case of Bitcoin specifically, it suggests that a supply shock is imminent as demand quite clearly will surpass available coins for sale. There's not enough Bitcoin for the FOMO coming from traditional companies to own a piece.

This is not speculation, it's what everyone can validate.

What comes in third, for the changes to expect is that a major shift in capital management is happening in real time. This is something I've mentioned a few times. We are entering an era where capital, across industries, become more active in global economies, thanks to crypto assets.

Right now, it is merely about companies setting up treasuries or adding to investment portfolios, but some time, in the probably not distant future, it will be about more than passive exposure and more about active and meaningful economic contribution.

It hasn't yet occurred to many people but things will never be the same again when it comes to investments. The system is changing and how individuals and companies can shape the world of finance and business is being restructured, on-chain.