Brown University has made its first reported trip in Bitcoin (BTC) and invests $ 4.9 million in BlackRock’s Ishares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), according to a recent 13F submit 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 stock ownership.
The purchase adds Brown to a growing schedule of traditional settings that turn to regulated vehicles for exposure to digital assets.
Adoption via Bitcoin ETFs
Designed to follow the price of Bitcoin directly, Spotcoin ETF’s widespread adoption has seen in hedge funds, pensions and now university donations.
Blackrock’s IBIT has emerged as a favorite access point for institutions since the SEC approved in January 2024. In less than a year, the fund became one of the best performing ETFs in the history of the market.
From March 31, IBIT had around 576,038 Bitcoin, equal to net assets of $ 47.78 billion.
Brown’s decision reflects a broader trend with long-term asset managers looking for Bitcoin-blot statement through well-known financial structures. Spot ETFs such as IBIT are able to access Bitcoin without the operational burden of detention or direct token management.
Universities that embrace Bitcoin
Although university donations have remained largely careful, a shift have seen in recent months. The University of Austin announced in February that it would allocate $ 5 million of its donation to Bitcoin.
The fund would be held in collaboration with Unchained and was founded with a minimum detention period of five years.
Other schools, including Stanford and Emory, have also reported exposure to Bitcoin through regulated investment products. These movements suggest a gradual standardization of digital assets within institutional portfolios that are once considered too conservative for crypto companies.
At the time of disclosure, Bitcoin acted slightly less than $ 97,000, based on CryptoSlate facts.
