Thriving BlackRock spot Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) has bagged almost $5 million from a Rhode Island-based Ivy League school. Brown University filed an institutional investment manager holdings report with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), citing it had acquired $5 million worth of shares in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF. Academic Institution Seeks Exposure to Crypto The $5 billion gives the Ivy League school up to 105,000 iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) shares, worth $4,915,050, as of March 31. This holding was stated in its recently listed 13F-HR form. VanEck Head of Digital Assets Research Matt Sigel pointed out that Brown University is the third academic institution to gain exposure to BTC via an ETF. The other two are Emory, which holds Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF, and the University of Austin. Brown University is gaining exposure to cryptocurrency for the first time. Its 13F-HR filings show other investments in firms like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, and investments in different sectors totaling $216 million. BlackRock Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF Lead Counterparts The broader spot Bitcoin ETF sector continues to record massive inflows . Launched in January 2024, IBIT is the most prominent spot Bitcoin ETF, with some $56.81 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM). In Q1 2025, both BlackRock BTC and Ethereum ETFs recorded declines in inflows. The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) ETF declined approximately 83%. Based on their stellar reputation, the dip for two crypto ETFs, leading their counterparts, was quite notable. However, Juan Leon, Senior Investment Strategist at Bitwise, believes that Q2 2025 will be better than the previous quarter. The Bitcoin ETF niche may record up to $3 billion in inflows in the second quarter . Improved Crypto Regulatory Framework in the US By several standards, the broader cryptocurrency market has seen appreciable growth since Donald Trump won the United States presidential elections. The new administration has introduced policies in favour of the burgeoning sector. The new stance has encouraged several asset management firms to request approval from the SEC to list other crypto ETFs. Various asset managers are filing to launch Dogecoin , Solana, XRP, Litecoin, Sui , Polkadot, and even Aptos ETFs. In the meantime, the Commission has not responded favorably to any of these crypto ETFs that followed spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. The post Brown University Holds $5M Worth of BlackRock Spot Bitcoin ETF appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .
