Harvard’s Crypto Twists: From Bitcoin to Ethereum – The Scandalous Shift!

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Key Highlights

  • Harvard trimmed its Bitcoin ETF cache by 21%, yet still clings to a hefty $265.8 million in the great digital coin.
  • The endowment indulged in its first Ethereum ETF, splurging $86.8 million on 3.87 million shares-because why not bring a second child to the party?
  • Today, the crypto armamentarium swells to roughly $352.6 million, catapulting digital assets to the forefront of Harvard’s public portfolio.

News leaked in the fourth quarter of 2025 that the university decided to play chess with its crypto strategy, trading some Bitcoin for the mischievously new Ethereum.

A terse filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed a 21% cut in the holdings of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). Harvard sold about 1.48 million shares, keeping 5.35 million shares valued at $265.8 million-like a miserly professor trimming a froth of the academic pot.

Simultaneously, the Harvard Management Company (HMC) purchased nearly 3.9 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) for an eye-watering $86.8 million, thereby announcing its first publicly disclosed position in the ever‑volatile ether.

Portfolio adjustments amid market theatrics

In a season of dramatic peaks and valleys, Bitcoin jolted to a record high of $126,000 in October 2025, only to sag to $88,000 by year’s end. Ethereum, ever the drama queen, saw a 30% slump during the same period.

Notwithstanding the slight retreat, Harvard’s Bitcoin stake remains its largest publicly disclosed holding, eclipsing even its shares in Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon-proof that the venerable university still prefers its digital gems over fan‑fare of the Silicon Valley.

In parallel to the optical escapades, the SEC reports reveal other institutions trimmed their Bitcoin ETF footwear-dropping from 417 million shares in the prior quarter to 230 million in the fourth.

Diversifying beyond just tokens

Harvard did not confine its makeover to crypto alone. It amplified stakes in chipmakers Broadcom and TSMC, raised its Alpha bet, and opened a $141 million rail‑track position with Union Pacific, while pruning shares in Amazon, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Light & Wonder, and Maze Therapeutics.

Earlier 2025 saw a cautious build‑up: an initial Bitcoin ETF placement of $116 million, expanding to 6,813,612 shares ($442.8 million) by November.

With regulated funds increasing in prominence, Harvard’s eclectic shuffle-from Bitcoin’s jewels to Ethereum’s promise-poses a new lesson: institutions can spill the tea on crypto as more than a short‑term spectacle, treating it as a long‑term portfolio partner that, much like a witty dialogue, must be managed with flair.

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2026-02-16 20:52