According to a new SEC filing today, Brown University, a private university based in Providence, Rhode Island, revealed a large position in BlackRock’ spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, as first reported by market analyst MacroScope. The position showed Brown held $4,915,050 in IBIT as of March 31, 2025, which sees the school become the third U.S. university to publicly announce a Bitcoin purchase after Emory & University of Austin (UATX), according to VanEck’s Matthew Siegel.
“In a 13F filing this morning, Brown University reported owning 105,000 shares of the IBIT Bitcoin ETF as of March 31, valued at $4.9 million,” MacroScope posted to X. “This is a new position, which means it was acquired in January, February or March. The total value of all 14 positions in the filing is $216 million. This is an important one.”
A growing number of U.S. universities are signaling confidence in Bitcoin’s long-term potential by adding the digital asset to their endowment portfolios or academic programs. Previously, Emory University, and the University of Austin (UATX) have each disclosed Bitcoin-related initiatives, further validating the cryptocurrency’s institutional appeal.
Emory University was the first to disclose its Bitcoin holdings, revealed in an October 25 SEC filing, that it owned nearly 2.7 million shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF, initially worth $15.1 million.
With Bitcoin reaching all-time highs since purchasing, Emory’s holdings may now exceed $21 million. Emory Investment Management (EIM) CIO Srinivas Pulavarti noted that the ETF conversion led to the public disclosure of their position.
“There are some risks with doing it yourself,” said Emory’s Associate Professor of Accounting Matthew Lyle on buying the Bitcoin ETFs vs purchasing and holding the Bitcoin themselves. “Whereas if you use a company like Grayscale or BlackRock to do it for you… it’s unlikely that they’re going to steal your money because they’re well known.”
In May 2024, the University of Austin also gained exposure to Bitcoin, by partnering with Bitcoin financial services firm Unchained to raise $5 million in Bitcoin for its endowment. “I’ve seen the values the organization places on free speech and on building a modern academic institution… and I’m thrilled to play a role in helping the university make bitcoin a part of its long term strategy,” stated Unchained CEO Joseph Kelly, who donated 2 BTC to the campaign.
“University endowments are about serving students,” added Thomas Hogan, incoming Associate Professor at UATX. “And bitcoin provides a unique opportunity for advancing UATX’s commitment to cultivating future generations of leaders and innovators.”
