One more prestigious university is jumping on the Bitcoin bandwagon. Brown University, the Rhode Island-based Ivy League institution, just dropped $4.9 million on Bitcoin – well, sort of. They’re not exactly stuffing digital coins under their ivy-covered mattresses. Instead, they’ve gone the Wall Street route, snagging 105,000 shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust.
The investment, made during the first quarter of 2025, represents 2.3% of Brown’s $216 million equity portfolio. And guess what? It’s already paying off. The position has grown to $5.79 million, an 18% jump since purchase. Not too shabby for a few months’ work. This pioneering move marks Brown’s first crypto investment.
Brown isn’t the first university to dip its toes into crypto waters. They’re following in the footsteps of Emory University, which holds a chunky position in the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF, and the University of Austin, which is planning a $5 million Bitcoin endowment fund. The University of Austin has notably stated that they view crypto assets as comparable to traditional investments like stocks and real estate. The ETF structure provides regulated exposure to Bitcoin while ensuring robust investor protection.
Major universities are hopping aboard the crypto train, from Emory’s ETF holdings to Austin’s planned Bitcoin endowment fund.
But Brown’s move might be the most eye-catching yet – after all, when an Ivy League school decides Bitcoin isn’t just for tech bros anymore, people take notice.
The timing is interesting. Brown’s investment comes after an impressive 11.3% portfolio return in 2024, suggesting they’re not exactly desperate for gains. They’re choosing to diversify into digital assets through IBIT, BlackRock’s SEC-approved Bitcoin ETF that launched in January 2024.
The fund has become a heavyweight, managing $47.78 billion in assets and holding 576,000 BTC by March 2024.
The move signals a shift in how educational institutions view cryptocurrency. Gone are the days when Bitcoin was seen as just a speculative gamble. Through regulated vehicles like IBIT, traditional institutions can now access crypto without dealing with digital wallets or private keys. It’s Bitcoin for grown-ups, basically.
Market analysts are calling this a significant institutional endorsement. And they’re probably right. When an institution like Brown University decides Bitcoin belongs in its portfolio, it’s hard to dismiss crypto as just a passing fad.
