Institutional investors held $33.6 billion in Bitcoin ETFs in the second quarter

PANews reported on August 26th that according to Cryptoslate, investment advisors boosted institutional investors' exposure to Bitcoin to $33.6 billion through ETFs in the second quarter of 2025. Data shared by Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart shows that institutions added a cumulative 57,375 bitcoins across all tracked categories. Bloomberg data shows that investment advisors currently hold $17.4 billion in Bitcoin ETF positions, nearly double the $9 billion held by hedge fund managers. Among the new investors, Brevan Howard Capital Management became the largest institutional shareholder, increasing its BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust holdings to 37.5 million shares, valued at $2.3 billion. Harvard Management Company also entered the market with a $117 million position, comparable to the largest publicly traded US stock holding. Its endowment's Bitcoin holdings now exceed those of gold in dollar terms.

Seyffart stated that investment advisors have become the largest holders of spot Bitcoin ETFs, increasing their holdings by 37,156 units in the second quarter, bringing their holdings to 161,909 units. Nearly all of the 15 categories saw increases, with only pension funds maintaining their holdings. Brokerage firms and banks ranked second and third among institutional investors, respectively, for increased holdings. Investment advisor allocations exceed those of all other institutions combined, demonstrating the accelerating integration of professional wealth management. However, the $33.6 billion allocated by institutional investors, based on Form 13F filings, represents only 25% of the total Bitcoin ETF holdings. The remaining 75% is held by non-reporting investors, the majority of whom are retail investors.