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Gulf Sovereign Funds Increase Stakes in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF

Fresh 13-F filings reveal a clear split in strategy across institutions.

Overview

  • SEC filings for Q1 2026 show Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala lifted its iShares Bitcoin Trust stake 16% to 14.7 million shares worth about $566 million.
  • The sovereign fund has increased its share count in five straight quarters since first disclosing a position in Q4 2024, signaling a deliberate long-term build.
  • Abu Dhabi-linked investors deepened exposure, with Al Warda and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council holding 8.2 million shares by late 2025 and combined sovereign stakes above $1 billion.
  • University endowments moved the other way, as Harvard cut its Bitcoin ETF position 43% to 3.04 million shares and sold its entire $86.8 million BlackRock spot Ethereum ETF.
  • BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, a spot Bitcoin ETF, remained the main gateway for institutions with more than 600,000 Bitcoin as of April 2026, while Barclays reported 4.46 million shares, Laurore trimmed 22%, and Dartmouth disclosed a $3.67 million Solana ETF investment.