According to a new SEC filing<\/a> today, Brown University, a private university based in Providence, Rhode Island, revealed a large position in BlackRock\u2019 spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, as first reported<\/a> 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<\/a> to VanEck\u2019s Matthew Siegel.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 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,\u201d MacroScope posted<\/a> to X. \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n A growing number of U.S. universities are signaling confidence in Bitcoin\u2019s<\/a> 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\u2019s institutional appeal.\u00a0<\/p>\n Emory University was the first to disclose its Bitcoin holdings, revealed in an October 25 SEC filing<\/a>, that it owned nearly 2.7 million shares of the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF, initially worth $15.1 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n With Bitcoin<\/a> reaching all-time highs since purchasing, Emory\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some risks with doing it yourself,\u201d said<\/a> Emory\u2019s Associate Professor of Accounting Matthew Lyle on buying the Bitcoin ETFs vs purchasing and holding the Bitcoin themselves. \u201cWhereas if you use a company like Grayscale or BlackRock to do it for you\u2026 it\u2019s unlikely that they\u2019re going to steal your money because they\u2019re well known.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n 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. \u201cI\u2019ve seen the values the organization places on free speech and on building a modern academic institution\u2026 and I\u2019m thrilled to play a role in helping the university make bitcoin a part of its long term strategy,\u201d stated<\/a> Unchained CEO Joseph Kelly, who donated 2 BTC to the campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUniversity endowments are about serving students,\u201d added Thomas Hogan, incoming Associate Professor at UATX. \u201cAnd bitcoin provides a unique opportunity for advancing UATX\u2019s commitment to cultivating future generations of leaders and innovators.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Brown](\"https:\/\/cdn-ilddnad.nitrocdn.com\/XgjmJNBNBbZQEuHAZVzgTqmzytAUTSfp\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-3426a8c\/bitcoinmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXfKOLdHhV7GTXbBpPZmlZZAtllEf3Gvnk-k0cEtDDedyp09_Sfm69yXPHTDMRHqAu0krafRyZ6iFMioERo_N7h9JBmxcpcaIXR_Y7if2hUPXCWcJHHLwV4EIBxW-X2twgc0LM6t-wkey3rqafiy3R5KvFm6IQjII0fG8.png\" "\\"Brown")
<\/p>\n![\"Brown](\"https:\/\/cdn-ilddnad.nitrocdn.com\/XgjmJNBNBbZQEuHAZVzgTqmzytAUTSfp\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-3426a8c\/bitcoinmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AD_4nXe6l-lewekcbJYyPJ9yK4QaG6CPnAWTpDv6N4ujuUWH2PkH4FTY9t3Eup8PGlgIRrWLXyYitEWwJeo9Ym2zZhnn_OiHgM84c_wc_5jKtLRJC73a_IPdYnVXytV1JrprhgKQQA3FXwkey3rqafiy3R5KvFm6IQjII0fG8.png\" "\\"Brown")
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