Abu Dhabi-based Al Warda Investments continued to broaden its publicity to bitcoin via BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Belief (IBIT) within the fourth quarter of 2025, extending a technique shift that started earlier within the yr.
In a submitting launched at the moment, Al Warda reported proudly owning 8,218,712 shares of IBIT as of Dec. 31, up from 7,963,393 shares on the finish of the third quarter. The rise follows a pointy Q3 buildup, when the agency greater than tripled its stake and raised its bitcoin ETF publicity to $517.6 million.
Al Warda operates beneath the Abu Dhabi Funding Council (ADIC), a part of Mubadala Funding Co., one of many area’s main sovereign wealth teams. The council has hardly ever taken public positions in listed digital belongings, sometimes favoring personal market investments reminiscent of buyouts, infrastructure, and actual property.
Its rising allocation via a U.S.-listed bitcoin ETF alerts a shift in institutional positioning inside the Gulf. A spokesperson for ADIC beforehand advised Bloomberg that bitcoin is more and more considered as a long-term retailer of worth alongside gold, citing its function in portfolio diversification as monetary markets transfer towards a extra digital future.
The This fall improve comes after bitcoin surged towards an October peak close to $126,000 earlier than retreating beneath $90,000 in November. Bitcoin is at the moment buying and selling close to $67,000.
Different establishments exploring Bitcoin by way of IBIT
Final week, Goldman Sachs disclosed roughly $2.36 billion in complete crypto publicity, together with a $1.1 billion place in IBIT, signaling a shift from its earlier skepticism towards bitcoin.
SEC filings additionally confirmed smaller holdings in Constancy’s Bitcoin fund, bitcoin-related firms, and choices positions tied to IBIT, alongside publicity to Ethereum, XRP, and Solana.
In November of final yr, Texas grew to become the primary U.S. state to buy Bitcoin for its Strategic Reserve, buying $5 million IBIT shares value roughly $87,000 per BTC. The acquisition was made via BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Belief (IBIT) whereas the state finalizes plans for self-custody of the asset.
Texas had beforehand explored laws to ascertain a strategic Bitcoin reserve with out utilizing taxpayer funds. In June, the governor signed the legislation creating the state’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Harvard additionally adjusted its crypto holdings in This fall 2025, reducing its Bitcoin place by 21% to five.35 million IBIT shares ($265.8 million) whereas establishing a brand new $86.8 million stake in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Belief.
Mixed crypto publicity totaled $352.6 million, with Bitcoin remaining the endowment’s largest publicly disclosed fairness.
