Goldman Sachs Tops BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Holdings as Smart Money Turns to Crypto

Institutional investors often deploy an army of analysts and bankers while leveraging their volumes to access better market insights, compared to average retail investors. That’s why their funds are often called the ‘smart money’. So, when the second-largest investment bank allocates billions for an asset, it tends to grab attention.

As per the recent market updates, Goldman Sachs has doubled down on its investment in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), becoming the largest institutional holder of the fund. According to the SEC filing, Goldman Sachs has increased its Spot Bitcoin ETF holdings from 24 million to 30.8 million shares in the first quarter of 2025. Cumulatively, the total holding is estimated to be worth over $1.5 billion.

With this, Goldman Sachs overtakes Brevan Howard as the largest holder. With around 25.5 million shares, Brevan Howard’s shares are valued at around $1.2 billion as per the media reports.

The growing interest of institutional investors in digital assets like Bitcoin is evident in the fact that BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF inflows have reached $44.7 billion, while Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) has seen a net inflow of $11.7 billion, as per the data from Farside Investors.

In April, Goldman Sachs raised the probability of a US recession within the next year to 45%. Following its dire predictions, the investment bank is said to have doubled down on Bitcoin as a potential hedge against rising inflation and possible economic slowdown.

After a near-zero leaning towards crypto till 2020, the barrage of institutional money started with public companies like MicroStrategy and Tesla accumulating some. And now, almost all major investment banks and asset management companies have allocated investment to Bitcoin. Now, with the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2024, Bitcoin has officially entered every nook and corner of Wall Street.

Smart money went from ignoring crypto to mocking it, to buying the dip, and now, they’re betting big.