Big asset managers including Morgan Stanley, Citadel disclose Bitcoin ETF Holdings

When it comes to Bitcoin ETFs, it's not just retail traders getting involved. According to H.C. Wainwright, hedge funds, pension funds, and banks have also poured their capital into these exchange-traded funds, following their highly anticipated debut that was over a decade in the making.

H.C. Wainwright estimates that Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) owned $270 million of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (BTC) (NYSE:GBTC) as of March 31, according to a 13F filing. Other banking giants, including JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM), Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC), and UBS, also disclosed holdings in spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds during the first quarter.

The investment bank speculates that these 13-F filings drove nearly $1 billion in net inflows into spot BTC ETFs last week, reversing nearly $500 million of net outflows from the prior eight weeks. Year-to-date net flows have now surpassed $12 billion.

Other highlights show that 563 professional investment firms reported owning $3.5 billion worth of BTC ETFs based on filings released through May 9. The memo notes that 60% of these holders were investment advisors, with 25% being hedge funds.

Data from Bitcoin brokerage firm River Financial also revealed that 13 out of the top 25 U.S. hedge funds, including Citadel, Millennium, and Point72, established positions in the ETFs during the January-March quarter. Moreover, the State of Wisconsin Investment Board became the first U.S. state pension fund to allocate to the spot BTC ETFs, acquiring $163 million worth of IBIT and GBTC in Q1.

In the latest update on Bitcoin mining and market trends, H.C. Wainwright noted that for the week ending May 19, Bitcoin rose 7.9% to finish just above the $66,200 mark. This surge outpaced broader equity indexes, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rising by 1.5% and 2.1%, respectively. Bitcoin mining stocks also climbed 3.1% following slightly better-than-expected April CPI data and growing institutional adoption.

Meanwhile, the network hash rate increased by 2.6% on a weekly basis to 592 EH/s after two consecutive weeks of decline, while network difficulty remained steady at 83.1T following a 5.6% adjustment on May 9.

On the regulatory front, Oklahoma passed a landmark bill protecting Bitcoin rights within the state. Effective November 1, 2024, the bill ensures fundamental rights for individuals and corporations engaged in digital asset activities. Key protections include the right to self-custody and use BTC for transactions without additional taxes or penalties.

The bill also offers specific protections for Bitcoin miners that safeguard them from local government impediments and remove the requirement for a money transmitter license. This legislative move follows similar favorable actions from other Bitcoin-friendly states, including Montana, Arkansas, and Wyoming.

This article first appeared in Investing.com