Wisconsin’s Investment Board Increases Bitcoin Exposure

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) has doubled down on Bitcoin, increasing its holdings in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), a move that highlights the growing adoption of crypto among institutional investors.

📌 A recent SEC filing reveals that SWIB now owns over 6 million shares of IBIT, valued at $335.9 million as of this writing.

📌 This marks a significant increase from last year, when SWIB reported a combined $163 million investment in BlackRock and Grayscale Bitcoin ETFs.

🚀 With this latest move, SWIB’s crypto exposure is now exclusively tied to IBIT.

Wisconsin’s Pension Fund Bets Big on Bitcoin ETFs

🔹 SWIB manages pension funds and other trusts for Wisconsin citizens, diversifying investments across tech stocks, gold, and now Bitcoin ETFs.

🔹 The decision to increase Bitcoin exposure reflects rising confidence in cryptocurrency ETFs as a viable institutional asset class.

📌 SEC filings confirm that SWIB has shifted entirely to IBIT, signaling a strong preference for BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF over competitors.

Bitcoin ETFs Drive Institutional Adoption

📌 In 2023, the SEC approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs, allowing U.S. investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without directly holding the asset.

📌 Since their approval, institutional capital has surged into Bitcoin ETFs, contributing to record-breaking price highs.

📊 Bitcoin recently hit an all-time high of nearly $109,000 in January, fueled by growing institutional adoption and ETF inflows.

💰 Pension funds, hedge funds, and asset managers are increasingly allocating capital to Bitcoin ETFs, viewing them as a regulated, secure entry point into crypto.

More U.S. Pension Funds Are Buying Crypto Exposure

📌 Wisconsin isn’t alone in embracing crypto. Other state pension funds have also started investing in Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.

📌 For example, the State of Michigan Retirement System disclosed in 2023 that it had bought shares in both Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, expanding its crypto investment strategy.

📌 As more pension funds allocate capital to Bitcoin ETFs, the trend signals long-term institutional confidence in crypto as an asset class.

Conclusion: Institutional Interest in Bitcoin Continues to Grow

📌 Wisconsin’s Investment Board has increased its Bitcoin ETF holdings to $335M.
📌 Bitcoin ETFs have driven record institutional inflows, boosting BTC’s price.
📌 Other U.S. pension funds, including Michigan’s, are also investing in crypto ETFs.
📌 Institutional adoption is fueling Bitcoin’s long-term growth, with ETFs playing a key role.

With regulated investment vehicles like IBIT gaining traction, will more pension funds follow suit and push Bitcoin to new highs? 🚀