Bitcoin ETF investments held by Abu Dhabi wealth funds exceeded $1 billion as of year-end 2025.

Abu Dhabi-based investors Mubadala Investment Company and Al Warda Investments increased their stakes in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust during the fourth quarter of 2025, adding exposure to bitcoin as prices declined, according to regulatory disclosures.

Filings show Mubadala purchased nearly four million additional IBIT shares between October and December, raising its total holdings to 12.7 million shares. The sovereign wealth fund first initiated a position in the ETF in late 2024 and has continued to build on it. Bitcoin fell about 23% over the fourth quarter.

Al Warda Investments also modestly increased its position, reporting 8.2 million IBIT shares at year-end, up from 7.96 million shares three months earlier.

Together, the two Abu Dhabi firms held more than $1 billion in bitcoin exposure through IBIT at the end of 2025. However, with bitcoin down another 23% so far in 2026, the estimated value of their combined stake has declined to just over $800 million as of Tuesday, assuming no further purchases this year.

The positions were disclosed through 13F filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, underscoring continued institutional demand for spot bitcoin ETFs despite broader market weakness. Since its debut in early 2024, IBIT has become the dominant U.S.-listed vehicle for regulated bitcoin exposure.

While crypto markets have faced headwinds in early 2026 — including subdued volatility, weaker retail participation and macro uncertainty — some long-term investors appear to be using the downturn to accumulate positions in regulated, liquid digital asset products.

On a recent panel, BlackRock’s head of digital assets, Robert Mitchnick, dismissed the view that hedge fund activity in ETFs is driving heavy selling and volatility. Instead, he said, the firm’s data suggests that most IBIT holders are investing with a long-term perspective.

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