The University of Austin is launching a $5 million Bitcoin fund as part of its $200 million endowment. Can the move encourage institutional acceptance of Bitcoin among US universities?
Chun Lai, the university’s foundation chief investment officer, emphasized the importance of staying ahead of financial innovation. “We don’t want to be left behind when their [cryptocurrency’s] potential materializes dramatically,” Lai told Financial Times in a report published on 9 February 2025.
Notably, the precedent is set by Emory University. In a regulatory filing last October, it was disclosed that over $15 million in Bitcoin was invested through Grayscale’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). This marks the first publicly known instance of a US university endowment holding Bitcoin ETFs.
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University of Austin Plans to hold its Bitcoin for 5 Years
The growing adoption of Bitcoin ETFs by institutions has fueled expectations of a positive impact on Bitcoin’s price. Especially, given the significant capital they can inject into the market. Many analysts argue that sustained institutional interest is crucial for Bitcoin to reach new all-time highs.
In line with this long-term outlook, the University of Austin plans to hold its Bitcoin investment for a minimum of five years. Chad Thevenot, the university’s senior vice president for advancement, compared Bitcoin’s potential to other traditional assets.
“We think there is long-term value there, just the same way that we might think there is long-term value in stocks or real estate,” he said.
Emory University reported $15.8m worth of $BTC, the first endowment to report a bitcoin ETF position. With that every institution type is now represented in the btc etf 13Fs (endowment, bank, HF, Ins Co, Advisor, Pension, PE, Holding Co, Vc, Trust, Family Office, Brokerage).… pic.twitter.com/eefYpEbXRn
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) October 28, 2024
Beyond university endowments, cryptocurrency is gaining traction in the retirement sector as well. A recent Bitget Research report revealed that up to 20% of Generation Z and Generation Alpha are open to receiving pensions in cryptocurrency.
Additionally, 78% of surveyed respondents expressed greater trust in alternative retirement savings options over traditional pension funds, pointing to a broader shift towards decentralized finance.
“Younger generations are no longer content with one-size-fits-all pension systems,” said Bitget CEO Gracy Chen in the report. “They’re looking for modern solutions that give them more control, flexibility, and transparency.”
Furthermore, the study found that as of January 2025, 40% of individuals in these younger demographics had already invested in cryptocurrency.
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US States On Verge of Adopting Bitcoin Reserve
Just recently, an Ohio state senator introduced a second bill aimed at creating a Bitcoin reserve fund.
Previously, New Hampshire and North Dakota introduced legislation to establish strategic Bitcoin reserves. Notably, this marks a growing trend among US states to diversify their treasuries with cryptocurrency.
In December 2024, Texas Representative Giovanni Capriglione introduced the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act. The Act proposes that the state comptroller hold Bitcoin as a reserve asset for at least five years. Pennsylvania took a similar step in November.
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