Abu Dhabi sovereign investors hold $1.04B in BlackRock Bitcoin ETF amid renewed ETF outflows
Abu Dhabi-linked sovereign investors Mubadala Investment Company and Al Warda Investments disclosed combined holdings of about 20.9 million shares in BlackRock’s U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) — roughly $1.04 billion — in Form 13F filings for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2025. Mubadala reported 12,702,323 shares (~$630.7M) and Al Warda 8,218,712 shares (~$408.1M). The filings were reported to the U.S. SEC in mid-February 2026 and reflect year-end positions that do not capture trading in early 2026. The disclosures arrive as U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced renewed selling pressure, with roughly $105 million in daily net outflows in the most recent session and aggregate ETF assets near $85.5 billion, while Bitcoin traded around $67.7k. Analysts have flagged downside risk amid early-2026 price pressure, but large, disclosed sovereign positions signal durable institutional allocation to regulated spot Bitcoin ETFs rather than short-term speculation. Mubadala’s 13F also lists substantial non-crypto holdings across technology, healthcare and mining, underscoring diversified sovereign portfolios. For traders: the scale of sovereign ETF ownership supports a base of long-term, non-panic selling demand for Bitcoin ETFs, which can temper volatility, though ongoing ETF outflows and analyst downside scenarios could exert short-term price pressure.
Neutral
Large, disclosed holdings by Abu Dhabi-linked sovereign investors indicate meaningful long-term institutional allocation to regulated spot Bitcoin ETFs. Such positions tend to reduce probability of panic-driven, large-scale liquidations and provide a stable base of demand that can dampen volatility. This supports Bitcoin price stability over the medium-to-long term. However, the filings reflect quarter-end positions and do not capture subsequent selling; at the same time U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs showed renewed net outflows (about $105M in the latest session) and analysts warned of downside risk amid early-2026 price pressure. Those outflows and negative short-term sentiment could exert downward pressure on Bitcoin in the near term. Net effect: the news is neutral overall — it is bullish for structural, long-term confidence in ETF adoption but does not remove short-term bearish catalysts from sustained outflows and analyst warnings.