Two of Abu Dhabi’s major investment firms increase investments in Bitcoin Buy BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF as the market declines in Q4 2025, according to recent regulatory filings.
Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi government-backed sovereign wealth fund, increased its holdings of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by nearly 4 million shares between October and December, bringing its total holdings to 12.7 million shares. The move comes as Bitcoin is down about 23% for the quarter.
Mubadala first purchased IBIT in late 2024 and has been adding to it since then.
Al Warda Investments, another Abu Dhabi-based investment management firm that oversees diversified global assets on behalf of government-related entities, held 8.2 million shares at the end of the fourth quarter, up slightly from 7.96 million three months ago.
By the end of 2025, the two funds collectively held more than $1 billion worth of Bitcoin through IBIT. However, with Bitcoin down another 23% year-to-date in 2026, the total value of their Bitcoin holdings has fallen to just over $800 million as of Tuesday (assuming they don’t continue to add to their holdings in 2026).
The disclosures via SEC 13F filings reflect growing institutional interest in spot Bitcoin ETFs, even during times of market stress. BlackRock’s IBIT, launched in early 2024, has quickly become the primary vehicle for regulated Bitcoin exposure in the United States
While the cryptocurrency market faces continued headwinds in early 2026, including low volatility, declining retail participation and macroeconomic uncertainty, some long-term investors appear to be taking advantage of the economic downturn to build positions in regulated, liquid products related to digital assets.
Robert Michnick, head of digital assets at BlackRock, said: on a recent panel There is a false belief that hedge funds using ETFs are driving volatility and heavy selling, but this is inconsistent with the firm’s observations. Instead, he said, IBIT holders are investing for the long term.