Institutional ownership of U.S. Bitcoin exchange-traded funds reached a record 44.2% in the second quarter of 2026, even as Bitcoin fell 14.2% and total ETF holdings declined, according to quarterly U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 13F disclosures. Institutions reported Bitcoin ETF exposure equivalent to 535,723 BTC, up 7.5% from 498,389 BTC in the first quarter.
The increase came while total Bitcoin held across the tracked ETFs fell 6.6%, to 1,211,322 BTC from 1,297,010 BTC. That divergence lifted the institutional share from 38.4% three months earlier, indicating that professional money managers increased their relative ownership as the overall pool of ETF-held Bitcoin contracted.
The figures show a market in which institutional participation became more concentrated rather than broadly expanding. The number of institutions reporting Bitcoin ETF positions through 13F filings fell to nearly 1,900 from roughly 2,000 in the prior quarter, a 6.8% decline. Fewer reporting firms held a larger combined position.
Large holders added during Bitcoin’s quarterly decline
Seventeen of the 25 largest institutional Bitcoin ETF holders increased their positions during the second quarter, based on the filings. Wells Fargo and Morgan each added exposure equivalent to more than 10,000 BTC, placing them among the quarter’s largest reported buyers.
An Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund also increased its Bitcoin ETF position during the period. The filing data does not provide a complete picture of the fund’s wider digital-asset strategy, but its increased ETF allocation adds another large state-linked institution to the list of reported buyers.
Bitcoin’s 14.2% second-quarter decline created a difficult backdrop for the funds adding exposure. Rather than following the asset’s quarterly direction, many of the biggest disclosed holders increased allocations through regulated ETF products. The pattern suggests that a group of large managers treated lower prices as an opportunity to adjust long-term or strategic exposure, while other institutions reduced or eliminated positions.
That interpretation should be handled carefully. A 13F filing records a manager’s holdings at the end of a quarter and is filed after the reporting period. It does not show the precise dates of purchases, sale prices, derivatives positions, holdings outside reportable securities, or whether a manager was hedging its ETF exposure elsewhere.
New positions included advisers and hedge funds
Ameriprise was among the new entrants reporting an allocation above 100 BTC equivalent during the second quarter. The firm reported approximately $1.7 trillion in assets under management and more than 10,000 financial advisers, making its reported ETF position notable for the scale of its advisory network rather than for the size of the initial Bitcoin allocation.
Other newly reported allocations came largely from hedge funds and investment managers. Context Capital Management reported a new Bitcoin ETF position valued at $191 million, while Compass Rose Asset Management reported a position valued at $122 million.
These additions show that the quarter’s institutional activity was not confined to banks and the biggest wealth-management platforms. Yet the declining number of reporting holders points to uneven participation: some firms entered, while others apparently exited, cut positions below reporting thresholds, or no longer held reportable ETF shares at quarter-end.
The quarterly increase in institutional Bitcoin-equivalent holdings also does not mean institutions collectively control 44.2% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply. The calculation refers to the share of Bitcoin held by the tracked ETFs that was associated with institutions reporting positions in those funds. It is a measure of ownership within the ETF market, not a census of all institutional Bitcoin ownership.
Filing data offers a delayed view of ETF demand
Form 13F applies to institutional investment managers with at least $100 million in assets under management that exercise investment discretion over certain U.S.-listed securities. Managers must disclose many equity holdings quarterly, including shares of Bitcoin ETFs, although the form has important limits.
Because Bitcoin ETFs trade as securities, their shares appear in 13F filings. Analysts can convert those shareholdings into an estimated Bitcoin equivalent using each fund’s underlying holdings or share structure. This provides a useful proxy for institutional demand for the ETF products, but it does not capture direct Bitcoin held in self-custody, futures positions, offshore products, private funds, or entities that fall outside 13F reporting requirements.
The second-quarter data therefore offers a clear view of a specific segment of the market: regulated U.S. Bitcoin ETF ownership among large reporting managers. Within that segment, the direction was upward despite a falling Bitcoin price and a reduction in total ETF-held Bitcoin.
Price, flows and policy remain separate pressures
Bitcoin was trading near $62,840 on August 17, down from highs near $73,000 reached months earlier, according to the figures supplied. The price move occurred alongside renewed concern about inflation after Consumer Price Index data showed annual inflation at 3.4%.
Spot Bitcoin funds also recorded $192.2 million in net outflows between August 12 and August 13, based on the supplied daily figures. Those short-term flows arrived after the second-quarter reporting period and should not be treated as evidence that the institutions listed in 13F filings have changed their positions.
In Washington, the U.S. Senate delayed a final floor vote on the digital asset CLARITY Act until September 15, according to the supplied information. The delay extends uncertainty around the legislative timetable without changing the second-quarter holdings already disclosed.
The 13F data leaves a more measured conclusion: institutional ETF ownership grew during a quarter when Bitcoin and aggregate ETF holdings both fell, but that growth was led by a narrower group of larger holders. Whether that concentration persists will depend on subsequent filings, ETF flows and the decisions of the institutions that reduced or ceased reporting positions during the quarter.
As institutions quietly accumulate ETFs, learn how to position yourself in this cycle with our ETF inflows guide.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not represent the views or financial advice of Toobit. We make no guarantees regarding the accuracy or completeness of this information and shall not be held liable for any errors, omissions, or outcomes resulting from its use. Investing in digital assets involves risk; users should independently evaluate their financial situation and the risks involved. For further details, please consult our Terms of Service and Risk Disclosure.
