Fresh 13F filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission show two Abu Dhabi-backed investment entities sharply expanded their exposure to BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), in the final quarter of 2025. By year-end, their combined position stood at 20.9 million shares, worth about $1.139 billion.
Mubadala and Al Warda built a 20.9 million-share IBIT position
Mubadala Investment Company reported holding 12.7 million shares of IBIT as of December 31, 2025, up 46% from 8.7 million shares at the end of the previous quarter. The stake was valued at nearly $631 million. Al Warda Investments, which operates under the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, disclosed ownership of 8.2 million shares valued at roughly $408 million. Taken together, the filings point to a large year-end allocation into BlackRock’s Bitcoin fund.
The source described the move as part of an aggressive “triple-down” allocation approach in the fourth quarter of 2025. Mubadala, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, manages more than $330 billion in assets. Al Warda Investments functions as an investment vehicle within the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.
Bitcoin seen as a long-term portfolio asset
The report links these purchases to the United Arab Emirates’ push to position itself as a global center for regulated blockchain infrastructure. Industry analysts cited in the source said the country is increasingly treating Bitcoin as a form of digital gold and using it for long-term portfolio diversification, while also looking to reduce reliance on oil revenue.
Bitcoin has seen notable price volatility in recent months. Even so, the scale of these holdings from Abu Dhabi state-backed funds stands out and shows continued commitment to digital-asset exposure through changing market conditions.
Digital finance plans extend beyond Bitcoin
Abu Dhabi’s digital-asset activity is not limited to Bitcoin ETF exposure. The report said the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates recently approved the launch of DDSC, a dirham-pegged stablecoin. It is set to run on ADI Chain, a custom institutional Layer-2 blockchain network, and is intended to support large-scale payments and treasury operations for regulated financial institutions. First Abu Dhabi Bank and IHC were identified as backers of the project.
BlackRock’s spot Ethereum ETF, ETHA, also drew strong inflows at the start of 2026. According to Farside Investors data cited in the source, ETHA recorded more than $100 million in net inflows on January 5, 2026, helping lift total net flows into U.S. spot Ethereum ETFs to $165 million for the day. The report said that demand reflected continued institutional interest in Ethereum-linked products.