Yigit Taha OZTURK 
The University of Austin is launching a first-of-its-kind Bitcoin investment fund, showcasing the growing Bitcoin adoption among United States institutions.
The university will raise over $5 million for a Bitcoin fund as part of its $200 million endowment fund.
“We don’t want to be left behind when [cryptocurrency’s] potential materializes dramatically,” Chun Lai, the foundation’s chief investment officer, told FT, according to a Feb. 9 report.
The news of this fund comes after Emory University revealed three months ago that it had accumulated over $15 million worth of Bitcoin through Grayscale’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), making Emory the first U.S. university endowment to report holding Bitcoin ETFs.
University of Austin Targets 5-Year Bitcoin Holding Strategy
The University of Austin aims for a minimum five-year Bitcoin holding strategy, according to Chad Thevenot, senior vice president for advancement at the university, who said:
“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.”
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This move highlights the growing appetite for digital asset exposure, with more institutional funds adopting multi-year holding strategies.
Crypto Adoption Expands Beyond Financial Institutions
The increasing adoption of cryptocurrencies is not just limited to financial institutions. Retirement funds are also showing a growing interest in digital assets, with a shift in perspective among younger generations.
According to a Bitget Research report shared with Cointelegraph, up to 20% of Gen Z and Alpha are open to receiving pensions in cryptocurrency. Moreover, 78% of respondents expressed greater trust in “alternative retirement savings options” over traditional pension funds, marking a significant shift towards decentralized finance and blockchain-based solutions.
The report emphasized that 40% of individuals in these age groups had already invested in cryptocurrency by January 2025.
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