ADIC Makes a Big Bet in a Volatile Quarter
The Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) nearly tripled its stake in a Bitcoin ETF, even as the market was going through one of its most volatile stretches of the year. ADIC made this move through BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, which makes the decision particularly intriguing.
According to a Bloomberg report, ADIC significantly boosted its holdings in BlackRock’s IBIT fund. By September 30, the fund's shares increased from 2.4 million to almost 8 million. At that time, ADIC valued its position at approximately $520 million. The ETF concluded the third quarter at $65 per share and subsequently climbed to $71 a few days later, shortly after Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $125,100.
ADIC has characterized Bitcoin as “digital gold,” which suggests a serious consideration of its long-term value. The decision to triple its exposure during a period of market turbulence indicates a high level of conviction in the asset.
IBIT Price Drops as Bitcoin Pulls Back
Despite the aggressive buying activity, the IBIT fund has experienced a challenging month. The ETF saw its value decline as Bitcoin dropped below $100,000. By Wednesday, IBIT was trading at $50.71, representing a decrease of about 23% from its value at the end of the third quarter. Over the preceding 30 days, the ETF had fallen roughly 19%. This downturn followed IBIT’s largest daily outflow, exceeding $523 million, as Bitcoin briefly touched $88,000.
$IBIT had worst day of outflows ever yesterday about half a billion. Ugly stretch, although YTD flows still at an astronomical +$25b (6th overall). All told $3.3b in total outflows past month from btc ETFs, which is 3.5% of aum.
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) November 19, 2025
Institutional Confidence Still Growing
Notwithstanding the recent pullback, many within the industry interpret ADIC’s increased position as a significant indicator of institutional confidence. Zayed Aleem from M2 described it as a “fantastic” sign of strong institutional belief and highlighted that it demonstrates the UAE’s growing prominence as a global hub for digital assets.
Crypto commentator MartyParty echoed this sentiment, stating that the move signifies ADIC's view of Bitcoin as a long-term store of value. ETF analyst Eric Balchunas acknowledged that IBIT is currently in an “ugly stretch,” but emphasized that its year-to-date inflows remain substantial, totaling approximately $25 billion. Since its launch, IBIT has accumulated over $63 million in net inflows.
UAE Sovereign Wealth Fund Triples Stake in BlackRock’s #Bitcoin ETF
On November 19, 2025, regulatory filings revealed that the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) an independent unit of the UAE’s Mubadala Investment Company sovereign wealth fund has tripled its holdings in…
— MartyParty (@martypartymusic) November 19, 2025
Conclusion
ADIC's decision to triple its Bitcoin ETF holdings during a period of price decline underscores that certain major players are focused on long-term investment rather than short-term market fluctuations. Regardless of Bitcoin's performance this year, such strategic moves reinforce the ongoing institutional confidence in the cryptocurrency market.