$40 Billion Asset Manager Brevan Howard Announces Major Sale of Bitcoin (BTC) Holdings
London-based hedge fund Brevan Howard Capital Management made significant changes to its spot Bitcoin ETF position during the sharp decline in Bitcoin (BTC) prices in the fourth quarter of 2025.
According to filings submitted to U.S. regulators by February 17, the firm became the largest seller of shares in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), reducing its holdings by 31.2 million shares.
Bloomberg data shows that Brevan Howard’s IBIT position dropped from 36.7 million shares to 5.5 million shares — a decline of approximately 86%. The value of its spot exposure fell from roughly $2.4 billion to $275 million. The company declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi–based sovereign wealth funds have recently increased their exposure to spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Partial Shift to the Options Market
Despite the major reduction in ETF exposure, Brevan Howard has not fully exited the Bitcoin market. A significant portion of its direct holdings has been replaced with derivatives.
Reports indicate that the fund holds more than $400 million in call options on approximately 8 million IBIT shares and over $248 million in put options on roughly 5 million shares.
This move suggests a restructuring of the position rather than a complete withdrawal.
According to James Harris, CEO of digital asset manager Tesseract, the shift does not signal a change in sentiment toward Bitcoin. He noted that Brevan is likely maintaining its IBIT exposure as part of a long-term cash-and-carry strategy, though this strategy has become less attractive as the spread between futures and spot prices has narrowed from double-digit levels in 2025 to the 3–4% range.
See also: "Bitcoin Falls Below $67K After Hawkish Fed Minutes"
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