Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company and Al Warda Investments increased their Bitcoin holdings on February 17, 2026, when they acquired more shares of the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the regulated spot Bitcoin ETF issued by BlackRock. The investments came at a time when BTC was declining by 23% in Q4 2025.
By the end of 2025, Mubadala owned 12.7 million IBIT shares, increasing by almost four million in Q4. Al Warda owned 8.2 million shares. The combined values exceed $1 billion and represent a way to gain exposure to BTC without direct custody risks. ETF filings highlight the increasing adoption of crypto investment products.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Attract Investors
The purchases took place during the correction of BTC and not during the recovery of the cryptocurrency. Both firms increased their holdings in the early part of 2026 when BTC fell by an additional 23% YTD. The total ETF holdings of the two firms amount to more than $800 million, assuming no further purchases.
This strategy indicates that institutional investors are long-term focused rather than short-term focused. Spot Bitcoin ETFs allow institutional investors to access digital assets securely and efficiently, with advantages including easier portfolio management, lower custody risk, and high liquidity, which are attractive to sovereign wealth funds and other asset managers.
Long-Term Crypto Bets Continue Rising
Institutional accumulation does not only mean funds backed by the government; corporate treasuries continue to accumulate Bitcoin and Ethereum even at the cost of unrealized losses.
For instance, Strategy, which is a public company, purchased 2,486 BTC at an average of $67,710 and invested $168 million. Currently, they have 717,131 BTC valued at about $48.8 billion and have $5.8 billion in paper losses based on an average cost of $76,027.
Similarly, BitMine Immersion Technologies invested 45,759 ETH on average at $2,001, investing $91.6 million. The firm currently holds 4.37 million ETH, valued at $8.67 billion. The firm has $8 billion in unrealized losses. However, both firms are adding to their digital assets portfolios, indicating their confidence in their long-term prospects.
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Bitcoin, Ethereum See Institutional Inflows
The crypto market’s momentum for 2026 is off to a weak start. BTC is under pressure, retail is quiet, and global uncertainty is weighing on risk assets.
However, institutional players are changing their strategy, with sovereign wealth funds, corporate treasuries, and asset managers continuing to increase their exposure to BTC and ETH through regulated products, including spot ETFs.
Short-term trends suggest that there is a correction in store, but the inflows from big institutions suggest that there is more and more confidence in BTC and Ethereum as long-term assets. The question is whether we will see a dip or quiet accumulation before the next major cryptocurrency cycle begins.
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