Michigan Retirement Fund Invests Heavily in Bitcoin ETF: $11 Million Stake in ARK, Will Pension Funds Go All In on Crypto Assets?

The Michigan retirement fund has significantly increased its investment in Bitcoin through the ARK 21Shares (ARKB) exchange-traded fund, highlighting how ETFs simplify the process for institutional investors to access digital assets. According to regulatory filings submitted to the SEC, as of the end of the second quarter, the Michigan Retirement System held 300,000 shares of ARKB stock, valued at $10.737 million. This marks a significant growth compared to 110,000 shares during the same period last year. This major news, combined with President Trump considering issuing an executive order allowing individual retirement accounts to invest in digital assets, signals an unprecedented wave of crypto assets investment about to sweep the pension market.

Michigan Retirement Fund: From Traditional Investments to Crypto Assets Allocation

ARKB is one of the 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs approved by the SEC in January 2024, allowing direct investment in Crypto Assets. Based on the current stock price of $37.72, assuming no shares have been sold since the last disclosure, the value of ARKB shares held by the retirement fund is now approximately $11.3 million.

In addition to holding Bitcoin-related assets, the retirement fund has also disclosed its holding of 460,000 shares of Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE), valued at approximately $9.6 million as of June 30. This holding has remained unchanged since September 2024.

Michigan is not the only state whose retirement fund is investing in digital assets. According to Cointelegraph, the Wisconsin Investment Board disclosed a $321 million Bitcoin investment in February through BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and Grayscale's Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), showing significant growth compared to the previous year.

Trump Administration Spurs: Bitcoin, Ethereum ETF Gold Rush Accelerates

As Michigan disclosed this news, reports indicated that U.S. President Trump is considering issuing an executive order to allow individual retirement accounts to invest in digital assets. If this policy is implemented, it will open the door to Crypto Assets for the multi-trillion-dollar retirement market, leading to an unprecedented influx of capital.

Following the most successful ETF issuance in American history, Bitcoin funds maintained strong momentum in 2024. In mid-July, U.S. Bitcoin ETFs saw net inflows exceeding $1 billion for two consecutive days, marking the first time this has occurred. This surge prompted 12 consecutive days of fund inflows, coinciding with Bitcoin reaching a historical high of over $123,000. According to Bitbo, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs currently hold over 1.292 million BTC, valued at approximately $14.65 billion.

The Ethereum ETF has also gained significant growth momentum after initially slow development, with BlackRock's iShares Ethereum ETF becoming the third fastest to reach a $10 billion asset management scale. According to data from Dune Analytics, the on-chain holdings of Ethereum in the ETF have increased by over 40% in the past month. The surge in ETH accumulation has driven a substantial rise in ETH prices, climbing above $3,800 in July, with an increase of more than 110% since early May.

Conclusion

The Michigan Retirement Fund invested $11 million in ARK ETF, deepening its investment in Bitcoin. This not only reflects the growing recognition of crypto assets by institutional investors but also, under the potential policies of the Trump administration, indicates that the pension market will become an important driving force for the next wave of growth in crypto assets. This trend of "pensions ALL IN on crypto assets" will fundamentally change the position of digital assets in mainstream finance.

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