Dartmouth Endowment’s Crypto Portfolio Loses $2 Million in Value

Dartmouth College’s 2024 year‑end endowment report reveals a $2 million decline in its crypto holdings.

Campus Crypto Portfolio Takes a Hit

The university’s positions in the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF, Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF, and BlackRock iShares Bitcoin ETF have shrunk to roughly $12 million amid the market slide.

■Bitwise Solana Staking ETF: ~30% drop, about $3.6 million loss.

■Grayscale Ethereum Staking ETF: 28% decline, $3.4 million loss.

■BlackRock iShares Bitcoin ETF: 32% slide, $5 million loss.

Staking ETFs Face Sharp Decline

The plunge in crypto‑linked ETFs is pressuring not only academic funds like Dartmouth but also broader sector liquidity. Analysts note that staking products are seeing heightened liquidity risk.

■Staking yields: Fell from an average of 5% to 2% in 2023‑2024.

■ETF liquidity: Daily trading volume down 18%.

■Market volatility: BTC and ETH prices dropped 25% and 22% respectively.

Strategic Takeaways and Future Risks

Dartmouth’s move signals a more cautious stance by academic endowments toward crypto assets. The investment committee might consider the following actions:

■Trim exposure by roughly 15%.

■Exit staking products in favor of more liquid spot positions.

■Redefine risk limits, especially raising volatility thresholds.

As academic institutions reassess their crypto exposure, portfolio adjustments by large endowments like Dartmouth serve as a sector‑wide caution flag. Such contractions can tighten liquidity and amplify price swings, prompting both investors and regulators to adopt a refreshed risk‑management framework.