Professional Bitcoin Holdings Drop 52.5K BTC in Q1 2026, Hedge Funds Cut 39%

According to Coinshares, professional bitcoin holdings fell 52.5K BTC, a 17% quarterly decline, in Q1 2026. The total value of those holdings dropped 35% to $17.8 billion. Hedge funds and brokerages accounted for roughly 95% of the exposure reduction, with hedge funds cutting 31,400 BTC (39% decline) and brokerages shedding 18,800 BTC (53% drop).

Countering this trend, banks doubled their exposure to roughly 15,200 BTC, with JPMorgan Chase adding 3,000 BTC, Wells Fargo adding 4,000 BTC, and Citigroup appearing in filings for the first time. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Fund expanded sovereign holdings by approximately 1,100 BTC.