Macquarie Group cut its stake in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) by roughly 62% during the second quarter of 2026, a 13F filing disclosed around August 14 shows. The Australian bank now holds about 1.6 million shares worth between $53M and $55M, down from 4.139 million shares worth about $159M at the end of Q1. It is the second straight quarter Macquarie has pulled back from the world's largest spot Bitcoin ETF, and the pace of retreat has picked up.
Macquarie Group, an Australian financial firm with a market cap north of $50B, slashed its IBIT position by roughly 62% during Q2 2026, according to a 13F filing submitted around August 14. The firm now holds approximately 1.6 million shares worth between $53M and $55M, down from about 4.139 million shares valued at around $159M at the end of Q1.
A second straight quarter of selling
This marks the second consecutive quarter Macquarie has pulled back from the world's largest spot Bitcoin ETF. In Q1 2026, the firm had trimmed its stake by roughly 19% — a much smaller reduction than the latest cut. Macquarie has not publicly explained the rationale behind either move; there has been no earnings call commentary, no press release, and no executive interviews addressing the decision.
However, 13F filings do not distinguish between proprietary holdings and positions held for clients. So it is possible Macquarie's own conviction on Bitcoin has not changed at all, and the reduction instead reflects client redemptions or mandate changes. It is also possible the firm is actively de-risking; the filing does not say which.
Why the filing matters
SEC Form 13F requires institutional managers overseeing more than $100M in qualifying assets to disclose US equity holdings quarterly. These filings have become a key gauge of institutional Bitcoin adoption since spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in the US in early 2024, and IBIT quickly became the dominant product in that category.
Still, a single 13F snapshot carries limits: it reflects a moment roughly six weeks before the filing deadline, and Macquarie is a diversified institution rather than a crypto-native fund or a hedge fund prone to large swings. The next 13F cycle, covering Q3 positions, will show whether Macquarie kept selling, held steady, or reversed course. For now, its $55M position is a fraction of what it held six months earlier.
Source: Crypto Briefing
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