Tudor Investment recorded holdings of 688,529 shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) as of June 30, 2026, valued at $22.9 million. According to a 13F filing submitted on Friday, August 15, 2026, this figure marks an increase of 109,446 shares or 18.9% compared to the position at the end of March 2026, which stood at 579,083 shares. Based on recent market price movements at the time of writing, the value of the holdings is estimated to reach $24.5 million.
The move marks the first shift in direction for billionaire Paul Tudor Jones’s fund after a prolonged downward trend. At the end of 2024, Tudor held a peak position of 8.05 million IBIT shares valued at $427 million. However, after reaching that high point, the firm continued to trim its holdings in every quarter throughout 2025, leaving just 576,523 shares. Despite the new purchases in the second quarter of 2026, Tudor’s current direct position remains 91.4% below its late 2024 peak.
Different Signals in the Options Market
Behind the increase in direct IBIT shares, Tudor’s derivatives portfolio shows a different maneuver. The 13F filing shows a sharp contraction in call option positions. The company reported holding call options linked to 148,000 IBIT shares, plunging 85.2% from the 998,000 shares held in March.
At the same time, the put option position did not move much. Tudor’s put position was recorded down slightly by 1.4% to 715,000 underlying shares. This move in the options market suggests that the firm continues to maintain protection against downside risk. Moreover, the value of IBIT held by Tudor is only a fraction of its total portfolio, which reaches $71.9 billion.
Anti-Inflation Narrative Remains Intact
This repurchase of IBIT shares aligns with the long-term views of the founder. Paul Tudor Jones has been vocal in linking Bitcoin to macroeconomic conditions, repeatedly referring to it as an “inflation trade.” This past April, he reiterated his view, calling Bitcoin the best hedge instrument against inflation due to its fixed supply design.
Tudor’s decision to stop dumping holdings and start rebuilding its position offers a clue as to how institutional funds are reading the long-term direction of the market. They are slowly re-entering without rashly exhausting their major capital; keeping a hedge portion in the options market is deemed the most logical way to anticipate market volatility without having to bear excessive exposure.
Reported by CoinDesk.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
