Wisconsin Pension Fund Sold $300M BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Stake Amid Tariff Turmoil, New Filing Shows

By: cryptonews|2025/05/16 12:15:05

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board quietly liquidated its entire $300 million stake in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) sometime during the first quarter of 2025, according to a new 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday. The sale occurred against the backdrop of growing market uncertainty triggered by a wave of U.S. tariffs that rattled global trade and risk assets. Notably, the filing’s cutoff date—March 31—came just two days before the so-called ‘Liberation Day’ on April 2, 2025—a reference to the day the U.S. imposed comprehensive tariffs affecting nearly all its major trading partners. The SEC filing, dated May 15, confirms SWIB sold its Bitcoin ETF holdings ahead of the March 31 reporting date for the end of the first quarter of the year. According to the board's previous filing, dated February 14, the fund held 6,060,351 IBIT shares, worth approximately $321,501,621. Shifting market optics The broader economic landscape also shifted dramatically following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, which began an aggressive new trade policy that seeks to reshore manufacturing on U.S. soil and spur domestic growth. The administration announced 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on Chinese imports on February 1. Two days later, the Canada and Mexico tariffs were paused for 30 days, though the 10% tariff on China took effect on February 4. By February 11, President Trump reinstated a 25% tariff on steel imports and raised the tariff on aluminum to 25%. Trade pressure ramped up on March 4, when the U.S. increased tariffs on China to 20%. The tit-for-tat policy spiral of tariffs led to significant market instability, with Goldman Sachs analysts warning the new tariffs could push core inflation to 3.8% this year. The crypto markets were not left unscathed, where Bitcoin fell 2.3% to around $83,200, while Ethereum dropped 4.5%. Amid a retaliatory spiral, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods surged to 145%, while China raised tariffs on U.S. products to 125%, sending Bitcoin below $75,000. Tensions began to ease in May when the U.S. and China temporarily reduced tariffs. The U.S. lowered its rate on Chinese goods to 30%, while China reduced its tariff on U.S. imports to 10%. As of mid-May, President Trump has also paused most reciprocal tariffs on other countries. Edited by Sebastian Sinclair

On March 4, 2026, DDC Enterprise Limited (NYSE American: DDC) today announced preliminary, unaudited full-year financial performance for the year ended December 31, 2025. The company expects to achieve record revenue and record positive adjusted EBITDA, primarily driven by continued growth in its core consumer food business and overall margin improvement. The final audited financial report is expected to be released in mid-April 2026.

2025 Full-Year Financial Highlights

Revenue: Expected to be between $39 million and $41 million, reaching a new company high.

Organic Growth: Excluding the impact of the company's strategic contraction of its U.S. operations, core revenue is expected to grow 11% to 17% year over year.

Gross Profit Margin: Expected to be between 28% and 30%, reflecting continued operational efficiency improvements.

Adjusted EBITDA: The company expects to achieve a positive full-year result in 2025, a significant improvement from a $3.5 million loss in 2024, mainly due to rigorous cost controls and a higher-margin sales mix.

Core Consumer Food Business Performance

In 2025, DDC's core consumer food business maintained strong operational performance.

The company also disclosed Core Consumer Food Business Adjusted EBITDA, a metric that further excludes costs related to its Bitcoin reserve strategy and non-cash fair value adjustments related to its Bitcoin holdings from adjusted EBITDA to more accurately reflect the core business performance.

In 2025, Core Consumer Food Business Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $5.5 million and $6 million.

Bitcoin Reserve Update

In the first half of 2025, DDC initiated a long-term Bitcoin accumulation strategy, holding Bitcoin as its primary reserve asset.

As of December 31, 2025: The company holds 1,183 BTC.

As of February 28, 2026: Holdings increased to 2,118 BTC

Today's additional purchase of 65 BTC brings the company's total holdings to 2,183 BTC

DDC Founder, Chairman, and CEO Norma Chu stated, "We are proud to have closed 2025 with record revenue and positive adjusted EBITDA, demonstrating the steady growth of the company's consumer food business and the ongoing improvement in profitability. We are building a disciplined, growth-oriented food platform and strategically allocating capital to Bitcoin assets with a long-term view, aligning with our core beliefs. We believe that this dual-track model of 'Steady Consumer Business + Strategic Bitcoin Reserve' will help DDC create lasting long-term value for shareholders."

Adjusted EBITDA Definition
For the full year 2025, the company defines "Adjusted EBITDA" (a non-GAAP financial measure) as: Net income / (loss) excluding the following items:· Interest expense· Taxes· Foreign exchange gains/losses· Long-lived asset impairment· Depreciation and amortization· Non-cash fair value changes related to financial instruments (including Bitcoin holdings)· Stock-based compensation

About DDC Enterprise Limited

DDC Enterprise Limited (NYSE: DDC) is actively implementing its corporate Bitcoin Treasury strategy while continuing to strengthen its position as a leading global Asian food platform.

The company has established Bitcoin as a core reserve asset and is executing a prudent, long-oriented accumulation strategy. While expanding its portfolio of food brands, DDC is gradually becoming one of the public company pioneers in integrating Bitcoin into its corporate financial architecture.

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DDC Enterprise Limited Announces 2025 Unaudited Preliminary Financial Performance: Record Revenue Achieved, Bitcoin Treasury Grows to 2183 Coins