Data sourced from Dakota Marketplace, the global LP and GP intelligence platform trusted by thousands of investment professionals. Learn More | Book a Demo
Dakota Marketplace tracks 167,900+ ETF positions held by 8,400+ RIAs, each with a fund balance of at least $1 million. Those holdings show ETFs are no longer a cheap passive add-on for advisors. They are the main tool RIAs use to build client portfolios, from the broad equity core to thematic and private credit sleeves.
This post breaks down how RIAs use ETFs layer by layer, using Dakota Marketplace 13F holdings data, and what that structure means for investment firms competing for a place in RIA portfolios.
The Scale of RIA ETF Ownership
Dakota Marketplace's RIA and 13F coverage shows how widely advisors use ETFs.
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Metric
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Figure
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RIA accounts in Dakota Marketplace
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8,774, average AUM $1.8B (October 2026)
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RIAs with $1M+ ETF positions
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8,486
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RIA ETF positions tracked ($1M+ fund balance)
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167,934
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Average AUM of those RIAs
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$2B
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Source: Dakota Marketplace platform and 13F holdings data.
Layer 1: The Passive Core
The largest RIA ETF positions in Dakota Marketplace by fund balance are broad, low-cost index funds. These form the base of most RIA model portfolios and hold the bulk of client assets.
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Role in Portfolio
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Most Common ETFs in Dakota Data
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US large cap and total market equity
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iShares Core S&P 500 (IVV), Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI)
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International equity
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Vanguard MSCI EAFE (VEA), emerging markets (IEMG)
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Fixed income
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Vanguard Total Bond Market (BND), short-term Treasuries (SHY), short-term TIPS (VTIP)
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Defensive and cash-like
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SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), SPDR Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill (BIL)
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The fixed income lineup also reflects rate uncertainty. Short-duration Treasuries, TIPS, and T-bill ETFs sit alongside the aggregate bond core, giving advisors a way to manage duration without moving clients out of the ETF wrapper.
Layer 2: Thematic Overlays
On top of the core, RIAs add tactical and thematic sleeves. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) ranks among the largest RIA ETF positions in Dakota Marketplace, showing advisors also use ETFs for defensive exposure.
AI ETFs
Artificial intelligence is the most visible thematic sleeve. A handful of AI-linked mega caps now drive a disproportionate share of US equity returns, which makes AI exposure a portfolio decision most advisors have to make.
Advisors who want AI exposure without loading client accounts with a single name like NVIDIA, Microsoft, or Palantir are using thematic ETFs instead. One ticker gives diversified exposure across the theme, and it is more liquid and lower cost than trying to reach private AI companies directly.
These are the five AI ETFs with the broadest RIA ownership in Dakota Marketplace's 13F data, across the Q4 2024 through Q4 2025 filing periods:
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Ticker
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ETF
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Strategy
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BOTZ
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Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF
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Robotics and automation companies, from factory equipment makers to AI-driven automation systems
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AIQ
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Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF
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The AI value chain: semiconductors, cloud platforms, and companies applying AI in their products
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QTUM
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Defiance Quantum ETF
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Quantum computing and machine learning: chipmakers, software, and next-generation computing infrastructure
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ARTY (formerly IRBO)
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iShares Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Multisector ETF
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Robotics, automation, and AI-driven businesses across industries, not just tech
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ROBO
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ROBO Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF
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Industrial robotics, factory automation, and the sensor and software providers behind them
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Source: Dakota Marketplace 13F holdings data, RIA-filed positions, Q4 2024 through Q4 2025 filing periods.
See which RIAs hold BOTZ, AIQ, and the funds competing with yours. Dakota Marketplace links 167,900+ RIA ETF positions to the advisors behind them, with position size, filing period, and the CIO's contact on the same profile. Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace.
Layer 3: Private Credit Through the ETF Wrapper
Private credit is now showing up in RIA ETF holdings too. Dakota's 13F data shows RIAs using CLO-based private credit ETFs as a liquid way into the asset class.
Adoption is still early and concentrated. Gradient Investments holds $26.2 million in the BondBloxx Private Credit CLO ETF (PCMM), more than twice the position of any other RIA in Dakota Marketplace's most recent 13F filings.
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Rank
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RIA
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ETF Holdings
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Approx. Position
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1
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Gradient Investments
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PCMM
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$26.2M
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2
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Carrera Capital Advisors
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PCMM
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$11.6M
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3
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&Partners
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PCMM
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$7.0M
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4
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Farther
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ACLO, PCMM
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$6.7M
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5
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NewEdge Wealth
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PCMM
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$4.6M
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6
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Northland Capital Management
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PCMM
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$4.6M
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7
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Impact Partnership Wealth
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PCMM
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$4.0M
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8
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Foundations Investment Advisors
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PCMM
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$3.6M
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9
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Compound Planning
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PCMM
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$3.2M
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10
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Inspire Advisors
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PCMM, PCLO
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$3.1M
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Source: Dakota Marketplace 13F holdings data, most recent filings.
Three patterns stand out. Nine of the ten firms hold PCMM, and for most it is their only private credit ETF. The top three firms account for about 60% of the top ten's combined $74.6 million.
Beyond this list, most RIA positions are under $1 million, which suggests many advisors are still testing the category.
What This Means for Investment Firms
Dakota's 13F data shows RIAs building portfolios in deliberate layers, with each ETF filling a defined role. For investment firms, that means the pitch has to fit a specific sleeve, not just the ETF wrapper.
- Sell into a specific sleeve. The question is no longer whether an RIA uses ETFs. It is which sleeve your fund can displace and why your vehicle is better for that role.
- Target holders of competing tickers. A list of RIAs is not a prospect list. A list of RIAs holding a competitor's fund in your category, with position size, filing date, and the decision-maker's contact, is.
- Track direction, not just ownership. Quarter-over-quarter 13F filings show whether a position is growing, stable, or being trimmed. A firm adding to a competing fund is a different conversation than one trimming it.
- Use ETF holdings as a signal for private funds. RIAs that already hold private credit ETFs have shown a willingness to allocate to the asset class. For firms raising private credit, interval, or semi-liquid funds, they are a logical first call.
The Dakota Marketplace RIA ETF Database
Dakota Marketplace tracks 8,774 RIA accounts (October 2026) and 167,934 ETF positions across 8,486 RIAs with $1M+ fund balances. Every position is linked to confirmed contacts at the firm, including the CIO, portfolio managers, and due diligence professionals.
Filter by ETF ticker, asset class, filing period, fund balance, RIA AUM, and metro area to find the advisors already allocating to your category.
Book a demo to see RIA ETF holdings data in action.
