Morgan Stanley Taps Amy Oldenburg to Coordinate Firmwide Crypto Strategy

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-01-28Last updated on 2026-01-28

Abstract

Morgan Stanley has appointed Amy Oldenburg to a newly created role to coordinate the firm's digital asset strategy, as the bank intensifies its push into crypto. An internal memo from co-presidents Andy Saperstein and Dan Simkowitz confirmed her position within a firm-wide strategy and execution effort. This move aligns with the bank's shift from offering crypto access to building a more robust product toolkit. Recently, Morgan Stanley filed for Bitcoin and Solana-related exchange-traded products, signaling a deeper commitment to regulated crypto exposure. The bank also plans to enable cryptocurrency trading on its E-Trade platform by mid-2026, starting with BTC, ETH, and SOL. In wealth management, it advises a cautious 2-4% crypto allocation based on risk appetite, referring to Bitcoin as "digital gold." Oldenburg's role will unify product development, partnerships, and execution as crypto gains mainstream traction.

Morgan Stanley has made a new role for better coordination of its digital-asset strategy, knocking out prolonged official Amy Oldenburg as the bank intensifies its push into crypto.

Bloomberg also reported that an internal memo was sent on January 26 by co-presidents Andy Saperstein and Dan Simkowitz mentioning that Oldenburg will sit within a firm-wide strategy and execution effort.

The appointment is made amid the shift of the bank from offering access to crypto products to making a more firm toolkit. At the beginning of this month, Morgan Stanley Investment Management filed preliminary registration statements for exchange-traded products associated with Bitcoin and Solana, a clear indication that it needs a bigger foothold in regulated crypto exposure.

The Further Plans To Widen

The filings have also come as US rules revolving around the crypto market continue to evolve and have somehow captivated more traditional finance companies into the sector. Reuters mentioned that the ETF push by Morgan Stanley is a part of a wider trend of banks inclining towards digital assets under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Talking about the brokerage side, Morgan Stanley has also said it has plans to provide cryptocurrency trading on its E-Trade platform in the first six months of 2026, leveraging Zerohash for digital-asset infrastructure, with BTC, ETH and SOL among the initial tokens.

Within the boundaries of wealth management, the bank has initiated putting guardrails around how clients approach the asset class. A Global Investment Committee report mentioned cryptocurrency as risky and advised an allotment of around 2% to 4%, relying on risk appetite, while comparing Bitcoin to “digital gold”.

The new remit of Oldenburg associates those strands together, providing Morgan Stanley a single senior point person to line up product development, collaborations and execution as crypto moves further into mainstream markets.

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