Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF $MBST set to go live – Details

ambcryptoPublished on 2026-04-08Last updated on 2026-04-08

Abstract

Morgan Stanley, with $6.2 trillion in assets, is launching its Bitcoin ETF, the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ($MBST), effective April 8th, 2026. This makes it the first traditional bank to offer a Bitcoin ETF, featuring a competitive annual fee of 0.14%, significantly lower than BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) at 0.25%. The launch is part of a broader crypto push by the bank, which includes filings for Spot Solana ETFs and plans to enable crypto trading on E*Trade. This move reflects a shift in sentiment among traditional financial giants, who are recognizing the long-term value of crypto. The article notes that despite a recent $159.1 million outflow from Bitcoin ETFs, massive inflows were recorded just days prior, and the MSBT has the potential to challenge MicroStrategy's significant institutional Bitcoin holdings.

Morgan Stanley, an American investment banking giant with $6.2 trillion in assets under management (AUM), has now made a major crypto move.

According to Bloomberg’s ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas’ recent X post, Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust will be effective from the 8th of April under the ticker $MBST.

Source: Eric Balchunas/X

The banking giant first announced its plans to launch its Bitcoin [BTC] ETF on the 23rd of March, 2026, aiming to start trading on NYSE Arca.

How Morgan Stanley’s MSBT launch stands out

With this move, Morgan Stanley becomes the first traditional bank to offer a Bitcoin ETF with a 0.14% fee. This is much less compared to the biggest Bitcoin ETF, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF, which has an annual fee of 0.25%.

Additionally, the Farside Investor’s Bitcoin ETF Flow monitor has also upgraded to include the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ETF.

Source: Farside Investors

Besides this launch, Morgan Stanley also filed for Spot Solana ETFs earlier this year. Additionally, the banking giant has made plans in collaboration with Zero Hash to roll out E*Trade in the first half of 2026, enabling trading in Bitcoin, Ethereum [ETH], and Solana [SOL].

Shift in sentiment

Traditional giants are now seeing potential in the long-term value of crypto. Supporting this argument are reports that show crypto standing strong against traditional asset classes despite escalating geopolitical turmoil.

That being said, Morgan Stanley is not alone in this crypto race. Recently, JP Morgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon also highlighted the need for banks to catch up with blockchain technology to stand firm against the “new competitors.”

Seeing this shift in sentiment from traditional investors, Strategy’s now CEO, Phhong Lee, noted,

In the last month, Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab, and Citadel — among the world’s largest wealth managers, broker-dealers, and hedge funds — have announced plans to build Bitcoin capabilities. Probably nothing.

Bitcoin price action and more

This comes as Bitcoin’s price was trading at $71,732.65 at press time after a hike of 4.34% in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Bitcoin ETF recorded outflows worth $159.1 million on the 7th of April. However, it did record a massive inflow worth $471.4 million just a day before, on the 6th of April.

Source: Farside Investors

Amidst these changing dynamics, AMBCrypto still believes that MSBT has the potential to break MSTR’s institutional Bitcoin bet.

Though CryptoQuant data shows that Bitcoin treasury demand is mostly concentrated in the hands of Strategy, the MSBT launch could be a turning point for the overall institutional Bitcoin market.

Source: CryptoQuant

Final Summary

  • Announced on the 23rd of March, 2026, the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust will be effective from the 8th of April, 2026.
  • With 0.14% annual fees in comparison to IBIT’s 0.25%, MSBT is here to uplift the game of Wall Street’s crypto strides.

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Related Questions

QWhen will the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MBST) become effective and on which exchange will it trade?

AThe Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust will be effective from April 8th, 2026, and is set to trade on NYSE Arca.

QWhat is the annual fee for Morgan Stanley's Bitcoin ETF and how does it compare to BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT)?

AMorgan Stanley's Bitcoin ETF has an annual fee of 0.14%, which is significantly lower than BlackRock's IBIT fee of 0.25%.

QBesides a Bitcoin ETF, what other crypto-related products has Morgan Stanley filed for or planned?

AMorgan Stanley has also filed for Spot Solana ETFs and, in collaboration with Zero Hash, plans to roll out E*Trade in the first half of 2026 to enable trading in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

QWhat was the quote from Strategy's CEO, Phhong Lee, regarding the recent moves by traditional financial institutions?

APhhong Lee noted: 'In the last month, Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab, and Citadel — among the world’s largest wealth managers, broker-dealers, and hedge funds — have announced plans to build Bitcoin capabilities. Probably nothing.'

QWhat was the price of Bitcoin and the net flow for Bitcoin ETFs on April 7th, according to the article?

AAt press time, Bitcoin's price was $71,732.65. Bitcoin ETFs recorded outflows worth $159.1 million on April 7th, following a massive inflow of $471.4 million on April 6th.

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