Morgan Stanley Submits 3 Crypto ETF Applications in 24 Hours, "Catching Up" on Cryptocurrency
Morgan Stanley, one of the world's largest wealth managers, is rapidly expanding its involvement in the cryptocurrency sector. After initially maintaining a conservative stance, the bank has recently accelerated its efforts to catch up with competitors.
Within a 24-hour period in early January 2026, Morgan Stanley submitted three separate filings to the SEC for cryptocurrency ETFs: a Bitcoin Trust, a Solana Trust (which includes a staking feature), and a spot Ethereum ETF. The Ethereum ETF also aims to generate yield by staking a portion of its holdings.
This move follows a series of strategic shifts throughout 2025. The bank first partnered with infrastructure provider Zerohash to offer crypto trading to retail clients via its E-Trade platform, planned for 2026. It then completely lifted restrictions, allowing all clients—including retirement accounts—to invest in spot Bitcoin ETFs through their wealth advisors.
Beyond ETFs, Morgan Stanley announced plans to launch its own proprietary digital wallet later in 2026. This wallet will support the holding and management of cryptocurrencies and focus on tokenized assets, such as traditional securities, private equity, and real estate. According to Wealth Management head Jedd Finn, this initiative is part of a broader strategy to merge traditional finance (TradFi) with decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems.
This aggressive push mirrors a wider trend of major traditional financial institutions, like Bank of America and Citigroup, also significantly increasing their crypto offerings in 2026. Morgan Stanley's evolving strategy, from cautious observation to active embrace, highlights the ongoing mainstream integration of digital assets and signals a major shift in global financial infrastructure.
marsbit01/10 01:02