• Morgan Stanley is making the move in response to demands from its clients.
  • The January approval of bitcoin ETFs raised hopes that they would attract the deep pockets of financial institutions to cryptocurrency.
  • Large firms often have lengthy compliance and review processes to undertake before they approve funds to be offered to their clients.

As a seasoned analyst with over two decades of experience on Wall Street, I’ve witnessed the evolution of financial markets from analog to digital. The recent move by Morgan Stanley to offer bitcoin ETFs to its wealthy clients is a testament to the maturing nature of cryptocurrencies and their increasing acceptance within traditional finance.


Starting Wednesday, financial advisors working for Wall Street titan Morgan Stanley (MS) can begin offering Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) to their affluent clients, as per reports from CNBC.

As a crypto investor, I recently learned that Morgan Stanley is extending its investment offerings to its 15,000+ financial advisers, enabling them to sell shares from BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC funds. This information was reported by CNBC on Friday, sourced from individuals privy to the matter.

The approval of spot bitcoin ETFs in January by U.S. authorities sparked optimism that these investment tools would entice large financial institutions to invest in cryptocurrency. Yet, institutions such as Morgan Stanley usually require extensive compliance and review procedures before endorsing funds for their clients, which can slow down the process.

The bank, with a managed asset value of $1.5 trillion, took action based on client requests, as detailed in the report.

As of March 31, Morgan Stanley appeared to be holding approximately $269.9 million in shares of Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), potentially indicating an intention to provide Bitcoin ETFs to their clients at a later time.

The bank did not immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment.

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2024-08-02 18:24