Morgan Stanley is set to launch its Bitcoin Trust ETF on April 8 on NYSE Arca, marking the first major US bank to introduce a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund.
The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust will enter the market with a 0.14% fee, making it the cheapest Bitcoin ETF currently available and intensifying competition among issuers.
The launch comes nearly two years after the last major Bitcoin ETF debut, with the market currently dominated by BlackRock and Fidelity products that have attracted over $74 billion in combined inflows.
Morgan Stanley’s scale could be a key differentiator, with around 16,000 financial advisors overseeing roughly $6 trillion in client assets, positioning the bank as a major distribution channel.
“This bank happens to have 16k advisors managing $6T in assets. They are the ultimate gatekeepers of rich boomer money,”
Said Bloomberg analyst, Eric Balchunas.
The bank has appointed Coinbase and Bank of New York Mellon as custodians, reinforcing its institutional approach to crypto exposure.
The ETF launch forms part of a broader strategy that includes plans for crypto custody, staking services and additional ETF products tied to Ether and Solana.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $71,790.25.