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Bloomberg reports that the Wall Street giant is in the early stages of planning to add spot Bitcoin and crypto trading capabilities to its ETrade brokerage platform. The project aims to allow ETrade’s retail clients to buy and sell popular crypto directly through their existing brokerage accounts.
The initiative, which executives expect to launch sometime next year, would represent Morgan Stanley’s biggest push yet into providing Bitcoin and crypto services to retail investors. The bank is exploring partnerships with established firms to develop the trading infrastructure, though specific partners have not been finalized.
The move comes as the Trump administration’s more favorable regulatory stance toward Bitcoin and crypto has encouraged major financial institutions to expand their offerings. Morgan Stanley already provides Bitcoin ETFs, futures, and options to its wealthy clients, but this would be its first crypto offering targeted at retail investors.
If launched, the service would put Morgan Stanley in direct competition with crypto-native exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken. Other traditional finance firms are making similar moves – Charles Schwab has indicated interest in spot Bitcoin and crypto trading, while SoFi is considering expanding its bitcoin and services.
The timing aligns with growing institutional adoption of Bitcoin and crypto, as Bitcoin trades above $96,000 and spot Bitcoin ETFs continue attracting significant inflows. Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade platform could provide an accessible on-ramp for retail investors looking to gain direct Bitcoin exposure through a regulated financial institution.
