Investment banking giant Morgan Stanley, with $6.2 trillion in assets, has launched its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MBST) began trading on April 8, 2026, on NYSE Arca with a competitive annual fee of 0.14%. This move marks the first Bitcoin ETF from a traditional U.S. bank and follows the firm’s broader crypto initiatives, including plans for spot Solana ETFs and expanded digital asset trading through E*Trade.
Morgan Stanley has launched the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust, which became effective on April 8, 2026, under the ticker $MBST. The banking giant first announced its plans to launch the ETF on March 23, aiming to start trading on NYSE Arca.
With this move, Morgan Stanley becomes the first traditional bank to offer a Bitcoin ETF with a 0.14% fee. This is significantly lower than the 0.25% annual fee charged by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF.
The Farside Investor’s Bitcoin ETF Flow monitor has been upgraded to include the new Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ETF. Beyond this launch, the bank has also filed for spot Solana ETFs and plans to roll out crypto trading on E*Trade in collaboration with Zero Hash.
Traditional financial giants are increasingly recognizing potential in crypto’s long-term value. JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently highlighted the need for banks to catch up with blockchain technology to compete with new rivals.
Strategy CEO Phong Lee noted the recent activity, stating, 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.
Bitcoin’s price was trading near $71,732 at the time of reporting, after a 4.34% increase in 24 hours. Bitcoin ETFs recorded an outflow of $159.1 million on April 7, following a large $471.4 million inflow the day before.
Data shows Bitcoin treasury demand remains concentrated with Strategy, but the Morgan Stanley launch is seen as a potential turning point for the institutional market.
