'Big boy' Morgan Stanley's Bitcoin ETF launch likely 'imminent' says analyst

Morgan Stanley's spot Bitcoin ETF might launch any day now, Bloomberg Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas said Wednesday. 

Balchunas flagged that the New York Stock Exchange had officially announced the listing of Morgan Stanley's BTC-based fund, a sign that "typically" the launch is imminent.

Morgan Stanley first filed its application in January. Then, less than a week ago, the firm filed an amended S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The amendment confirmed that the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust would list on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol MSBT. 

Although Wall Street giants like BlackRock and Fidelity have already launched spot Bitcoin ETFs, which have brought in tens of billions of dollars, Morgan Stanley's entrance has a different shine to it.

First bank launching Bitcoin ETF

Morgan Stanley is the "first bank to do a Bitcoin ETF (unthinkable couple years ago)," Balchunas posted to X. "But not just any bank, a big boy bank with the largest network of financial advisors, 16,000 advisors managing $6.2 trillion (that’s double Merrill, Goldman, JPM)."

An executive from Morgan Stanley recently said that crypto ETF adoption remains in its early stages, with financial advisors continuing to evaluate how digital assets fit into traditional investment portfolio models.

The bank's head of digital asset strategy, Amy Oldenburg, has noted that demand for spot crypto ETFs remains largely driven by self-directed investors rather than financial advisors. About 80% of ETF activity on Morgan Stanley’s platform comes from self-directed accounts, she said.

Morgan Stanley started permitting brokerage clients to buy spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2024. Since then, it has gradually expanded access to the instruments.