Morgan Stanley to Launch Spot Bitcoin ETF MSBT
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- Morgan Stanley announced the launch of the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust, a spot Bitcoin ETF on NYSE Arca under ticker MSBT, slated to begin trading as early as Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
- Morgan Stanley will hold actual Bitcoin and track the CoinDesk Bitcoin Benchmark 4 PM NY Settlement Rate, with storage provided by BNY and Coinbase Custody.
- Morgan Stanley set the fund’s annual fee at 0.14 %, undercutting BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (0.25 %) and most rival spot Bitcoin ETFs.
- Morgan Stanley is seeding the ETF with roughly $1 million and 50,000 shares ready for trading at launch.
- Morgan Stanley’s entry marks the first spot Bitcoin ETF from a major U.S. bank, adding to the $56 billion net inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs since January 2024.
- Morgan Stanley is expanding its digital‑asset offerings, having filed for spot Solana ETFs and planning to launch Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana trading on E*Trade via Zero Hash in the first half of 2026.
Why it matters: The 0.14 % fee makes the ETF cheaper than BlackRock’s 0.25 % iShares Bitcoin Trust and most rivals, giving investors a lower‑cost, bank‑backed route to Bitcoin. Morgan Stanley’s participation as a $1.9 trillion‑asset bank signals institutional confidence and adds to the $56 billion of net inflows that have already reshaped Bitcoin’s market dynamics.
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