Morgan Stanley is preparing to offer cryptocurrency trading for retail investors through its E*Trade platform, marking a significant move for one of the largest U.S. investment banks into the digital asset space.
This development follows the shift in the U.S. regulatory landscape, which has paved the way for increased institutional participation in the crypto market.
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The Wall Street giant, which manages $1.7 trillion in client assets, plans to introduce spot Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on the E*Trade platform by 2026.
The move would make crypto trading accessible to retail investors through their existing brokerage accounts, according to a Bloomberg report .
Although the timeline is not yet finalized, sources indicate that the project is still in its early stages of development.
No Stranger to Digital Assets
Morgan Stanley is no stranger to digital assets. The bank currently offers Bitcoin ETFs , futures, and options to its high-net-worth clients.
However, the crypto Spot trading integration would be its first crypto offering aimed at retail investors.
Initial exploration of crypto trading on E*Trade began earlier this year, but with regulatory momentum increasing, Morgan Stanley is now actively planning for a 2025 rollout.
If launched, this would position the bank as potentially the first major U.S. bank to offer crypto trading at scale to retail customers.
This development places Morgan Stanley in direct competition with well-established crypto-native exchanges such as Coinbase and Kraken .
Institutional Interest Grows
Morgan Stanley’s push into retail crypto trading reflects a broader trend among traditional financial institutions seeking to capitalize on the growing demand for digital assets.
Charles Schwab, another major U.S. brokerage managing over $10 trillion in assets, has also indicated interest in launching spot crypto trading within the next 12 months. Schwab currently provides access to cryptocurrencies through crypto-linked ETFs and futures contracts.
The surge in institutional interest comes as Bitcoin continues to rise in value, recently trading above $96,000, with spot Bitcoin ETFs attracting substantial inflows.
Why This Matters
The rise in institutional adoption shows that digital assets are becoming a regular part of the financial system, with strong investor interest and growing acceptance.
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