Morgan Stanley Files for Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, First Major US Bank to Enter Sector

Morgan Stanley has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to the prices of Bitcoin and Solana. The filing, submitted on Tuesday, January 6, marks the first instance of a major U.S. bank seeking to issue its own spot cryptocurrency ETFs.

Strategic Entry

According to the filings, the bank aims to deepen its presence in the digital asset space by offering proprietary funds. While major asset managers like BlackRock and Fidelity have dominated the market since the initial approvals two years ago, U.S. banks have historically acted primarily as custodians or facilitators rather than issuers, a Reuters report stated.

Bloomberg Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas described the move as a strategic decision to retain assets within the firm’s ecosystem:

“I like this move by them. It’s smart. They have like $8T in advisory assets and they already OK’d those advisors to allocate so might as well be in their own branded fund vs paying BlackRock or someone else.”

Bryan Armour, an ETF analyst at Morningstar, noted that a bank entering the market adds legitimacy to the sector. He suggested that Morgan Stanley likely intends to migrate existing client investments into their own products.

Market Context

The filing comes amid a resurgence in interest for crypto ETFs in early 2026. Data cited by The Defiant indicates that spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded over $1 billion in net inflows during the first two trading days of the year.

In contrast, spot Solana ETFs have seen more modest activity, gathering approximately $25 million since January 1, with total inflows remaining under $1 billion since their launch in October.

Broader Industry Shift

Morgan Stanley’s application follows a series of moves by traditional financial institutions to integrate digital assets.

• In October, the bank expanded access to crypto investments for all client accounts.
• Similarly, Bank of America began allowing its wealth advisors to recommend crypto allocations in January.

Regulatory developments have also influenced the landscape. In December, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) authorized banks to act as intermediaries for crypto transactions.

This article is published on BitPinas: Morgan Stanley Files for Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, First Major US Bank to Enter Sector

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