The first major bank in the US to join the fight! Morgan Stanley applies to launch Bitcoin and Solana ETFs

According to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Wall Street investment bank Morgan Stanley officially submitted registration statements on Tuesday to launch Bitcoin and Solana (SOL) spot ETFs, becoming the first major bank in the U.S. to heavily deploy cryptocurrency asset ETFs. The documents show that Morgan Stanley submitted two S-1 registration statements: “Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust” and “Morgan Stanley Solana Trust.” The Solana ETF also incorporates a staking mechanism, meaning that in the future, the fund will not only track the coin’s price but also provide investors with additional income opportunities. Morgan Stanley currently manages approximately $6.4 trillion in assets. If the ETF applications are approved, the bank will be listed alongside major cryptocurrency ETF issuers like BlackRock and Fidelity, further highlighting the structural shift in mainstream financial institutions’ attitudes toward cryptocurrencies. In fact, although Morgan Stanley manages about 20 ETFs under brands such as Calvert and Eaton Vance, only two ETFs are directly branded under “Morgan Stanley.” The recent launch of a cryptocurrency ETF under its own name indicates that the bank’s emphasis on cryptocurrencies has risen to a strategic level. Previously, Morgan Stanley’s financial advisors were prohibited from recommending clients buy cryptocurrency ETFs until last October, when restrictions were eased and the active allocation limit was increased to 4%. Now, Morgan Stanley’s direct issuance and sale of ETFs are seen as a move to meet the substantial demand from its 19 million wealth management clients. Nate Geraci, President of NovaDius Wealth, stated: “Now they’re not just letting clients buy, but also issuing ETFs themselves. Given Morgan Stanley’s extensive distribution channels, this move is very reasonable and shows they truly recognize the substantial client demand.” By launching proprietary Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, Morgan Stanley wealth advisors can directly guide client funds into their own products rather than competitors’ (such as BlackRock’s IBIT). Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said this will “drive other large financial institutions that haven’t entered yet to follow suit and launch their own branded cryptocurrency products.” According to statistics, U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs have attracted over $1.2 billion in capital inflows in the first two trading days of 2026. On Monday alone, net inflows reached $697 million, the largest single-day record since October last year.