Morgan stanley, a major tradfi institution, expanding into crypto with a dedicated wallet and future trading capabilities for btc, eth, and sol on e*trade signifies increasing institutional adoption and mainstream accessibility. this legitimizes the crypto space further and could attract significant traditional capital.
The information is reported by u.today, citing barron's, and details concrete plans and timelines from jed finn, head of morgan stanley's wealth management unit. morgan stanley has a history of gradual crypto integration.
Increased institutional participation, development of dedicated crypto services (wallet, trading), and the filing for multiple crypto etfs by a financial giant like morgan stanley are strong bullish indicators, suggesting growing demand and acceptance which could lead to upward price pressure over time.
While the announcement itself may cause some short-term positive sentiment, the actual rollout of the wallet (h2 this year) and trading capabilities (h1 2026) suggests a sustained, long-term positive impact as more traditional investors gain access to crypto assets through trusted channels.
Cover image via upload.wikimedia.org Read U.TODAY on Google News Morgan Stanley's crypto strategy The banking giant's crypto journey Advertisement According to Jed Finn, the head of Morgan Stanley's wealth management unit, the cryptocurrency giant is preparing to roll out its own cryptocurrency wallet, Barron's reports . The new product, which is supposed to be a universal solution for storing digital assets, is scheduled for launch in the second half of the year, the report says. Morgan Stanley's crypto strategy In the first half of 2026, Morgan Stanley plans to introduce trading capabilities for Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana on its E*Trade platform via a partnership with infrastructure provider Zerohash. HOT Stories Morgan Stanley Extends Huge Crypto Week with Wallet Announcement CNBC Names XRP ‘Breakout Trade’ of 2026, Bitcoin (BTC) Price Erases Latest Gains, Cardano (ADA) Sees 25,084% Surge in Activity — Crypto News Digest Morning Crypto Report: XRP Bulls Are Safe From Max Pain, Zcash (ZEC) Rockets 9,780% in Liquidation Imbalance as Core Team Exits, Binance Announces Gold and Silver Listings Can Bitcoin Reach $250,000 in 2026? Billionaire Draper Makes Major Prediction Finn envisions a future where the "TradFi" (traditional finance) and "DeFi" (decentralized finance) ecosystems blend together. Advertisement You Might Also Like Wed, 01/07/2026 - 15:09 Banking Behemoth Morgan Stanley Files for Ethereum ETF By Alex Dovbnya As reported by U.Today , the banking behemoth also recently filed for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) as well as Solana (SOL) ETFs. The banking giant's crypto journey Morgan Stanley was quietly laying the groundwork for institutional access in the late 2010s. Advertisement The watershed moment came in March 2021. Back then, Morgan Stanley became the first major U.S. bank to offer its wealth management clients access to Bitcoin funds. The bank approved three specific funds (two from Mike Novogratz's Galaxy Digital and one from a partnership between FS Investments and NYDIG). However, access was heavily restricted. It was available only to clients with at least $2 million in assets held at the firm. In 2024, the bank allowed clients to buy the ETFs but did not allow its 15,000 advisors to solicit (pitch) them. This changed later in the year when the bank officially approved the solicitation for specific ETFs. #Cryptocurrency Adoption #Morgan Stanley News