Morgan Stanley Rolls Out Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana Trading on E*TRADE

Morgan Stanley has officially introduced spot cryptocurrency trading on its E*TRADE brokerage platform, enabling eligible clients to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The service is delivered through a partnership with digital asset infrastructure provider Zero Hash, expanding the bank's range of digital asset services.

E*TRADE integrates cryptocurrency investing into one platform

According to Morgan Stanley, the new feature allows investors to manage their cryptocurrency positions alongside traditional investments, including stocks and ETFs, from within the E*TRADE platform.

While clients can view all of their holdings through a unified interface, the cryptocurrencies themselves are custodied in linked accounts provided by Zero Hash rather than directly by Morgan Stanley.

The bank also confirmed that cryptocurrency transactions will incur a 0.50% (50 basis points) trading fee, with support for cryptocurrency transfers expected to be introduced later this year.

Matt Jones, Head of E*TRADE at Morgan Stanley, said the launch reflects the firm's goal of meeting clients' changing investment preferences by offering banking, investing, trading, and long-term financial planning within a single ecosystem.

Digital asset expansion accompanies broader platform upgrades

The introduction of spot cryptocurrency trading is part of a wider update to the E*TRADE platform.

Alongside digital assets, Morgan Stanley has added new retirement planning capabilities, expanded fractional share investing, upgraded its IPO Center, and introduced additional tools designed for active traders.

Chad Turner, Head of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Platforms, said integrating cryptocurrency trading into E*TRADE represents another milestone in the firm's broader digital asset strategy by bringing new investment capabilities into a unified client experience.

Morgan Stanley's growing digital asset strategy

The latest launch builds on a series of initiatives through which Morgan Stanley has steadily expanded its presence in the digital asset sector.

In 2021, the bank became one of the first major U.S. investment banks to provide qualifying wealth management clients with access to Bitcoin investment funds, marking its initial entry into the cryptocurrency market.

In August 2024, Morgan Stanley further broadened its crypto exposure by allowing financial advisors to recommend U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs to eligible clients, becoming the first large Wall Street bank to permit such recommendations.

The firm's efforts accelerated throughout 2026

• January: Morgan Stanley filed registration statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for spot Bitcoin and Solana exchange-traded funds, signaling plans to introduce its own branded crypto investment products.

• April: The bank revealed it was exploring tokenization, tokenized money market funds, and tax optimization tools for digital asset investors.

• Later in April: Morgan Stanley introduced a money market fund tailored for stablecoin issuers seeking to manage reserve assets under the U.S. GENIUS Act framework.

• The latest E*TRADE rollout also completes a roadmap first announced in September 2025, when Morgan Stanley disclosed its intention to offer direct cryptocurrency trading through Zero Hash, initially supporting Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

A Broader Shift

Morgan Stanley's latest move reflects a broader shift in how traditional financial institutions are approaching digital assets. Rather than treating cryptocurrencies as standalone investment products, the bank is embedding them into its core wealth management and brokerage ecosystem. This strategy reduces friction for existing clients by allowing them to manage both traditional and digital assets through a single platform.

The launch also illustrates the growing preference among major financial institutions for partnering with specialized infrastructure providers such as Zero Hash instead of building custody and trading systems entirely in-house.

As regulatory clarity continues to improve in the United States, integrating spot cryptocurrency trading into mainstream brokerage platforms is likely to become an increasingly important competitive differentiator, particularly as banks seek to retain clients who might otherwise turn to dedicated cryptocurrency exchanges.