Self-directed investors power bitcoin (BTC) ETF launch despite Morgan Stanley’s scale
Morgan Stanley’s new bitcoin ETF reached $200 million in assets largely through self-directed investor demand rather than advisor recommendations.Summary
Morgan Stanley’s new spot bitcoin ETF (MSBT) has rapidly accumulated over $200 million in assets shortly after its launch. Amy Oldenburg, the bank’s head of digital assets, revealed that this success was primarily driven by self-directed individual investors rather than the firm's internal financial advisor network. This trend highlights a shift toward regulated crypto products among those who already hold digital assets.
Morgan Stanley plans to maintain a hybrid strategy, offering both ETF access and direct crypto ownership, including upcoming spot trading features on its wealth platform. The firm is also exploring long-term market structure improvements, such as faster settlement and tokenized financial products, viewing digital asset integration as a multi-decade evolution in client service.
(Source：CoinDesk)