Morgan Stanley is continuing its expansion into digital assets with plans to roll out a spot Bitcoin ETF under the ticker MSBT, supported by a $1 million seed investment at launch.
The proposed ticker was revealed in an amended filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, updating the firm’s earlier January application and providing further insight into the fund’s structure.
According to the filing, the ETF will be built using a 10,000-share creation unit and will debut with $1 million in initial capital. The bank also disclosed that it purchased two shares earlier this month as part of routine audit requirements.
For operational support, BNY Mellon will handle cash and administrative services, while Coinbase has been selected as both prime broker and custodian of the fund’s Bitcoin holdings.
The development underscores a broader shift among traditional financial institutions toward crypto integration, as firms seek to bridge the gap between digital assets and mainstream investment products. If approved, the ETF would offer investors exposure to Bitcoin without the need to directly own or store it.
Morgan Stanley’s proposed ETF would join an established group of spot Bitcoin funds, including iShares Bitcoin Trust, which have collectively attracted more than $56 billion in inflows since their launch in January 2024.
The firm has also filed for a Solana ETF earlier this year, although no additional updates have been shared regarding that proposal.
