Morgan Stanley Investment Management announced the launch of the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (NYSE Arca: MSBT), an exchange-traded product designed to track the performance of Bitcoin.
The launch marks a significant milestone for the firm, making it one of the first U.S. bank-affiliated asset managers to introduce a cryptocurrency ETP. The product reflects Morgan Stanley’s broader strategy to expand its digital asset capabilities and meet growing client demand for exposure to emerging asset classes.
MSBT seeks to track Bitcoin’s performance using the CoinDesk Bitcoin Benchmark, providing investors with a regulated and transparent structure to gain exposure to digital assets. The fund carries a sponsor fee of 0.14%, positioning it among the lowest-cost Bitcoin ETPs currently available.
The product builds on Morgan Stanley’s continued investment in digital asset infrastructure, including advancements in custody, trading, and product development. Coinbase and BNY have been selected to provide custody and administrative services for the fund.
The launch also expands Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s growing ETF platform, which now includes a broad range of products across traditional and alternative asset classes.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are proud to introduce MSBT to the marketplace and believe this new ETP aligns with long term trends in financial innovation and serves to strengthen the range of investments we provide investors. MSBT is an example of how leveraging Morgan Stanley’s collective strength and deep expertise across asset classes and market segments can add value for existing clients, unlock new investor opportunities and continue to pursue compelling and innovative investment ideas that solve investor challenges.”
Ben Huneke, Head Of Morgan Stanley Investment Management
“ETPs remain a powerful way for investors to gain exposure to new asset classes within a transparent and regulated framework. With MSBT, we’re extending our product offering to meet growing client interest in digital assets. This builds on our track record of launching compelling investment strategies in the ETF wrapper to help investors meet their investment objectives.”
Ally Wallace, Global Head Of ETF Strategy, Morgan Stanley Investment Management
“Digital assets are increasingly intersecting with traditional markets, and our focus is on helping clients access that evolution through structures they understand and trust. MSBT reflects our firmwide approach to thoughtfully building digital asset capabilities grounded in traditional governance and market infrastructure that seeks to meet long term client needs. We believe that our ability to simplify how investors access their complete portfolio across asset classes and investment types will resonate with our clients and investors across the globe.”
Amy Oldenburg, Head Of Digital Asset Strategy, Morgan Stanley
