Morgan Stanley is poised to become the first major US bank to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF, according to filings and market notices that indicate an April 8 debut.
The $1.9 trillion Wall Street firm’s entry would arrive more than two years after the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first Bitcoin ETF back in January 2024.
Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF PushBy Balchunas’s account, Morgan Stanley’s lower fee makes the product more palatable for the firm’s advisors and increases its chances of attracting outside assets.
Compared with many mainstream equity-index ETFs, which typically charge between 3 and 10 basis points, the bank’s fee positions its Bitcoin exposure closer to a commodity‑like pricing structure, the expert noted.
ETF Launch Anticipated To Spur Fee CompetitionExperts such as Balchunas expect the NYSE Arca listing notice to make the fund effective on April 8, at which point trading could begin. The expert has previously indicated that projections for first‑year assets under management will surface after the listing and further analysis.
However, if Morgan Stanley’s MSBT attracts significant inflows, it is anticipated that fee competition among issuers may increase, forcing other issuers to adjust their pricing, distribution, or product features.
The timing of Morgan Stanley’s drive also aligns with a changing regulatory and legislative landscape. Several major financial organizations have accelerated plans for direct Bitcoin exposure and infrastructure as a result of the Trump administration’s renewed stance toward clearer frameworks for digital assets.
Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
