Morgan Stanley is reportedly preparing to launch cryptocurrency trading for individual users via its E*Trade platform, signaling a major shift in how traditional financial giants interact with digital assets.
Morgan Stanley Plans to Launch Crypto Trading on E*Trade
According to a report by Bloomberg, the initiative is in the early planning stages and could go live as soon as next year.
The move would mark one of the most aggressive forays into retail crypto trading by a top U.S. bank and potentially put Morgan Stanley in direct competition with crypto-native exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken.
Morgan Stanley is said to be considering partnerships with existing crypto firms to create the infrastructure needed for spot crypto trading. Currently, the bank primarily offers crypto-related ETFs, options, and futures to high-net-worth clients. But its E*Trade initiative will expand access to everyday investors.
Domestic momentum has accelerated since Donald Trump took office, triggering a wave of regulatory pushback in the crypto space, sources told Bloomberg, emboldening traditional financial firms to reengage with the digital asset market more openly.
If implemented, E*Trade’s launch would reflect a broader institutional pivot toward crypto amid loosening U.S. regulations. Charles Schwab is also reportedly exploring ways to offer spot crypto trading, while SoFi is planning a deeper push into the sector after observing what it calls a “fundamental shift” in the U.S. crypto landscape.
Morgan Stanley acquired E*Trade for $13 billion in 2020, positioning it to expand into emerging asset classes like crypto by leveraging the retail trading platform’s user base. The planned offering could significantly reshape the competitive landscape by opening millions of retail accounts to digital assets.
*This is not investment advice.
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