Morgan Stanley BTC ETF MSBT Lists on NYSE

Morgan Stanley's BTC ETF MSBT Starts on NYSE Arca

Morgan Stanley's Bitcoin ETF, MSBT, will begin trading on the NYSE Arca exchange on Wednesday, April 8. This will be the first Bitcoin ETF product from a major commercial bank in the US and has been approved by the NYSE's listing notice published on Tuesday. MSBT stands out as the first spot Bitcoin (BTC detailed analysis) ETF in nearly two years since crypto asset manager Grayscale's Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF launched in July 2024.

NYSE's listing notice for the MSBT launch, Wednesday, April 8. Source: NYSE

Intense Competition in the BTC Spot ETF Market

MSBT is entering a competitive market dominated by BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC); these funds have attracted a total of 74.3 billion dollars in net inflows since January 2024, according to Farside Investors data. Morgan Stanley has set a fee of 0.14% for MSBT, below the market average. This low fee could draw investors from BTC futures to spot ETFs, increasing liquidity. The bank has selected Coinbase and Bank of New York Mellon as custodians.

Source: James Seyffart

Morgan Stanley's BTC and Crypto Moves

Additionally, Morgan Stanley, which has taken aggressive steps in the crypto space this year, has applied for a national trust banking charter, filed listing applications for staked Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL) ETFs, and appointed Amy Oldenburg to its digital assets team. These developments are accelerating the integration of traditional finance into the BTC ecosystem, strengthening institutional demand.