E*TRADE, owned by Morgan Stanley, has finished rolling out its spot cryptocurrency trading service. Now, eligible clients can buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Solana (SOL) directly on the platform. This launch expands Morgan Stanley’s digital asset services, with the Wealth and Investment Management business now managing over $10 trillion in client assets.
The service, offered in partnership with Zero Hash, follows a pilot program from May and comes as Morgan Stanley plans to launch new crypto ETFs, showing the firm’s growing commitment to digital assets.
Now that the rollout is complete, eligible E*TRADE customers can trade cryptocurrencies along with stocks and other investments on one platform. Digital assets will show up in the same account, giving investors a more integrated way to manage their portfolios.
The service now supports spot trading in Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana. Clients can buy, sell, and hold these cryptocurrencies through linked Zero Hash accounts, with E*TRADE charging a 0.50% fee per transaction. The company also plans to add crypto transfer features later this year, so customers can move digital assets in and out of the platform.
Currently, custody and transaction services use separate Zero Hash accounts, which are not covered by FDIC or SIPC insurance. Morgan Stanley plans to move these digital asset services to its new trust bank, Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, once the needed infrastructure is ready.
This rollout comes after years of planning. Morgan Stanley announced plans for spot crypto trading last year and started a pilot program in May. After getting positive feedback, the firm expanded access to eligible clients on its self-directed brokerage platform.
This move strengthens Morgan Stanley’s position in the fast-changing crypto investment world. The company has expanded its digital asset offerings this year, going beyond traditional products to include more crypto-related services.
Earlier this year, Morgan Stanley launched a stablecoin reserve solution, letting issuers keep reserves for their stablecoins in the firm’s money market funds and earn interest. The company also introduced one of the lowest-cost spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US, with a 0.14% management fee. Industry data shows that fund has already attracted nearly $385 million in net inflows.
Morgan Stanley is also getting ready to launch spot Ether and Solana ETFs after updating its regulatory filings. These new products are expected to have the same low 0.14% management fee, showing the firm’s broader plan to build a full digital asset business.
Besides crypto, E*TRADE’s latest platform update added new features like fractional share trading, better retirement planning tools, and upgrades to its Power E*TRADE Pro desktop platform.
This expansion is part of a bigger trend of major financial institutions embracing digital assets as client demand rises. Large banks that were once cautious about cryptocurrencies are now offering trading, custody, ETFs, and tokenization services to stay competitive in a more mainstream market.
By offering spot crypto trading to millions of eligible clients, Morgan Stanley is showing that digital assets are becoming a regular part of investment portfolios, not just a niche option. As traditional finance and crypto come together, this move could push other big financial institutions to speed up their own digital asset plans.
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