E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley has completed its rollout of spot digital asset trading, giving eligible clients the ability to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin and ETH directly on its platform.
The service runs in partnership with zerohash, a digital asset infrastructure provider.
How the offering works
Eligible clients can now trade the three assets in a linked zerohash account at a competitive price of 50 basis points, viewing their crypto holdings alongside their traditional investments.
Transfer functionality is expected to launch later this year.
Importantly, Morgan Stanley does not custody or transact in the digital assets itself.
All transactions and custody occur between the client and Zero Hash LLC through a separate, non-brokerage account, and those holdings are not FDIC insured or SIPC protected.
Digital asset services are set to transition to Morgan Stanley’s national trust bank, Morgan Stanley Digital Trust.
Trust as the deciding factor
A recent Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Pulse Survey found the top reason investors choose a crypto platform is trust.
When asked what mattered most, 32% ranked “an established company I can trust” first, ahead of low fees (25%) and pricing (23%).
Chad Turner, Head of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Platforms, said:
“With the rollout of crypto trading on E*TRADE we’re advancing our digital assets strategy and bringing new capabilities to clients in an integrated way.”
Broader platform push
The crypto launch arrived alongside other platform updates, including fractional share trading, a modernized IPO Center, and a new Guided Retirement Planning experience.
Matt Jones, Head of E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, added:
“Our clients’ needs are evolving, and they want to invest, trade, bank, and plan for the future all in one place.”
