Morgan Stanley has filed for a de novo national trust bank charter that would allow it to custody digital assets, according to Bloomberg.
The application, submitted under Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, was filed on Feb. 18 and appears on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s public website, though the listing includes few additional details.
What the charter would allow
Bloomberg reported that Morgan Stanley plans to use the charter to provide custody services and also conduct staking and trading for its investment clients.
The report described the filing as part of a broader shift in the bank’s approach to digital assets.
Recent crypto moves
In recent months, Morgan Stanley has moved from a cautious posture to a more assertive push into crypto, Bloomberg said.
Last month, the bank tapped veteran executive Amy Oldenburg to lead digital asset strategy in a newly created role.
Earlier this year, the firm filed to list spot bitcoin and Solana ETFs and said it plans to launch a proprietary digital wallet later in 2026.
OCC approvals set the backdrop
Morgan Stanley’s OCC filing follows conditional approvals granted to several crypto-native and traditional firms.
Those include Crypto.com and Stripe subsidiary Bridge, according to the report.
In December, the OCC also granted conditional approval to Ripple, Circle, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos.
