Morgan Stanley filed registration statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on January 6, 2026, seeking approval to launch exchange-traded funds that would effectively track the prices of Bitcoin and Solana, per Reuters.

The proposed Morgan Stanley Bitcoin/Solana Trusts would hold BTC and SOL directly rather than using derivatives or leverage, with its net asset value calculated daily using pricing benchmarks derived from major spot exchanges, according to the Form S-1 filing. 

Crucially, the funds are designed as a passive investment vehicle that will not attempt to trade bitcoin based on market conditions.

The filings represent a serious and unexpected expansion of Morgan Stanley's digital asset offerings.

A Measured Approach from MS

The move is significant given Morgan Stanley's historically cautious stance toward cryptocurrency. 

While competitors such as JPMorgan Chase have aggressively expanded their blockchain infrastructure and crypto-linked products, Morgan Stanley has taken a more measured approach to digital asset adoption.

The bank only began allowing wealth management clients to access bitcoin products in 2021, initially limiting exposure to high-net-worth individuals with at least $1.5 million in assets and aggressive risk tolerances. It was not until October 2025 that Morgan Stanley expanded crypto access to all wealth clients, including retirement accounts.

In its October 2025 Global Investment Committee report, Morgan Stanley recommended that advisors take a "conservative” strategy on cryptocurrency allocations, suggesting zero exposure for wealth preservation portfolios and maximum allocations of just 2-4% for growth-oriented strategies, per Cointelegraph.

Sources:

• US Securities and Exchange Commission: Morgan Stanley’s filing for the ‘Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust’
• US Securities and Exchange Commission: Morgan Stanley’s filing for the ‘Morgan Stanley Solana Trust’
• Reuters: Morgan Stanley files for bitcoin, solana ETFs in digital assets push
• CoinDesk: Morgan Stanley targets crypto ETF market with bitcoin, solana filings
• Cointelegraph: Morgan Stanley recommends ‘conservative’ crypto allocation for some portfolios

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