Morgan Stanley Investment Management applied to launch proprietary spot Bitcoin and Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs) Tuesday. These filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission signal a move into direct issuance. The bank intends to capture the fee stream generated by its 15,000 advisors rather than continuing to distribute third-party funds.
Morgan Stanley previously acted as a gatekeeper for digital asset products managed by outside firms. The decision to launch proprietary ETFs validates Solana as an institutional-grade asset. Most competitors have limited their offerings to Bitcoin and Ether. Morgan Stanley’s filing effectively elevates the high-throughput network to the status of a third market pillar.
The Advisory Fee War
The move surprised analysts who viewed the bank as a primary sales channel for BlackRock’s iShares products. However, the economics of an $8 trillion wealth management division favor in-house offerings.
Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg, described the decision as a shocker that makes financial sense. “I like this move. It’s smart,” Balchunas stated. “They have roughly $8 trillion in advisory assets. They already authorized those advisors to allocate to crypto. They might as well be in their own branded fund instead of paying BlackRock or someone else.”
Balchunas noted that the strategy could kickstart the bank’s ETF business. Morgan Stanley has historically trailed its peers in the race to bring internal assets into branded funds. Retaining management fees provides a significant incentive to bypass external issuers like BlackRock or Fidelity.
Solana Staking and Yield Potential
The Bitcoin filing describes a passive trust structure. The Solana application introduces a yield component. This proposed ETF intends to stake a portion of its holdings and distribute rewards to shareholders quarterly.
Regulators must now decide on the appetite for staking-derived dividends in a regulated product. The structure positions the fund as a yield-bearing instrument rather than a simple price tracker.
Market reaction was immediate. Bitcoin held steady near $93,400. Solana traded around $142, buoyed by the prospect of accessing the massive distribution network at Morgan Stanley.
Chain Street’s Take
Morgan Stanley’s done acting as BlackRock’s sales force. By filing for its own ETFs, the bank’s signaling that crypto isn’t a niche allocation to be outsourced.
It’s a core revenue stream to be owned. The real signal’s Solana. Putting a SOL ETF with a staking yield in front of wealth managers shifts the narrative.
It moves the asset from a “store of value” into “cash-flow generating infrastructure.” The bank isn’t just buying the asset. It’s monetizing the network. BlackRock might have the first-mover advantage, but Morgan Stanley has the advisors.
