Morgan Stanley’s E*TRADE Launches Spot Crypto Trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana

Morgan Stanley’s brokerage platform, E*TRADE, has officially completed the nationwide rollout of its spot cryptocurrency trading service, allowing eligible customers to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL). The move marks another major step in Morgan Stanley’s expanding digital asset strategy as the financial giant also prepares to launch new crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The new crypto trading service is powered through a partnership with digital asset infrastructure provider Zerohash. Eligible E*TRADE clients can now access spot trading for the three leading cryptocurrencies directly from the brokerage platform. Users will be able to hold their digital assets in linked Zerohash accounts while paying a transaction fee of 50 basis points for each trade.

E*TRADE also confirmed that crypto transfer functionality is expected to become available later this year, giving customers additional flexibility in managing their digital asset holdings. The nationwide rollout follows a successful pilot program launched in May, although the brokerage first revealed plans to introduce spot crypto trading in 2025.

Morgan Stanley’s latest expansion reinforces its commitment to the growing cryptocurrency market. The investment bank recently filed amended S-1 registration statements for proposed Ethereum and Solana ETFs, bringing both products closer to launch. Earlier this year, Morgan Stanley also became the first major Wall Street bank to introduce a Bitcoin ETF, which has since accumulated approximately $384 million in net assets, according to data from SoSoValue.

The company also announced that its cryptocurrency services will eventually transition to Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, the firm's proposed national trust bank. The move is expected to support the planned rollout of crypto transfer capabilities and strengthen its digital asset infrastructure.

Earlier this year, Morgan Stanley applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a crypto-focused national trust bank charter, joining firms such as Ripple, Coinbase, and Crypto.com in pursuing similar approvals. While Ripple has already secured conditional approval, Circle recently received OCC authorization to establish its national crypto bank after previously obtaining conditional approval alongside BitGo, Fidelity, and Paxos. These developments underscore the accelerating integration of cryptocurrencies into the traditional financial system.