Morgan Stanley Investment Management has launched the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), a new publicly traded product designed to track the performance of Bitcoin, marking its entry into the digital assets sector.
This product represents the first publicly traded product focused on cryptocurrencies from an asset manager affiliated with a US bank, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), highlighting the growing institutional demand for regulated exposure to Bitcoin.
MSBT uses the CoinDesk Bitcoin Benchmark for its pricing and offers a 0.14% referral fee, allowing it to undercut major competitors such as Grayscale et BlackRock (NASDAQ:BLK).
The fund joined forces with Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) for custody of assets and to BNY for administration and recordkeeping, with the aim of providing a transparent, institutional-grade investment vehicle.
Overall, MSBT is positioned as a very competitive product in the Bitcoin ETF market, with expectations of strong asset growth in its first year.
Eric Balchunassenior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, said the launch could be one of the largest in the industry, thanks to Morgan Stanley’s extensive distribution network and credibility in traditional finance.
The analyst estimates the fund could reach $5 billion in assets under management in its first year, with first-day trading volume of up to $30 million.
This article was written in English and translated into French by an AI. For correction requests, please contact corrections@benzinga.com.
