Morgan Stanley to Launch Crypto Trading via E-Trade in 2026, Unlocking $1.3 Trillion in Trading Volume

Morgan Stanley plans to launch cryptocurrency trading for E-Trade clients in H1 2026, partnering with Zerohash for liquidity, custody, and settlement. The offering will begin with Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana, with plans to expand to a broader range of services. This move could unlock $1.3 trillion in trading volume, positioning Morgan Stanley at the intersection of traditional finance and emerging digital markets.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) has announced plans to introduce cryptocurrency trading on its E*Trade platform in the first half of 2026, marking a significant step in the bank's expansion into the digital asset market. This move comes through a strategic partnership with Zerohash, a stablecoin infrastructure platform, which will provide liquidity, custody, and settlement services to E*Trade users Morgan Stanley teams up with Zerohash to offer crypto to E*Trade users - report^[1].

The initial offering will include Bitcoin (BTC-USD), Ether (ETH-USD), and Solana (SOL-USD), with plans to expand the range of services in the future. This partnership aims to bring cryptocurrency trading to the E*Trade ecosystem, aligning Morgan Stanley more closely with competitors such as Robinhood Markets (HOOD) that already offer stock, options, and crypto trading to their users Morgan Stanley to offer crypto trading on ETrade in 2026^[2].

Morgan Stanley's head of wealth management, Jed Finn, emphasized the importance of providing clients with access to a diverse range of assets, including digitized assets and cryptocurrencies, within a unified ecosystem. The bank plans to introduce an asset-allocation strategy around crypto in the coming weeks, with allocations ranging from zero to a few percentage points of a client's portfolio Morgan Stanley teams up with Zerohash to offer crypto to E*Trade users - report^[1].

This initiative is part of a broader trend in the financial industry, with many institutions recognizing the potential of crypto assets. Zerohash recently raised $104 million in a funding round led by Interactive Brokers (IBKR), with Morgan Stanley participating alongside other notable investors. This funding round underscores the growing interest and investment in crypto, stablecoins, and tokenization technologies Morgan Stanley teams up with Zerohash to offer crypto to E*Trade users - report^[1].

The integration of cryptocurrency trading on the E*Trade platform could unlock significant trading volume. According to CoinMarketCap data, the total market value of cryptocurrencies is approximately $3.9 trillion, with Bitcoin representing about $2.25 trillion and Ether accounting for around $506 billion Morgan Stanley to offer crypto trading on ETrade in 2026^[2]. This move positions Morgan Stanley at the intersection of traditional finance and emerging digital markets, potentially attracting a new segment of investors.