Morgan Stanley, a leading financial firm, is reportedly exploring the possibility of allowing its vast network of brokers to offer spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to their clients.
Morgan Stanley Considering Allowing Brokers to Recommend Bitcoin ETFs
This potential move marks a significant shift in traditional brokerage firms' attitude towards cryptocurrency investments.
The firm is considering allowing its 15,000 brokers to recommend buying spot Bitcoin ETFs, according to a report published today by AdvisorHub, citing views of two senior executive sources familiar with Morgan Stanley's plans.
However, sources did not disclose a specific time frame for when this policy change could be implemented.
If realized, this development would represent a departure from the current approach adopted by major brokerage firms such as Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Wells Fargo.
Since the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January, these firms have limited purchases to an unclaimed basis and required clients to proactively seek advice from their advisors.
Morgan Stanley is reportedly considering implementing criteria related to clients' risk tolerance levels and setting limits on allocation and trading frequency, as it lays the groundwork for requested acquisitions.
These measures aim to ensure responsible and informed investment decisions are made in the emerging cryptocurrency market.
The growing interest in spot Bitcoin ETFs among investors is evident from the significant inflows and assets under management recorded by these financial products.
U.S.-traded spot Bitcoin ETFs offered by major institutions like BlackRock, Grayscale and Ark Invest generated net inflows of $12.29 billion as of Wednesday and accumulated over $53.6 billion in assets under management, according to data from SoSoValue.
*This is not investment advice.