Morgan Stanley Plans Cryptocurrency Trading on E\*Trade as Wall Street Deepens Digital Asset Push

Morgan Stanley plans to launch cryptocurrency trading on its E\*Trade platform, charging a fee of 50 basis points per dollar traded, according to reports published May 6. The offering will include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL), making them accessible to millions of E\*Trade retail brokerage accounts.

Morgan Stanley stock rose 1.6% in premarket trading following the news. The move is the largest U.S. brokerage entry into retail cryptocurrency spot trading since Robinhood expanded its crypto offering in 2022.

What the E\*Trade Launch Covers

Morgan Stanley (MS) has not issued a formal press release as of the time of this report, but reporting from CoinLaw and Intellectia.AI confirms the platform details: 50 basis points per trade, access through the existing E\*Trade interface, and an initial asset list of BTC, ETH, and SOL.

The fee sits below Coinbase’s standard retail rate of 60-100 basis points but above the zero-commission structure offered by Robinhood for cryptocurrency trades. Morgan Stanley acquired E\*Trade in 2020 for $13 billion, giving it a retail brokerage base of approximately 7.4 million active accounts.

Also Read: Bitcoin Holds Above $82,000 as Dollar Weakness Fuels Altcoin Rally

Background

Wall Street’s engagement with retail cryptocurrency trading has accelerated through 2025 and into 2026.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs, approved by the SEC in January 2024, drew $35 billion in net inflows in their first year and gave institutional investors regulated exposure to BTC without holding the asset directly. The ETF approvals shifted the debate from whether banks should touch cryptocurrency to how quickly they could build competitive offerings.

Morgan Stanley had previously offered its wealthier clients access to Bitcoin funds through wealth-management channels, but a direct trading product on E\*Trade extends that reach significantly further down the income scale.

Also Read: Dow Futures Surge as Iran Deal Progress Hammers Oil Prices and AMD Soars

Outlook

If the E\*Trade launch proceeds at the reported terms, it will pressure other large retail brokerages to follow. Charles Schwab and Fidelity both hold cryptocurrency custody infrastructure but have not launched retail spot trading products at this scale.

The 50-basis-point fee model also frames the competitive landscape ahead of any further regulatory clarity from the SEC on broker-dealer crypto custody rules. A formal Morgan Stanley announcement is expected before the platform goes live.

Read Next: Oil Slides, Stocks Surge on Reports of US-Iran Peace Deal