The market is far bigger than even crypto insiders expected
Launching a “vanilla” ETF years after a liquidity leader is almost unheard of. Historically, late entrants rarely catch up.
Yet despite IBIT becoming the fastest ETF ever to reach $80B AUM (5x faster than VOO), Morgan Stanley still sees significant unmet demand — backed by internal research — strong enough to justify its own branded product.
That tells us one thing clearly: we are still early. $BTC
Bitcoin is now a social asset, not just a financial one
There are hardly any branded gold ETFs — but Bitcoin has many. Why?
Because for asset managers, a Bitcoin ETF is a signal: modern, bold, forward-looking.
Morgan Stanley isn’t just chasing AUM. They’re targeting elite, independent high-net-worth investors, strengthening their brand, monetizing E-Trade, expanding crypto trading, and positioning for tokenization.
Even talent attraction plays a role. Not all investment banks want to look the same.
I think Bitcoin ETF from Morgan Stanley isn’t about beating IBIT. It’s about owning distribution.
Morgan Stanley understands that who controls the client controls the economics — and they won’t allow advisors to funnel value to third parties by default.
Viewed purely through AUM, the move looks irrational.
Viewed through platform economics, it’s inevitable. #bitcoin #IBIT