Morgan Stanley will begin offering cryptocurrency trading to its retail clients through E*Trade, marking a significant step into the digital assets space by one of the largest U.S. banks. The service is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2026 through a partnership with crypto infrastructure provider Zerohash. The offering will initially allow ETrade customers to trade Bitcoin, Ether and Solana. Clients will be able to access these assets directly through the ETrade platform, which will integrate Zerohash’s infrastructure for crypto custody, trade execution, settlement and regulatory compliance.
Zerohash, which recently secured $104 million in a funding round led by Interactive Brokers, provides backend services that allow financial institutions to offer crypto products without directly handling the assets. Morgan Stanley and SoFi participated in the funding round. Zerohash currently supports crypto offerings for other brokerages and fintech platforms, and its infrastructure meets financial regulatory standards applicable to digital asset trading. ETrade, acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2020 in a $13 billion all-stock deal, serves more than 7 million retail brokerage customers.
The crypto trading feature will represent the first time Morgan Stanley provides direct access to digital assets to retail investors via a platform it owns. Previously, crypto exposure for ETrade clients was limited to futures products and ETFs linked to digital assets. The bank’s move aligns with broader industry developments as traditional financial firms deepen their integration of cryptocurrency offerings following regulatory advancements and rising client interest. Other major brokerages, including Robinhood and Fidelity, have already launched retail-focused crypto trading services.
Cryptocurrency rollout marks a first for Morgan Stanley retail
Morgan Stanley’s entry into the space brings one of Wall Street’s largest names into closer competition with these platforms. The crypto trading functionality will be accessible within E*Trade’s existing interface, and transactions will be supported by Zerohash’s full-stack infrastructure. Zerohash handles customer onboarding, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, trading, clearing, and custody for digital assets, enabling financial institutions to offer these services without building proprietary systems.
Morgan Stanley’s wealth management division oversees more than $5 trillion in client assets. While the new offering targets retail investors through ETrade, the firm has also previously allowed high-net-worth clients to access crypto funds under strict eligibility criteria. The expansion through ETrade reflects a widening of access across its brokerage platforms. The crypto rollout comes at a time when regulatory clarity for digital assets has improved in the United States, particularly following the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs earlier in 2025.
Crypto trading set for mid-2026 rollout on ETrade
Broker-dealers are increasingly integrating crypto services to meet evolving investor demand, although direct exposure has remained limited among traditional banks. Zerohash is regulated as a money services business and operates under a network of state money transmitter licenses in the United States. The firm also maintains registrations in multiple international markets. Its business model focuses on enabling banks, brokerages, and consumer platforms to embed digital asset functionality without requiring direct crypto custody or trading infrastructure.
The partnership between Morgan Stanley and Zerohash is structured to keep crypto asset custody and operations separate from the bank’s balance sheet, aligning with current regulatory requirements and minimizing direct exposure to digital asset volatility. Morgan Stanley has not announced whether additional cryptocurrencies will be added to the platform following the initial launch. The firm confirmed that the service will become available in 2026 and that eligible customers will be notified ahead of rollout. – By CryptoWire News Desk.