Morgan Stanley: Crypto ETF Adoption Still in "Very Early Stage," 80% of Demand from Self-Directed Investors

ZkProver · 2026-03-18T02:17:48+00:00

Morgan Stanley's head of digital assets strategy, Amy Oldenburg, stated at a blockchain summit that the adoption of crypto ETFs remains in its early stages, with self-directed investors accounting for 80% of demand. She emphasized the need for enhanced education to help advisors incorporate digital assets. Morgan Stanley has opened access to Bitcoin ETF purchases and recommends that crypto assets should comprise a maximum of 4% in investment portfolios.

ZkProver

2026-03-18 02:17:48

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ChainCatcher reports that, according to The Block, Amy Oldenburg, Morgan Stanley’s Head of Digital Asset Strategy, stated at the Washington Blockchain Summit that the adoption of crypto ETFs is still in its very early stages, with about 80% of demand on the platform coming from individual investors rather than advisor-managed accounts.

Oldenburg described Morgan Stanley’s approach to crypto products as a “gradual step-by-step journey,” emphasizing that wealth management teams still need to do a lot of work in education and portfolio construction to help financial advisors incorporate digital assets into asset allocation models. Morgan Stanley has opened brokerage account purchasing permissions for Bitcoin ETFs in 2024 and applied for listing Bitcoin and Solana spot ETFs in January this year.

On the institutional allocation front, Morgan Stanley’s Global Investment Committee recommends that crypto assets should not exceed 4% of model portfolios, with U.S. banks supporting a 1% to 4% allocation range. BlackRock and Fidelity have also provided similar guidance. Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, noted that some professional investors are currently considering increasing their allocation to about 5%.

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