Key Takeaways:
Morgan Stanley's E*TRADE began offering spot trading in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana on July 16, giving eligible clients direct access to digital assets through a linked zerohash account at a 50-basis-point fee.
"With the rollout of crypto trading on E*TRADE we're advancing our digital assets strategy and bringing new capabilities to clients in an integrated way," Chad Turner, Head of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Platforms, said.
The launch places ETRADE among a growing roster of traditional brokerages entering crypto, following similar moves by Fidelity and Robinhood. A Morgan Stanley Pulse Survey conducted in April found that 32% of self-directed investors ranked "an established company I can trust" as the top factor when choosing a crypto trading platform, ahead of fees at 25% and pricing at 23%. Another 26% cited the ability to view digital assets alongside traditional investments — a feature ETRADE now offers through its unified dashboard that displays crypto holdings alongside stocks, ETFs, and options.
The rollout coincides with a broader platform refresh that includes fractional share trading, an updated IPO Center with educational resources, and a new Guided Retirement Planning experience powered by Morgan Stanley's Goals Planning System. For active traders, Power E*TRADE Pro received enhancements including a Ticker Tape feature for real-time index tracking, dynamic column sorting, and a higher-contrast Midnight theme. Transfer functionality for digital assets is expected later this year, and custody will eventually transition to Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, a national trust bank currently in organization.
"Our clients' needs are evolving, and they want to invest, trade, bank, and plan for the future all in one place," Matt Jones, Head of E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, said. "Whether they're buying their first share, exploring crypto, participating in an IPO, or planning for retirement, our job is to meet them where they are."
The move signals a significant legitimization of digital assets within traditional finance. ETRADE's roughly 5 million client accounts now have direct access to the three largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, potentially driving new capital inflows and pressuring competing brokerages such as Charles Schwab and JPMorgan to accelerate their own crypto offerings. ETRADE was named #1 Active Trading Web Platform in the StockBrokers.com 2026 Annual Awards.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
