Morgan Stanley Pushes Past Crypto Blues to Build its First Bitcoin ETF

Group 1 - Morgan Stanley has become the first major US bank to seek SEC approval for crypto ETFs, specifically designed to track bitcoin and solana prices [1] - The finance industry is expanding its crypto offerings despite a lack of strong interest from retail investors following a selloff last fall [1] - Major financial companies like BlackRock and Fidelity have launched their own bitcoin ETFs, while banks have been more cautious, directing advisors to offer clients options from other companies [2] Group 2 - Bitcoin ETFs experienced significant inflows of $697 million, marking their largest gain since early October, although the price of bitcoin has since slipped [3] - Bitcoin's price has risen approximately 6% this year, indicating a potential turnaround in investor sentiment, despite retail traders remaining hesitant [3] - The first two trading days of 2026 saw $1.2 billion in inflows into bitcoin ETFs, with notable contributions from BlackRock and Fidelity [5]