Morgan Stanley Completes E*Trade Crypto Rollout With 50 Basis Point Fees: Here's What Clients Get

Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade completed the rollout of spot bitcoin, ether, and solana trading to U.S. clients on July 16, charging a 50-basis-point fee that undercuts many competitors. The move is part of the bank’s broader digital asset strategy.

Eligible E*Trade clients can now buy, sell, and hold the three largest non-stablecoin digital assets directly within the same interface used for stocks and ETFs. Trading is available 24/7 on the platform’s web and mobile apps. The service offers direct spot exposure, not a fund wrapper or futures product.

Behind the scenes, Zerohash handles liquidity, execution, custody, and settlement, holding the digital assets in accounts linked to clients’ brokerage accounts. The ability to transfer crypto on and off the platform is expected later in 2026.

Morgan Stanley’s 50-basis-point fee ($5 per $1,000 traded) undercuts retail incumbents such as Coinbase and Robinhood, which charge up to 60 and 95 basis points, respectively. The bank began with a pilot earlier this year before full availability on July 16.

The E*Trade launch is one piece of a broader digital asset buildout. Morgan Stanley has filed for spot bitcoin and solana ETFs, and updated its ether and solana ETF applications, naming Coinbase as custodian and staking facilitator. The bank has also applied for a national trust charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, seeking a federally regulated subsidiary focused on digital asset custody.

As of July 17, bitcoin was trading near $63,000, down about 2% in 24 hours. The rollout gives Morgan Stanley a retail crypto funnel ahead of possible federal market structure legislation, as the Senate weighs the CLARITY Act.

Source: https://news.bitcoin.com/morgan-stanley-etrade-crypto-rollout-complete/