Bitcoin ETF launch: Morgan Stanley MSBT breaks record

Morgan Stanley, the US investment bank, launched a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) on 08 April 2026. A spot ETF is a fund that holds the underlying asset directly, in this case Bitcoin, and trades on a stock exchange like a regular share. The fund trades under the ticker MSBT on NYSE Arca, the US stock exchange that lists most ETF products.

First-day inflows set firm recordMSBT drew $30.6 million in inflows on its first trading day and bought 444.4 BTC. That figure made it the strongest opening day in Morgan Stanley's ETF history across all asset classes. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas ranked the launch in the top 1% of all ETF debuts. Among spot Bitcoin ETFs specifically, only BlackRock's IBIT fund raised more on its first day, with $40 million.

"Morgan Stanley Bitcoin ETF was the best first day of trading for any of our ETFs. We have to start with a Bitcoin ETF. But this is just the first of a long roadmap of products we plan to roll out on Asset Management, Wealth Business and Tokenized Equities sides.", 08 April 2026. — Amy Oldenburg, Head of Digital Asset Strategy, Morgan Stanley 

Amy Oldenburg leads digital asset strategyAmy Oldenburg holds the position of Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Morgan Stanley. Bloomberg confirmed her appointment to that role on 27 January 2026. Oldenburg made her statement about the ETF launch in an interview broadcast on Bloomberg TV on 08 April 2026. She described MSBT as the first product in a broader pipeline that includes Asset Management, Wealth Business products, and Tokenized Equities. MSBT drew $30.6 million in inflows on its first trading day and bought 444.4 BTC. That figure made it the strongest opening day in Morgan Stanley's ETF history across all asset classes. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas ranked the launch in the top 1% of all ETF debuts. Among spot Bitcoin ETFs specifically, only BlackRock's IBIT fund raised more on its first day, with $40 million.

"Morgan Stanley Bitcoin ETF was the best first day of trading for any of our ETFs. We have to start with a Bitcoin ETF. But this is just the first of a long roadmap of products we plan to roll out on Asset Management, Wealth Business and Tokenized Equities sides.", 08 April 2026. — Amy Oldenburg, Head of Digital Asset Strategy, Morgan Stanley 

Amy Oldenburg leads digital asset strategyAmy Oldenburg holds the position of Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Morgan Stanley. Bloomberg confirmed her appointment to that role on 27 January 2026. Oldenburg made her statement about the ETF launch in an interview broadcast on Bloomberg TV on 08 April 2026. She described MSBT as the first product in a broader pipeline that includes Asset Management, Wealth Business products, and Tokenized Equities. "Morgan Stanley Bitcoin ETF was the best first day of trading for any of our ETFs. We have to start with a Bitcoin ETF. But this is just the first of a long roadmap of products we plan to roll out on Asset Management, Wealth Business and Tokenized Equities sides.", 08 April 2026. — Amy Oldenburg, Head of Digital Asset Strategy, Morgan Stanley 

Amy Oldenburg leads digital asset strategyAmy Oldenburg holds the position of Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Morgan Stanley. Bloomberg confirmed her appointment to that role on 27 January 2026. Oldenburg made her statement about the ETF launch in an interview broadcast on Bloomberg TV on 08 April 2026. She described MSBT as the first product in a broader pipeline that includes Asset Management, Wealth Business products, and Tokenized Equities. Amy Oldenburg leads digital asset strategyAmy Oldenburg holds the position of Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Morgan Stanley. Bloomberg confirmed her appointment to that role on 27 January 2026. Oldenburg made her statement about the ETF launch in an interview broadcast on Bloomberg TV on 08 April 2026. She described MSBT as the first product in a broader pipeline that includes Asset Management, Wealth Business products, and Tokenized Equities. Amy Oldenburg holds the position of Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Morgan Stanley. Bloomberg confirmed her appointment to that role on 27 January 2026. Oldenburg made her statement about the ETF launch in an interview broadcast on Bloomberg TV on 08 April 2026. She described MSBT as the first product in a broader pipeline that includes Asset Management, Wealth Business products, and Tokenized Equities. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and involve significant risk. You may lose part or all of your investment. All information on Coinpaprika is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Always conduct your own research (DYOR) and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Coinpaprika is not liable for any losses resulting from the use of this information.