Morgan Stanley's 11-basis-point fee gap creates a default choice for wealth managers

Wealth managers can now allocate new inflows to the lowest-cost spot bitcoin ETF available. Morgan Stanley Investment Management launched the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT) on April Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT) on April 8, 2026, as the first U.S. bank-affiliated asset manager to offer a crypto ETP. MSBT carries an expense ratio of 0.14%, which is 11 basis points lower than the 0.25% fee charged by BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). This 44% reduction in cost creates immediate competitive pressure on the bitcoin ETP landscape. Morgan Stanley commands a network of 16,000 financial advisors who oversee $9.3 trillion in client assets. These advisors can shift client allocations to MSBT in the आपकी भाषा में a single trade. MSBT drew $34 million in net inflows and processed more than 1.6 million shares on its first day.