Morgan Stanley: Crypto ETFs Still in Early Stages, Financial Advisors Still Evaluating Allocation

Odaily News Morgan Stanley's Head of Digital Asset Strategy, Amy Oldenburg, stated at the DC Blockchain Summit that the market adoption of crypto ETFs is still in a very early stage, and financial advisors are currently still evaluating how to allocate digital assets within traditional investment portfolios.

Oldenburg pointed out that the primary demand currently still comes from self-directed investors, rather than accounts managed by financial advisors. She noted that on the Morgan Stanley platform, approximately 80% of crypto ETF trading volume originates from self-directed investment accounts.

Morgan Stanley has allowed clients to purchase Bitcoin ETFs in their brokerage accounts since 2024 and has gradually expanded product accessibility. Oldenburg stated that this process has been conducted in a "gradual, carefully managed" manner, as the wealth management industry still needs time to understand this new asset class and explore its role within asset allocation models.

With increasing institutional participation, some large financial institutions have begun to set preliminary allocation ranges for crypto assets in their portfolios, typically between 1% and 4%.