Morgan Stanley is preparing to bring cryptocurrency trading directly to its E*Trade platform, marking one of the firm’s most significant moves into digital assets to date. The bank has struck a partnership with Zerohash, a digital infrastructure provider, to enable the service. The launch is expected in the first half of 2026 and will initially allow clients to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, according to people familiar with the rollout.

At present, E*Trade customers can only gain exposure to cryptocurrencies through exchange-traded funds, trusts, or futures contracts. This expansion would represent a major shift, moving the platform beyond indirect investment products and into direct digital asset trading. The decision reflects growing demand from retail and institutional investors alike, who have been pressing for simpler ways to access the crypto market through established financial platforms.

The offering is described internally as a phased rollout, with the first stage limited to three major tokens and later stages potentially expanding to more assets and full custody solutions. Details on account eligibility, trading fees, and custody arrangements have not yet been disclosed, leaving open questions about how the bank plans to balance ease of access with regulatory compliance.

The announcement positions Morgan Stanley among a select group of Wall Street institutions moving more decisively into crypto after years of cautious experimentation. While the service has yet to go live, the commitment to a timeline underscores the belief that digital assets are maturing into a permanent feature of the financial landscape. For investors, it signals that one of the most established names in brokerage is preparing to meet them on ground that was once the sole territory of crypto-native exchanges.