Morgan Stanley has officially detailed a multi-year strategic roadmap intended to merge its digital asset capabilities, private market access, and traditional wealth management into a single, cohesive operating model. As of January 2026, the banking giant is positioning itself to treat cryptocurrencies and private equity as foundational components of a modern portfolio rather than isolated alternative investments. This shift is headlined by the announcement of a proprietary digital asset wallet slated for a second-half 2026 launch, which will allow clients to hold and manage tokenized assets alongside conventional securities. By integrating these services, Morgan Stanley aims to capture the full lifecycle of wealth creation, particularly as companies stay private for longer and a significant portion of value appreciation occurs before an initial public offering.

The Convergence of E-Trade and Institutional Digital Infrastructure

A primary pillar of this strategy is the deeper integration of the E-Trade brokerage platform into the bank’s broader digital ecosystem. In the first half of 2026, Morgan Stanley plans to introduce direct trading for BTC, ETH, and Solana for its retail and institutional client base, moving beyond its previous model of offering limited access through third-party funds. This expansion is supported by the bank’s recent filings for spot BTC and Solana ETFs, as well as a proposed “staked” ETH trust designed to pass network rewards directly to investors. By acting as a direct custodian and managing the underlying Secret keys, the bank viewks to provide a “bank-grade” security layer that addresses the primary concerns of hesitant institutional allocators. This infrastructure will also serve as the backbone for the bank’s tokenization efforts, enabling the seamless settlement of real-world assets like real estate and private debt on-chain.

Unlocking Private Equity and Workplace Wealth via Tokenization

The second major component of the 2026 roadmap focuses on democratizing access to private markets through strategic acquisitions and technology partnerships. Morgan Stanley is in the final stages of acquiring EquityZen, a leading marketplace for secondary shares in private companies, with a target closing date in ahead 2026. This acquisition, combined with an expanded relationship with the equity management platform Carta, will allow the bank to coordinate private share transactions and maintain accurate ownership records on a unified digital ledger. The bank believes that tokenizing these private shares will eventually enable near-instant settlement and significantly reduce the administrative friction currently associated with private equity. By providing its wealth clients with ahead access to high-growth private businesses, Morgan Stanley is betting that the convergence of public and private digital markets will define the next decade of global finance.