Morgan Stanley's Bitcoin ETF Attracts $34M on First Day
Thursday's session picks up where Wednesday's ceasefire rally left off, with bitcoin(BTC-USD)trading near $71,641 and sitting roughly $360 below the $72,000 level that CoinGlass estimates would trigger $2.5B in cascading short liquidations. The derivatives coil arrives as Wall Street's institutional infrastructure build-out accelerates: Morgan Stanley's(MS)spot bitcoin ETF reported first-day results and Bitmine Immersion Technologies(BMNR)is making its debut on the NYSE main board. Stay up on the crypto news that matters with "Crypto Currents," daily from The Fly. Join us at 2 PM ET for your essential briefing on the fast-moving world of cryptocurrency on FlyCast radio.MSBT LOGS $34M IN DAY-ONE INFLOWS AS WALL STREET'S BITCOIN EMBRACE HOLDS:, making it the first such product from a major Wall Street bank and the cheapest in the market at a 0.14% expense ratio.The broader spot bitcoin ETF complex saw $124.5M leave incumbent funds simultaneously, meaning MSBT attracted fresh capital as the cohort faced net outflows.Bloomberg's April 9 newsletterframes the institutional picture more broadly, noting that Wall Street's structural embrace of bitcoin remains intact even as speculative retail enthusiasm has cooled. The newsletter's framing carries weight for equity investors tracking crypto-adjacent names: sustained institutional demand at the infrastructure layer, custody, settlement, and ETF distribution, can support revenue lines at firms like Coinbase even during periods of subdued retail activity.BITMINE UPLISTS TO NYSE MAIN BOARD AND EXPANDS BUYBACK TO $4B:Bitmine Immersion Technologies, the ether(ETH-USD)treasury company chaired by Fundstrat's Tom Lee, began trading on the NYSE main board Thursday after transferring from NYSE American.According to a company release, the company simultaneously expanded its share repurchase authorization from $1B to $4B, described as one of the ten largest buyback programs announced in 2026 per Fundstrat, while holding approximately 4.803M ether, representing roughly 3.98% of total ether supply, with total crypto and cash holdings of $11.4B. The NYSE uplisting is being closely watched as a benchmark for whether an ether treasury strategy can attract mainstream institutional capital at the same scale that Strategy'sbitcoin model has for BTC-denominated proxies.DERIVATIVES COIL TIGHTENS; HYPERLIQUID OIL VOLUME TOPS BITCOIN FOR FIRST TIME:, bitcoin futures open interest climbed 7.01% in 24 hours to $52.04B with Binance leading at $8.73B, signaling that leverage is re-accumulating rapidly in the aftermath of Wednesday's $427M short squeeze. Ether futures open interest surged 11.93% in the same window to $31.62B, creating a fragile leverage stack with an estimated $810M in long liquidations clustered below $1,952, directly relevant to spot ether ETF AUM mechanics and Coinbase's derivatives revenue line.On Hyperliquid, combined WTI and Brent crude perpetuals hit $2.45B in 24-hour volume on Thursday, surpassing bitcoin perpetuals at $2.29B on that platform for the first time, a result reflecting macro traders routing commodity exposure through on-chain perpetual DEXs on a day when oil crashed more than 16% following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, and positioning Hyperliquid's HYPE(HYPE-USD)token as a live barometer of traditional finance crossover demand for on-chain derivatives infrastructure.BITMEX REPORTS 500%+ SURGE IN TOKENIZED COMMODITY AND EQUITY PERPETUALS:shows that BitMEX's Q1 2026 derivatives report found that tokenized commodity perpetuals surged more than 500% quarter-over-quarter while tokenized equity perpetuals grew 900% to $4.9B in weekly volume, driven by traditional finance crossover demand for on-chain exposure to conventional asset classes. The data provides a quantitative frame for the structural shift that Hyperliquid's oil volume milestone illustrates: traditional financial instruments are migrating to on-chain perpetual venues at an accelerating rate, with direct competitive implications for centralized exchange operators like Coinbase and Bullish(BLSH).BITCOIN DEPOT DISCLOSES $3.6M HACK; BITCOIN BANCORP LAUNCHES CALIFORNIA ATM ROLLOUT:Bitcoin Depot(BTM), operator of approximately 25,000 bitcoin ATMs across North America,disclosed that attackers breached its IT systems on March 23, stealing 50.9 BTC worth approximately $3.665Mby compromising digital asset settlement account credentials before being locked out, at least the company's second known security event following a 2023 user data breach affecting 58,000 customers. The disclosure arrives on the same day that Bitcoin Bancorpannounced an expansion into the space. Bitcoin Bancorp, one of only three publicly traded bitcoin ATM operators and holder of foundational bitcoin ATM patents, launched the initial Southern California deployment of its licensed ATM network as the next phase of its national expansion strategy.SOLUNA COMMISSIONS 48MW PROJECT KATI; BITGO POWERS ANDX U.S. LAUNCH:Soluna Holdings(SLNH)reported that its Project Kati 1 K1A Galaxy facility, a 48 MW bitcoin hosting and mining site, was fully commissioned ahead of schedule in March, while the company is in active hyperscaler negotiations for the AI and HPC-focused Project Kati 2, with its total development pipeline now surpassing 4.3 gigawatts.According to a press release, BitGo(BTGO)announced its OCC-regulated Crypto-as-a-Service platform now underpins the U.S. launch of AndX, an AI-native Web3 trading platform, providing custody, compliance, and settlement infrastructure with $250M insurance coverage across all 50 states.GREENLANE HOLDS 32% OF BERA SUPPLY AND AUTHORIZES $2M BUYBACK:, Greenlane Holdings(GNLN)reported holding 77.9M BERA tokens, representing approximately 32% of the circulating supply of the Berachain native asset as of April 7, with 50M tokens deployed to validators to generate staking yield, while its board simultaneously authorized a new $2M common stock buyback. Greenlane's concentrated BERA position makes it one of the most direct public-market proxies for the Berachain ecosystem, and the buyback authorization mirrors the capital return discipline shown by Empery Digital(EMPD)the prior session, contrasting with the equity issuance posture of most smaller crypto-adjacent names.BITWISE LISTS HYPERLIQUID STAKING ETP IN FRANKFURT; BLACKROCK ETF WALLETS MOVE $49M TO COINBASE:, Bitwise launched the Bitwise Hyperliquid Staking ETP under the ticker symbol 'BHYP' on Deutsche Börse Xetra in Frankfurt, offering regulated access to the HYPE token with an expected net staking yield of approximately 1% and a total expense ratio of 0.85%, marking Bitwise's seventh staking ETP; on-chain data also shows a purchase of 67,648 HYPE tokens for approximately $2.6M by large wallets flagged byLookonchainWednesday, confirming active accumulation. Separately,Arkham Intelligence data showedBlackRock'sIBIT and ETHA ETF wallets transferred 416.65 BTC and 8,513 ETH, a combined value of approximately $49M, to Coinbase Prime during Wednesday's session, confirming that Coinbase's custody and settlement operations are handling significant flow mechanics on volatile sessions and supporting the revenue case for Coinbase independent of spot trading volumes.PRICE ACTION:As of time of writing, bitcoin was trading at $71,490.96, while ether was trading at $2,190.08,.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Analyst Views on MS
About MS
About the author

- First Crypto ETP: Morgan Stanley Investment Management launches the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), becoming the first U.S. bank-affiliated asset manager to offer a cryptocurrency exchange-traded product, reflecting the firm's ongoing commitment to developing digital asset solutions to meet evolving client demands.
- Fee Advantage: MSBT features a unitary delegated sponsor fee of 0.14%, currently the lowest among bitcoin ETPs, which is expected to attract more investors and enhance its competitive position in the market.
- Asset Management Growth: Morgan Stanley Investment Management's suite of ETFs has surpassed $12 billion in assets under management, comprising 19 products, and the launch of MSBT will further expand its exchange-traded capabilities, enhancing client access to a diverse range of investment offerings.
- Digital Asset Strategy: Morgan Stanley is focused on building digital asset capabilities grounded in traditional governance and market infrastructure, and the launch of MSBT not only underscores the firm's commitment to the digital asset market but also aims to help clients access trust and transparency in an evolving market landscape.
- Market Pressure Intensifies: The spot price of Brent crude reached $131.97 per barrel on Thursday afternoon, up over 7% from the previous session but still below Tuesday's record high of $144.42, indicating heightened concerns over tight oil supplies.
- Geopolitical Risks: Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz affect approximately 20% of global oil and gas flows, and while the ceasefire has temporarily eased tensions, market participants remain cautious about future supply recovery.
- Significant Price Discrepancies: An unprecedented gap has emerged between dated Brent and front-month Brent futures, suggesting that even in a de-escalating geopolitical environment, actual oil supplies remain constrained, potentially exacerbating product tightness.
- Changing Trading Patterns: Analysts note that traditional trading patterns have broken down due to supply disruptions, with Russian Urals crude prices exceeding Brent by $30 at times, highlighting unprecedented uncertainty and stress in the market.
- Consumer Price Index Change: In March 2026, China's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1% year-on-year, falling short of economists' forecast of 1.2%, indicating a moderation in inflation pressure that could impact consumer confidence and economic growth.
- Producer Prices Rise: The Producer Price Index (PPI) increased by 0.5% year-on-year, marking the end of the longest deflationary streak since September 2022, suggesting a resurgence in manufacturing cost pressures that may affect profit margins.
- Surge in Oil Prices: The Iran war has caused global energy market turmoil, with Brent crude prices rising 33% since February 28 to $96.7 per barrel, potentially leading to inflationary spillovers in China, although its strategic stockpiling provides some cushion.
- Economic Growth Forecast Adjustment: Morgan Stanley has cut its GDP growth forecast for China in 2026 by 10 basis points to 4.7%, warning that if oil prices continue to rise to $150 per barrel, real GDP could slow to 4.2%, highlighting the potential threat of energy prices to the economy.

- Warning from Bank CEOs: Bank CEOs are cautioning about the risks associated with Anthropic's latest AI model.
- Focus on AI Risks: The emphasis is on understanding and mitigating potential dangers posed by advanced AI technologies.
- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 has risen 3.7% since Monday, marking a seven-day winning streak, the longest since October, indicating a significant improvement in market sentiment and a rebound in investor confidence.
- Inflation Data Expectations: Economists anticipate that the consumer price index, set to be released on Friday, will show a 3.3% year-over-year increase, with a 2.7% rise excluding food and energy, which could significantly impact market sentiment and investment decisions amid rising oil prices.
- Tech Sector Volatility: The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) fell about 4%, hitting a 52-week low, primarily due to the rollout of Anthropic's latest platform, highlighting the fragility of tech stocks and potentially affecting investor confidence in the sector.
- Amazon's AI Investment: Amazon's stock surged 5.6%, its largest gain since October, as CEO Andy Jassy announced plans to invest approximately $200 billion in AI infrastructure, underscoring the company's commitment to future technological advancements and its competitive position in the market.
- Earnings Season Kickoff: The first-quarter earnings season begins next week with 28 companies in the S&P 500 set to report, and both Morgan Stanley and Citizens Financial Group are expected to exceed Wall Street's expectations, potentially driving their stock prices higher.
- Morgan Stanley Performance: Historically, Morgan Stanley has topped analysts' earnings estimates 80% of the time, with an average post-earnings gain of 1%, indicating strong market performance and investor confidence.
- Citizens Financial Group Outlook: Citizens Financial Group has also excelled in beating earnings expectations, achieving this 80% of the time, with an average stock price increase of 1.5% following earnings releases, reflecting its solid growth potential.
- Analyst Rating Upgrade: UBS upgraded Morgan Stanley's rating from neutral to buy, raising the price target to $196, implying an approximately 11% upside, which demonstrates market confidence in quality stocks amidst recent market volatility.










