Morgan Stanley increased its position in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by 3.04 million shares during the second quarter, bringing total holdings to 16.5 million shares, according to a 13F SEC filing released Thursday.
The increase marked a 23% rise in share count from the prior quarter’s 13.4 million shares. However, the position’s dollar value declined 18% to $549 million from $667 million in Q1, reflecting Bitcoin price weakness during the quarter.
Morgan Stanley also expanded exposure across multiple crypto-linked vehicles in Q2. The firm increased its iShares Ethereum Trust ETF position by 202% to 4.6 million shares and boosted its Grayscale Ethereum Staking Mini ETF holding by 26% to 5.1 million shares. New positions included Grayscale Solana Staking ETF and Fidelity Solana Fund.
In-House Bitcoin Product
Morgan Stanley initiated a position in its own Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), which began trading in April 2026. The firm held 2.57 million shares valued at $43.3 million by the end of Q2.
Beyond ETFs, Morgan Stanley increased Circle Internet Group holdings from 1.46 million shares in Q1 to 8.32 million shares in Q2. The firm also added exposure to Bitcoin mining and infrastructure companies including Cipher Digital, Core Scientific, Hut 8, and Bitdeer Technologies.
Selective Reductions
Morgan Stanley trimmed certain positions during the quarter. The firm reduced Coinbase holdings by 550,000 shares, cut its CleanSpark position by 3.1 million shares, and fully exited an 8 million-share Bitfarms position.
The 13F filing, submitted Thursday, captures Morgan Stanley’s institutional equity positions as of the end of Q2 2026. Institutional asset managers with over $100 million in equity holdings must disclose positions quarterly to the SEC.
Morgan Stanley also increased smaller Bitcoin ETF positions including Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF and Bitwise Bitcoin ETF during the period, alongside a 38% increase in Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund holdings.
