Quick Breakdown
- Morgan Stanley has named Amy Oldenburg to lead its new digital assets strategy.
- The bank has filed for Bitcoin, Solana, and staked Ether ETFs and is building a crypto wallet.
- Oldenburg supports self-custody and broader crypto functionality beyond traditional ETFs.
Morgan Stanley has appointed veteran executive Amy Oldenburg to head its newly formed digital assets unit, marking a major step in the bank’s expanding push into cryptocurrency products.
Oldenburg will move into the role of head of digital asset strategy, transitioning from Morgan Stanley’s emerging markets equity team, where she has worked since 2001, according to a Bloomberg report published Tuesday.
🇺🇸 $2.5 TRILLION MORGAN STANLEY JUST HIRED HEAD OF CRYPTO STRATEGY
SOMETHING IS COMING BIG TIME 👀 pic.twitter.com/ktjiLAun8W
— Vivek Sen (@Vivek4real_) January 27, 2026
The appointment comes just weeks after the $2 trillion investment bank unveiled plans to launch multiple crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and a crypto wallet aimed at retail and institutional clients.
Crypto expansion gathers pace
Oldenburg has led Morgan Stanley’s emerging markets equity team since November 2021 and was already responsible for shaping the division’s digital asset strategy, making her a natural choice to oversee the bank’s broader crypto ambitions.
Morgan Stanley is also scaling up its digital assets workforce. Recent LinkedIn job postings show the firm is hiring for roles including digital assets strategy director, digital assets strategist, and digital assets product lead.
In early 2025, the bank filed applications to launch spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Solana (SOL) ETFs, its most significant move into crypto after largely staying on the sidelines during earlier waves of institutional adoption. It later followed up with a filing for a staked Ether (ETH) ETF, which would generate income through staking if approved.
If cleared by regulators, the products could open the door to fresh inflows into BTC, ETH, and SOL from Morgan Stanley’s roughly 19 million wealth management clients.
Self-custody, staking and a crypto wallet
Beyond ETFs, Morgan Stanley is developing a crypto wallet designed to support cryptocurrencies and tokenized real-world assets such as stocks, bonds, and real estate.
Oldenburg has long been vocal about the importance of self-custody, frequently highlighting the principle of “not your keys, not your coins,” particularly for users in emerging markets. She has also criticized early crypto ETFs for lacking staking features, saying in March last year that she was “against ETFs” because they did not allow users to earn yield.
Speaking at the Digital Assets Summit 2025, Oldenburg emphasized the need for round-the-clock liquidity and flexibility.
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