Morgan Stanley’s 13F Filing Highlights Significant Bitcoin ETF Holdings

Morgan Stanley, the multinational investment bank and financial services company, reported its Form 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, revealing a substantial stake in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

As of June 30, Morgan Stanley disclosed ownership of over 5.5 million shares worth approximately $187.79 million in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (ticker: IBIT), positioning the bank as a top-five shareholder of the ETF.

Additionally, the bank reported owning 26,222 shares of the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ticker: ARKB), valued at around $1.57 million, a decrease from $2.3 million at the end of the first quarter.

Notably, Morgan Stanley’s recent filing included a position of about $148,000 in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (ticker: GBTC), representing a near-total sell-off from the previous quarter’s $269.9 million position.

Form 13F filings are quarterly reports mandated by the SEC for institutional investment managers with over $100 million in equity assets, providing insight into their stock holdings at quarter’s end, though short positions are not disclosed.

The IBIT is currently the largest spot Bitcoin ETF by market cap, boasting $20 billion in assets under management. On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs also revealed it owns 6.9 million shares of the fund, valued at $238.6 million.

In summary, as of the end of the second quarter, Morgan Stanley’s total holdings in spot Bitcoin ETFs amounted to around $190 million.