Morgan Stanley to establish cryptocurrency research unit

One of the leading US investment banks Morgan Stanley appointed Sheena Shah as head of cryptocurrency research. This move marks ‘a recognition of the growing importance of digital assets,’ Bloomberg reports.

Previously she spent eight years as the chief strategist for currency markets. In the new role she will lead the formation of a team that will focus on studying the impact of cryptocurrencies on equities and fixed-income instruments.

In March, CNBC sources reported plans for Morgan Stanley to offer accredited investors with at least $2 million in capital access to bitcoin funds. The bank limited investments in these instruments to 2.5% of their own capital.

A month later, in an SEC filing, the bank did not rule out adding derivatives on Bitcoin to 12 of its own funds.

In June, New York Digital Investment Group and FS Investments filed with the SEC an application to register a Bitcoin fund intended for Morgan Stanley’s clients.

In June, the investment bank disclosed the position of Morgan Stanley Europe Opportunity Fund in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, amounting to $1.3 million. In July, it was disclosed that Morgan Stanley Insight Fund acquired GBTC shares for $27.7 million.

Earlier in September, Moody’s Investors Service opened a vacancy for an analyst in digital assets and DeFi.

Earlier, the $1.4 trillion asset manager Franklin Templeton posted cryptocurrency-related vacancies — for an analyst and a trader.

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