ETF Evaluator:
Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Digital Assets Over the Last Year
| 1090.2% | Grayscale Zcash Trust (ZEC) (ZCSH) |
| 112.1% | ProShares UltraShort Bitcoin ETF (SBIT) |
| 35.7% | ProShares Short Ether ETF (SETH) |
| 12.3% | Simplify US Equity PLUS Bitcoin Stgy ETF (SPBC) |
| 10.8% | Proshares UltraShort Ether ETF (ETHD) |
Risk
Index
Risk
Index
ETF Details
Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust Overview
Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT) is a passively managed Miscellaneous Digital Assets exchange-traded fund (ETF). Morgan Stanley launched the ETF in 2026.
The investment seeks to track the performance of bitcoin, as measured by the performance of the CoinDesk Bitcoin Benchmark 4PM NY Settlement Rate (the “Pricing Benchmark”), adjusted for the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities.
In seeking to achieve its investment objective, the Trust will hold bitcoin. The Delegated Sponsor of the Trust is Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. (the “Delegated Sponsor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. The Trust does not provide investors with direct exposure to spot bitcoin, and an investment in the Trust is not a direct investment in bitcoin.
About Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.32 years: Management Team (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: CoinDesk Bitcoin Bm 4PM NY Sttl Rate USD index with a weighting of 100%. Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust has 1 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 100.0% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust is part of the Other global asset class and is within the Miscellaneous ETF group. Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $392 million in total assets, which is below the $564 million average for the Digital Assets category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
MSBT Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Digital Assets category. Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust has an expense ratio of 0.14%, which is 86% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 82% for the Digital Assets category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust returned 7.4%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Digital Assets category had an average return of 2.9%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 15.12% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
For more ETF grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
MSBT Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| MSBT Return (NAV) | 7.4% | -17.6% | na | na | na | na |
| MSBT Return (Price) | 6.9% | -17.8% | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.453% | 0.126% | na | na | na | na |
| Digital Assets Avg | 2.9% | -16.7% | -32.2% | 6.2% | -17.1% | 54.9% |
| MSBT Grade (NAV) | B | C | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 4.4% | -0.9% | na | na | na | na |
| MSBT Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
MSBT Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| MSBT Return (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| MSBT Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Digital Assets Avg | -30.7% | -9.9% | 65.8% | 127.8% | -72.3% | 199.4% | 175.1% | 11.8% | -81.4% | 1391.4% | 119.9% |
| MSBT Grade (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 392 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 392 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.14% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | CoinDesk Bitcoin Bm 4PM NY Sttl Rate USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.3 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.3 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Team Management (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 1 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 100.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 100.0% |
| Cash: | 0.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Grantor Trust |
| Fund Family: | Morgan Stanley |
| Phone Number: | 212-761-4000 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | April 7, 2026 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.14% (Rating: Low) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.97% |