Megabank Morgan Stanley has purchased 28,289 shares of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust through its Europe Opportunity Fund, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Morgan Stanley has been increasingly active in the cryptocurrency space in recent months to meet growing demand from its clients. In April, the firm allowed a handful of its funds to invest indirectly in bitcoin through cash-settled futures contracts and Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust, including the Institutional Fund, Institutional Fund Trust, Insight Fund and Variable Insurance Fund.
Each fund may invest up to 25% of its assets in bitcoin, according to earlier SEC filings. The Europe Opportunity Fund includes a mix of Europe-based companies in the technology and non-technology space, and other investments.
In March, Morgan Stanley debuted bitcoin investment fund products for high-net-worth clients and began recruiting for a cryptocurrency and blockchain lead analyst.
Grayscale is owned by CoinDesk parent company Digital Currency Group.