- Morgan Stanley Eyes Crypto Expansion: The firm is reportedly exploring crypto trading via its E*Trade platform, signaling further integration of digital assets into traditional finance.
- Ripple Connection Resurfaces: Analyst SMQKE highlighted a 2016 Morgan Stanley report that recognized Ripple as a serious alternative to SWIFT, capable of improving settlement speed and reducing fraud.
- Possible Bigger Picture: While the trading news is notable, Morgan Stanley’s earlier interest in Ripple suggests their crypto ambitions might go beyond just buying and selling—potentially into blockchain infrastructure adoption.
So, here’s something that just resurfaced—digital asset analyst SMQKE recently brought up a tweet from CoinDesk that’s got people talking again about Morgan Stanley’s quiet but consistent interest in crypto.
CoinDesk’s tweet pointed out that Morgan Stanley might be gearing up to launch crypto trading through its E*Trade platform. That’s a pretty big move. But SMQKE wasn’t just hyped about the trading bit—he dug deeper and pulled out something interesting from the archives.
Wait… Morgan Stanley Talked About Ripple Years Ago?
Yep. According to SMQKE, Morgan Stanley actually gave Ripple a nod way back in 2016. He quoted Volume 36 of the Review of Banking and Financial Law, which cited a report Morgan Stanley published called Global Insight: Blockchain in Banking—Disruptive Threat or Tool?
In that report, Morgan Stanley highlighted Ripple’s tech as a solid contender to improve global payments—quicker settlement times, faster transaction speeds, and even reduced fraud. They even said Ripple could be a legit alternative to SWIFT. Yeah… SWIFT. That’s no small compliment.
So, What’s the Big Deal Now?
Well, the CoinDesk tweet didn’t mention Ripple at all—it was all about E*Trade possibly rolling out crypto trading. But when you bring in Morgan Stanley’s past words on Ripple, things get… interesting.
It suggests their strategy might go beyond just trading. They might be looking at blockchain as infrastructure—seriously considering the tech behind payments, not just the tokens. That’s a big distinction.
And let’s be honest—this isn’t some random blog post. This was published in a legal academic review, citing a real Morgan Stanley research paper. So it’s not like someone’s just connecting imaginary dots.
A Broader Playbook?
Sure, Morgan Stanley hasn’t said anything recently about Ripple. But the fact that they once saw value in Ripple’s ledger tech adds some weight to the whole conversation. And with institutions slowly tiptoeing into crypto, these old records might show us where the industry is really headed.
Trading platforms are cool and all, but maybe—just maybe—the bigger play is in adopting the underlying tech. If that’s the case, Ripple and others working on real utility might be in the spotlight again soon.
So yeah, maybe it’s time to pay closer attention… just in case Morgan Stanley’s next move is bigger than it looks right now.
