Morgan Stanley expands Bitcoin exposure: Can institutional demand push BTC to $80K?

Morgan Stanley turned from doubters to believers and has now deployed significant capital into Bitcoin [BTC].

The bank has been aggressively accumulating BTC lately. Per Arkham data, Morgan Stanley purchased 177.76 Bitcoin worth $13.75 million on the 18th of April. 

With the latest purchase, the firm increased its Bitcoin holdings to 1,347.54 BTC, worth $103.94 million. The continued purchases signal the institution’s trust in crypto and its future potential. 

Historically, positive favorability from major market players has been good for Bitcoin’s price performance. 

Institutions return to Bitcoin

The Coinbase Premium Index has remained positive for ten consecutive days, marking the longest streak YTD. The last time Coinbase printed such a streak was in December 2025, when Bitcoin held strongly above $90k. 

Bitcoin’s Spot ETF inflows evidence this rising institutional demand. Notably, net inflows have been positive for the past four days. 

On the 18th of April, Spot ETF inflows surged to a three-month high of $663.9 million, reflecting increased capital flows. 

Amid this resurgence in ETF inflows, Morgan Stanley’s new spot ETF (MSBT) has recorded massive demand. MSBT inflows surged to $102 million in the first week of trading, with total assets exceeding $140 million. 

This surge marks Morgan Stanley’s most successful ETF launch in the bank’s history. The launch of MSBT is the last stage of the firm’s embrace of Bitcoin. 

What about BTC?

Rising institutional demand has significantly strengthened Bitcoin’s upside momentum. BTC has traded within an uptrend for the past two weeks, a period that has coincided with increased institutional demand.

In fact, Bitcoin touched a two-month high of $78,317 before slightly retracing. At press time, the king coin traded at $77,257, up 3.15% on the daily charts.

With the price uptick, Bitcoin flipped the 20-, 50-, and 100-day EMAs, signaling strong upside momentum. At the same time, the Stochastic Momentum Index (SMI) rose to 70, further validating the trend’s strength.

Therefore, if institutional demand, especially from U.S. investors, holds, BTC will successfully flip $80k resistance and eye $82,938. However, if the current attempt fails, BTC will seek support around $72,584.

Final Summary

• Morgan Stanley purchased 177.76 BTC worth $13.75 million, raising total holdings to 1,347.54 BTC, worth $103.94 million. 
• MSBT saw inflows exceeding $102 million, raising its asset value to $140 million.