Amy Oldenburg Named Morgan Stanley's Digital Asset Strategy Chief
The investment banking giant Morgan Stanley is strengthening its cryptocurrency market position through the naming of Amy Oldenburg to serve as its new digital asset strategy leader.
The investment banking firm Morgan Stanley has selected seasoned executive Amy Oldenburg to spearhead its newly formed cryptocurrency division, coming mere weeks following the bank's disclosure of intentions to introduce three cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds alongside a digital currency wallet.
According to a Bloomberg report published on Tuesday, Oldenburg is set to assume the role of head of digital asset strategy following her tenure with Morgan Stanley's emerging markets equity division, where she has worked since 2001.
Since November 2021, Oldenburg has served as the leader of the emerging markets team, with her responsibilities including the development and execution of the division's strategic approach to digital assets.
Employment opportunities posted on LinkedIn further reveal that the investment bank, valued at $2 trillion, is actively seeking to grow its cryptocurrency division, with open positions including digital assets strategy director, digital assets strategist, and digital assets product lead.
During the opening week of 2025, Morgan Stanley submitted filings to introduce spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Solana (SOL) exchange-traded funds — marking the bank's initial significant entry into the cryptocurrency sector after predominantly remaining on the sidelines during the initial phase of institutional adoption throughout the previous two years.
Following that same week, the investment bank submitted an application for a staked Ether (ETH) ETF designed to hold ETH while staking a percentage yet to be disclosed in order to generate staking rewards.
Should regulatory approval be granted, these investment vehicles could potentially channel fresh capital into BTC, ETH, and SOL from the 19 million clients Morgan Stanley serves via its wealth management arm.
The bank is additionally pursuing the development of a cryptocurrency wallet designed to accommodate cryptocurrencies along with tokenized real-world assets, encompassing stocks, bonds and real estate holdings.
Oldenburg advocates for crypto self-custody
During previous public speaking engagements, Oldenburg has emphasized the significance of the "Not your keys, not your coins" principle and the necessity of developing improved self-custody infrastructure, especially for individuals in emerging market economies. She additionally expressed in March last year that she held a position "against ETFs" due to their lack of staking capabilities at that time.
I want my liquidity 24/7, and also we have clients that want to move assets that they have and potentially bank them with us and be able to leverage all of the features that the digital assets space allows you.
Oldenburg said at the Digital Assets Summit 2025
At the time, Oldenburg was addressing the constraints associated with ETFs regarding crypto staking and yield-generating products; however, the Securities and Exchange Commission under Paul Atkins' leadership has subsequently shown a willingness to approve a more diverse array of cryptocurrency-related products.