#我的2026第一条帖 Entering 2026, the global financial markets are experiencing an unprecedented paradigm shift — Wall Street giants, once cautious or even hostile towards cryptocurrencies, are now making a full-scale push into this emerging sector with a "lightning war" approach. From Morgan Stanley's aggressive moves to Bank of America's clear endorsement, and the entire banking industry falling into "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out), this capital migration is not a tentative layout but a structural, all-encompassing strategic advance. Cryptocurrencies are shifting from fringe alternative investments to a priority in Wall Street's core business. What underlying logic is driving this transformation? And how will it reshape the future of the financial industry?

1. The Indicator: Wall Street’s “Lightning War” and Strategic Ambitions
In the first week of January 2026, this became a landmark moment for Wall Street’s embrace of cryptocurrencies, with Morgan Stanley undoubtedly serving as the “pioneer” of this change. This century-old investment bank swiftly submitted three major applications to the SEC: launching spot Bitcoin (BTC), Solana (SOL), and Ethereum (ETH) ETFs, directly branded under “Morgan Stanley.” This move not only signifies a qualitative change in the strategic position of cryptocurrencies — upgrading from “optional” to “must-have” — but also conceals a deeper “self-produced and self-sold” intent. Previously, Morgan Stanley’s financial advisors could only recommend Bitcoin ETFs from other institutions; now, through its own branded ETFs, it aims to channel the funds of its 19 million wealth management clients into its own product pool, seizing market dominance. Morgan Stanley’s ambitions go far beyond this. Its wealth management head Jedd Finn revealed plans to launch a proprietary digital wallet in the second half of 2026. This layout reveals a grander vision: Morgan Stanley not only wants to be a sales channel for crypto products but also aims to become a builder of infrastructure integrating TradFi and DeFi. Finn stated plainly, “This indicates that the way financial services infrastructure operates is about to change fundamentally.” Morgan Stanley’s aggressive stance is not an isolated case but a microcosm of Wall Street’s collective anxiety and strategic shift:
● Bank of America: officially recommends wealth management clients allocate 1% to 4% of their portfolios to digital assets, and approves Merrill platform advisors to recommend Bitcoin ETFs.
● JPMorgan Chase: despite CEO’s public criticism of Bitcoin, its actions are pragmatic — expanding JPM Coin to new networks like Canton Network, building payment channels for tokenized cash and assets, and evaluating offering crypto spot and derivatives trading to institutional clients.
● Other giants follow suit: Goldman Sachs’ crypto trading division continues deepening its efforts, Charles Schwab plans to trade Bitcoin and Ethereum directly, PNC Bank enables seamless crypto trading for clients through partnerships with Cb, Barclays has launched its stablecoin clearing platform Ubyx, entering the digital dollar infrastructure space.
Bitwise investment chief Matt Hougan succinctly captures the essence: “On the surface, it’s institutions gradually accepting cryptocurrencies, but in reality, they are rushing headlong into crypto and treating it as a business priority.”
2. Core Drivers: Capital Floods and Regulatory “Green Lights”
Behind Wall Street’s collective “bet” are two core engines driving forcefully:
1. The unstoppable capital influx: in the first two days of 2026, US Bitcoin spot ETF inflows exceeded $1.2 billion, with Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas describing its ferocity as “lion-like,” predicting total annual inflows could reach $150 billion. BlackRock’s iBIT has become one of the fastest-growing ETFs in history. Faced with such enormous client demand and market potential, traditional financial institutions can no longer stand on the sidelines.
2. Clarification of the regulatory environment: in recent years, the Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC have issued guidelines explicitly allowing banks to provide custody and trading services for crypto assets under compliance. The increased clarity in regulation greatly reduces compliance risks for traditional institutions, shifting them from “watching in the shadows” to “actively deploying.” Political signals also add momentum: pro-crypto stances from politicians like Trump, and institutions like World Liberty Financial actively applying for banking licenses to support crypto businesses, suggest future policies may become more friendly.
However, the road ahead is not smooth. Investment banks warn that, despite the strong momentum, comprehensive federal legislation on crypto market structure may be delayed until 2027 due to factors like the 2026 elections. This means the industry will need to “cross the river by feeling the stones” within the existing regulatory framework in the short term.
3. Paradigm Shift: From Edge to Center, Reshaping the Financial Future
Wall Street’s collective shift is not merely about “riding the trend,” but a structural transformation driven by market demand, competition among giants, regulatory approval, and political expectations. Its strategic logic is undergoing a fundamental change:
1. Role transformation: from passive ETF sales to active issuance of proprietary products, and further to building digital wallets and underlying infrastructure — Wall Street’s ambition is clear — to maintain a central position in the blockchain-driven financial revolution.
2. Blurring boundaries: deep integration of TradFi and DeFi accelerates. Morgan Stanley’s digital wallet plans, JPMorgan’s tokenized payment channels, etc., are breaking down barriers between traditional finance and the crypto world, constructing a new “one-account” financial ecosystem.
3. Fortress competition: giants are no longer content with merely sharing a piece of the pie but are building long-term competitive advantages through infrastructure layouts. For example, Barclays’ investment in Ubyx aims at controlling key nodes of the future monetary system with a focus on digital dollar clearing.
The significance of this transformation goes far beyond the crypto industry itself: it signals a reconfiguration of financial power — Wall Street is attempting to incorporate cryptocurrencies into its dominant financial system rather than being overturned by the decentralization wave.
The “crypto-ification” of traditional finance and the “compliance” of cryptocurrencies are mutually propelling each other into a new financial era.
Conclusion: A New Era of Finance Begins, and the Transformation Continues
In early 2026, Wall Street giants rushing into the crypto space marked the official transition of cryptocurrencies from a “fringe revolution” to a “mainstream battlefield.” Regulatory green lights, capital floods, and political expectations have paved the way, with Wall Street’s ambition to lead this change rather than passively adapt. From ETFs to digital wallets, from payment channels to infrastructure, the giants’ layouts send a clear signal: the future of finance will be defined by the deep integration of blockchain technology and traditional finance. This paradigm shift has only just begun. In the future, we may witness more traditional financial institutions deeply engaging in crypto trading, custody, and issuance, while the game between regulation and innovation continues. But one thing is certain: Wall Street’s collective “bet” has written a new chapter for the financial industry — cryptocurrencies are no longer “alternative,” but an inseparable part of the future financial system. The new era of finance is accelerating to arrive.