Tokenization and 24/7 markets are reshaping finance, making always-on banking a reality.
By Helene Braun|Edited by Stephen Alpher Jul 29, 2026, 4:09 p.m. 3 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on SummaryShow- Executives at Morgan Stanley are declaring the end of the conventional 9-to-5 banking schedule as the industry shifts towards 24/7 trading and settlement.
- They anticipate that tokenized assets will introduce blockchain technology to mainstream investors before they engage directly with cryptocurrencies.
- The bank is enhancing its digital asset services, including crypto trading on E*TRADE and new Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana ETFs.
According to Morgan Stanley executives, the financial sector is evolving into an environment where markets operate continuously, payments are processed instantly, and investors expect round-the-clock access to their funds. They assert that tokenization is driving this transformation away from traditional banking hours.
During a panel on digital assets, Betsy Graseck, who leads the bank's global research on banks and diversified finance, emphasized that the transition to tokenized assets involves more than just cryptocurrencies; it is about reinventing the financial infrastructure to support an always-active economy.
"I do phrase it as, look, this is the end of banker hours," Graseck stated. "Your batch processing mentality is going to be a thing of the past."
This perspective aligns with a broader trend emerging in financial markets. Banks, exchanges, and custodians are investing in technologies that enable asset transactions to occur 24/7 instead of being restricted to business hours. While cryptocurrencies have shown the feasibility of continuous markets, executives noted that similar infrastructures are being developed for traditional assets.
Over the past year, Morgan Stanley has progressively broadened its digital asset offerings. The firm recently introduced spot trading for bitcoin BTC$63,667.12, ether (ETH), and solana (SOL) via its E*TRADE platform and has expanded access to cryptocurrency ETFs for wealth management clients. This includes the launch of its first spot bitcoin ETF earlier this year, followed by the introduction of spot ether and solana ETFs this week, responding to rising investor interest in digital asset investment products.
Graseck pointed out that current investor interests extend beyond just bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Institutions are exploring tokenization for its potential to enhance cash mobility, boost collateral efficiency, and create new investment avenues.
"If you do not modernize your rails to enable yourself to participate as flows shift to digital asset rails, you're not positioning yourself for growth," she warned.
She further cautioned that firms that overlook this trend risk lagging as financial activities increasingly migrate to blockchain-based systems.
The conversation highlighted that tokenization is already becoming a practical reality. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management investment strategist Denny Galindo noted that tokenized money market funds and stocks have seen rapid growth this year, predicting these developments will familiarize many investors with blockchain technology before they ever invest in cryptocurrencies.
"I think we're going to see a lot of mainstream impact from something tokenized that people can buy that they used to have a hard time getting access to," Galindo remarked.
"I think that'll probably be the first way crypto hits the people that aren't just in it all the time and thinking about it all the time. It's going to be some kind of tokenized product."
Galindo also mentioned that wealth management clients are becoming increasingly at ease with digital assets as investment options broaden beyond bitcoin alone.
"A lot of people just stopped at bitcoin and said, 'I've got that covered. I don't want to get it more complicated,'" he explained. With the emergence of more exchange-traded funds and tokenized products, he anticipates that investors will dedicate more time to determining how digital assets fit into their overall portfolios.
Ali Wallace, Morgan Stanley Investment Management's global head of capital markets and ETF strategy, acknowledged that product development is already adapting to meet investor demand. She highlighted the growing interest in multi-currency digital asset ETFs as the next phase of innovation.
"There really is an interest for multi-currency, multi-product" ETFs, Wallace stated, characterizing them as the next advancement in digital asset investment products.
Graseck believes this transition will take years rather than months, but she is confident in the clarity of the direction. "There are investors who are very interested in being able to manage their funds on a 24/7 basis," she noted. "The entirety of your investor base is not your domestic market."
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