Morgan Stanley creates head of digital-asset strategy role…appoints Amy Oldenburg

U.S. investment banking giant Morgan Stanley has created a dedicated role to oversee digital-asset strategy and elevated a veteran internal executive to the position. The move signals a more coordinated, firmwide push to prepare for shifts in crypto assets, stablecoins and the evolving regulatory landscape.

According to The Block on the 27th (local time), Morgan Stanley appointed Amy Oldenburg, a more than 20-year veteran at the firm, as head of digital-asset strategy. The newly created role is tasked with coordinating the bank’s overall digital-asset strategy. Oldenburg most recently served as head of emerging-market equities.

The appointment comes as global finance braces for broader stablecoin adoption and the possibility of additional U.S. crypto legislation. Morgan Stanley has so far maintained a relatively cautious stance in digital assets compared with rivals such as BlackRock and Fidelity.

Still, a shift in tone has been emerging. Earlier this month, Morgan Stanley filed paperwork to list spot Bitcoin and Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and also disclosed plans to launch its own digital wallet within the year. The bank appears to be moving its digital-asset business beyond the experimental phase toward a full-scale rollout.

Hiring is also expanding in parallel. Alongside Oldenburg’s appointment, Morgan Stanley is recruiting for multiple digital-asset roles, including an executive-level position overseeing portfolio management and governance and vice president-level functions tied to crypto advisory and compliance.

Peers are taking similar steps. BlackRock is also said to be ramping up crypto-related hiring, including executive-level roles covering digital-asset strategy and research. Across traditional finance, competition for digital-asset talent is intensifying.