Morgan Stanley is moving deeper into digital assets by pursuing a de novo national trust charter that would let the firm custody crypto assets for clients and facilitate related trading activities. A public filing with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on February 18 identifies the applicant as “Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association.” If approved, the charter would empower the bank to act as a fiduciary, offering custody and asset safekeeping, as well as handling purchases, sales, swaps and transfers to support client portfolios, including activities such as staking. The initiative marks a formal expansion of the firm’s crypto ambitions and aligns with a broader push among Wall Street institutions to embed…