# Institutional cryptocurrency ETF investment trends

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/institutional-cryptocurrency-etf-investment-trends
> Updated: 2026-08-21T11:30:41.000Z. Sources: 29. Developments: 4.

Major financial institutions continue to expand their exposure to cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through regulatory filings.

Morgan Stanley has disclosed holdings in three XRP ETFs—the Franklin XRP ETF, the REX-Osprey XRP ETF, and the Bitwise XRP ETF—alongside a position in Armada Acquisition Corp II, a SPAC linked to Ripple-backed Evernorth Holdings. Other large banks, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and the Bank of Montreal, have also reported XRP-related interests.

As of August 21, 2026, Goldman Sachs has re-emerged as the largest institutional holder of XRP ETFs. According to its Q2 2026 disclosure with the U.S. SEC, the firm has built a total position of $86.50 million across several funds, including Bitwise, Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, Canary, and 21Shares. Specifically, the firm holds over 2.2 million shares each in the Bitwise and Franklin Templeton XRP ETFs, as well as 365,976 XRPN shares in Armada Acquisition Corp II.

This re-entry by Goldman Sachs follows a period where the firm had completely exited its XRP ETF positions and coincides with a broader market recovery, including a 40% price increase for XRP in a single week. While total net assets for XRP ETFs reached $942.25 million as of August 13, 2026, the renewed involvement from major players like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America signals increasing traditional finance engagement in these crypto assets.

## Claims

- Morgan Stanley reported holdings in three different XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in its Q2 2026 Form 13F filing. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Morgan Stanley holds 6,715 shares of the Franklin XRP ETF. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The bank holds 255 shares of the REX-Osprey XRP ETF. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The bank holds 67 shares of the Bitwise XRP ETF. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Morgan Stanley holds 50,540 shares of Armada Acquisition Corp II. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Armada Acquisition Corp II is a SPAC pursuing a combination with Evernorth Holdings, a company focused on building an XRP treasury. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- XRP network active addresses reached a two-month high of 49,929. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- As of August 13, the total net assets of XRP ETFs reached $942.25 million. (single source)
- Wells Fargo holds approximately $9.18 million in Bitwise XRP ETF exposure. (single source)
- Bank of Montreal disclosed $2,970 in XRP ETF holdings. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-21: Goldman Sachs re-emerges as largest XRP ETF holder

Goldman Sachs has returned as the largest institutional holder of XRP ETFs, with an $86.50 million position across multiple funds following a recent rally in XRP prices.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/goldman-sachs-re-emerges-as-largest-xrp-etf-holder

### 2026-08-16: Morgan Stanley and BMO report XRP ETF holdings in regulatory filings

Institutional filings from Morgan Stanley and Bank of Montreal show growing exposure to XRP through regulated exchange-traded funds (ETFs) via 13F disclosures.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/morgan-stanley-and-bmo-report-xrp-etf-holdings-in-regulatory-filings

### 2026-08-14: Major banks increase cryptocurrency ETF holdings in Q2

Major banks including JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and UBS have significantly increased their exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, according to recent regulatory filings.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/jpmorgan-increases-bitcoin-and-ethereum-etf-holdings-in-q2-filing

### 2026-08-14: Morgan Stanley discloses XRP ETF holdings in Q2 2026 filing

Morgan Stanley and other major institutions have disclosed XRP ETF holdings in recent filings, even as the token faces bearish market sentiment and struggles to maintain the $1 price level.

21 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/morgan-stanley-discloses-holdings-in-three-xrp-etfs

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Cite as: Institutional cryptocurrency ETF investment trends. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/institutional-cryptocurrency-etf-investment-trends