Morgan Stanley plans to acquire digital equity transfer platform Vinyl Equity to advance its asset tokenization strategy.

November 10 - According to official sources, Morgan Stanley has reached an agreement to acquire Vinyl Equity. Vinyl Equity is a digital equity transfer agent and shareholder record management platform registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

This acquisition will add equity transfer agency services to Morgan Stanley at Work, integrating equity structure management, equity incentive management, share transfer, and wealth management businesses to provide enterprises and shareholders with integrated services covering both private and public markets.

Morgan Stanley stated that this acquisition will also strengthen its digital asset ecosystem and provide key infrastructure for future asset tokenization plans. Vinyl's digital technology is expected to drive upgrades in the way equity ownership records, transfers, and management are handled, and to connect with the development of blockchain technology, atomic settlement, and asset tokenization. The transaction is still subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.