Morgan Stanley Plans to Acquire Digital Transfer Agent Vinyl Equity to Build Asset Tokenization Infrastructure

on November 10, Morgan Stanley announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Vinyl Equity to expand its Morgan Stanley at Work business and establish relevant infrastructure for future asset tokenization projects.

Founded in 2022, Vinyl Equity is a digital securities transfer agent registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), primarily providing shareholder registry management, equity transfers, and corporate listing-related services. Following the acquisition, Morgan Stanley will integrate equity structure management, equity incentives, securities transfer, and wealth management services.

Morgan Stanley noted that blockchain, atomic settlement, and tokenization technologies are driving changes in how securities ownership is registered and transferred, and this acquisition will support the development of these related businesses. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, with the specific acquisition amount remaining undisclosed.