Bitwise Launches Non-Custodial Vault Strategies on Morpho

Key Insights:

• Bitwise launched non-custodial vaults on Morpho with a strategy targeting about 6% APY on today’s launch.
• Vault curation and risk management are led by Jonathan Man with Bitwise multi-strategy team support.
• Bitwise says finance is moving on-chain and aims to help sophisticated investors access yield DeFi now.

Bitwise has launched non-custodial vault strategies on the Morpho protocol, marking a new step in its expansion into on-chain decentralized finance products. The move introduces an on-chain vault that deploys USDC into overcollateralized lending markets, targeting a yield of up to 6%.

As per the crypto news, Bitwise Vault operates on the Ethereum blockchain using the Morpho Blue protocol. It is a permissionless framework that enables customized peer-to-peer lending markets.

Bitwise confirmed that its first vault strategy focuses on USDC and plans to explore additional stablecoins and crypto assets in the future.

The firm stated that vault curation, strategy design, and risk management will be led by its Head of Multi-Strategy Solutions, Jonathan Man, CFA. Besides, it would also be supported by Bitwise’s broader team and track record in digital asset investment products.

Bitwise Vault Uses Overcollateralized Lending on Morpho

The Bitwise vault uses overcollateralized lending pools to generate yield, requiring borrowers to lock crypto assets worth more than the borrowed amount. As per the crypto news, this structure aims to reduce counterparty and default risk for depositors.

Morpho Blue allows vault creators to define isolated lending markets with specific parameters, unlike pooled protocols that share liquidity and risk across users.

The vault currently deploys USDC, a regulated dollar-backed stablecoin, into these predefined markets. Bitwise stated that the protocol’s architecture supports custom risk controls and capital allocation strategies.

Jonathan Man noted that the vault may expand to other stablecoins and crypto assets over time and that Bitwise could explore additional decentralized finance strategies, including real-world asset tokenization and liquidity provision on decentralized exchanges.

Bitwise described the vault as part of its broader effort to develop on-chain financial products that align with institutional risk frameworks. The launch reflects growing interest from traditional asset managers in deploying capital directly on blockchain-based infrastructure.

Crypto News: Institutional Participation Shapes DeFi Lending Structure

The Bitwise launch aligns with a broader pattern of institutional firms entering decentralized finance beyond spot exchange-traded products and custody services.

Over the past two years, asset managers and financial institutions have increased engagement with DeFi protocols, often starting with basic exposure before moving into yield-generating strategies.

Morpho has positioned itself as an infrastructure layer that allows institutions to create isolated markets with tailored risk parameters. This approach differs from shared liquidity pools used by protocols such as Aave and Compound.

Per crypto news, Bitwise vault targets yields comparable to those of traditional money market products and other on-chain lending platforms.

Traditional money markets typically offer yields influenced by central bank policy, while DeFi lending yields depend on borrowing demand and on-chain market activity.

Bitwise: Risk Framework and Future Expansion Plans

Bitwise organized the vault to prioritize capital preservation while pursuing yield. The plan is based on overcollateralized lending, principal in the form of stablecoins, and a protocol architecture that values reducing complexity and smart contract exposure.

Analysts cited these factors as being in line with the institutional portfolio risk standards. The vault’s yield is still market-dependent, including borrower demand and overall crypto market activity.

On-chain yield is still being treated as a regulatory issue, and other institutions are keeping track of compliance requirements as they increase their involvement in DeFi.

Jonathan Man also stated that Bitwise may add other DeFi strategies in the future. These include the liquidation of decentralized exchanges and the tokenization of real-world assets, including debt instruments.

However, Bitwise has not yet stated timeframes on these plans, though it has replied that the existing vault is a step towards developing a larger on-chain product range.