Bitwise launches new vault from onchain strategy team as DeFi push accelerates

Bitwise Asset Management just dropped another vault into the DeFi wild. The firm’s onchain strategy team launched a new non-custodial vault this week, with CEO Hunter Horsley teasing the development on social media while keeping the specifics under wraps for now.

Here’s what we do know: this isn’t Bitwise’s first rodeo in the vault business. The firm debuted as a Morpho vault curator back in January 2026, targeting up to 6% APY on stablecoin yields. This latest launch suggests the company is moving quickly to expand that playbook.

What Bitwise is building

The new vault follows the same non-custodial philosophy that defined Bitwise’s earlier DeFi products. In English: Bitwise manages the strategy, but it never actually holds your assets. Think of it like hiring a financial advisor who tells you exactly which trades to make but never gets the keys to your brokerage account.

The onchain strategy team behind the vault is led by Head of Onchain Special Projects Yannimoto and Portfolio Manager Jonathan Man. They’re operating within a 140-person investment and technology team, which is a substantial headcount for a crypto firm building DeFi products.

Bitwise currently manages over $15 billion in client assets. The firm involved multiple crypto teams and platforms in the vault’s development, which hints at a more complex strategy than a straightforward stablecoin lending product.

From ETFs to DeFi vaults

Bitwise has spent over eight years in the crypto industry, and for most of that time it was best known for its index funds and ETF products. The January 2026 Morpho vault launch was the first real signal of its pivot toward onchain strategy. Curating a stablecoin yield vault on Morpho was a deliberate and relatively conservative entry point.

What this means for investors

One thing to watch closely: how Bitwise handles transparency. The firm has said it will share details publicly in a few weeks, which is an unusual approach in DeFi where most launches come with immediate documentation and audits.