Charles Schwab Completes Retail Rollout of Direct Bitcoin and Ether Trading

Charles Schwab completed the rollout of its Schwab Crypto platform to eligible U.S. retail clients, enabling spot Bitcoin and Ether trading through its brokerage platforms. Paxos handles execution and sub-custody, while Schwab charges 0.75% per crypto trade. Access excludes New York and Louisiana, and Schwab plans to add Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink by the end of 2026.

The rollout expands Schwab's brokerage offering and gives eligible clients direct crypto access without a separate exchange account. CEO Rick Wurster described crypto trading as a new source of transaction-based revenue for Schwab, while crypto holdings remain outside SIPC and FDIC protection.

  • 1Schwab's crypto service is available to eligible retail clients, with New York and Louisiana among the excluded locations.
  • 2The platform charges 0.75% per crypto trade.
  • 3Paxos provides trade execution and sub-custody for the digital assets.
  • 4Schwab intends to add Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink by the end of 2026.
  • 5Crypto assets held through the service are not covered by SIPC or FDIC insurance.
  • The materials give different dates for the service's initial launch: April 16, 2026, in material 2 and May 13, 2026, in material 1.

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