Schwab Opens Bitcoin and Ethereum Trading to Retail Clients

Published: 2026-10-16 13:50:14 |

Charles Schwab has opened Schwab Crypto for eligible retail clients, enabling direct Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) spot trading through Schwab.com, Schwab Mobile and thinkorswim. The brokerage serves about 40.1 million retail investors, while Paxos provides trade execution and sub-custody. Schwab Crypto charges a 0.75% transaction fee; crypto transfers are rolling out gradually, with limits and safeguards such as a 24-hour wait after adding a withdrawal address. The service is unavailable to clients in New York and Louisiana and some other categories, and crypto assets are not covered by FDIC insurance or SIPC protection. Schwab plans to add Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX) and Chainlink (LINK) trading by the end of 2026. The launch expands Bitcoin and Ethereum access through a major US brokerage, though eligibility restrictions and the initial two-asset offering limit its reach.

Neutral

Schwab’s launch is a positive access and adoption development for Bitcoin and Ethereum, but its direct price impact is likely limited in the short term. The service is restricted by eligibility and geography, initially supports only BTC and ETH, and charges a 0.75% transaction fee. These factors may temper immediate retail demand. In addition, the announcement does not change the assets’ supply, network fundamentals or broader market liquidity, so it is not by itself a strong price catalyst. Over the longer term, access through a large brokerage with about 40.1 million retail investors could make crypto trading more familiar and convenient, potentially supporting incremental demand for BTC and ETH. Transfers are being introduced gradually with safeguards, and the planned addition of SOL, AVAX and LINK broadens the platform’s future offering, but neither development guarantees sustained inflows. Traders are more likely to treat the news as a modest adoption signal than as a reason to expect an immediate directional move; wider market conditions and actual client uptake will remain more important price drivers.