Schwab to Launch Spot Bitcoin, Ether Trading H1 2026
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- Charles Schwab plans to launch spot cryptocurrency trading for bitcoin and ether in the first half of 2026 via its Charles Schwab Premier Bank unit, and has opened a waitlist for the new 'Schwab Crypto' account.
- Schwab reported $11.9 trillion in client assets in 2025, a scale the firm is leveraging to compete with established crypto-native exchanges.
- CEO Rick Wurster said in July 2025 that crypto trading was 'coming soon' in response to client demand, framing the effort as a push toward a unified investment platform that includes digital assets alongside stocks and bonds.
- The Schwab Crypto account will let clients buy and sell the two largest cryptocurrencies within their existing brokerage environment rather than on standalone crypto platforms.
- Schwab already offers crypto-linked ETFs and bitcoin futures on its platform, and previously launched the Schwab Crypto Thematic Index (STCE), an ETF tracking companies linked to the digital asset sector.
Why it matters: Schwab's $11.9 trillion in client assets gives it a built-in base of retail and institutional investors to court for direct crypto trading, putting a major Wall Street brokerage into direct competition with crypto-native exchanges like Coinbase. By bundling bitcoin and ether trading into the same account view as stocks and bonds, Schwab offers a regulated, familiar alternative to standalone crypto platforms. The open waitlist — months ahead of the H1 2026 launch — lets the firm gauge demand from its existing client base before going live.
