Broad Retail Access Begins

Charles Schwab has completed a wide rollout of direct Bitcoin and Ether trading for eligible retail customers, allowing purchases of the two largest cryptocurrencies through the firm’s existing brokerage accounts. Clients can place trades via Schwab.com, the Schwab Mobile app and the thinkorswim platform. Crypto positions appear alongside stocks, bonds and exchange-traded funds in the same accounts.

The service, known as Schwab Crypto, charges a 0.75 percent fee on each transaction. Trade sizes range from $1 to $2 million. Paxos handles trade execution and secondary custody. The offering is not available to residents of New York or Louisiana.

Schwab manages approximately $13.33 trillion in client assets and maintains 40.3 million active brokerage accounts. The firm first announced the spot crypto service in April and has introduced it gradually. The latest expansion opens access to a much larger share of its U.S. retail base.

Transfers Arrive in Stages

Bitcoin and Ether deposits and withdrawals are also being enabled in phases for qualifying customers. Once available, clients can move the assets into or out of their Schwab Crypto accounts. Newly registered withdrawal addresses require a 24-hour waiting period before funds can leave the platform. Withdrawals are capped at three transactions within any 24-hour window, with a maximum of $5,000 per transaction.

Chief Executive Rick Wurster discussed the expansion during a business update on October 15. He identified crypto trading and prediction markets as potential additional sources of transaction-based revenue for the firm.

Additional Tokens Planned

Schwab intends to expand the trading lineup further by the end of 2026. The firm plans to add support for Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink, giving customers direct access to three more digital assets alongside Bitcoin and Ether.

The combination of spot trading, phased transfer capabilities and planned token additions places crypto services inside one of the largest U.S. brokerage platforms, available to tens of millions of existing retail accounts subject to state eligibility rules.