Charles Schwab plans to launch bitcoin and ethereum trading this year
Charles Schwab, one of America's largest investment brokers, announced plans to offer direct trading of bitcoin and ethereum spot holdings in the first half of 2026. This means millions of Schwab customers will soon be able to buy and sell actual bitcoin and ethereum through their existing Schwab accounts, rather than only through cryptocurrency exchanges. Schwab has been gradually moving into crypto services and now sees enough demand to justify direct spot trading. This is significant because Schwab is a trusted, mainstream financial institution with long-established regulatory relationships. The move could bring cryptocurrency trading to millions of traditional investors who were hesitant to use crypto-only exchanges. It signals that major Wall Street players are normalizing crypto as an investable asset.
Why it matters
If you're interested in buying bitcoin or ethereum but wanted a safer, familiar institution to use, Schwab offering these services makes it much easier and more accessible. This mainstream adoption helps validate crypto as a legitimate investment class.
