Charles Schwab Launches Direct Bitcoin & Ethereum Trading for Millions of Retail Clients

Charles Schwab is launching direct spot trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum, a major move by one of the nation's largest brokerage firms to bring digital assets into the mainstream retail investment portfolio. The new service, Schwab Crypto™, will roll out in phases over the coming weeks, allowing millions of existing clients to buy and sell the two leading cryptocurrencies directly through their Schwab accounts. This integration effectively places Bitcoin and Ethereum alongside traditional holdings like stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds within a single, familiar platform.

The feature will be accessed through Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB, which will serve as the custodian for the digital assets. For the critical back-end infrastructure, Schwab is partnering with the regulated blockchain provider Paxos, which will handle sub-custody and trade execution under a federally regulated trust structure. This setup is designed to provide a compliant and secure framework, addressing a key concern for institutional and retail adoption.

This launch signals intensifying pressure on traditional finance to adapt as client demand for crypto exposure grows. By embedding crypto trading directly into its core platform, Schwab is not just adding a feature but strategically positioning itself to capture and retain assets from a new generation of investors. The move places Schwab in direct competition with other brokerages and crypto-native platforms, potentially accelerating the normalization of digital assets within regulated financial ecosystems.