Brokerage providers large Charles Schwab plans to roll out spot cryptocurrency buying and selling within the first half of 2026, pushing it deeper into digital belongings.
“We stay on observe to launch our spot crypto provide within the first half of 2026, beginning with bitcoin and ether (ETH),” an organization spokesperson instructed CoinDesk on Friday.
The agency has opened a waitlist for purchasers in search of early entry to what it calls a “Schwab Crypto” account, which can enable customers to purchase and promote the 2 largest cryptocurrencies. The agency will provide the service by way of Charles Schwab Premier Financial institution, SSB.
The transfer builds on feedback from CEO Rick Wurster, who stated final July that Schwab aimed to introduce crypto buying and selling “someday quickly” in response to shopper demand. He framed the trouble as a solution to carry digital belongings into the identical account view as shares and bonds in a push towards a extra unified funding platform.
Schwab’s scale might give it an edge because it enters a market lengthy dominated by crypto-native exchanges. The agency reported $11.9 trillion in shopper belongings in 2025, providing a built-in base of retail and institutional traders who could desire buying and selling crypto inside a well-recognized brokerage surroundings somewhat than utilizing standalone platforms.
The agency already permits purchasers to put money into ETFs linked to cryptocurrencies and commerce bitcoin futures on its platform. It additionally launched the Schwab Crypto Thematic Index (STCE), an ETF that tracks the efficiency of firms linked to the digital asset sector.