Schwab to Add Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink to U.S. Retail Crypto Trading

Charles Schwab is widening its crypto playing field. In an Aug. 27 announcement, the brokerage said it will let U.S. retail clients buy and sell Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX) and Chainlink (LINK) on Schwab Crypto “in the coming months,” expanding direct trading beyond the platform’s current Bitcoin and Ethereum offerings. No launch date was provided, and Schwab didn’t say whether all three tokens will go live at once or follow a phased rollout. Why these tokens? Schwab said customer interest and a focus on “established digital assets” drove its picks, though it did not publish detailed selection criteria or trading limits. Joe Vietri, Schwab’s head of digital assets, framed the move as giving clients “more choices to build a digital asset allocation alongside the investing and banking experience they know and trust at Schwab.” The firm added that future listings will be guided by demand and that more assets are expected over time, without naming specific candidates. Infrastructure, custody and fees - Trade execution and sub-custody are provided by Paxos, while Charles Schwab Premier Bank holds customer crypto assets. - Clients will be able to view crypto holdings alongside stocks, bonds and ETFs on Schwab.com, Schwab Mobile and thinkorswim. - When Schwab launched direct BTC and ETH trading earlier in 2026, it charged a 0.75% transaction fee (75 basis points). That pricing places Schwab below Fidelity’s reported ~1% charge but above Morgan Stanley/E*Trade’s 0.5% fee. Schwab has not said whether the same fee will apply to SOL, AVAX and LINK. Limits and current functionality Schwab’s retail crypto service began without support for external deposits and withdrawals; the firm says it has started testing crypto transfers, which could eventually allow eligible moves between Schwab and outside platforms. The company has not disclosed whether staking, on-chain withdrawals or deposits will be available for the three incoming tokens at launch. Schwab Crypto remains unavailable in certain jurisdictions (New York, Louisiana, U.S. territories and international markets), and the latest announcement did not clarify whether geographic availability will change. How this fits Schwab’s business At the end of Q2, Schwab reported $13.1 trillion in total client assets, 39.8 million active brokerage accounts and $7.1 billion in quarterly revenue. Those figures underline the size of the customer base that could access crypto trading inside a regulated brokerage and bank, without opening accounts at separate exchanges. Before direct trading, many Schwab clients gained crypto exposure through ETFs, futures and the Schwab Crypto Thematic ETF; CEO Rick Wurster previously said clients held roughly $25 billion in crypto exchange-traded products at Schwab. Competition and market response E*Trade included SOL alongside BTC and ETH during its pilot, giving Schwab another precedent for supporting assets beyond the two largest coins. Zerohash provides infrastructure for Morgan Stanley’s offering; Schwab relies on Paxos. Markets reacted quickly to the announcement: Solana jumped more than 9% to roughly $104.84 in the 24 hours after the news (with intraday volume up about 70%), while Avalanche and Chainlink each rose roughly 2% in the hour after the announcement and posted multi-percent 24-hour gains. Notable exclusions and adviser plans XRP, Hyperliquid and Zcash were not part of the list despite public requests from users; Schwab has not explained whether regulatory, liquidity or other issues influenced those omissions. Separately, Schwab is considering a mid-2027 rollout of digital-asset services for registered investment advisers — including spot trading, transfers and custody — though timing remains tentative. Schwab executives say many advisers still use ETPs for client crypto exposure, but demand for direct holdings is growing. Bottom line For U.S. investors, Schwab’s move provides another regulated, bank-linked route to buy SOL, AVAX and LINK inside a major brokerage — a convenience for customers who want to manage crypto alongside traditional portfolios. Availability is subject to Schwab’s rollout schedule and current custody/transfer limits, so clients should expect access to come gradually rather than immediately.