CHARLES SCHWAB LAUNCHES SPOT BITCOIN AND ETHER TRADING FOR RETAIL CLIENTS WITH $12 TRILLION IN ASSETS Charles Schwab began a phased rollout of direct spot cryptocurrency trading on May 12, giving an initial group of retail clients access to buy and sell bitcoin and ether on its Schwab Crypto platform for the first time. Schwab oversees approximately $12 trillion in client assets across nearly 39 million active brokerage accounts, making it one of the largest entry points into retail crypto trading by any traditional financial institution. The launch follows a waitlist phase that opened in April and confirms the company’s previously stated Q2 2026 timeline. The Schwab Crypto account operates as a separate account linked to an existing Schwab brokerage account and is issued through Charles Schwab Premier Bank. Paxos handles trade execution and sub-custody. The platform charges 75 basis points per trade, lower than Fidelity Crypto’s 1% fee but higher than most crypto-native exchanges. Crypto deposits and withdrawals from external wallets are disabled at launch, meaning clients must purchase bitcoin and ether through the Schwab interface and cannot transfer existing holdings from Coinbase or other platforms. The service is available in all U.S. states except New York and Louisiana and will not be offered in U.S. territories or international jurisdictions. Not all clients will qualify automatically. Head of Retail Investing Jonathan Craig said “clients who want direct access to the asset class can trade it alongside their other investments.” The rollout places Schwab in direct competition with Robinhood and Coinbase for retail crypto volume, and alongside Morgan Stanley’s planned E*TRADE crypto launch via a Zerohash partnership. Schwab reported record Q1 earnings of $1.43 per share on $6.48 billion in revenue. The firm noted that its clients hold more than 20% of all crypto exchange-traded products industry-wide, suggesting embedded demand from an existing investor base already comfortable with digital asset exposure.

⚡️ Charles Schwab launches spot BTC, ETH trading to select retail clients

Today, two signals are worth considering together: 1. Charles Schwab has officially launched spot trading in Bitcoin and Ethereum for retail customers—not through ETFs, but by enabling direct coin purchases. 2. Stork has launched a 24/7 oracle that sources “true” prices for stocks and gold from perpetual futures markets during traditional market closures. The first signals that Wall Street’s retail distribution channels are now connecting directly to crypto-native assets. The second indicates that crypto markets’ price discovery mechanisms are beginning to feed back into traditional assets. This is not merely the familiar “institutional adoption” narrative. It’s the emergence of a two-way infrastructure pipeline at the foundational level. Schwab’s retail users can now hold BTC/ETH directly, while Stork’s oracle integrates crypto derivatives market liquidity as a pricing reference for traditional assets. Behind this shift is the clearer regulatory framework following the passage of the GENIUS Act, alongside the demonstrable yield effect of tokenized U.S. Treasuries surpassing $15 billion in market cap. Yet risks remain: - Influxes of retail users may amplify market volatility, particularly during periods of low liquidity. - The perpetual futures market’s price discovery mechanism carries inherent structural fragility due to high leverage; if adopted as a benchmark for traditional asset pricing, it could propagate cross-market risks. The pipeline is being built—but liquidity, regulation, and mechanism design still require time to mature. $btc #eth #genius

Charles Schwab. 35 million accounts. $7 trillion in assets. Today they started offering spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading. In 2015, people called crypto a "ponzi scheme." In 2026, your financial advisor asks if you've diversified into it. The adoption curve doesn't ask for permission. It just arrives. $DOGE is next 🐕 #Dogecoin

GM 🌅 Charles Schwab just flipped the switch on spot crypto trading today. Let that sink in. One of the biggest traditional brokerages in America just told 35 million clients: "crypto is real." Meanwhile CPI came in hot at 3.8%. Your dollars are melting. $DOGE does not melt. Happy Tuesday 🐕 #Dogecoin #Crypto

🚨 Charles Schwab launches spot trading for Bitcoin and Ethereum for retail investors in the U.S. An initial group can now trade BTC and ETH through the Schwab Crypto platform. This marks a significant step in integrating cryptocurrencies with traditional brokerage services. The company manages approximately $12 trillion in assets and serves 35 million clients. A change that could redefine access to digital assets in the financial market. The future of cryptocurrencies is coming to millions of investors.