Charles Schwab Targets H1 2026 Launch for Bitcoin, Ethereum Spot Trading

Charles Schwab said on April 4 it plans to roll out spot cryptocurrency trading in the first half of 2026, allowing clients to buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum through its banking subsidiary. The service will be offered via a "Schwab Crypto" account and is now taking waitlist applications. Applicants must already have a Schwab securities account. CEO Rick Wurster said the initiative is intended to meet client demand by presenting digital assets alongside traditional holdings such as stocks and bonds within a single account view. Schwab noted the crypto business will be operated by a bank affiliate, and related assets are not protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and are not covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) deposit insurance. Availability will be limited at launch, with certain U.S. regions—including New York and Louisiana—excluded initially. Schwab currently provides crypto-linked offerings such as Bitcoin ETFs and futures. Market participants see direct spot trading as a step that could further pull crypto into mainstream finance and add pricing pressure to native crypto platforms such as Coinbase.