Summary
Charles Schwab, a significant U.S. financial institution managing $12 trillion in assets, has commenced a phased launch of spot trading for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) for its retail brokerage clients, marking its direct entry into the cryptocurrency market. The service, known as Schwab Crypto and operated by Charles Schwab Premier Bank, SSB, integrates digital asset trading within Schwab's existing financial ecosystem, allowing clients to access crypto alongside traditional securities like stocks and ETFs through a single platform. Trading incurs a fee of 75 basis points per order, with Paxos handling custody and execution. While available nationwide except in New York and Louisiana, client crypto holdings are not insured by SIPC or FDIC, and external deposits are not permitted. This move is seen as intensifying competition in the retail crypto space, leveraging Schwab's substantial scale against crypto-native exchanges and influenced by recent regulatory shifts that have facilitated institutional participation in digital assets.