Schwab opens Bitcoin and Ethereum trading to everyone

Charles Schwab finished rolling out direct Bitcoin and Ethereum trading this October. The brokerage manages about $13 trillion in client money. Roughly 40 million retail clients are now eligible to trade crypto straight from their regular Schwab account. They don't need a separate crypto exchange or an ETF. Schwab says Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink are coming by the end of 2026.

This isn't really about Schwab. It's about where the line between 'crypto' and 'normal investing' sits. A year ago, buying Bitcoin meant opening an account on a separate exchange. Often that exchange had a shakier reputation than a decades-old, federally regulated brokerage. Now it's a tab inside the same app that holds someone's retirement account. Schwab isn't alone, either. Deutsche Bank is reportedly weeks away from offering crypto custody of its own. Big, trusted names normalizing crypto access removes a real psychological barrier, not just a technical one.

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Does easier access change who buys crypto, or just how they buy it? Bitcoin has been volatile all year. Schwab makes the purchase easier. It does nothing to make the asset itself less risky. First-time buyers are often the ones least prepared for a sudden price drop.