Charles Schwab is preparing to launch spot crypto trading features within the next 12 months.

It’s a major shift for the investment platform, which has traditionally taken a cautious stance and still warns on its website that crypto investments carry the risk of becoming entirely worthless.

CEO Rick Wurster told analysts during the firm’s Spring update that Schwab expects to offer spot crypto trading, including Bitcoin, by April 2026, citing growing investor interest and a friendlier regulatory outlook.

“We’re on a great path to be able to do that,” he said, adding that the company has seen a 400% surge in traffic to its crypto page, 70% of which came from non-clients.

At present, Schwab only offers indirect crypto exposure through third-party exchange-traded funds, Bitcoin futures, and closed-end funds. The planned rollout would allow users to buy and sell actual digital assets like Bitcoin.

Still, Schwab hasn’t softened its crypto risk disclosures. “Considering crypto’s volatility and the possibility that the entire value could disappear, investors might want to steer clear,” the company states.

It also argues that cryptocurrencies have “no intrinsic value,” noting that assets like Bitcoin lack fundamentals such as earnings or a price-to-sales ratio.

Schwab’s slow roll into digital assets has long stood in contrast to crypto-forward rivals like Fidelity, and even more so against Robinhood and Kraken, which are actively mixing crypto and equity markets.

Robinhood saw a 700% jump in crypto-related revenue late last year, while Kraken recently launched stock trading for over 11,000 US equities.

The competitive pressure is becoming hard to ignore.

Even a Schwab survey from late 2024 found that 62% of millennial investors plan to allocate funds to crypto in 2025, ahead of stocks or bonds.

“Younger investors want to work with a trusted brand,” Wurster said. “And we’re that firm.”

This announcement also coincides with Schwab’s recent partnership with Trump Media & Technology Group on new investment products.

The new SEC Chair, Paul Atkins, is also expected to ease compliance burdens for brokerages offering crypto.

Crypto market movers

• Bitcoin has lost 0.8% over the past 24 hours and is trading at $84,640.
• Ethereum is down 0.7% in the same period to $1,590.

What we’re reading

• Why Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson isn’t miffed by White House snub: ‘I don’t need to make a deal with Trump’ ― DL News
• U.S. Bitcoin Mining Was on the Rise. Then Came Trump’s Tariffs ― Unchained
• When will the bull market continue? ― Milk Road
• FTX and Celsius repayments left billions in value behind. The DOJ may change that ― DL News

Kyle Baird is DL News’ Weekend Editor. Got a tip? Email at kbaird@dlnews.com.