Charles Schwab, the financial giant, has officially confirmed plans to launch spot cryptocurrency trading in the first half of 2026. The initiative, implemented through its subsidiary Charles Schwab Premier Bank, will begin with a limited rollout for U.S. residents (excluding those in New York and Louisiana) and will provide direct access to Bitcoin and Ethereum transactions.
The company has already opened a waitlist for clients seeking early access to the new product “Schwab Crypto.” This move is the culmination of a strategy outlined by CEO Rick Wurster back in July 2025. Previously, the company expressed interest in stablecoins, recognizing their potential in blockchain transactions, and has not ruled out issuing its own dollar-pegged token in the future.
Currently, Schwab offers clients indirect access to the crypto market via CME futures (including micro-futures /MBT and /MET with low entry thresholds) and crypto ETFs. However, the launch of spot trading marks a transition to direct asset ownership, a significant step in the traditional financial sector’s adoption of cryptocurrencies.