Schwab Crypto Adds SOL, AVAX, LINK

Charles Schwab is deepening its reach into direct cryptocurrency trading. On August 27, the firm announced that Schwab Crypto would allow for more than just Bitcoin and Ethereum by adding the assets of Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink.

The three altcoins are not available yet. Schwab says that SOL▲$82.41, AVAX▲$6.98, and LINK▲$7.97 will be added in the coming months, giving clients direct access to five cryptocurrencies.

That is important because Schwab is one of America’s largest financial institutions with more than $13 trillion in client assets. Bringing altcoins into the same environment where millions of investors already trade stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds would represent another step toward making crypto part of mainstream finance.

What Is Schwab Crypto?

Schwab Crypto is Charles Schwab’s direct spot cryptocurrency trading service.

The company began rolling it out to retail clients in May 2026 with Bitcoin and Ethereum: unlike buying a Bitcoin ETF, direct trading would give clients exposure to the cryptocurrency itself and not a fund holding it.

Schwab integrated crypto with its existing investing ecosystem, allowing users to view and trade digital assets with traditional investments through Schwab.com, Schwab Mobile, and thinkorswim. Crypto uses a separate account offered by Charles Schwab Premier Bank. SSB acts as custodian and record keeper. Paxos provides sub-custody and trade execution infrastructure. The company charges 0.75% of the dollar value of each transaction, with advertising zero additional spread.

That makes Schwab Crypto fundamentally different from Schwab’s older crypto offerings. Before direct trading launched, clients could already gain exposure through spot crypto exchange-traded products, futures, options, crypto-related stocks, and thematic funds. Now they can buy cryptocurrencies directly and without leaving the company’s ecosystem.

Why Is Schwab Adding SOL, AVAX and LINK?

As of now, Schwab Crypto directly supports two assets: Bitcoin (BTC▲$62,630.00) and Ethereum (ETH▲$1,761.17).

Schwab announced on August 27 that three more will follow:

• Solana (SOL)
• Avalanche (AVAX)
• Chainlink (LINK)

The additions are expected within the coming months but not provided a specific launch date.

Schwab said it selected established assets that aligned with client demand. That fits a broader change in U.S. crypto investing. Bitcoin and Ethereum were the obvious starting points because they dominate the market and also have large regulated investment products but institutional and retail demand has increasingly expanded into other established networks.

Solana now has U.S.-listed exchange-traded products and substantial institutional interest. Chainlink has become closely associated with tokenization infrastructure. Avalanche continues pursuing partnerships involving financial institutions and enterprise blockchain applications.

The decision also follows a broad regulatory shift. In March 2026 the SEC and CFTC issued interpretive guidance identifying Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink as examples of digital commodities rather than securities themselves. That provides financial institutions with much greater clarity about the legal treatment of these assets.

For Schwab Crypto, that would make expansion beyond BTC and ETH considerably easier than it would have been several years ago.

Why Schwab Crypto Matters for Mainstream Adoption

The significance of Schwab Crypto is mostly about the audience. Schwab reported $13.08 trillion in client assets at the end of June 2026 and nearly 40 million active brokerage accounts that already use the company to manage conventional investments. The company has also said that its clients hold approximately 20% of the U.S. spot crypto ETP market.

That suggests that crypto demand already exists within the company’s customer base. Previously, a client who wanted to own direct Bitcoin or Ethereum might keep most of their portfolio at Schwab and hold crypto at Coinbase, Kraken, or another specialized platform.

Direct trading gives Schwab the opportunity to take some of those assets back and under one financial relationship. Adding SOL, AVAX, and LINK expands that strategy. An investor can potentially hold stocks, bonds, ETFs, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and selected altcoins while using the same familiar interface and support system as before.

That is a very different adoption model from asking mainstream investors to open an account at a crypto-native exchange.

How Does Schwab Crypto Custody Work?

Crypto held through the service sits in a separate account offered by Charles Schwab Premier Bank. Schwab’s bank subsidiary acts as custodian, with Paxos Trust Company providing sub-custody and executing trades.

That gives Schwab Crypto a more conventional financial wrapper than many investors associate with crypto exchanges. But there is one important distinction: cryptocurrencies held in the account are not FDIC insured and are not protected by SIPC. The fact that Charles Schwab Premier Bank offers the account does not turn Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies into insured bank deposits: their value can still drop dramatically, and investors can lose their entire investment.

How Much Does Schwab Crypto Cost?

Schwab charges 75 basis points, or 0.75% of the trade value, for cryptocurrency transactions. A $1,000 trade would therefore cost approximately $7.50. Schwab says there is no additional spread.

That pricing is different from what the company’s familiar $0 online commission model for U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, but it gives customers a straightforward fee to calculate before trading.

Whether Schwab Crypto is cheap depends on the comparison: dedicated crypto exchanges can offer substantial lower fees for active or high-volume traders. Schwab’s advantage is more likely to be integration, familiarity, service, and the ability to manage crypto with traditional investments.

Who Can Use Schwab Crypto?

The service is still being rolled out gradually — not universally available. Schwab says eligible accounts are available across the United States except New York and Louisiana — and not yet in U.S. territories or internationally. Not every Schwab client automatically qualifies.

This makes the current platform more limited than Schwab’s ordinary brokerage offering, but the company clearly intends to expand it over time. The August announcement also states that additional cryptocurrencies and other digital assets could follow SOL, AVAX, and LINK.

Five tokens may therefore represent the beginning rather than the final line-up.

Could Schwab Add More Altcoins?

Almost certainly.

Schwab explicitly says it will plan to add additional cryptocurrencies and digital assets over time.

The harder question is which. The first expansion provides a clue: SOL, AVAX, and LINK are all established, highly liquid tokens with substantial market capitalizations and increasingly clear regulatory status in the United States.

That suggests that Schwab is unlikely to compete with crypto exchanges for listing hundreds of speculative small-cap tokens. Instead, Schwab crypto may develop as a curated platform to give exposure to assets that have sufficient liquidity, regulatory clarity, institutional adoption, and client demand.

XRP▲$1.13 would be an obvious asset to watch. U.S. spot XRP products already exist, the regulatory uncertainty around the token has fallen sharply, and regulated investment demand has grown substantially. Other candidates could also emerge as the U.S. market structure becomes clearer.

What Does Schwab Crypto Mean for SOL, AVAX and LINK?

A Schwab listing doesn’t guarantee higher prices. But it does remove friction. Once the rollout is complete, eligible Schwab customers will be able to buy SOL, AVAX, and LINK without opening a separate crypto-exchange account, exposing the tokens to a large pool of investors already managing trillions through Schwab.

The effect may be especially important symbolically. Bitcoin entering traditional brokerage accounts was once controversial; Ethereum followed. Now a major brokerage is preparing to offer direct trading in three altcoins — suggesting the boundary between conventional finance and crypto is becoming less meaningful. But it also provides another form of institutional validation: Schwab has deliberately selected them from thousands of other cryptocurrencies as established assets that fit its retail investment platform.

It remains to be seen how much actual demand follows.

Is Schwab Crypto Worth Using?

For investors who already use Charles Schwab and mainly want crypto as part of an investment portfolio, the appeal is obvious. Schwab Crypto puts direct cryptocurrency exposure next to stocks, ETFs, options and other assets, while providing the interface, research, support, and brand familiarity existing clients already know.

It is less compelling for crypto-native users: the 0.75% trading fee can be expensive compared with specialist exchanges, the supported-token list is small, and external wallet transfers are still part of Schwab’s future roadmap. But Schwab is not trying to become another Coinbase overnight: its strategy appears to be bringing selected digital assets into conventional portfolio management. Adding Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink only months after launching BTC and ETH trading shows that the strategy is already expanding.

For crypto adoption, that may matter more than whether Schwab eventually lists 20 tokens or 200. Digital assets are increasingly becoming something investors can access through the same institutions where they already keep the rest of their money.

What is Schwab crypto?

Schwab crypto is Charles Schwab’s direct spot cryptocurrency trading service. It launched in 2026 with Bitcoin and Ethereum and is offered through Charles Schwab Premier Bank.

Which cryptocurrencies can I buy through Schwab?

Bitcoin and Ethereum are currently available. Schwab has announced that Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink will be added in the coming months.

How much does Schwab charge for crypto trading?

Schwab charges 0.75% of the dollar value of each crypto trade and says there is no additional spread.

Can I transfer crypto from Schwab to an external wallet?

Schwab has said deposits and withdrawals to external wallets are part of its planned future capabilities. The service was initially designed primarily for buying and selling crypto within the Schwab ecosystem.

Is crypto held at Schwab FDIC insured?

No. Cryptocurrencies held through Schwab Crypto are not bank deposits, are not FDIC insured, and are not protected by SIPC.

Source: bitcoinfoundation.org