Charles Schwab, the brokerage giant that manages around $12 trillion in client assets, has begun the launch of its cryptocurrency spot trading service for retail clients in the US.
An initial group of clients can now trade bitcoins and ether (ETH) on the Schwab Crypto platform, the company posted on X on Tuesday.
In July last year, CEO Rick Wurster said the company planned to introduce cryptocurrency trading in the near future, with a timeline of the first half of 2026 confirmed last month.
The Westlake, Texas-based company already offers cryptocurrency investments through exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and futures trading.
The ability to directly trade real assets through a company the size of Schwab could be a critical accelerator for the widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies.
As one of the largest brokerage firms in the world, Schwab could offer its approximately 35 million clients the opportunity to trade BTC and ETH in an environment they already recognize instead of having to register on a separate crypto exchange.
