- Charles Schwab has added Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX), and Chainlink (LINK) to Schwab Crypto, raising its supported assets to five alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum.
- Schwab Crypto charges a 0.75% fee per transaction, and the service remains unavailable in New York, Louisiana, U.S. territories, and outside the United States.
- The brokerage has not said which additional tokens it will add next, and it warns that cryptocurrencies carry no FDIC insurance or SIPC protection.
Charles Schwab, one of the largest U.S. brokerages, has expanded its crypto trading offering to include Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink. The change, announced on November 9, 2026, lifts the number of digital assets available through Schwab Crypto to five, following the earlier addition of Bitcoin and Ethereum.
What Happened
According to the company’s announcement, eligible customers can now place trades in SOL/USD, AVAX/USD, and LINK/USD directly through Schwab Crypto. Bitcoin and Ethereum were the only assets offered when the service first launched in May 2026. The new pairs fulfill a plan Schwab outlined in August 2026, when it said it would introduce three more cryptocurrencies and that it would prioritize established digital assets based on customer demand.
Customers can trade through Schwab.com, the Schwab Mobile application, and the thinkorswim trading platform. Each cryptocurrency transaction carries a 0.75% fee, which equals 75 basis points of the trade value. Holdings can be viewed alongside stocks, funds, and other investments already held at the firm, so clients do not need a separate exchange account to gain exposure to these tokens.
Schwab’s rollout has moved in stages. Direct Bitcoin and Ethereum trading was first offered to selected customers in May 2026, then extended to all eligible retail clients in October 2026. The addition of the three new tokens came in November 2026. Joe Vietri, Schwab’s Head of Digital Assets, described the expansion as part of an effort to “give clients greater choice and flexibility in how they invest in digital assets.”
Schwab also provides cryptocurrency research, educational material, and customer support around the clock. Its research includes market commentary from the Schwab Center for Financial Research and educational content delivered through Schwab Coaching.
Why It Matters
For investors, the update widens the set of assets available inside a traditional brokerage account. Many retail investors who already hold equities and funds at Schwab may now find it simpler to add exposure to these three networks without opening accounts at separate crypto platforms. That convenience also means these trades are subject to the same account structure, reporting, and service channels that customers use for other holdings.
The 0.75% per-transaction fee is a meaningful cost factor for active traders, and readers should compare it with fees at other platforms before trading. Investors should also weigh the risks specific to these assets. Schwab explicitly warns that cryptocurrencies are not covered by FDIC insurance or SIPC protection, which means that the protections clients may expect from bank deposits or securities held at a brokerage do not extend to these holdings.
For the broader crypto market, the move signals that large, established financial institutions are continuing to build crypto services into mainstream brokerage products. Adding assets such as Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink, which are widely traded but generally less established than Bitcoin, suggests that Schwab is willing to extend its offering beyond the two largest tokens while still limiting its list to what it considers established assets.
Market Context
Schwab is a major player in U.S. retail investing. The firm reported $13.33 trillion in client assets as of September 30, 2026, representing 15% annual growth. It also reported 48.6 million client accounts and $190.4 billion in quarterly core net new assets. Against that backdrop, crypto is a relatively small addition to the firm’s overall business, but it gives Schwab a way to serve clients who want digital asset exposure without leaving the platform.
The rollout also reflects the regulatory and geographic limits that shape U.S. crypto products. Schwab Crypto is not available to customers in New York or Louisiana, nor in U.S. territories. International customers cannot access the service at all, and eligible U.S. residents must meet the brokerage’s account requirements. These restrictions mean that the expansion, while significant, reaches only a subset of the firm’s clients.
The sequence of announcements shows a deliberate pace. The company moved from a limited launch to broader retail access over several months before adding new tokens. Schwab has said it plans to introduce additional cryptocurrencies and digital assets, but it has not named them.
What to Watch Next
Readers should monitor whether Schwab names the next set of digital assets and how quickly it adds them. The timing and selection criteria will indicate how the firm weighs customer demand against its stated preference for established tokens.
Changes to geographic availability are also worth following. Schwab Crypto remains unavailable in New York, Louisiana, U.S. territories, and internationally, and any shift in those restrictions would expand the service’s reach.
Finally, investors should review the fee schedule, the terms of Schwab Crypto, and the company’s disclosures on FDIC and SIPC coverage before making decisions. This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Source: original report
