- Charles Schwab spot crypto trading enables BTC/ETH for 35M accounts at $75,016.
- Fear & Greed Index at 21 signals rebounds per Alternative.me.
- 0.25% fees beat ETFs with $1B insured custody.
Charles Schwab spot crypto trading launched April 17, 2026. It lets 35 million retail investors buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum directly in brokerage accounts. Custody integrates with stocks; no third-party wallets required.
Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger announced it in a press release. He called it a "milestone for accessible digital assets." Bitcoin traded at $75,016, up 0.6%, per CoinGecko. Ethereum stood at $2,347.90, down 0.1%.
Fear & Greed Index Hits 21
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to 21, signaling extreme fear, per Alternative.me. Lows like this often precede 20-50% rebounds as institutions buy.
XRP rose 3.3% to $1.44. BNB gained 1.9% to $634.20. USDT held at $1.00. Spot trading suits choppy markets, avoiding futures risks.
Fidelity offered similar access in 2022. Schwab charges 0.25% per trade, below ETF fees of 0.20-0.95%.
Infrastructure Handles Scale
Schwab connects to liquidity providers like Coinbase Institutional. It manages 35 million accounts with cold storage insured up to $1 billion by Lloyd's of London, per filings.
The mobile app executes orders in real-time during 24/7 crypto hours. APIs enable algorithmic trading with equities.
Over 50% of U.S. adults own crypto, per 2025 Pew Research survey. Spot trading supports dollar-cost averaging without wallets.
SEC Approval Enables Launch
The SEC greenlit spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024. Schwab meets KYC, AML, and CFTC rules per SEC filings.
Tax reporting uses 1099-B forms like stocks. Licenses cover 50 states. Europe's MiCA influences U.S. rules, per JPM CEO Jamie Dimon in Bloomberg.
Tools Boost Risk Management
Stop-loss orders, limit buys, and live order books show spreads under 0.1%. Trackers combine crypto with SPY and QQQ.
Research covers on-chain data. Bitcoin hashrate hits 1.2 EH/s. Ethereum stakes 33 million ETH, per Ultrasound Money.
BTC tests $75,016 resistance. Schwab liquidity may aid altcoins like XRP at $1.44 and BNB at $634.20.
Fintech Inflows Surge
Brokerages took 40% of U.S. crypto inflows in 2025, per Chainalysis. Schwab rivals Robinhood's 2021 launch, which boosted volumes 10x.
Retail buying at Fear & Greed 21 could lift BTC to $80,000. BlackRock's IBIT ETF holds 300,000 BTC.
Schwab eyes ETH upgrades after Dencun for layer-2 growth.
Volumes to Hit $10B Monthly
Spot volumes may reach $10 billion monthly, like Fidelity's $5 billion in Q1 2026. Low fees spur adoption.
Charles Schwab spot crypto trading cements brokerages as all-asset hubs. BTC over $75,000 draws traders; ETH at $2,347.90 awaits ETFs.
