Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) is rolling out Schwab Crypto, giving its 39 million active brokerage account holders access to Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) trading for the first time.
The Phased Launch
Schwab Crypto will be introduced in phases over the coming weeks, confirming a previously stated timeline for a second-quarter launch.
Clients will be able to trade Bitcoin and Ethereum through dedicated crypto accounts linked to their traditional Schwab brokerage accounts.
Access to spot trading is a big step up from Schwab’s previous offerings of indirect crypto exposure via exchange-traded funds and derivatives. Schwab will charge 75 basis points per transaction.
Charles Schwab will offer the crypto accounts through its Premier Bank and act as custodian, while Paxos will handle trade execution.
The Early Constraints
The platform will …