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Charles Schwab plans to add Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink to the Schwab Crypto platform in the coming months, the firm said Thursday. The three tokens will join Bitcoin and Ethereum, which began trading on the platform in May at a 75 basis point fee per transaction. Schwab oversees more than $12 trillion in client assets across 39 million active brokerage accounts, a distribution footprint that no crypto-native venue can replicate. Joe Vietri, head of digital assets at Charles Schwab, framed the move as part of a deliberate strategy to "thoughtfully expand" the digital asset offering with established cryptocurrencies that align with client demand.
Why it matters
Schwab launched direct BTC and ETH trading only months ago and has consistently described the rollout as measured. The choice to layer three large-caps on top of that base is the firm's first explicit vote of confidence in altcoin spot distribution, and it lands at a moment when trading flows are visibly migrating from crypto-native venues to traditional brokerages. The 75 basis point fee anchors Schwab in a familiar retail-broker pricing band: above execution costs on a centralised exchange, but bundled with research, education, and an existing brokerage account.
For SOL, AVAX and LINK specifically, the addition is the largest mainstream-TradFi distribution unlock on the platform since its own BTC and ETH launch. Schwab's brokerage base skews older and wealthier than the average crypto-native retail venue, and the firm's research-and-education wrapper around the trade is the trust layer that the retail crypto market has struggled to replicate on its own.
Market impact
Coinbase and Robinhood remain the comparison set for retail-facing crypto depth, and they still list a wider asset universe. The variable that matters, however, is distribution: a small fraction of Schwab's 39 million active accounts allocating even 1% to the three new tokens would dwarf the daily spot volume on any single centralised venue.
The release window is open-ended, which means the price-discovery effect is more likely to be a slow bid than a single-session spike.
Frequently asked questions
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Why is Schwab adding SOL, AVAX and LINK significant for crypto markets?
Schwab oversees $12T+ in client assets and 39M active brokerage accounts. Adding three established large-caps beyond BTC and ETH gives the altcoin market a TradFi distribution channel with no crypto-native equivalent, and a 75 basis point fee that anchors it in familiar retail-broker pricing.
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When will Schwab clients be able to trade Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink?
Schwab said the additions will be available "in the coming months." The firm did not name a specific date, custody partner, or clearing partner in the Thursday release, leaving the launch window open-ended.
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What does Schwab charge for crypto trading?
Schwab charges 75 basis points per transaction on its Schwab Crypto platform, the same fee structure the firm launched with for Bitcoin and Ethereum trading in May.
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How does Schwab's crypto platform compare to Coinbase and Robinhood?
Coinbase and Robinhood offer broader digital asset menus, but Schwab pairs a smaller selection with an existing brokerage wrapper, research tools, and a client base that skews older and wealthier. The trade-off is fewer tokens and higher fees for a more familiar investing context.
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What is Schwab's broader crypto strategy?
Schwab began rolling out BTC and ETH trading in May, framing the launch as deliberate. Joe Vietri, head of digital assets at Schwab, said the SOL, AVAX and LINK additions are part of plans to "thoughtfully expand" the firm's digital asset offering with established cryptocurrencies that align with client demand.
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