Charles Schwab Plans Spot Crypto Trading Within 12 Months

Charles Schwab, a leading US brokerage firm with over $10 trillion under management, has announced plans to introduce spot crypto trading within the next 12 months. This revelation came from CEO Rick Wurster during the company’s 2025 Spring Business Update. Wurster emphasized that Schwab is well-prepared to offer this service and is awaiting a favorable regulatory environment in the US to proceed.

“Our expectation is that with the changing regulatory environment, we are hopeful and likely to be able to launch direct spot crypto and our goal is to do that in the next 12 months and we’re on a great path to be able to do that,” Wurster stated when discussing Schwab’s plans for the digital asset market. This announcement aligns with Wurster’s earlier statements made in a radio interview last November, where he highlighted the company’s readiness to enter the market in anticipation of regulatory changes.

Schwab’s entry into spot crypto trading is expected to enhance its competitive position against other brokers such as Robinhood and Webull. Currently, Schwab offers crypto-linked ETFs and crypto futures, and adding spot crypto to its product lineup could attract a broader range of investors. This move is also anticipated to increase accessibility, liquidity, and legitimacy for crypto investors on its platform.

The financial services firm has already observed strong engagement with its existing crypto investment products. Wurster noted, “We’re seeing robust engagement with the existing crypto ETFs that can be bought in the marketplace, the closed-end funds that we make available on our platform, and Bitcoin futures, which are also available on our platform.” Additionally, the company has seen a 400% increase in traffic to its crypto-focused web content, with 70% of these visitors being potential new customers rather than existing clients.

Wurster emphasized Schwab’s appeal to investors seeking a trusted brand with extensive capabilities. “As people in the industry are thinking about crypto, they’d love to work with a trusted brand and a firm that can bring them a lot of capabilities and we’re that firm,” he said. This strategic move is part of Schwab’s broader initiative to stay at the forefront of financial innovation and meet the evolving needs of its clients.

Earlier this year, Charles Schwab formed a partnership with Trump Media and Technology Group to launch a financial services and fintech brand called Truth.Fi. This collaboration further underscores Schwab’s commitment to expanding its services and embracing new technologies in the financial sector.