Charles Schwab is seeing growing involvement from retail investors in its crypto products.
In an interview with CNBC, CEO Rick Wurster said visits to Schwab’s crypto platform are up 90% year-over-year, signaling strong investor interest in Bitcoin ETFs, Bitcoin futures and other exchange-traded crypto products.
Schwab clients now hold approximately 20% of all cryptocurrency ETPs in the United States. Wurster highlighted that the company is responding to this demand by providing a wide range of cryptocurrency investment options and educational resources, combining digital access with traditional customer support through calls and branches.
Charles Schwab will also offer spot trading of Bitcoin in the first half of 2026. CEO Rick Wurster shared the news during Schwab’s third-quarter earnings call, in which the company reported $134.4 billion in net new assets, marking a 48% year-over-year increase.
Earlier this year, the company announced plans to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum trading, driven by customer demand, noting that many wanted to consolidate their cryptocurrency holdings with Schwab.
Wurster’s thoughts in Charles Schwab’s earnings call marked the first time the bank has set a tentative date for the initiative.
The push into crypto comes alongside Schwab’s record-breaking larger quarter: Total customer assets reached $11.59 trillion, up 17% year-over-year, and average daily transactions increased 30%.
The company’s strategy, Wurster explained, focuses on offering advanced trading platforms like ThinkorSwim and guidance for new investors, making cryptocurrencies accessible and understandable to a broader audience.
Traditional finance is jumping into bitcoin
Earlier this month, Morgan Stanley released a report urging clients to allocate a maximum of 2% to 4% of their portfolios to cryptocurrencies, primarily bitcoin, based on risk profiles. The report describes bitcoin as a scarce asset similar to digital gold and suggests it could play a legitimate role in diversified strategies.
He recommended regular portfolio rebalancing, ideally quarterly, and gaining exposure through exchange-traded products to manage volatility.
The guidance followed the company’s expansion of access to digital assets through E*Trade and coincided with bitcoin hitting a new all-time high of around $126,200.
Earlier this week, US Bank announced its new Digital Assets and Money Movement organization, hoping to “accelerate development and increase revenue from emerging digital products and services such as stablecoin issuance, cryptocurrency custody, asset tokenization, and digital money movement.”
Additionally, institutional holdings in Bitcoin ETFs rose to $870.7 million in the third quarter of 2025, up $117.3 million from the previous quarter.