Charles Schwab's plan to launch spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading in early 2026 arrives as both cryptocurrencies experience a cooling period following a significant rebound. While prices have seen only minor dips recently, this move underscores the increasing involvement of traditional finance in the cryptocurrency market during a phase of cautious recovery.
Schwab Targets Early 2026 for Bitcoin and Ethereum Trading
Charles Schwab has announced its intention to enable spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading for its clients starting in early 2026. This development represents the firm's initial direct engagement with the retail cryptocurrency market. CEO Rick Wurster confirmed the timeline, indicating that the service will commence with a limited pilot program before being made available to a wider client base.
Given that Schwab manages over ten trillion dollars in client assets, this planned launch signifies a substantial shift for one of the United States' largest brokerage firms. Previously, the company had facilitated access to crypto-related products through custodial partners but had not allowed its customers to directly buy or sell spot Bitcoin or Ethereum within their Schwab accounts.
Wurster highlighted that Schwab is actively developing the necessary infrastructure and compliance frameworks while closely observing evolving regulatory landscapes. He explained that the staged rollout is designed to ensure operational stability before extending the service to the entire client roster. The initial phase will involve internal employees and a select group of clients to rigorously test order processing and risk management systems.
This strategic move places Schwab in alignment with other prominent financial institutions that are progressively integrating digital assets into their service offerings. As regulatory clarity continues to improve and demand from long-term investors rises, Schwab intends to leverage its established brokerage infrastructure to support spot cryptocurrency trading once the service becomes operational in 2026.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Cool After Sharp Rebound
Bitcoin experienced a slight decline on the day, with the BTC/USD trading pair closing near $93,301 after opening around $93,460 on Bitstamp. This represents a modest daily decrease of approximately 0.18%.
The current price remains below the 50-day exponential moving average, which is situated near $98,482, indicating that the broader downtrend persists despite the recent recovery from November's low points. However, buyers have managed to retain most of the gains from the previous week, and the small body of the current candle suggests a pause rather than a definitive rejection.
Ethereum mirrored this trend. The ETH/USD trading pair concluded the session near $3,182.8, down from an opening of approximately $3,189.3, resulting in a daily decline of about 0.20%.
Similarly, the price of Ethereum remains below its 50-day EMA, which is approximately $3,360.6. This moving average continues to slope downwards, signaling that sellers are maintaining pressure on the larger trend. Concurrently, ETH is trading above its recent low points, suggesting that the latest downward candle represents a brief consolidation period following a sharp bounce, rather than a complete reversal of momentum.