Short answer: On August 27, 2026, Charles Schwab said it will add Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX) and Chainlink (LINK) to Schwab Crypto, its spot trading service, which until now offered only bitcoin and ether. The three tokens are due "in the coming months", and the move gives one of the largest U.S. brokers, with about 39 million accounts, a first step beyond the two biggest cryptocurrencies.
What happened
The Charles Schwab Corporation, a U.S. brokerage with more than $12 trillion in client assets, announced on August 27, 2026, that Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink will join bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) on Schwab Crypto. The platform opened to a first group of retail clients in May 2026 and is reachable through Schwab.com, the Schwab mobile app and the thinkorswim trading platform.
Schwab did not give a launch date for the new assets, saying only that they would arrive in the coming months. Joe Vietri, Schwab's head of digital assets, framed the decision as a response to client demand for established digital assets and as a way to give investors more choice when building a crypto allocation inside the same account they use for stocks and banking. The company said it expects to add more coins over time.
Pricing stays the same: Schwab charges 75 basis points, or 0.75%, of the dollar value of each crypto trade. All three tokens traded higher after the news, with Solana showing the strongest gain; the rally also coincided with a broader altcoin rebound and a closely watched Solana governance vote that week.
Why Schwab picked Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink
The selection is conservative rather than adventurous. All three are large, long-established networks with deep liquidity and, importantly for a regulated broker, strong links to traditional finance:
- Solana (SOL) is a high-throughput smart-contract blockchain used heavily for stablecoin payments, trading and tokenized assets. U.S. spot SOL exchange-traded funds already exist, which gives compliance teams a familiar reference point.
- Avalanche (AVAX) is a smart-contract platform whose customizable subnets have been used by banks and asset managers for tokenization pilots.
- Chainlink (LINK) is an oracle network that feeds external data, such as prices, into smart contracts, and it has worked with SWIFT and large banks on cross-chain settlement.
Notably absent is XRP, even though Schwab already lists XRP futures. Memecoins, privacy coins and smaller tokens also remain off the menu.
How Schwab Crypto compares with other brokers
Wall Street's retail platforms are now competing directly with crypto exchanges on price and choice. The table summarises what the main players offer, based on published figures.
| Platform | Spot assets | Trading fee |
|---|---|---|
| Schwab Crypto (now) | BTC, ETH | 0.75% per trade |
| Schwab Crypto (coming months) | BTC, ETH, SOL, AVAX, LINK | 0.75% per trade |
| Morgan Stanley's E*Trade | BTC, ETH, SOL | 0.50% per trade |
| Coinbase, Robinhood | Hundreds of tokens | Varies by product and volume |
Schwab's advantage is not breadth but convenience: crypto sits next to a client's stocks, ETFs and cash, under one login and one tax statement. Its trade-off is a short list of assets and a percentage fee that, on large orders, can be higher than a crypto exchange's order book. For Schwab, the expansion also matters strategically: a longer coin list is what it needs to keep clients who would otherwise open a second account at a crypto-native venue.
What it means for you
For investors who already hold assets at Schwab, the change mainly adds convenience. For anyone else, it is a signal that large, regulated intermediaries are slowly widening the set of coins they are comfortable with. A few points to keep in mind:
- Custody is the broker's. Coins bought on a brokerage platform are held for you; check whether and when withdrawals to your own wallet are supported before you rely on it. Our wallet security guide covers the trade-offs of self-custody.
- Compare the total cost. A 0.75% fee is simple, but a direct swap or an exchange order may be cheaper for some amounts. We compare the models in instant exchanger vs centralized exchange.
- Do not treat a listing as an endorsement. A broker adding a coin says nothing about its future price; SOL, AVAX and LINK remain volatile assets.
- Watch the network. If you move SOL, AVAX or LINK between platforms, make sure the receiving side supports the same chain — LINK in particular exists on several networks.
Key takeaways
- Charles Schwab announced on August 27, 2026, that SOL, AVAX and LINK will be added to Schwab Crypto.
- The new tokens will join BTC and ETH "in the coming months"; no exact date was given.
- Schwab Crypto launched in May 2026 and charges 0.75% of the value of each trade.
- Schwab has about 39 million brokerage accounts and more than $12 trillion in client assets.
If you want to trade these assets without opening a brokerage account, you can check current exchange directions for SOL, AVAX and LINK and see the rate before creating an order.
Sources: The Block, Yahoo Finance, FXStreet, CoinDesk
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Solana on Charles Schwab?
Not yet. On August 27, 2026, Schwab announced that Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink will be added to Schwab Crypto in the coming months; until then the platform supports only bitcoin and ether.
How much does Schwab charge for crypto trades?
Schwab Crypto charges 75 basis points, or 0.75%, of the dollar value of each trade. The same fee is expected to apply to SOL, AVAX and LINK.
When did Schwab Crypto launch?
Charles Schwab began rolling out Schwab Crypto to retail clients in May 2026, starting with spot bitcoin and ether trading on its website, mobile app and thinkorswim.
