Charles Schwab Plans SOL, AVAX and LINK Crypto Trading
Charles Schwab is widening its crypto menu beyond bitcoin and ether, giving eligible clients a simpler route to three large digital assets through an existing financial account.
Key Takeaways
Schwab adds three assets to its crypto rollout
Charles Schwab announced on August 27 that solana, avalanche and chainlink will join its crypto platform in the coming months. Eligible clients will be able to buy and sell SOL, AVAX and LINK through Schwab Crypto accounts.
The additions expand a service launched in May 2026 with bitcoin and ether. Schwab has given no specific launch date for the next three assets and says it may delay, change or withdraw support in response to regulatory, operational or market developments.
“Clients will have more choices to build a digital asset allocation alongside the investing and banking experience they know and trust at Schwab,” said Joe Vietri, Schwab’s head of digital assets.
The company reported $13.04 trillion in client assets at the end of July. Its 39.9 million active brokerage accounts give the new listings a potentially large audience among investors who already manage stocks, funds, cash and retirement savings through Schwab.
The announcement advances a broader digital-asset strategy. As Coindoo reported in June, Schwab had already introduced direct retail crypto trading and was preparing transfer, trading and custody services for independent financial advisors.
Each addition fills a different role
SOL, AVAX and LINK frequently appear together in market rankings, yet each token belongs to a different type of crypto network. Understanding those roles gives investors more information than price performance alone.
Solana
SOL is the native asset of the Solana blockchain. The token pays network fees and can be delegated to validators through staking. Its demand can reflect activity across decentralized exchanges, payments, tokenized assets and consumer applications built on Solana.
Avalanche
AVAX pays transaction fees and supports staking across the Avalanche ecosystem. The network also provides infrastructure for organizations building customized blockchain environments. Application use, network adoption and validator participation can influence demand for AVAX.
Chainlink
LINK supports Chainlink’s oracle and cross-chain infrastructure. These services deliver external data to blockchain applications and help separate networks exchange information. The token’s role therefore reaches across many blockchain ecosystems.
Five available cryptocurrencies can still behave like one concentrated allocation during a market-wide selloff. SOL and AVAX share exposure to conditions affecting smart-contract networks. LINK has a separate function, although its price remains closely connected to sentiment across the crypto market.
The 0.75% fee grows with every transaction
Schwab charges 75 basis points on the dollar value of each crypto trade. The fee equals 0.75% of the amount purchased or sold.
| Trade value | Fee at 0.75% |
|---|---|
| $500 | $3.75 |
| $1,000 | $7.50 |
| $5,000 | $37.50 |
| $10,000 | $75.00 |
The charge applies separately to purchases and sales. A $1,000 purchase costs $7.50. Selling the position later for the same amount adds another $7.50, producing a total trading cost of $15.
Active trading can accumulate fees quickly. Ten separate $1,000 transactions would generate $75 in charges. Investors comparing platforms should also examine quoted prices, available order types and execution quality because each can affect the final cost.
Several account features still need clarification
The release confirms buying and selling. Schwab’s final product documentation will need to answer several practical questions:
- Can clients deposit tokens from an external wallet?
- Can purchased assets be withdrawn to self-custody?
- Will SOL or AVAX holders receive staking access?
- Which market and limit orders will Schwab support?
- How will Schwab source prices and execute trades?
These features shape how clients can use the assets. Someone seeking price exposure may need only trading access. A client planning to use SOL for an application, delegate AVAX to a validator or hold tokens in a personal wallet requires additional functionality.
Staking could also affect the return calculation. SOL and AVAX support protocol rewards under suitable delegation arrangements. Schwab has made no commitment to offer that service, so expected staking income should stay outside any investment calculation until official terms appear.
The account carries limited financial protection
Charles Schwab Premier Bank offers the crypto accounts. The cryptocurrencies held inside them remain outside FDIC deposit insurance and SIPC protection. They are speculative assets and can lose their entire value.
This distinction can be easy to overlook when crypto balances appear beside familiar investments. Stocks, insured bank deposits and cryptocurrencies operate under separate legal and protection frameworks even when one company displays them on the same screen.
Schwab Crypto accounts are currently available across most U.S. states. New York and Louisiana are excluded. The service is also unavailable in U.S. territories and international jurisdictions, and every applicant remains subject to an eligibility review.
A practical checklist before trading begins
Investors considering one of the new assets can use the remaining rollout period to review four parts of their decision.
Define the purpose
Decide what the token is expected to contribute to the portfolio. A clear purpose makes it easier to judge position size and identify conditions that would invalidate the original decision.
Calculate the complete trading cost
Include the purchase fee and the expected sale fee. Frequent transactions require a higher price move before the position becomes profitable.
Check access requirements
Self-custody, staking and blockchain applications require specific account functions. Confirm those functions in Schwab’s final documentation before relying on them.
Set a loss limit
SOL, AVAX and LINK have each experienced severe historical declines. Position size should reflect the amount an investor can lose without affecting essential savings or long-term financial plans.
Schwab removes one obstacle to crypto access
Adding SOL, AVAX and LINK will allow eligible Schwab clients to manage five cryptocurrencies through an account they may already use. That convenience could bring direct token trading to a much wider group of mainstream investors.
The quality of the service will depend on the final account terms. Fees are already known. Transfer rights, staking access, order types and execution details will determine how useful the platform becomes when the three listings go live.
This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
