Schwab Sees Bitcoin's Future Bright Despite Regulatory Uncertainty
Key Summary
Charles Schwab's crypto research team believes Bitcoin has strong fundamentals for the future, citing $60 billion in ETF inflows since 2024 and the tokenization of real-world assets reaching $50 billion. The team expects regulatory progress to help the broader market, with the company's full retail rollout of Schwab Crypto completed on October 16, 2026.
What Schwab's Researchers Are Saying
Analyst Adam Lynch made the bullish case on October 15, 2026. He pointed to nearly $60 billion in ETF inflows since early 2024 as evidence that demand runs deeper than a passing trend.
“Bitcoin is strong. It’s powerful… still has strong fundamentals for the future,” Lynch said.
Jim Ferraioli, Schwab's Head of Crypto Research, noted that Bitcoin's volatility now sits at about 40, down from a previous range of 50 to 60. He also put Bitcoin's market cap at approximately $1.6 trillion and said the tokenization of real-world assets has reached around $50 billion.
On Regulation
The team cited progress in the US, including clarity on Bitcoin and Ether as digital commodities.
Schwab Crypto Goes Fully Live
Schwab completed the full retail rollout of Schwab Crypto around October 16, 2026. Eligible clients can now trade Bitcoin and Ether directly inside their Schwab accounts. Each trade carries a fee of 0.75%.
The News
The service runs through Schwab's Premier Bank, with Paxos providing sub-custody support and handling execution.
CEO Rick Wurster has described crypto trading as a new source of revenue for the firm. Schwab's clients hold approximately 20% of the assets in spot crypto ETFs, within Schwab's $13 trillion in managed assets.
What This Means for Investors and the Industry
Schwab's research suggests modest allocations to crypto within diversified portfolios.
The 0.75% fee will be one point of comparison for cost-conscious traders. Watch, too, whether Schwab follows through on its plan to add more tokens by year-end.