- Schwab will add Solana, Avalanche, and Chainlink to its crypto trading platform.
- The expansion comes just months after Schwab Crypto’s May 2026 launch.
- Trading costs sit at 75 basis points, among the lowest industry-wide.
Charles Schwab is expanding its crypto offering beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, bringing Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink to a platform used by millions of investors.
The move, announced August 27, marks another step into crypto for one of the biggest U.S. brokerages. Schwab launched direct crypto trading in May with Bitcoin and Ethereum and now plans to give clients direct access to three major altcoins alongside traditional investments in the coming months.
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The expansion also puts Schwab in more direct competition with crypto-native exchanges, potentially making it easier for existing brokerage customers to gain exposure to digital assets without opening a separate crypto account.
Why is Charles Schwab adding SOL, AVAX and LINK?
Charles Schwab says the three assets were selected as part of an effort to expand its digital asset offering with established cryptocurrencies that align with client demand. The company did not provide a detailed explanation for why SOL, AVAX, and LINK were selected specifically.
Joe Vietri, Charles Schwab’s Head of Digital Assets, said the expansion will give clients more choices when building a digital asset allocation alongside their existing investing and banking activities.
The three tokens also broaden the range of crypto exposure available through Schwab. Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX) are Layer-1 blockchain networks with retail and institutional exposure, respectively, while Chainlink (LINK) provides blockchain oracle infrastructure.
However, Schwab has not stated that these different use cases were the reason for selecting these certain altcoins.
The new option will let clients buy and sell SOL, AVAX, and LINK directly, without ETFs or derivatives involved. Trading is priced at 75 basis points per trade, which Schwab positions as among the lowest in the industry.
Schwab also said the expansion will not stop with SOL, AVAX, and LINK. The brokerage plans to add additional cryptocurrencies and digital assets over time, although it has not announced which assets will come next.
All three altcoins took the news in stride. Over the past 24 hours, SOL climbed up 1.4%, while AVAX and LINK each slipped about 1.3% and 1.2%, respectively.
On the Flipside
- The offering remains limited to U.S. residents, excluding a large share of global crypto investors.
Why This Matters
Schwab’s expansion signals a push to become a mainstream venue for spot crypto trading, not just crypto-linked ETFs, putting it in more direct competition with dedicated exchanges.
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