US financial services giant Charles Schwab plans to add Solana (SOL), Avalanche (AVAX) and Chainlink (LINK) to its crypto trading platform in the coming months, broadening its direct cryptocurrency offering beyond Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH).

The move follows a broader shift among major US brokerages toward offering a wider set of digital assets directly, as the regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies has become more accommodative under the current US administration. Rivals including Morgan Stanley, which is piloting crypto trading through E*Trade, and Robinhood, which lists a larger menu of tokens including SOL, have been expanding their own crypto offerings, putting competitive pressure on incumbents like Schwab to match the asset selection available on dedicated crypto exchanges.

Solana and Avalanche are both layer-1 smart-contract blockchains competing with Ethereum, while Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that supplies off-chain data to smart contracts. The three tokens are consistently ranked among the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, and Solana and Avalanche were among the assets included in crypto exchange-traded products launched in the US earlier this year following regulatory approvals.

Schwab Crypto began rolling out to retail clients in May, initially providing direct Bitcoin and Ether trading alongside traditional investments through Schwab's website, its mobile app and the thinkorswim platform.

The brokerage has said it intends to add further cryptocurrencies and digital assets over time, although it has not specified which additional assets are under consideration or given a timeline beyond the three newly announced tokens.

Fees and availability

Schwab charges 75 basis points, or 0.75%, on the dollar value of each crypto trade. The service is available in all US states except New York and Louisiana, and it is not offered in US territories or internationally.

The Schwab Crypto accounts are offered through Charles Schwab Premier Bank, with the affiliated brokerage Charles Schwab & Co. performing certain operational functions on the bank's behalf.

Related: Morgan Stanley takes on crypto trading rivals with E*Trade pilot

Schwab expands into prediction markets

The crypto expansion comes as the financial services firm moves into other new trading products. In June, The Wall Street Journal reported that Schwab plans to offer prediction contracts tied to the S&P 500 index through a partnership with Cboe Global Markets.

The contracts would allow clients to wager on whether the S&P 500 will close above or below a specified level, with the product reportedly expected to launch within months. Unlike platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, Schwab's planned offering would initially be limited to index outcomes.

As of July 31, Schwab held $13.04 trillion in client assets across 39.9 million active brokerage accounts, according to the company. Schwab reported record second-quarter net revenue of $7.1 billion and net income of $2.8 billion.

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