Charles Schwab to Launch Bitcoin and Ethereum Spot Trading by 2026

Charles Schwab Corporation has announced plans to introduce spot trading services for Bitcoin and Ethereum by the first half of 2026. According to ChainCatcher, the company's President and CEO, Rick Wurster, confirmed this development in a letter to shareholders on Monday. The rollout will begin with a limited test in the second quarter before expanding to Schwab's extensive client base. In related news, CME Group Inc. is set to expand its cryptocurrency derivatives offerings. Following a record daily nominal trading volume of $8 billion in March, the company will launch futures contracts for Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) on May 4, including both standard and micro versions. Meanwhile, Core Scientific, Inc. has outlined plans to liquidate its Bitcoin reserves by 2026. The company's latest regulatory filings indicate a strategy to monetize nearly all of its Bitcoin holdings to boost liquidity and fund capital expenditures. This move marks a shift towards selling off digital assets to acquire hardware necessary for AI transformation.