The walls between Wall Street and the "Wild West" of digital assets just got a little thinner.

 

Charles Schwab, the stalwart of retail investing, has officially signaled its intent to join the spot crypto trading fray.

 

CEO Rick Wurster confirmed on Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid podcast that Schwab plans to roll out spot Bitcoin and Ethereum trading within the next 12 months. The rollout will debut on their high-octane Thinkorswim platform before migrating to the standard Schwab.com and mobile interfaces.

 

The Strategy: Blue Chips Only

While platforms like Robinhood or Coinbase often lean into the viral chaos of "meme coins," Schwab is taking a predictably measured approach. Wurster made it clear that the firm isn't interested in the speculative frenzy of the latest Shiba Inu derivative.

 

"Those are areas we will leave to the side," Wurster stated, emphasizing that Schwab’s focus remains on "everyday investors" looking to integrate crypto into a diversified, long-term portfolio.

 

A Shifting Regulatory Tide

Schwab isn't acting in a vacuum. The move comes as the regulatory environment in Washington undergoes a massive vibe shift. Since the Trump administration took office, the SEC has pivoted from its previously aggressive "regulation by enforcement" stance.

 

With the swearing-in of the pro-crypto Paul Atkins as SEC Chair—replacing the crypto-skeptic Gary Gensler—lawsuits against major exchanges have been dropped, and restrictive accounting rules for banks holding crypto have been scrapped. Morgan Stanley is reportedly following a similar blueprint, with eyes on adding spot trading to E*Trade by 2026.

 

Ty’s Take: The View from the New Guy

As someone who is relatively new to the financial industry, watching this unfold feels like seeing a massive cruise ship finally decide to change course. For years, the "old guard" of finance treated crypto like a radioactive hobby. Now, they're laying out the red carpet.

 

My honest opinion? This is the "Adults in the Room" moment for crypto.

 

I think Schwab’s decision to avoid meme coins is a brilliant move for their brand. It tells their clients: "We aren't here to help you gamble; we're here to help you invest." For a guy like me, seeing these legacy institutions provide a regulated, familiar bridge to Bitcoin makes the space feel less like a casino and more like a legitimate asset class.

 

However, there’s a catch. Part of me wonders if Schwab is a little late to the party. By the time they launch, many retail investors may have already set up shop elsewhere. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short time here, it’s that you never bet against the convenience of having all your money—stocks, bonds, and now crypto—under one roof.

 

The "crypto winter" is officially over, and the thaw is being led by the very people who once told us to stay away. It’s an exciting time to be entering the industry, even if it means I have a lot more homework to do on blockchain tech.

Robinhood’s Crypto Revenue Soars, Signaling Surge in Retail Crypto Engagement

Robinhood Markets reported that its cryptocurrency-trading revenue surged by 339% in Q3 2025 to $268 million. This performance underscores the increasing role of crypto in Robinhood’s business model and reflects broader retail investor enthusiasm for digital assets. The rise comes against a backdrop of product innovation, global expansion and favorable sector sentiment.

 

Strong Performance Across the Platform

While crypto trading was a standout, Robinhood’s overall performance paints a positive picture of a company gaining traction. Earlier in the year the company reported Q2 revenue of $989 million, up 45% year-on-year and with crypto revenue alone up 98% to $160 million. The momentum built into stronger Q3 performance where crypto contributed a larger share of transaction-based revenues. The company’s expanded crypto product offerings, including new tokens, staking and acquisition of Bitstamp, helped fuel activity.

 

Why Crypto Revenue Grew So Fast

Several factors helped drive Robinhood’s crypto-business acceleration:

• Retail engagement in crypto trading is high. With more tokens listed, easier access and zero-commission trading, Robinhood has captured more users’ attention.
• Global expansion. The acquisition of Bitstamp gave Robinhood more licensing in Europe and access to more markets, increasing liquidity and cross-border trading.
• New product launches. Added services such as crypto staking in the U.S. and EU, tokenized stocks, and enhanced platform features boosted user activity.
• Macro environment. Periods of heightened crypto volatility and interest often correspond with higher trading volumes and revenue for platforms like Robinhood.

 

Implications for Robinhood and Crypto Platforms

For Robinhood, the spike in crypto revenue suggests the firm is successfully evolving beyond a retail stock-trading app into a broader digital-asset-centric platform. Crypto trading is no longer a niche segment, it is now a meaningful driver of revenue and growth.

For the broader crypto industry, Robinhood’s results highlight several important trends:

• Retail platforms with strong user bases and simple onboarding for crypto are gaining a larger share of trading volume and attention.
• Crypto is becoming more integrated into mainstream fintech business models, not just peripheral to them.
• Expanding regulatory clarity and global licensing (as seen via Bitstamp acquisition) are helping platforms scale crypto services globally.
• The overlap between equities, options and crypto trading is becoming more pronounced, as platforms leverage overlapping customer bases.

 

What to Watch Moving Forward

• Sustainability of the growth. Strong quarter-to-quarter gains are impressive but maintaining this requires continuous product innovation, user acquisition and regulatory compliance.
• Crypto revenue mix and token exposure. As crypto revenue grows, the breakdown by asset class, trading type and geography will matter for understanding risk and opportunity.
• Platform expansion and licensing. Global regulatory regimes continue to evolve, so Robinhood’s ability to scale globally while maintaining compliance will be key.
• Competitive landscape. Other platforms are competing aggressively in crypto trading, tokenization and wallet services. Robinhood’s product velocity and customer experience will determine how it holds competitive edge.

 

Robinhood’s Market Strength and Expanding Footprint

Robinhood’s impressive crypto performance came alongside strong overall financial results. Although shares dipped about 2% in after-hours trading, the stock remains up roughly 260% year-to-date, reflecting the market’s confidence in the company’s long-term trajectory.

Chief Financial Officer Jason Warnick said the quarter highlighted “another period of profitable growth” and emphasized the company’s diversification. He noted that Robinhood added two new business lines, Prediction Markets and Bitstamp, each already generating around $100 million in annualized revenue.

“Q4 is off to a strong start,” Warnick added, pointing to record trading volumes across equities, options, prediction markets, and futures, along with new highs for margin balances.

The company’s market capitalization has now reached $126 billion, placing it ahead of major competitors like Coinbase, which also reported strong earnings recently.

These results follow a string of moves aimed at deepening Robinhood’s role in the global crypto ecosystem. The acquisition of Bitstamp, one of the world’s oldest crypto exchanges, gave Robinhood an established regulatory presence and a user base spanning more than 50 countries. This acquisition not only expanded access to international markets but also strengthened its compliance infrastructure — a crucial advantage as global regulators define the next phase of crypto policy.

 

Final Thoughts

Robinhood’s record-setting quarter represents more than just strong numbers, it highlights a pivotal transformation in how traditional fintech and digital assets are converging.

The company’s 339% surge in crypto trading revenue reflects growing confidence among retail investors, while its acquisitions and new business lines show a clear pivot toward becoming a comprehensive global trading platform. With Bitstamp under its umbrella and new markets like prediction trading contributing nine-figure revenues, Robinhood is building an ecosystem that spans equities, options, futures, and crypto — all within a single, regulated framework.

Despite the minor dip in after-hours trading, investor sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive. Robinhood’s valuation of $126 billion underscores that the market views the company not as a speculative fintech, but as a major financial institution reshaping digital trading.

As the boundaries between finance and crypto continue to blur, Robinhood’s expansion signals a broader truth: the next generation of global markets will not separate traditional and digital assets. Instead, they will coexist on platforms that offer both speed and security — and Robinhood appears determined to lead that charge.

 

 

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