Charles Schwab Rolls Out Direct Bitcoin and Ether Trading to First Group of Clients
Charles Schwab has officially launched spot Bitcoin and Ether trading for its initial retail group, allowing users to manage digital assets alongside traditional stocks for a 0.75% fee.
By David Walker | Edited by Julia Sakovich
Published:
Charles Schwab begins retail crypto rollout. Photo: Pexels
On May 13, 2026, Charles Schwab officially began the rollout of spot Bitcoin and Ether trading to its first group of retail clients. The move integrates digital assets directly into the core brokerage experience for one of the world’s largest financial institutions, which manages over $11 trillion in client assets across nearly 40 million active accounts.
Seamless Integration and Execution
Under the new service, eligible clients can trade and view Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) alongside their stocks, ETFs, and other investments within a single account. The functionality is being deployed across Schwab’s web and mobile interfaces, as well as its professional-grade Thinkorswim platform.
To ensure institutional-grade security and liquidity, Schwab’s own banking unit handles custody, while execution is managed through Paxos. The service carries a transparent fee of 75 basis points (0.75%) per transaction. However, the initial rollout excludes residents of New York and Louisiana due to local regulatory considerations.
From Alternative to Standard Allocation
The launch marks a significant shift in market infrastructure. Analysts note that by bringing crypto into a mainstream brokerage environment, Schwab is removing the friction that previously forced retail investors toward dedicated crypto exchanges or indirect products like ETFs. As noted by the crypto news account HashNews, this is a signal that digital assets are shifting from alternative investments to standard allocations.
This strategic expansion comes on the heels of a blockbuster financial performance for the firm. Last month, Schwab reported a record first-quarter net income of $2.5 billion, a 30% year-over-year increase, providing the company with a robust balance sheet to support its push into the digital asset frontier.
Jane Street Pivots: Slashes Bitcoin ETF Holdings to Double Down on Ether Funds
Wall Street giant Jane Street signaled a major shift in institutional appetite during Q1 2026, rotating capital away from Bitcoin-heavy products like IBIT and MSTR in favor of burgeoning Ether ETFs.
By David Walker | Edited by Julia Sakovich
Published:
Jane Street reshuffles its crypto portfolio in Q1 2026. Photo: Pexels
In a significant reshuffling of its digital asset portfolio, Wall Street market-making powerhouse Jane Street drastically reduced its exposure to Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) during the first quarter of 2026. According to a 13F filing published Tuesday, the firm moved away from several cornerstone Bitcoin products while simultaneously doubling down on Ether-linked assets and select crypto-native equities.
Strategic Retreat from Bitcoin ETFs
The filing reveals a sharp cooling of Jane Street’s appetite for the Big Two Bitcoin ETFs. The firm cut its holdings in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by approximately 71%, leaving it with 5.9 million shares valued at $225 million. A similar trend was seen with the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), where the firm slashed its position by 60% to roughly 2 million shares.
This retreat extended beyond ETFs to Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR). After a massive 473% increase in its MSTR stake during the final quarter of 2025, Jane Street reversed course in Q1 2026, slashing its common stock holdings by 78% to a remaining value of roughly $27 million.
Ether Rotation: Institutional Momentum Shifts
While Bitcoin exposure weakened, Jane Street’s interest in Ether (ETH) surged. The firm nearly doubled its position in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) and significantly increased its stake in the Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH). Combined, Jane Street added at least $82 million in new Ether ETF exposure over the quarter.
This rotation mirrors broader institutional behavior seen in early 2026. Major players like Wells Fargo have also reported increased Ether ETF buying, suggesting that the “Ethereum as a utility layer” narrative is beginning to attract the capital that previously focused solely on Bitcoin’s “digital gold” thesis.
Selective Growth: Crypto Mining and Infrastructure
Despite the broader downside pressure on Bitcoin-centric assets, Jane Street’s 13F suggests a more surgical approach to crypto-linked equities rather than a broad sector exit. While the firm trimmed positions in miners like IREN and TeraWulf, it significantly increased its stake in Riot Platforms (RIOT) to 7.4 million shares, valued at approximately $91 million.
Other key beneficiaries of Jane Street’s reshuffling included
Coinbase (COIN): Holdings rose to 888,000 shares, now valued at approximately $155 million.
Galaxy Digital (GLXY): The firm saw an explosive expansion, jumping from just 17,000 shares to 1.5 million shares.
Record Revenue Amid Volatility
The portfolio rebalancing comes as Jane Street reports a record $16.1 billion in Q1 trading revenue. The firm’s financial success has been bolstered by high market volatility and significant gains tied to artificial intelligence investments. While 13F filings provide a snapshot of reportable holdings and do not represent a market maker’s full net exposure or “short” positions, the data clearly signals a strategic pivot toward Ether and diversified crypto infrastructure heading into mid-2026.
eToro Signals Long-Term Crypto Bullishness as Q1 Derivatives Revenue Plummets
Despite a sharp decline in crypto trading activity and derivatives income during the first quarter of 2026, eToro is accelerating its digital asset strategy with new licenses and major acquisitions.
By Andrew Collins | Edited by Julia Sakovich
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eToro CEO remains bullish on crypto despite a 38% drop in crypto revenue. Photo: Pexels
On May 13, 2026, eToro (ETOR) released a first-quarter earnings report that presented a striking paradox: while the platform’s crypto-related revenue and trading activity cooled significantly, its leadership is leaning into the sector more aggressively than ever. Despite a cold front in the derivatives market, CEO Yoni Assia remains steadfast, predicting that Bitcoin and the broader market will surge toward all-time highs before the year is out.
Chill in the Crypto Financials
The numbers for the first quarter highlight a notable retreat in retail engagement. Revenue from crypto assets fell 38% year-over-year to $2.15 billion. The impact was felt most acutely in the high-leverage segment, where net trading income from crypto derivatives plummeted 57%, resting at $33.4 million.
This downward trend showed no signs of slowing in the early spring. Data for April revealed that the total number of crypto trades on the platform slid 32% compared to the same month in 2025, while the average amount invested per trade dropped by 22%. However, it wasn’t all red ink for the social trading giant. eToro’s overall net income actually rose 37% to reach $82.4 million, suggesting that the firm’s diversified cross-asset model is shielding it from the specific volatility of the digital asset market.
The “Buy the Dip” Mentality
While the charts might suggest a waning interest, Yoni Assia interprets the data through a more optimistic lens. Speaking to CNBC, Assia noted that when markets soften, the eToro user base tends to show resilience rather than panic. “Our data suggests that when the markets fall, retail investors on eToro actually buy the dip,” Assia explained.
Assia’s conviction is rooted in the belief that the current lull is merely a consolidation phase. He expects crypto engagement to reignite as prices trend back toward record levels, a shift he believes will be a primary driver for the platform’s performance in the latter half of 2026.
Strategic Expansion: New York and Zengo
Proving that its bullishness isn’t just talk, eToro has moved forward with two massive structural plays. The company officially activated its New York BitLicense, three years after it was initially granted, clearing the path for eToro to tap into the lucrative New York trading market.
Furthermore, eToro finalized its $70 million acquisition of self-custodial wallet provider Zengo on April 30. According to Assia, this move is central to the company’s vision of “bridging traditional finance with on-chain infrastructure.” By integrating Zengo’s technology, eToro aims to expand its footprint in prediction markets, perpetuals, and the wider decentralized ecosystem. Even as ETOR shares dipped slightly by 0.61% in pre-market trading, the company’s trajectory remains firmly pointed toward an on-chain future.
Coinbase-Backed x402 Launches Batch Settlements to Power High-Frequency AI Agent Micro-Payments
The x402 protocol now allows AI agents to authorize thousands of off-chain transactions before settling in bulk, enabling sub-cent payments for compute and inference resources.
By David Walker | Edited by Julia Sakovich
Published:
Coinbase-backed x402 introduces batch settlement for AI agents. Photo: Pexels
On May 13, 2026, the Coinbase-backed protocol x402 officially launched batch settlement, a pivotal feature designed to facilitate high-frequency payments for autonomous AI agents. By allowing agents to authorize numerous small payments off-chain and settle them later in bulk on-chain, the protocol aims to drastically reduce the overhead costs associated with machine-to-machine commerce.
Scaling Machine-to-Machine Transactions
Base creator Jesse Pollak highlighted that the new batch settlement functionality enables micro-payments as low as $0.0001. This price point is essential for the burgeoning agentic economy, where AI systems require on-demand resources such as compute power and model inference in real-time.
The technical flow, according to x402 documentation, requires the buyer to deposit ERC-20 funds into an on-chain escrow account. For each individual request, the agent signs an off-chain cumulative voucher. Sellers can instantly verify these vouchers and provide the requested service without waiting for on-chain confirmation. Periodically, the seller’s channel manager collects vouchers from various channels and redeems them in a single, batched on-chain transaction.
Joshua Nickerson, product lead at the Coinbase Developer Platform, noted that this process creates a gasless experience for the AI agents themselves. Because the facilitator of the transaction sponsors the costs associated with deposits, settlements, and refunds, the agents can operate with greater speed and lower financial friction.
Strategic Restructuring and Industry Adoption
This update comes just one week after Amazon Web Services (AWS) integrated the x402 protocol and wallet infrastructure. This partnership allows AI agents to utilize USDC for payments on the Base and Solana networks without requiring direct access to private keys.
The emphasis on AI infrastructure reflects a broader shift within Coinbase. On May 5, 2026, CEO Brian Armstrong announced a 14% reduction in the company’s workforce to restructure the organization around smaller, AI-focused teams that leverage automation tools.
x402, which is an open protocol based on the HTTP 402 Payment Required status code, has seen significant traction since its inception. In its first year, the protocol processed over 169 million payments, involving 590,000 buyers and over 100,000 sellers. While currently available in TypeScript and Go, x402 is expected to launch a Python implementation in the near future.
The Competitive Landscape for AI Rails
The launch of x402’s batch settlement occurs as other major crypto players accelerate their own AI-focused infrastructure. On Monday, stablecoin issuer Circle introduced a suite of tools for programmable USDC payments specifically for agents. Simultaneously, the Aptos Foundation and Aptos Labs committed $50 million to AI research and agent infrastructure, including projects like the on-chain order book Decibel and the storage protocol Shelby.
These developments, combined with Polygon’s recent move to reduce block times to 1.75 seconds, underscore an industry-wide race to build the primary financial rails for autonomous machine intelligence.
Bitcoin Eyes $100K Milestone as Strategy’s STRC Reclaims Par and Stablecoin Dominance Wanes
With Strategy’s preferred stock reclaiming par value and stablecoin dominance showing signs of a reversal, market analysts are eyeing a potential push toward $100,000 for Bitcoin by the end of Q2.
As the second quarter of 2026 progresses, Bitcoin (BTC) is standing at a critical technical and fundamental crossroads. While price action remains tightly contested near major resistance levels, a combination of massive corporate accumulation and a shifting liquidity landscape in the stablecoin market suggests that a push toward the psychological $100,000 mark may be imminent by June.
The STRC Engine: Strategy Unlocks Massive Buying Power
A primary driver of this renewed optimism is the performance of Strategy’s preferred stock, known as Stretch (STRC). On Wednesday, May 13, data from STRC.LIVE confirmed that the stock had reclaimed its critical $100 par value. For Strategy’s aggressive Bitcoin accumulation model, this “at par” status is a vital funding trigger. When STRC trades at or above this level, the company can issue preferred shares more efficiently to raise fresh capital for digital asset purchases.
Estimates suggest that this restored funding mechanism has already unlocked enough capital for Strategy to acquire at least 3,127 BTC this week alone. To put that in perspective, such a purchase represents nearly $235 of the newly mined Bitcoin supply over the same period. This “Strategy effect” has been a consistent tailwind for the market. Since February, the company has added roughly 101,700 BTC to its balance sheet, bringing its total holdings to approximately 819,000 BTC. Market analyst Pio Vincenzo noted that Strategy has raised $5.58 billion year-to-date and could potentially raise another $20 billion by the end of the year if current trends persist.
Capital Rotation: Stablecoin Dominance Hits a Ceiling
While corporate buying provides a floor for the market, broader liquidity cycles suggest a major rotation is underway. Analyst MikybullCrypto has highlighted a “bullish fractal” in stablecoin dominance. The combined market share of Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC) is currently testing a major resistance zone between 10% and 11%. Historically, when stablecoin dominance tops out and begins to fall, it indicates that investors are moving their “digital cash” back into volatile assets like Bitcoin.
Data from previous cycles reinforces this bullish outlook. Between 2022 and 2024, stablecoin dominance dropped by nearly 70%, a period during which Bitcoin’s price surged by approximately 600%. On average, across multiple cycles, a 61.3% decline in stablecoin dominance has correlated with Bitcoin rallies averaging 560%. If this rotation continues, the probability of a sustained bullish reversal on the weekly chart increases significantly, making the $100,000 price target a realistic possibility for this quarter.
Technical Hurdles and Exhaustion Risks
Despite the fundamental strength, Bitcoin faces an immediate technical challenge. Price upside has recently shown signs of exhaustion near the 200-day exponential moving average (200-day EMA), currently situated around $82,000. This blue line has served as a formidable ceiling; failing to break and hold above this resistance could invalidate the short-term bullish thesis.
Some analysts warn that a failure at the $82,000 mark could lead to a sell-off, potentially confirming a rising wedge pattern. If this bearish technical setup plays out, Bitcoin could see a correction back under the $70,000 level by June. However, if the wall of institutional capital from Strategy and the rotation from stablecoins provide enough momentum to clear the 200-day EMA, the path to six figures appears open.
Ethereum Working Group Launches Open Standard to End Blind Signing and Boost Security
A coalition of wallet developers, security firms, and the Ethereum Foundation has introduced ERC-7730 and a new clear-signing infrastructure to transform hexadecimal transaction data into human-readable intent.
By David Walker | Edited by Julia Sakovich
Published:
, Updated:
The Ethereum Working Group unveils a new standard to eliminate blind signing. Photo: Pexels
The Ethereum Working Group, a coalition including wallet developers, security firms, and the Ethereum Foundation’s Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, has officially launched an open standard designed to eliminate blind signing. This major user experience (UX) and security upgrade aims to make human-readable transactions the default across the Ethereum ecosystem.
The initiative builds upon existing work, specifically the ERC-7730 standard pioneered by Ledger. It introduces a comprehensive framework that combines a descriptor schema, a neutral registry, a flexible attestation model, and developer libraries. Together, these tools allow transaction data to be verified and clearly described before a user ever confirms a sign request.
High Cost of Hexadecimal Transactions
For years, the lack of transaction legibility has been a primary vulnerability in the ecosystem, contributing to billions of dollars in losses. Blind signing occurs when a user is forced to approve a transaction represented only by a string of hexadecimal code, which requires significant technical expertise to interpret.
The 2025 Bybit hack is a stark example of the dangers of this status quo. In that instance, a single contract change that was not legible on a hardware device resulted in a $1.5 billion loss. By implementing ERC-7730, the working group aims to replace these confusing strings with plain language, showing exactly who the user is interacting with, what their intent is, and what parameters are being executed.
“Blind signing has been responsible for billions in user losses. When transaction data appears as hexadecimal code, users approve transactions they don’t understand. Attackers exploit this relentlessly. Malicious smart contracts are indistinguishable from legitimate transactions, users unknowingly sign them, and lose everything. Clear Signing directly addresses this by making transactions human-readable before approval,” explained Tomáš Sušánka, CTO of Trezor.
Four-Pillar Solution for Clear Signing
To resolve the fragmentation of proprietary solutions, the working group has introduced a four-part infrastructure:
Updated ERC-7730 (an open standard for describing transactions in human-readable formats);
Decentralized registry (an off-chain registry neutrally hosted by the Ethereum Foundation for distributing these descriptors);
Integrity and attestation framework (ERC-8176 and the Ethereum Attestation Service (EAS) allows independent auditors to verify descriptors while letting wallets define their own trust policies);
Developer SDKs (tools for wallet integration and auditor verification workflows in languages such as React and Rust).
Ecosystem-Wide Collaboration
The effort is supported by a broad spectrum of industry leaders. Contributors include hardware and software wallets such as Ledger, Trezor, MetaMask, and Zknox; infrastructure providers like Fireblocks and Zama; and security firms such as Cyfrin. The Ethereum Foundation serves as a neutral steward for the project.
According to the information received by CoinScreamer, Trezor is planning to implement the Ethereum Foundation’s Clear Signing standard across its products over the coming months. ” We’re targeting the beginning of Q2 2026 for Clear Signing transaction decoding, converting complex hex data into a readable format, and the end of Q2 2026 for full human-readable signing implementation. We’re implementing this standard because it’s the right thing to do for our users. We hope that everyone in the industry implements this standard as well so the whole web3 ecosystem becomes safer for all users,” stated its CTO.
The working group is calling for immediate action across the industry: protocols are urged to provide human-readable descriptions, auditors are encouraged to attest to transaction behaviors, and wallet developers are expected to integrate these new signing experiences. The project’s ultimate goal is to ensure that users never sign a transaction they cannot meaningfully interpret.
