Navigate the crypto ecosystem with a familiar name by your side.
Multiple ways to invest
With a range of exchange-traded products (ETPs), mutual funds, stocks and more, get the asset exposure you might be looking for.
All in one place
Manage crypto investments alongside more traditional investments, all from one account.
From an investing leader
Invest with the firm chosen by millions of clients and consistently ranked among the best online brokers.2
Three commission-free ways into crypto.
Explore a range of products providing cryptocurrency exposure with $0 online trade commissions1 and no account minimum. Buy and sell them in your brokerage account.
Access exchange-traded products that invest directly in spot bitcoin or ether.
Choose from a number of exchange-traded products (ETPs) Tooltip that invest directly in spot bitcoin or ether, providing exposure to the price movement of those assets—no crypto wallet required.
Tap into the blockchain trend with Investing Themes™.
Choose from 40+ themes, each with up to 25 stocks, including Blockchain, which focuses on the developers and adopters of distributed ledger technology like cryptocurrencies. Explore the Blockchain theme and more, like Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, on our innovative platform. Trading minimum of $250 applies.
Explore crypto-related stocks and ETPs.
Access stocks of companies that operate in the cryptocurrency and digital assets ecosystem, plus exchange-traded products (ETPs and ETFs) that provide exposure to crypto futures contracts and the cryptocurrency industry.
Examples include:
- Coinbase
- MicroStrategy
- Riot Platforms
Other ways to invest.
In addition to commission-free choices, other ways into crypto:
- Mutual funds that invest in the broader digital asset ecosystem or cryptocurrency futures contracts.
- Cryptocurrency coin trusts that invest directly in underlying cryptocurrencies and trade over the counter (OTC).
- Listed options in crypto-related securities (including options on spot bitcoin ETPs).
- Crypto futures (including bitcoin futures and micro bitcoin futures) for clients using a future account.
- What is the difference between virtual currency, digital currency, cryptocurrency, and Bitcoin?
Digital currency refers to any currency that exists online. Virtual currency is a digital representation of value and subset of digital currency. Cryptocurrency is a subset of virtual currency and bitcoin and ether are types of cryptocurrency.
2.Why did cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ether become so popular?
Like many new technologies or products, cryptocurrency has attracted adherents interested in innovation and the perceived absence of governmental control. Traders saw it as an alternative to traditional investments such as stocks, bonds, and cash, and trading momentum led to a rising, if highly volatile, price. All of this attracted media attention, which drove mainstream awareness and, ultimately, increasing acceptance. Major companies, including Microsoft, PayPal, and Overstock now accept bitcoin as a form of payment.
The decentralized nature of cryptocurrency appeals to many investors. Others may be attracted to the volatility and potential for price appreciation that may outpace those of stocks. For example, a single bitcoin ranged in price from $17,000 in early 2023 to a 52-week high of over $108,000 in January 2025, with intense volatility in between.
Ether is a cryptocurrency that can be exchanged on the Ethereum blockchain. It is popular due to its speed of executing transactions, often several times faster than bitcoin. Ethereum also supports “smart contracts” which allows for quick execution and verification of financial and other types of contracts. Unlike bitcoin, the supply of ether is not finite.
Cryptocurrencies are speculative investments, with significant volatility of cryptocurrency prices and the prices of indirect investments that have exposure to the cryptocurrency market. Cryptocurrency doesn’t fit within traditional asset allocation models, as it is neither a traditional commodity, such as gold, nor a traditional currency. Its volatility is driven primarily by supply and demand, not inherent value. Bitcoin, for example, doesn’t have earnings or revenues. It doesn’t have a price-to-earnings ratio, price-to-sales ratio, or book value. Traditional value metrics don’t apply, so there are no methods for assessing its value that we endorse or find persuasive beyond the trading value. Considering its volatility and the possibility that the entire value of a cryptocurrency investment could disappear, investors who don’t think they could handle significant risks and market swings might want to steer clear.
There is also cryptocurrency risk besides volatility, as no regulatory infrastructure is in place for cryptocurrencies. Nothing exists yet to back you up like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation does for U.S. bank customers. That means investors are entirely responsible for the security of any cryptocurrency spot holdings. The SEC has noted that with cryptocurrencies, there is “substantially less investor protection than in our traditional securities markets, with correspondingly greater opportunities for fraud and manipulation.”
The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property, not currency. Transactions in cryptocurrency spot markets are thus considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whenever a taxable event occurs, such as selling cryptocurrency for a fiat currency (i.e., U.S. Dollars, Euros, etc.) or when traded for another asset. Investors are responsible for tracking cost basis, gains, and other reporting. If you have questions or concerns about the potential tax implications of transacting in cryptocurrencies.
Blockchain is the underlying technology that supports cryptocurrencies. It is an open-source, public record-keeping system operating on a decentralized computer network that records transactions between parties in a verifiable and permanent way. Blockchain provides accountability, as the records are intended to be immutable, which presents potential applications for many businesses. While blockchain has often been associated with cryptocurrency, it has many potential uses beyond payments, including smart contracts, supply chain management, and financial services. Note that ownership of cryptocurrencies is not an investment in blockchain, the technology, or its current or future uses.
