Traditional Finance Makes Its Move: Interactive Brokers Opens European Crypto Gateway to Retail Traders

Interactive Brokers has officially launched crypto trading for retail investors across the European Economic Area (EEA), marking another significant step in traditional finance's migration into digital assets. The brokerage now allows eligible EEA clients to trade 11 cryptocurrencies—including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Cardano, and Dogecoin—directly within their existing brokerage accounts alongside stocks, options, and other traditional instruments.

The Service Details

The expansion operates through Interactive Brokers' Ireland-based entity, which holds authorization as a crypto-asset service provider under regional regulations. Clients get 24/7 market access with competitive commission rates ranging from 0.12% to 0.18%—integrated seamlessly into existing accounts with no need for separate crypto wallets or platforms. Zerohash powers the underlying trading and custody infrastructure, handling the backend plumbing that keeps everything running smoothly.

This isn't Interactive Brokers' first crypto rodeo, but it's clearly still early innings. During January earnings calls, CEO Milan Galik acknowledged that "crypto revenues are, at the moment, small relative to the overall company's revenues." That said, management sees the upside: Galik noted the EEA launch was targeted for Q1 (now delivered) and expects some institutional and retail capital to migrate over time, attracted by what the company believes is superior pricing compared to competitors.

The Broader TradFi-to-Crypto Shift

Interactive Brokers isn't alone. We're watching a full-scale invasion of traditional finance into the crypto market intelligence and trading ecosystem:

Fidelity Investments moved early, offering direct trading across four cryptocurrencies, crypto-linked funds accessible through brokerage accounts, and holdings capability within retirement accounts. They've even issued the Fidelity Digital Dollar (FIDD), a USD-pegged stablecoin, signaling deeper involvement in tokenized financial products.

Charles Schwab signaled a spot Bitcoin trading launch planned for as early as April 2026, with CEO Rick Wurster citing rising client demand for digital asset exposure.

Morgan Stanley outlined plans for a dedicated digital asset wallet launching in 2026, while simultaneously expanding crypto trading through its E*TRADE unit to support Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana. The bank's October guidance recommending up to 4% crypto allocation in higher-risk, growth-oriented portfolios telegraphed this move months in advance.