Does E*TRADE Offer Crypto?
If you are trading at E*TRADE and want to get involved in cryptocurrencies, there are several ways that you can do that. E*TRADE does not offer direct access to the cryptocurrency markets, but you will find a long list of securities that are linked to digital assets. If exchange-listed securities aren’t quite what you’re looking for, and if you want direct access to cryptocurrencies, we have a good alternative for you.
Trading Cryptocurrencies at E*TRADE
To begin, E*TRADE does not offer direct access to the cryptocurrency markets. If you are looking
for a safe stockbroker that does allow its investors to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly, we
think FINRA/SEC regulated and SIPC insured Webull is one of the best alternatives to E*TRADE. We’ll go into why in a little while, but let’s first take a look at the various crypto-related assets you can access at E*TRADE.
Digital Asset Availability at E*TRADE
Since E*TRADE does not offer direct access to cryptocurrencies, you will need to look at options listed on U.S. stock exchanges. Investors can invest in stocks, ETFs, and futures that have some connection to digital assets.
We’ll go into what to expect from the various options available to you E*TRADE further along.
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Webull as an Alternative for Direct Cryptocurrency Access
For many, finding a broker that offers both stock and ETF trading and access to cryptocurrencies
provides the most benefits.
Webull is such a broker, and it is an excellent alternative to E*TRADE if you are interested in trading in the digital asset marketplace.
Not only does Webull make available the same list of exchange-based securities as E*TRADE, but they also have a large selection of the World’s most popular cryptocurrencies. It could also be argued that Webull’s trading platforms are more suitable for the active trader (something cryptocurrency investors usually appreciate).
Available Cryptocurrencies
At Webull, there are many cryptocurrencies available for trading.
- Aave (AAVE)
- Algorand (ALGO)
- Apecoin (APE)
- Avalanche (AVA)
- BAT (BAT)
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- BNTUSD (BNT)
- Chainlink (LINK)
- Chiliz (CHZ)
- COMPUSD (COMP)
- Cosmos (ATOM)
- Crypto.com Coin (CRO)
- Curve DAO (CRV)
- Dash (DASH)
- Decentraland (MANA)
- ENJUSD (ENJ)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Ethereum Classic (ETC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Fantom (FTM)
- FILUSD (FIL)
- Gala (GALA)
- ICPUSD (ICP)
- LINK (LINK)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Loopring (LRC)
- Maker (MKR)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- REN (REN)
- SHIB (SHIB)
- Solana (SOL)
- Stella Lumens (XLM)
- Sushi (SUSH)
- Stella Lumens (XLM)
- Terra (LUNA)
- Tezos(XTZ)
- The Graph (GRT)
- UNI (UNI)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- XLM (XLM)
- yearn.finance (YFI)
- Zcash (ZEC)
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Webull’s Fees & Commissions
Webull maintains a zero-commission approach to trading. Whether you are trading securities listed on U.S. exchanges or cryptocurrencies directly from the global markets, you will never have to worry about paying commissions at Webull.
Webull’s Cryptocurrency Related Securities
As a stockbroker, Webull offers the same exchange-listed securities that E*TRADE does (apart from crypto futures). There are many different types of these securities, and it is good to get to know their nuances and what each can add to your investment strategy.
Some of the available assets track the price movements of a single cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin or Ethereum. Others track the industry as a whole, and still others track crypto miners, blockchain companies, and even organizations that are heavily invested in cryptocurrencies.
Depending on your choice of asset, trading in these types of securities can provide a similar or very different experience to trading cryptocurrencies directly.
Keep reading to get a list of the most popular tickers related to the crypto markets.
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Crypto Futures and Other Cryptocurrency Related Securities at E*TRADE
Although there are many advantages that come with opening a Webull account for investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and a number of others, it is no secret that E*TRADE is also a solid broker that can offer its share of opportunity.
Cryptocurrency Futures on E*TRADE
Notably, E*TRADE provides access to futures for Bitcoin and Ethereum. These levered vehicles not only track the price movements of the underlying assets but offer highly leveraged contracts that allow investors to make (and lose) money faster than they could trading in normal cryptocurrency markets.
To put Bitcoin and Ethereum futures leverage in perspective, for each tick that the underlying assets move, investors can gain (and lose) $5 and $2.50 respectively. CME futures contracts for Bitcoin and Ether represent 5 Bitcoins and 50 Ethereum tokens.
Margin requirements for these types of investment vehicles can be very steep. At the time of writing, Bitcoin futures margin clocked in at over $60,000 and Ether margin just over $50,000 per contract.
E*TRADE also offers the CME micro versions of Bitcoin and Ether futures contracts which are 1/10th the size of the minis. While margins on single contracts are still quite high for the average investor, the micros offer cryptocurrency derivatives trading at a much more accessible level.
Crypto Stocks & ETFs on E*TRADE
The same listing of stocks and ETFs that we mentioned in the Webull section are also present at E*TRADE. Here are some notable tickers that you can use to gain immediate access to the crypto markets.
- GBTC – Greyscale Bitcoin Trust
- OBTC – Osprey Bitcoin Trust
- ETHE – Greyscale Ethereum Trust
- BLOK – Amplify Transformational Data Sharing ETF
- BITO – ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF
- BLCN – Siren Nasdaq NexGen Economy ETF
- OSTK – Overstock.com, Inc.
- RIOT – Riot Blockchain, Inc.
- MARA – Marathon Digital Holdings
- COIN – Coinbase Global, Inc.
- PYPL – Paypal Holdings, Inc.
- SQ – Block, Inc.
There are many more options available that we could add to this list, but these are among the most popular and widely traded. Certainly, a good starting point.
Crypto Securities vs Cryptocurrencies on E*TRADE
If you are still on the fence about whether trading securities related to cryptocurrencies or the digital assets themselves, here are a few things to consider.
Trading Hours at E*TRADE
Depending on what you are looking for, your opinion on trading hours for exchange-listed securities may be either positive or negative. Any security trading on an exchange will follow the same rules that all others do. That means your ‘crypto trading’ is only available during regular market hours.
In contrast, cryptocurrency markets are open 24/7 and there is no need to wait for anything to open before you begin trading. Having access to cryptocurrency markets around the clock also means that you can respond to market volatility when it happens.
Day Trading and PDT
Another important consideration concerns day traders and anyone else looking to be a bit active in their position management. There is no PDT (Patter Day Trading) rule set for cryptocurrencies (yet) and that means you can trade all day and night without worrying about your account getting locked up.
Of course, that is not a concern for investors with accounts valued anywhere above the $25,000 PDT threshold. However, if you are trying to trade crypto via exchange-listed securities with an account smaller than the $25K, you will only be able to put on 3 trades per week.
Leverage
If you are looking for levered investment vehicles, you will find many options on the brokerage side. Whether that means creating options strategies, trading futures, buying shares on margin, or selling stocks short, exchange-listed securities provide ample opportunity to, well, amplify your exposure to the crypto markets.
Margin
A final consideration that we will leave you with are margin requirements. For cryptocurrency trading, there are none. What’s more, if you are buying and selling cryptocurrencies at Webull, you can establish a position with as little as $5.
E*TRADE or Webull for Crypto Trading: Which is Better?
The better option for trading or investment in the cryptocurrency marketplace will be different for each person. Consider the details listed above and decide what your goals are.
To compare the two brokers, we can say that both offer exchange listed securities such as stocks and ETFs, and the options contracts to go along with them. E*TRADE offers cryptocurrency futures trading, and Webull does not. Webull offers direct access to the world’s most popular cryptocurrencies.
For most investors (not including futures traders, portfolio managers, and institutions), it seems that Webull comes out on top.
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Ben Wright is an investor, a trader, an educator, and something of an explorer. He spends his days in the markets when he is not teaching or spending time with his family. Ben writes about stockbrokers, markets, investment vehicles, promotional offers, and tools that help investors make the most of their time in the markets.
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