Interactive Brokers now lets clients transfer supported crypto from external wallets into IBKR accounts without selling first, extending its low-fee, multi-asset platform push.
Summary
- Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) announced on March 25 that clients can transfer supported cryptocurrencies from external wallets directly into their IBKR-linked crypto accounts without first liquidating their positions.
- The feature covers Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and other supported assets, with custody handled through Paxos or zerohash, and commissions ranging from 0.12% to 0.18% of trade value — significantly below the industry norm of up to 2.00%.
- The move follows IBKR’s January launch of 24/7 stablecoin account funding and deepens its push to position itself as a single destination for both traditional and digital asset management.
Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ: IBKR) launched a crypto portfolio transfer feature on Wednesday, allowing clients to move existing digital asset holdings from external wallets or platforms directly into their IBKR-linked crypto accounts — without selling first. According to a BusinessWire press release, eligible clients of Interactive Brokers LLC and Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited can now transfer Solana, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other supported cryptocurrencies directly into accounts held at Paxos or zerohash, and manage them alongside stocks, options, futures, currencies, and bonds from a single interface.
CEO Milan Galik framed the announcement as a direct response to friction in the crypto trading experience. “Crypto investors should be able to access competitive crypto pricing and diversified investment opportunities without managing multiple accounts or liquidating their positions,” Galik said. “By enabling direct crypto portfolio transfers, we’re making it easy for traders to benefit from IBKR’s low-cost crypto trading and gain access to our full range of global markets within the same professional trading environment.”
The pricing angle is central to IBKR’s pitch. The brokerage charges commissions of 0.12% to 0.18% of trade value — with a minimum of $1.75 per order and no added spreads or markups — compared to fees of up to 2.00% or more on many retail crypto platforms, often with additional embedded costs. In a previous crypto.news story, IBKR launched 24/7 stablecoin account funding in January, enabling clients to deposit USDC and have it converted to USD almost instantly through zerohash, replacing cross-border wires that typically take one to three business days and carry fees of $25 to $50 per transaction.
Wednesday’s feature is part of a broader, deliberate build-out. IBKR began offering crypto trading in 2021 with Bitcoin and Ethereum, before adding Solana, XRP, and other tokens in subsequent years. In February 2026, the brokerage expanded further, adding Coinbase Derivatives perpetual-style futures contracts to its platform. Crypto custody is handled through two regulated partners — Paxos Trust Company, supervised by the New York Department of Financial Services, and zerohash, a FinCEN-registered money services business with a BitLicense from the NYDFS.
The move puts IBKR in increasingly direct competition with crypto-native exchanges for active traders, particularly those who want access to traditional markets alongside digital assets. That pressure is coming from both sides — a previous crypto.news story noted that Morgan Stanley plans to offer crypto trading on E-Trade in 2026, signaling that legacy brokerages are collectively accelerating their digital asset integrations.
Interactive Brokers serves individual investors, hedge funds, proprietary trading groups, financial advisors, and introducing brokers across more than 170 markets globally. The group is a member of the S&P 500. The firm has long differentiated itself on low costs and broad market access, and the portfolio transfer feature extends that model to users who currently hold crypto elsewhere but want lower trading costs and integrated access to traditional markets — without the tax and timing complications of liquidating to move.
“Perpetual-style crypto futures have become popular with traders because they provide long-dated exposure and greater flexibility,” Galik said at the February launch of Coinbase Derivatives contracts. The portfolio transfer feature now means those same traders can bring their existing crypto holdings onto the platform in a single step. As a previous crypto.news story noted, the stablecoin-funded account initiative earlier this year already pointed to a firm that views crypto infrastructure not as a bolt-on, but as a core part of its long-term platform strategy.
