Wall Street Altcoin Picks: Charles Schwab Backs Ethereum, Solana, XRP and Hyperliquid

Charles Schwab’s director of global equity research, Adam Lynch, laid out the firm’s crypto allocation thinking in a recent appearance, distinguishing between five digital assets the firm views as serving fundamentally different roles in a portfolio: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP and Hyperliquid.

Not All Crypto Is the Same Trade, Schwab Says

Lynch described Bitcoin as the “classic” debasement hedge, the asset investors turn to when concerned about fiat currency devaluation. Ethereum, he said, carries more functional utility than Bitcoin while still fitting into that broader debasement narrative. Beyond the two majors, Lynch grouped Solana, XRP and Hyperliquid as higher-volatility, higher-risk allocations he suggested pairing with a core position in the larger assets, rather than replacing them.

Goldman Sachs’ Solana Bet Comes Into Focus

Goldman Sachs has become the largest disclosed holder of spot Solana ETFs, with $88 million in exposure, according to disclosure filings referenced in the discussion. Because not all institutional holders are required to disclose positions, the real scale of Wall Street’s Solana exposure could be considerably larger than what’s currently visible in public filings.

Separately, Schwab confirmed it is adding Solana, Avalanche and Chainlink to its crypto trading platform, expanding beyond the Bitcoin and Ethereum access it already offered. Grayscale Research has pointed to Bitcoin, Ethereum and Zcash specifically as the assets most likely to benefit from what it calls the “debasement trade,” tied to U.S. national debt surpassing $40 trillion and continued fiscal deficits.

Solana’s Supply Squeeze Just Got Bigger

In a separate development, Solana validators passed a proposal to double the network’s disinflation rate to 30%, with yes votes clearing 66.6% in the final hour of voting. The change is projected to reduce planned SOL issuance by close to 20 million tokens, worth an estimated $1.4 billion, over the next six years. Reducing new supply entering circulation is widely viewed as a structurally bullish shift for the token’s long-term valuation.

Bitcoin Drops Below $77,000 as Fed’s Warsh Turns Hawkish

The bullish setup collided with macro reality Friday, when Bitcoin fell below $77,000 after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh signaled the possibility of a rate hike during his Jackson Hole keynote. Warsh has now delivered a hawkish tone in each of his public appearances since taking the role.

U.S. inflation has now remained above the Fed’s 2% target for 65 consecutive months, according to the discussion, a backdrop that continues to complicate the path toward rate cuts.

What It Means

Between Schwab’s differentiated allocation strategy, Goldman’s growing Solana exposure, Solana’s reduced token issuance and a bipartisan regulatory bill gaining bank support, institutional infrastructure around crypto is building even as short-term price action reacts to Fed commentary. 

Whether that structural momentum translates into sustained price strength may depend less on any single Fed speech and more on how quickly the CLARITY Act moves through Congress from here.