Public Crypto: trading fees, wallet transfers and automated order authority

Public offers spot crypto through its investment interface, with execution and custody supplied by zerohash, in a distinct account from securities brokerage.[1]

The published order rules require some care. An October 2025 help article still describes daily maintenance cancellation, while the migration notice says the zerohash move removed that maintenance window and added order-expiration customization. The newer trading-hours page supports 24-hour access. The old daily expiry should not be treated as the current universal order rule.[5][7][6]

API submissions are asynchronous: receiving an order identifier confirms submission, not a fill or even immediate visibility in every view. The documentation directs clients to query the order-status endpoint afterward. This is particularly relevant before submitting a replacement instruction after an uncertain response.[29]

For example, a USD 200 standard order has a published USD 3.29 maximum fee; a USD 200 recurring order costs USD 2.50 at 1.25%. A USD 2,000 order at 1.25% costs USD 25. The route matters as well as the amount. These are fee calculations, not a comparison of executable prices.[2]

Once a new API tier is reached, the fee schedule retains that rate through the end of the following calendar month. At the initial 0.60% tier, a USD 2,000 order costs USD 12. This schedule applies to the named API routes; it should not be applied to an ordinary app order merely because the same customer also has an API key.[3]

The dedicated Crypto IRA fee page describes a dynamic transaction charge of at least 1.25%, plus custody of 0.05% monthly, accrued daily. Transaction charges offset that month’s custody fee; Reserve members have the custody fee waived. For a constant USD 20,000 balance, the monthly custody calculation is USD 10 before credits; USD 6 of eligible transaction charges would leave USD 4. The current fee schedule should be checked alongside the IRA quote.[19]

The cash balance and buying-power figures answer different questions. Cash can include funds still settling, while buying power describes funds available for purchases. Neither figure should be assumed to mean the full amount is immediately available to withdraw to a bank.[10]

Public’s March 2026 risk disclosure says crypto remains the customer’s property and describes an Article 8 security-entitlement structure. For the standard account, zerohash is the intermediary; the Crypto IRA adds Alto between the customer and zerohash. The disclosure excludes crypto from FDIC and SIPC protection and retains exposure to custodian operational and credit risk.[17]

If access is lost or an account appears compromised, Public directs customers to [email protected] for verification and recovery. The reviewed guidance did not establish a universal crypto withdrawal delay after every password or device change. It would be inaccurate to substitute an assumed fixed hold for the account’s actual review status.[13]

Exchange, intermediary or custodian interruptions can prevent crypto access; continuous quotes are not guaranteed.[17]

NYDFS lists zerohash llc with virtual-currency and money-transmitter licences, and zerohash liquidity services llc with a virtual-currency licence. These entries support the named providers’ New York permissions. They do not make Public’s crypto account a SIPC-covered securities account.[15]

The crypto disclosure identifies Public Platform LLC for the standard zerohash account and Public Holdings, Inc. for the Alto account context.[17]

The IRA product names Alto Trust Co., a New Mexico trust company, as its provider and custodian. Use the agreement for the account actually opened when comparing custody and promotions.[18]

Public’s September 2025 migration notice scheduled the transfer of its Bakkt crypto relationship to zerohash for 24–26 October 2025. It said balances would transfer without a migration fee and customers would accept the new provider’s terms before resuming. The current product and September 2026 transfer help identify zerohash, so older Bakkt-era instructions should be read in that historical context.[7]

A current crypto-only active-customer count or trading-volume figure was not established.[1]

Operator

Public Platform LLC interface; zerohash crypto services

Exchange model

Centralised

Service scope

Spot crypto through Public interfaces, including API access; a separate Alto-custodied Crypto IRA is also offered.

Client types

Retail clients

Pricing publication

Public pricing

Funding scope

Brokerage cash moves to and from the crypto account; supported wallet transfers have separate rules.

Custody and asset handling

Standard crypto held by zerohash; Crypto IRA has an Alto trust structure. Neither route has FDIC or SIPC crypto protection.

Client eligibility

Eligible adult US customers; identity and location restrictions apply, with separate transfer limits for New York.

Support

In-app chat and [email protected]. Public’s support FAQ says it does not provide phone support.

Authorisation and registration scope

NYDFS lists zerohash llc and zerohash liquidity services llc as licensed virtual-currency entities; the licence belongs to the provider, not the Public interface.

Exchange metadata checked 21 Oct 2026Source 1Source 17Source 18Source 15

The crypto tax help explains that customers trading during the provider transition may receive separate 2025 Form 1099-DA documents from Bakkt and zerohash. Those documents are available in the app. The page’s cost-basis reporting discussion is expressly about the 2025 tax year; it should not be copied forward as a statement of later-year reporting rules.[28]

This automation has actual order authority, rather than being limited to research summaries. Public’s disclosure says generated information can be wrong and execution time or price is not assured. Customers remain responsible for reviewing the workflow before activation and for modifying or stopping it when their intentions change.[25]

The Crypto IRA page advertises a 1% match, but the agreement it links defines its covered IRA as Public Investing’s Apex-custodied account. That does not establish the terms of Alto’s Crypto IRA. The profile therefore does not treat that advertised benefit as an unconditional or immediately withdrawable cash reward. Crypto IRA-specific terms require confirmation.[18][20]

A separate external-wallet crypto-transfer promotion is explicitly marked expired on 31 May 2026. Its older 1% cash-match language remains on the help page, but the expiry label prevents treating it as a current offer.[21]

Public’s inactivity fee is a brokerage-account charge: USD 3.99 monthly for accounts below USD 70 with no activity for six months. Its help says a login at least every 180 days avoids the inactivity condition. This is different from closing the crypto account or cancelling recurring instructions.[26]

Crypto does not move through a securities ACATS transfer. Public says requesting a full outgoing brokerage transfer freezes the account while crypto remains, and customers must contact support to retain, sell or separately transfer those holdings. Recurring deposits and investment plans should be addressed before a full transfer; moving the securities alone does not finish the crypto exit.[27]