Uphold Review
Uphold is a broker founded in 2015 and headquartered in United States. It serves residents of 57 countries and US states and lists 63 assets. It is best suited to buyers who want a long asset list in one app and will fund by ACH, accepting a spread instead of a published commission. Information verified September 3, 2026.
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How Uphold Scores
Key Facts
| Type | Broker |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Licenses |
|
| Fiat currencies | USD |
| Payment methods | ACH, wire transfer, debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, samsung pay, PayPal, venmo |
| Maker/taker fee | — |
| KYC required | Yes |
| Proof of reserves | Published |
Where Uphold Is Available
| Jurisdiction | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Available | Country appears on neither the no-service list nor the no-new-accounts list in this article. |
| Brazil | Available | Country appears on neither the no-service list nor the no-new-accounts list in this article. |
| Canada | Not available | Canada is listed among the locations where Uphold does not offer services. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| France | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Germany | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| India | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Ireland | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Italy | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Japan | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Mexico | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Netherlands | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Nigeria | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Singapore | Available | Country appears on neither the no-service list nor the no-new-accounts list in this article. |
| South Africa | Available | Country appears on neither the no-service list nor the no-new-accounts list in this article. |
| South Korea | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Spain | Limited | Uphold cannot open new accounts here; existing customers may be limited. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| Switzerland | Available | Country appears on neither the no-service list nor the no-new-accounts list in this article. |
| United Arab Emirates | Available | Country appears on neither the no-service list nor the no-new-accounts list in this article. |
| United Kingdom | Available | Country appears on neither the no-service list nor the no-new-accounts list in this article. |
| United States | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Alabama | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Alaska | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Arizona | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Arkansas | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| California | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Colorado | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Connecticut | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Delaware | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Florida | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Georgia | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Hawaii | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Idaho | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Illinois | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Indiana | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Iowa | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Kansas | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Kentucky | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Louisiana | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Maine | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Maryland | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Massachusetts | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Michigan | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Minnesota | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Mississippi | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Missouri | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Montana | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Nebraska | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Nevada | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| New Hampshire | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| New Jersey | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| New Mexico | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| New York | Not available | New York is listed among the locations where Uphold does not offer services. The restricted-location article renders each jurisdiction on its own line; the quote joins the section heading and the neighbouring lines of that list. |
| North Carolina | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| North Dakota | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Ohio | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Oklahoma | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Oregon | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Pennsylvania | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Rhode Island | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| South Carolina | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| South Dakota | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Tennessee | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Texas | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Utah | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Vermont | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Virginia | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Washington | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| West Virginia | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Wisconsin | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
| Wyoming | Available | United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row. |
Assets You Can Trade on Uphold
BitcoinBTC
EthereumETH
TetherUSDT
SolanaSOL
TRONTRX
HyperliquidHYPE
DogecoinDOGE
ChainlinkLINK
CardanoADA
StellarXLM
Bitcoin CashBCH
CantonCC
LitecoinLTC
Gram (prev. Toncoin)GRAM
UniswapUNI
HederaHBAR
AvalancheAVAX
Shiba InuSHIB
PayPal USDPYUSD
CronosCRO
NEAR ProtocolNEAR
Ripple USDRLUSD
BittensorTAO
PAX GoldPAXG
MantleMNT
World Liberty FinancialWLFI
Pump.funPUMP
PolkadotDOT
EthenaENA
Internet ComputerICP
WorldcoinWLD
POL (ex-MATIC)POL
QuantQNT
AlgorandALGO
ArbitrumARB
Venice TokenVVV
KaspaKAS
Cosmos HubATOM
JupiterJUP
FilecoinFIL
FlareFLR
PancakeSwapCAKE
Official TrumpTRUMP
Curve DAOCRV
VeChainVET
XDC NetworkXDC
Pudgy PenguinsPENGU
AptosAPT
SPX6900SPX
TrueUSDTUSD
StacksSTX
InjectiveINJ
Aerodrome FinanceAERO
Pyth NetworkPYTH
Virtuals ProtocolVIRTUAL
LayerZeroZRO
Artificial Superintelligence AllianceFET
CelestiaTIA
MidnightNIGHT
Lido DAOLDO
GnosisGNO
MonadMON
Terra Luna ClassicLUNC
Fees explained
Uphold does not charge a commission. It charges a spread, which it publishes by asset category, and that spread is the whole cost of a trade. As of September 2026, its typical rate on bitcoin and ethereum in the US, UK and Europe is 1.8% to 1.95%, rising to 2.55% to 3.10% on altcoins and falling below 0.25% on most stablecoins (source: Uphold service fees page). There is no fee tier to climb and no volume discount published.
Uphold is a broker, not an exchange. When you trade, sell, or convert one asset to another, the price includes a spread, which Uphold defines as the difference between the price quoted to you and the underlying market reference price at which it sources liquidity (source: Uphold service fees page). Because there is no public order book, there is no maker taker fee and no way to post an order and be paid for providing liquidity.
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Most stablecoins | Under 0.25% |
| Major market FX | 0.3% |
| Bitcoin, Ethereum | 1.8% – 1.95% |
| Altcoins | 2.55% – 3.10% |
| Precious metals | 2.35% – 3.40% |
Read that table carefully before treating Uphold as a single price. Buying bitcoin costs roughly what a high-fee broker charges. Buying almost anything else costs more, because the altcoin band starts above where the bitcoin band ends. If the long asset list is the reason you came, the assets that make the list long are the ones priced worst.
A cost estimate for a $500 purchase on Uphold and Coinbase Exchange appears here once the published fee schedules are verified.
History and ownership
Uphold was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in the United States (source: Uphold about page). Like most brokers operating across borders, it runs through separate entities. In the United States the operator is Uphold HQ Inc., NMLS ID 1269875. In the United Kingdom it is Uphold Europe Limited, in the European Union it is Uphold Digital Assets Europe, Unipessoal, Lda, and elsewhere it is Uphold Worldwide Ltd.
Uphold HQ Inc. is a FinCEN registered money services business in the United States, licensed as a money transmitter in numerous states, and in California it has applied for licensure under the California Digital Financial Assets Law (source: Uphold important disclosures page). That California application is pending rather than granted (source: Uphold US regulators page), which is worth knowing if you live there. In the United Kingdom, Uphold Europe Limited is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority as an EMD agent of Optimus Cards UK Ltd (source: Uphold important disclosures page). An e-money agent registration is not a cryptoasset registration, and Uphold publishes no FCA cryptoasset firm registration on these pages.
Products and markets
The asset list is the selling point. Uphold's own public assets endpoint returns 63 of the assets RampAtlas tracks as open and buyable, including bitcoin, ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Tron, Chainlink, Stellar, Polkadot, Litecoin, Hedera and a long list of newer tokens (source: Uphold public assets endpoint). Precious metals and foreign currencies sit alongside crypto in the same app.
Geography is where Uphold gets complicated, and the detail matters more than the headline. Uphold states that it serves customers worldwide with only a few non-supported jurisdictions (source: Uphold location support article), but its own restricted lists are long. Canada is on the no-service list: Uphold Operating Canada Ltd. has withdrawn its application for registration in certain Canadian jurisdictions and is no longer offering registrable services to Canadian residents (source: Uphold important disclosures page). A second list names locations where Uphold is unable to offer new accounts, and it includes Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, India, Mexico and Nigeria (source: Uphold location support article). Existing customers there may find access limited and may be required to close their accounts.
For a new buyer in any of those eleven countries the practical answer is no, even though existing customers are still served. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa appear on neither list.
Security record and custody
Uphold publishes more about its reserves than most brokers, and in an unusual form. It states that the platform is always 100%+ reserved and that it publishes its assets and liabilities in real time (source: Uphold transparency page). That is a live reserve report rather than a periodic third-party attestation, so it is not the same instrument as an audited proof of reserves exercise, but it is more than a claim in a marketing paragraph and you can check it yourself.
Identity verification is required and is triggered either at sign-up or at a deposit threshold, depending on location: Uphold asks for identification and a selfie during sign-up or when a certain deposit threshold is reached (source: Uphold get verified article). Expect ordinary kyc.
Deposits and withdrawals
Fiat rails vary in price by an order of magnitude, and the choice of rail costs more than the choice of asset in some cases.
| Payment method | Fee | Published limits |
|---|---|---|
| ACH | Not applicable | Daily $10 / $15,000; monthly $10 / $60,000 |
| Wire transfer | $10 under $2,000, free at $2,000 and above | Not published |
| Debit or credit card, Apple, Google or Samsung Pay | 3.99% | Daily $10 / $15,000 |
ACH is the cheapest route and is linked through Plaid credentials, with instant processing (source: Uphold service fees page). Card funding at 3.99% roughly triples the cost of a bitcoin purchase once you add the spread. PayPal and Venmo also appear in the published fiat deposit table.
One detail catches people out. Only US dollars are genuinely depositable and withdrawable. Uphold states that foreign currencies are offered to customers of select jurisdictions, that they are not physical fiat currencies but ledger entries representing the market price of the underlying currency, and that they cannot be deposited or withdrawn but can be traded and exchanged on the platform (source: Uphold important disclosures page). No crypto withdrawal fee or network fee is published on the pages sourced here.
Support and usability
The single-screen model is genuinely useful. Uphold puts crypto, metals and currencies in one balance list and lets you convert between any pair without thinking about trading pairs, which removes the step most beginners get wrong. Recurring purchases and the breadth of the asset list make it a reasonable one-app home for someone who wants more than the four coins a payments app offers.
What you give up is visibility and cost. A spread-only model means there is no receipt separating price from fee, and the published bands are wide enough that two identical altcoin purchases could differ by half a percent without anything being wrong. Support hours and channels are not published on the sources used here. Several of Uphold's own key pages, including the human-readable asset list, render only in a browser, so a prospective customer checking the details before signing up has more work to do than they should.
Verdict
1.8% – 1.95%
Spread, bitcoin and ethereum
Uphold service fees page, September 2026
2.55% – 3.10%
Spread, altcoins
Uphold service fees page, September 2026
3.99%
Card deposit fee
Uphold service fees page, September 2026
63
Tracked assets buyable
Uphold public assets endpoint, September 2026
Uphold suits someone who wants breadth in one place, funds by ACH, and understands that the price they see already contains the fee. The real-time reserve disclosure is better than what most brokers publish, the free ACH rail is genuinely free, and 63 tracked assets is a wide menu for a broker. It is a poor fit on cost for altcoin buyers, where 2.55% to 3.10% is well above what an order-book venue charges, and it is not an option at all in New York, Canada, or as a new account in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, India, Mexico or Nigeria. Check availability at Exchanges available in United States and compare all-in costs at Compare before opening an account.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Publishes its spread by asset category, and says the platform is always 100%+ reserved
- 63 of the assets RampAtlas tracks are buyable, per Uphold's own public assets endpoint
- ACH deposits carry no fee, and wires of $2,000 and above are free
Cons
- The spread is 1.8%–1.95% on bitcoin and ethereum and 2.55%–3.10% on altcoins
- No service in New York or Canada, and no new accounts in eleven other tracked countries
Guides
- Crypto Estate Planning: Making Sure Your Coins Aren't Lost With You
Passing on cryptocurrency requires two things that an ordinary will does not provide on its own, a record of what exists and where, and a route by which the person inheriting it can reach the keys, because no court order can recover a seed phrase nobody wrote down.
- Crypto Tax in Australia: CGT, Records, and the ATO
In Australia the Australian Taxation Office treats a crypto asset as a capital gains tax asset, so disposing of it by selling, swapping, or spending it is a CGT event, while tokens you receive from activities such as staking are treated as income when you receive them.
- Crypto Tax in Canada: How the CRA Treats Cryptocurrency
In Canada a crypto disposal produces either a capital gain or business income, and where it is a capital gain the Income Tax Act makes one half of that gain taxable and adds it to your income for the year at your marginal rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Uphold available in United States?
- Yes. Uphold serves United States residents. United States appears on neither restricted list; New York is the sole US exception and has its own row.
- Does Uphold require KYC?
- Yes. Uphold requires identity verification.