Updated January 31, 2023

Uphold Review

Read more about Uphold
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Uphold's motto is you can trade "Anything to Anything" — from crypto to gold and forex. But are they legit? Read this review to learn more.

5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Trade between assets classes
  • $10 minimum
  • 184 countries
  • Trading fees can be higher

Bottom Line

Unique platform that lets you trade directly across a wide variety of assets

Conversions and transfers are a standard, yet annoying part of trading.

Whether you want to transfer assets between classes or platforms, the process is tedious — and expensive.

Enter: Uphold, who claim to let you trade between:

  • 250+ cryptocurrencies
  • 37 national currencies
  • And 4 precious metals

Can Uphold deliver?

Read on to discover the pros and cons, fees to watch out for, and more.

What Is Uphold?

Founded in 2015 and based in the UK, Uphold is an exchange and remittance service. Or, as they call themselves, "a multi-asset digital money platform."

Their goal is to make exchanging money cheaper, easier, and more flexible than doing it at a bank.

Uphold is also commission-free. However, they do acknowledge that they charge a variable spread on transactions, meaning using their service isn't truly free. (This is usually the case for similar services, but kudos to them for transparency.)

What sets them apart from competitors is the range of assets and currencies they support. This includes a variety of traditional investments, fiat currencies, and crypto.

Uphold also offers:

  • Trading accounts
  • An automated trading system called AutoPilot
  • The ability to send funds to people all over the world, including employees and businesses

Uphold is best for:

  • Investors wanting to buy and sell crypto, forex, and precious metals in one place.
  • Crypto investors wanting plenty of coin options and reasonable fees.

Uphold can be accessed via their desktop site and mobile app (iPhone, Android).

How Uphold Works?

What makes Uphold remarkable is that you can trade seamlessly between different asset classes, like from USD to Bitcoin, or from Bitcoin to gold.

There aren't many platforms that offer such a wide range of assets. Most focus on traditional investments or cryptocurrency, but rarely both.

Of those that do offer multiple asset classes, they usually lack the ability to trade between them directly. In most cases, you'll have to convert to a fiat currency or stablecoin to complete your transaction.

With Uphold, trading directly between asset classes comes with two big perks:

  1. Convenience. Having to exchange your gold for USD to buy Ethereum, or even transferring it off of one platform and onto another, can be tedious and time-consuming.

  2. Cost. On other platforms, you'd be charged for bank transfers, withdrawals, and trading commissions.

Uphold only charges a variable spread on each transaction, debit/credit card deposit fees, and transaction fees if the amount transacted is below $100 in value.

It's easy to get your money onto the platform too. You can make deposits directly from your bank, card, or crypto wallet.

And remember, this service works for several national currencies as well. While you might pay as much as 13% on round-trip fees for foreign currency exchange at a bank, the spread between major fiat currencies like EUR, USD, and GBP on Uphold is typically 0.2%.[1] (Even PayPal reportedly charges from 3% - 9%.)

What Are The Pros and Cons?

Will Uphold make trading easier for you? Review the pros and cons to get an overview of Uphold's platform.

Pros:

  • Trade different asset classes in one place
  • Good cryptocurrency selection
  • No commissions
  • Reasonable spread fees
  • Automated trading system

Cons:

  • Spreads can vary
  • Mobile app could be better
  • Fees on debit/credit card deposit

What Securities Does Uphold Support?

Uphold supports the exchange of an impressively wide range of securities. Let's take a look at what they offer.

Fiat Currencies:

Fiat Currencies
USDEURGBPAED
ARSAUDBRLCAD
CHFCNYCZKDKK
HKDHRKHUFILS
INRJPYKESMXN
NOKNZDPHPPLN
RONSEKSGD

Cryptocurrencies:

Major Cryptocurrencies
BTCETHUSDTUSDC
AVAXBATDOGE
LINKLTCTRON
XRPDOTUNI

Uphold also supports a range of lesser-known cryptocurrencies, including the following:

  • Aave, Axie Infinity, Balancer, Basic Attention Token, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Chia, Compound, Curve Dao Token, Elrond, Enjin, The Graph, Maker, OMG Network, Orchid, Ren, Synthetix, SushiSwap, UMA, Universal Protocol Token, VCOIN, Wrapped Bitcoin, 0x, Cosmos, Casper, Decred, Digibyte, EOS, Fantom, Filecoin, Flow, Hedera HashGraph, Helium, IOTA, Terra, Nano, NEO, The Sandbox, Thorchain, Serum, Theta, VeChain, NEM, Stellar Lumens, Tezos, Zilliqa, Universal Bitcoin, Dai, TrueUSD, Universal Euro, Universal US Dollar, XDC Network

Precious Metals:
You can trade precious metals and minerals, including:

  • Universal Gold, Silver, Gold (Legacy), Palladium, and Platinum

Environmental Assets:
Support the environment with these dedicated tokens:

  • Bitcoin Zero, Universal Carbon

Where is Uphold Available?

Uphold is available in over 184 countries worldwide. Their services vary by country due to a number of reasons, including national regulations.

Their fees also differ depending on region. Take your location into consideration when choosing whether or not to use the platform.[2]

Uphold Features

Review Uphold's features below to decide whether the platform is a good fit for what you need.

Automated Trading

Uphold's AutoPilot system makes it easy to employ the investing strategy known as dollar cost averaging.

The idea is that it's nearly impossible to beat the market, so it's better not to try. Instead, you schedule purchases of your favored investment at regular intervals to remove the human element from your trading patterns.

Financial Services

Uphold offers services you won't find at most exchanges or financial institutions.

  • Instant transfers: You can transfer money to friends and family in many countries.
  • Employer payments: You could choose to receive your paycheck in cryptocurrency.
  • Free withdrawals: You can withdraw your money without fees and securely transfer it to your bank account, private wallet, or another exchange.

Mobile App

Uphold offers a free mobile app for Android and iOS. The interface is the same as their desktop site, so it's easy to start monitoring your portfolio. You also have some notable features:

  • Two-Click Transactions: You can buy a security easily by clicking "transact," choosing your funding method, and completing your order.
  • From and To Interface: You can deposit money straight from your bank account or card and buy the asset you want.
  • Up-To-The-Minute Market Data: You can see 5 decimals on the latest market prices.

Mobile Wallet

Uphold offers a mobile wallet to Android and iOS users. You can use it to access your assets away from your computer. They won't store your secret keys, so you must enter your confidential phrase to log in.

Fees to Look out for

Uphold is refreshingly upfront about their fees.

They offer a commission-free exchange but charge a variable spread on transactions, depending on your trading asset, location, and market conditions.

The spread will increase proportionately in times of increased market volatility.

Here's a look at the spreads for various tradable assets.[3]

Spreads
Cryptocurrencies*0.9-1.2% (in U.S. & Europe) 1.8% (in other countries)
Fiat Currencies0.20% for major currencies
Precious Metals2%

*Note: Spreads vary by coin. Lower-liquidity coins like XRP, ZIL, and DOGE may have higher spreads.

Trade Limit
Maximum Spend$10,000 per day
Withdrawals$1,500 per day, $500 per transaction

In addition to the spread, a $0.99 transaction fee will be charged if the amount transacted is below $100 in value.

There are No:

  • Bank Deposit Fees
  • Withdrawal Fees
  • Trading Commissions

While Uphold does not charge fees for bank deposits or withdrawals, the platform does charge fees on deposits that are made via a debit or credit card.

Deposit Fees
Debit Card2.49% fee per deposit
Credit Card3.99% fee per deposit

They charge separate fees for their business accounts, which are listed in detail here.

Minimum Deposit

Uphold's minimum deposit of $10 makes it easy for anyone to get started using the platform. Investment minimums start at $1, but the account funding and withdrawal minimums and limits vary.[4]

Funding and Withdrawal Minimums and Limits

MethodFunding MinimumFunding LimitWithdrawal MinimumWithdrawal Limit
Debit or Credit Card$10 per transaction$500 per day, $5,000 per week, $10,000 per monthNANA
Google Pay, Apple Pay$10 per transaction$500 per dayNANA
U.S. Bank Transfer (ACH)$10$2,500 per day$5$10,000 per day
U.S. Bank Transfer (Wire)NoneUnlimitedNANA
EUR Bank Transfer (SEPA)NoneUnlimited€10€50,000 per day
UK Bank Transfer (FPS)NoneUnlimited£10£25,000 per day
Bitcoin, Litecoin, BCH, BTGNoneUnlimited0.00001 BTC, 0.25 LTC, 0.00001 BCH , 0.0001 BTGNA
ETH & ERC-20 Network Coins - UPUSD, UPEUR, USDC, TUSD, USDT, DAI, LBA, LINK, ZRX, UPT, OMG, STORM, OXT, BATNoneUnlimited0.001 ETH, 0.001 LBA, 0.00001 UPBTC, 0.01 UPUSD , 0.01 UPEURNA
DASH, XRP, ADANoneUnlimited0.0001 DASH, 0.001 XRP, 1 ADANA

Customer Service

The customer service at Uphold isn't its strongest feature. Their customer reviews on TrustPilot vary from very positive to very negative.

Many people have complained about having their account flagged or their withdrawal placed on hold.

This could be a red flag, especially if you're new to crypto investing. However, it is common for crypto exchanges to receive complaints. Popular crypto exchanges Binance and Coinbase have similar reviews.

If you decide to sign up, you can get help with your Uphold account from their customer service department:

  • Email: You can submit a support request through their website, or email them at support@Uphold.com.
  • Social media: You send them a tweet or direct message on their Twitter @AskUphold.
  • FAQs: You can search their FAQ section to answer common questions.

Security

You'll be happy to know that Uphold uses a variety of security measures to ensure the safety of your assets and information.

Uphold is a FinCEN Registered Money Services Business (MSB) in the U.S. and an EMD Agent of an Electronic Money Issuer regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom.

  • KYC and AML compliance: identity verification helps ensure the safety of your money
  • Two-Factor Authentication: keeps unwanted visitors out of your account
  • Encryption: to protect your data
  • 24/7 Security: to monitor for threats at all times
  • Bug Bounty: if they miss something, they find out before it's exploited

Additionally, their Transparency page gives detailed, up-to-date information on the assets in their reserve, their obligations, and transaction volume.

Ease Of Use

Uphold's intuitive features make buying and selling different asset classes easy.

Their simple To and From Interface lets you use many funding methods to purchase assets. You can also choose from these various methods to transfer money to many countries.

You could transfer your gold holdings to crypto or your crypto holdings to gold. With other exchanges, this would require selling your gold for fiat currency. Transferring your fiat currency to a crypto exchange. Then using your fiat currency to buy crypto.

Uphold removes the middleman and puts many different types of assets in one place.

Education

You can learn more about trading and cryptocurrency with some of Uphold's educational offerings.

  • Cryptionary: You can learn about the unique words used in cryptocurrency.
  • Blog: Their blog answers common cryptocurrency questions with detailed articles.
  • Email Newsletter: Uphold sends out a daily newsletter called Unboxed with the latest crypto news.

How To Open An Uphold Account

Getting started with Uphold only takes a few minutes. You'll:

  1. Select an Individual or Business account
  2. Enter information like your email, password, and address
  3. Enter your legal name, date of birth, and phone number
  4. Verify your new account by email

Note: You must verify your identity before funding your account. You would need an address, government-issued ID, and a photo of yourself with your ID. But this process could take as little as 2 minutes.

Uphold vs Coinbase: How Do They Compare?

Coinbase is one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges. How does it compare to Uphold?

Uphold and Coinbase offer similar services, but several differences are worth considering. The biggest is Uphold's promise to let you trade between asset classes.

This may not appeal to you if you are only interested in trading crypto. But, if you've got some of your investments in gold, and some in cryptocurrency, this could be a game-changer. You can likely save money on Uphold by reducing the number of transactions it would take to trade from one to the other.

Coinbase also charges higher fees on crypto transactions.

On Uphold, crypto traders will just pay the spread for their transactions, which ranges between 0.9% to 1.2% on major cryptocurrencies.

On Coinbase, you'll pay a transaction fee (a flat fee or 1.49%), a spread (.50%), and a potential third fee depending on the purchase method you choose (1.49% - 3.99%). Since the first two fees add up to roughly 2%, even at the lowest rates, you'll be paying higher fees on Coinbase than on Uphold.

Bottom Line

While Uphold doesn't have the lowest prices of any exchange, they do provide a convenient service to those working with multiple asset classes. And especially for those trading between multiple national currencies.

One of the goals of crypto was to remove borders from money, and Uphold seems to be working toward that ideal.

You may find better options if you are planning to limit yourself to a specific set or type of investments, but if your needs are many and varied, Uphold may be what you're looking for.

Uphold Disclaimer: Cryptocurrency investing within the EU/UK (by Uphold Europe Limited) and (USA by Uphold HQ Inc).

You should be aware that the risk of loss in trading or holding cryptoassets can be very high. As with any asset, the value of cryptoassets can go up or down and there can be a substantial risk that you lose all your money buying, selling, holding or investing in cryptoassets. Your cryptoassets are not subject to protection.

You should carefully consider whether trading or holding cryptoassets is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. Uphold makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about Uphold.

References

Uphold

Trade from "Anything to Anything" in Just 10 Seconds

Trade between cryptocurrencies, precious metals, and national currencies.
Terms Apply. Cryptoassets are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk.

eToro
eToro USA LLC and eToro USA Securities Inc.

Deposit $100 and Get $10 from eToro USA LLC

Expires 12/31/2024
For a limited time, you can get $10 when you deposit $100 in your eToro account. Here's how:
  1. Sign up for an eToro account
  2. Deposit $100
You'll automatically receive $10 directly to your account balance. Offer only applies to US customers. eToro USA LLC and eToro USA Securities Inc.; Investing involves risk, including loss of principal; Not a recommendation

Jeremy Harshman is a creative assistant at CreditDonkey, a crypto comparison and reviews website. Write to Jeremy Harshman at jeremy.harshman@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

Note: This website is made possible through financial relationships with some of the products and services mentioned on this site. We may receive compensation if you shop through links in our content. You do not have to use our links, but you help support CreditDonkey if you do.

Uphold Disclaimer: Assets available on Uphold are different per region. All investments and trading are risky and may result in the loss of capital. Cryptoassets are largely unregulated and are therefore not subject to protection. Terms Apply. Cryptoassets are highly volatile. Your capital is at risk. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment, and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.

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