Uphold Review 2024: Fees, Pros, Cons, & Safety

Full Uphold Review

What Is Uphold?

Uphold is a digital finance platform with over 10 million users across 150 countries. It offers a simple and secure way to buy, trade, and hold a wide variety of assets including crypto, fiat currencies, and precious metals. 

It’s more than just a brokerage. Uphold allows users to trade across multiple asset classes with unique features like one-click anything-to-anything trading (e.g.: convert $BTC to gold), automatic recurring transactions, and advanced order types like take profit and trailing stop loss orders.

Uphold has a strong track record with transparency, keeping 100% of customer assets in reserve. It also provides real-time updates on its assets and liabilities, which are made publicly available every 30 seconds. 

The platform also offers services like staking, a digital wallet called Vault, interest accounts (available in the US), and a debit card (available in the UK) for spending assets globally. With its user-friendly interface and broad range of supported assets, Uphold caters to both beginners and experienced traders, making it easy to manage and grow their investments.

Uphold Key Features

Platform Features

• Trading: Uphold gives early access to new tokens by connecting to 30 different trading venues. This includes centralized exchanges, decentralized exchanges, and Layer 2 networks. It also allows one-step trading between any two assets in a single easy trade.
• Uphold Vault: A secure self-custody solution for $BTC and $XRP, using a 2/3 multi-signature wallet. You control two keys and Uphold holds one. It makes sure your crypto is safe, accessible, and protected by a key replacement service.
• Interest account (US only): Users can earn up to 5% APY on their USD balances with an USD Interest Account. There are no lockups, minimum deposits or monthly fees. It also provides FDIC insurance protection up to $2.5 million.
• Staking: Uphold allows users to instantly stake and unstake more than 15 digital assets, offering staking rewards of up to 14%.
• Optimus debit card (UK only): Allows you to spend your digital assets anywhere Mastercard is accepted, with both physical and virtual options.
• Mobile App: The Uphold app is user-friendly and available for download on iOS and Android via QR code, providing easy access to their services.
• UpHODL Web3 Wallet: A multichain, self-custodial Web3 wallet that lets you store and manage $BTC, $ETH, $XRP, ERC-20 tokens, and NFTs in one place.

Compliance & Security

• Regulatory Compliance: Uphold ensures compliance with various regulators and keeps certifications that show their dedication to secure and transparent operations.
• Security and Transparency: Uphold publishes its assets and liabilities every 30 seconds. They don’t loan out customer assets and provide proof of this. It’s certified for strong security and data practices and complies with major privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA, and the UK Data Protection Act.

Uphold Fees

Trading Fees

Uphold’s fees depend on what asset you’re trading. 

Trading fees are lowest for stablecoins and foreign exchange currencies, at a flat rate of 0.25% of the order value. 

Crypto fees sit a bit higher. Bitcoin and Ethereum have trading fees of between 1.4% and 1.6%, while altcoins range from 1.9% to 2.95%, depending on liquidity. Smaller tokens generally come with higher fees.

Precious metals also have similar trading fees as altcoins, ranging from 1.9% to 2.95% too.

Keep in mind that fees can increase during times of market volatility, and you’ll have 18 seconds to lock in a price. If market spreads are wide (over 4%), Uphold will notify you before you trade.

Spreads

It’s important to note that a spread also applies to all trades made on Uphold – that is, a gap between the current market price and the rate you’re actually getting. 

Uphold does a great job at being transparent with fees and conversion rates, so you can double-check these on the confirmation window before making a transaction.

Deposit & Withdrawal Fees

Deposits made with debit/credit cards, Google Pay, or Apple Pay come with a 3.99% fee, which is pretty standard for instant payment methods in the industry. 

ACH deposits are free, and so are bank wires if they’re under $5,000. If a bank wire deposit is over $5,000 it will incur a $20 fee. 

Withdrawals are free (0% fee) unless you’re withdrawing to a debit card, which costs 1.75%. Network fees also apply to crypto withdrawals. 

These vary depending on the asset being withdrawn.

Our Expert Review Of Uphold

Here, I’m going to have a first-hand go at setting up an account and explore some of Uphold’s main features.

User Interface and Onboarding Process

The first thing that stood out about Uphold was its sleek and smooth user interface. 

The onboarding process is wildly smooth and straightforward, with no unnecessary steps – making it easy to get started on the web, iOS, or Android devices.

Here’s what that process looks like:

Account Setup

Setting up an Uphold account is quick, thanks to a carefully thought-out onboarding process. 

Download the Uphold app, create an account by entering your email and setting a password, and then verify your identity (like every other centralized exchange out there). 

Uphold takes security seriously, so you’ll need to provide a government-issued ID and complete a selfie verification. This know-your-customer (KYC) process is enforced up-front and might feel a little pushy, but know that it needs to be completed regardless. Objectively, it’s a net positive to get it out of the way, right off the bat.

Although you can onboard on the web app, I’d highly recommend the mobile app instead. 

This makes it easy to upload a photo of your ID and do the selfie verification using your phone camera, without having to transfer files between devices.

For me, the entire KYC process (including confirmation!) took only about 5 minutes – very impressive, letting you get straight to the good stuff.

Exploring the Dashboard

Once your account is set up, the main dashboard shows you your assets, balances, and recent transactions. 

It’s designed to be easy to navigate, allowing you to quickly access trading, manage your Vault, or set up a USD Interest Account. The multi-panel layout is a great idea.

The mobile interface looks exactly the same, but instead only displays one panel at a time. This consistency makes the platform easy to navigate no matter what device you’re using.

Funding Your Account

Uphold offers several ways to fund your account, including bank transfers, credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even crypto conversions from external wallets. 

You can even make purchases directly via your selected payment method, rather than depositing in fiat first and then making a purchase.

Trading Tools and Asset Management 

When you click on an asset, Uphold shows you a simple line chart of its recent price performance. 

You’ll also see helpful stats like 24-hour trading volume, market cap, circulating supply, and the all-time high price. 

At the very bottom of the page, you’ll get recent news headlines for the asset, along with a brief “about” section that summarizes what it is.

Bear in mind that you won’t find any TradingView candlestick charts or advanced charting tools. So, if you’re a technical analysis kind of person, you’ll need to find your charting tools elsewhere.

Order Types

On the other hand, Uphold still provides complex order types, which is very useful.

These order types include:

• Limit Orders: Set the price you want to buy or sell an asset at, and the trade will only execute if the market reaches that price.
• Repeat Transactions: Users can set a transaction to automatically repeat daily, weekly, or monthly – over a set period, or indefinitely. This is perfect for strategies like dollar-cost averaging, where you invest a fixed amount regularly to spread out your investment risk.
• Take Profit Orders: Automatically sell an asset when it hits your chosen price, so you can secure profits without constantly checking the market.
• Trailing Stop Orders: Sell an asset if its price drops by a certain amount after reaching its highest point, helping you lock in gains and limit losses. For example, if you set a 10% trailing stop and Bitcoin goes up to $20,000, it would sell if the price drops to $18,000.

Before confirming a trade, Uphold will give you a clear preview of the transaction. This shows you how much you’re paying, the fees involved, the amount of cryptocurrency you’ll receive (along with its dollar value), and the market rate for the trade. 

You’ll also see the expected settlement time for the order – if you’re using Apple Pay, for example, the settlement is usually instant.

Instant payment methods like credit/debit cards and Apple/Google Pay come with a 3.99% fee, which seems high, but is quite standard across the industry. For those looking to avoid these fees, cheaper options like bank transfers are available.

(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. Capital at risk. Terms Apply)

Asset “Baskets”

For those looking to diversify, Uphold offers Baskets – pre-selected groups of cryptocurrencies based on themes like “The Big Three” ($BTC, $ETH, $XRP) or sectors like AI. 

For example, the AI Basket includes assets like $AI $TAO, $FET, and $RNDR, while the Infrastructure Basket features $ETH, $AVAX, and $LINK. 

At the time of writing, there are five baskets available:

• Finance
• Future of Blockchain
• The Big Three
• Infrastructure
• Metaverse and AI

These baskets make it easier to spread your investments across different assets, reducing risk and improving potential returns.

When you use Uphold Baskets to buy assets, each asset will show up separately in your portfolio. If you want to sell any of these assets, you’ll need to make individual transactions for each one.

It’s also important to note that Uphold Baskets do not automatically re-balance over time.

Uphold Vault

The Uphold Vault is a unique feature that offers the security of self-custody with the convenience of a centralized exchange. 

When you set up a Vault, three keys are generated: two are yours (the Vault Key and Backup Key), and one is held by Uphold. To move funds, you need two keys, which keeps your assets secure even if you lose one key. 

The Vault also allows you to easily move funds between your Vault and your Uphold wallet, giving you flexibility in managing your coins.

The key replacement service is an added layer of security, making sure that even in the event of a lost key, your assets remain accessible. 

This makes Vault a powerful tool for those who want both security and convenience in managing their crypto. 

(Terms Apply)

Uphold USD Interest Account 

Uphold’s USD Interest Account is perfect for US-based users looking to grow their savings while remaining insured. 

You can earn up to 5% APY on balances over $1,000, with no minimum deposit or monthly fees. Even smaller balances earn 2% APY. 

The account is fully integrated into the Uphold app, so you can easily move funds between your trading and interest-bearing accounts, making sure your money is always working for you. 

(Balances of $1,000 or more earn 5% APY. Balances under $1,000 earn 2% APY. Rate is subject to change.)

An Uphold USD Interest Account offers interest rates far better than what you’d get at most traditional banks, making it an attractive option for saving. Plus, your deposits are FDIC-insured up to $2.5 million, for extra peace of mind. 

(You are able to have up to $2.5 million ($250,000 per depositor, per insured bank for each account) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance for deposits in your Atomic Brokerage account when those deposits are swept to all ten Program Banks in the Atomic Cash Sweep Program. Funds held in your Atomic Brokerage account are not FDIC insured. Funds held in your Atomic Brokerage account solely for the purpose of accessing the Cash Sweep Program are also not protected by SIPC.)

Staking

Staking on Uphold lets users earn rewards by locking up their crypto to help run Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchains. 

You pledge your tokens to validators who process transactions, and in return, you get rewards based on how much you’ve staked. Uphold takes a cut of rewards (between 3% and 34%), depending on the crypto. 

Unlike lending, you keep control of your tokens, but there are some risks, like possible penalties if the network has issues. Unstaking your tokens can take time, depending on the specific crypto.

Unfortunately, staking is not available in some major areas such as the US, Canada, UK, and Europe.

Uphold Card (UK Only) 

For users in the UK, the Uphold Card is a handy tool. It lets you spend your crypto and fiat currencies anywhere Mastercard is accepted. 

There are no foreign transaction fees, which is great for travelers, and Uphold offers competitive exchange rates when converting currencies. You also earn 1% cashback in GBP on everyday purchases, making it a valuable tool for anyone looking to make the most of their spending. 

(Terms Apply. Uphold offers real-time crypto exchange. Crypto assets are volatile and unregulated. No consumer protection. Your capital is at risk. Uphold Card is issued by Optimus Cards UK Limited, a principal member of Mastercard and authorized by the FCA.)

UpHODL Web3 Wallet

UpHODL is a new wallet from Uphold Labs that gives you full control of your crypto. 

It’s a self-custody wallet, which means you hold the keys to your digital assets, ensuring they stay yours. You can store and manage different types of crypto, like $BTC, $ETH, $XRP, ERC-20 tokens, and even NFTs, all in one place.

It also lets you connect to DeFi platforms using WalletConnect, and you can easily buy crypto with your card directly from the wallet. 

UpHODL puts you in charge of your crypto while making it easy to manage and trade.

Uphold Customer Service

Uphold’s customer service was pretty impressive, just like its user interface and onboarding experience.

The platform’s self-help section on Uphold is super detailed, with multiple FAQs within each sub-section. This makes it easy to find answers to your questions without needing one-on-one support.

If you can’t find the answer you need, you can submit a support request. Each request is organized with a request ID, status, preferred language, and the exact time of submission. 

You can access your request history under your account dropdown menu, whenever you visit the support section of the website.

I received a response to my request within 26 minutes, which was impressive. The answer was thorough and answered my question clearly.

Who’s Uphold For?

• Passive Investors: Investors who prefer to buy and hold assets for the long term will find Uphold ideal. The platform’s optimized for a simple investment experience, offering features like recurring purchases that make it easy to grow your portfolio over time.
• Multi-Asset Investors: For investors who want to diversify, Uphold makes it easy to manage different types of assets in one place. You can invest in crypto, crypto baskets, precious metals, and forex. Its anything-to-anything swap feature lets you move between these assets quickly and easily.
• Security-Conscious Investors: Investors who prioritize safety will appreciate Uphold’s strong compliance and transparency. It’s fully regulated by key financial authorities like the FCA, FINCEN, and FCIS. The platform keeps all user funds fully-backed and updates financial data every 30 seconds, ensuring your money is always secure.

Who’s it Not For?

• Active traders: Uphold doesn’t cater well to active traders like day traders. This is due to its lack of charting software integrations and relatively high fees. 
• Derivatives traders: Uphold doesn’t provide futures contracts, perpetual futures, or options contracts on its platform. Users seeking to trade derivatives won’t be able to do so on Uphold.

Uphold Alternatives

Uphold Vs. Coinbase

Uphold offers flexibility by supporting crypto, fiat currencies, and precious metals, along with an easy asset-swapping feature and real-time transparency. 

Coinbase, on the other hand, does great with crypto-specific features like advanced trading and staking, but doesn’t offer the same range of asset types or transparency practices.

Uphold Vs. Robinhood

Both Uphold and Robinhood offer multi-asset investment platforms. While Uphold offers the addition of foreign exchange currencies and precious metals, Robinhood provides a huge range of stocks and ETFs.

It’s also worth noting that Robinhood’s selection of crypto assets is much smaller – however, it charges no fees on crypto trades.

Is Uphold Safe To Use?

Regulation and Transparency

Uphold is regulated by major financial authorities: FINCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) in the US, the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) in the UK, and the FCIS (Financial Crime Investigation Service) in Europe. 

These regulators make sure that Uphold follows strict rules to protect users. Uphold also uses a 100% reserve model, meaning all user funds are fully backed and safe on the platform. 

Uphold updates its financial information every 30 seconds and makes it publicly available. You can trust that everything is transparent and secure.

When Was Uphold Founded?

Uphold was founded in 2014 by Halsey Minor, who is also known for founding CNET. 

The company began as Bitreserve, a platform to make cryptocurrency transactions easier. It allowed users to convert, hold, and transfer digital assets.

In 2015, the company rebranded as Uphold. It expanded its services to include not just cryptocurrencies, but also traditional currencies and precious metals. 

Uphold is now headquartered in New York and has since grown to serve millions of users around the world, focusing on transparency and security.

How Much Money They’ve Raised/Who Has Invested in Uphold?

Uphold has raised a total of $74.9 million across four different funding rounds. 

The most recent round of funding was a Series C, which took place in January 2019. Some of the key investors in Uphold include Ruttenberg Gordon Investments, Rosemoor Capital Management, Hard Yaka, and Coil.

Final Thoughts On Uphold

Uphold is a straightforward and easy-to-use platform that lets you invest in cryptocurrencies, global currencies, and precious metals all in one place. 

It’s fully regulated and offers real-time transparency, making it a trusted choice for investors of all levels. With features like instant asset swaps, secure vaults, and interest accounts, it gives you plenty of ways to grow and protect your investments. 

While it’s great for beginners and offers a wide range of assets, it has just a few downsides. These include having only basic charting tools, no derivatives trading, and slightly higher fees than some competitors. 

Overall, Uphold is a solid choice for anyone looking for a simple, all-in-one investment platform.

Frequently Asked Questions