Uphold is a multi asset platform where you can hold crypto, precious metals, national currencies and equities in one account and trade directly between any two of them. It publishes reserve holdings publicly, which is unusual, and its cost is built into the spread rather than charged as a separate fee.
Uphold
Open an Uphold account and hold crypto, metals and equities in one place.
Open an accountReferral disclosure. The link above is a referral link. If you sign up through it, Orca Crypto may receive a commission at no additional cost to you, and in some cases you receive a bonus as well. This does not change what we write. We list the drawbacks of every platform on this page, and we would tell you the same things over a coffee.
The anything to anything model
On most platforms, trading gold for Bitcoin means selling gold to dollars, then buying Bitcoin. Two trades, two sets of costs.
Uphold treats every asset as a pair. You can go directly from XAU to BTC to a stock position without touching dollars in between. For anyone managing across asset classes, that is a genuine convenience.
Public reserves
Uphold publishes its assets and liabilities publicly and updates them frequently. Very few platforms do this, and after the failures of 2022 it is a reasonable thing to value. It is a stronger disclosure practice than most of the industry, and it is not the same as a full independent audit.
How the cost works
Uphold does not charge a separate commission on most trades. The cost is in the spread, which is quoted before you confirm.
Honest assessment
Strengths
What stands out
- Crypto, metals, currencies and equities in one balance
- Direct trading between any two assets in a single step
- Publicly published reserves, updated frequently
- Clean interface and straightforward pricing you see before confirming
Weaknesses
What to weigh
- Spread based pricing costs more than an order book for frequent trading
- No advanced order types or charting to speak of
- Asset availability varies by jurisdiction
- Custodial, like every exchange
Common questions
Is Uphold available in the United States?
Yes, with asset availability varying by state and product. Equities in particular are subject to their own restrictions.
How does Uphold make money if there is no commission?
Through the spread, the difference between the buy and sell price. It is disclosed before you confirm a trade, which makes it easy to compare.
Can I withdraw crypto to my own wallet?
Yes, for supported assets and networks. As always, send a small test amount first.
Where to go next
Want a hand setting it up?
We do this on a screen share, in about an hour, including two factor authentication, a first purchase and moving funds to a wallet you control.