Uphold

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

Contacts

• Official website (Uphold, U.S.): https://uphold.com/en-us
• Complaints voicemail line (leave a message): +1 (888) 821-0966
• Uphold Help Center: https://support.uphold.com/hc/en-us
• Submit a support request: https://support.uphold.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
• California residents: customer service line: (888) 831-1780
• Written transaction history requests: 1-888-677-9280
• BBB-listed phone (888) 433-3992: (888) 433-3992

Locations

Uphold: frozen accounts, errors, closing an account and where to complain (checked October 12, 2026)

Who this covers. Uphold HQ Inc., the company the Uphold User Agreement for U.S. and Canadian residents (last updated August 20, 2026) names as the contract party for U.S. users ("Uphold US"). Uphold says on its About page that it serves "140+ countries"; other Uphold companies serve customers outside the United States (see the company background section). Uphold describes itself as a custodial platform: the User Agreement says "Uphold is a 'custodial' platform" and that it holds the private keys to cryptoassets on the platform.

If your account is restricted, frozen or closed. Uphold's Help Center article "Why we sometimes have to block, restrict or close accounts" says "we're not always at liberty to provide the reasons behind a decision to block, restrict or close accounts," that a restriction may involve a request for "additional information or documentation," and that "Depending on the reason, the review may take a few days." It also says that on closure, "unless directed otherwise by an authority which has jurisdiction over Uphold," Uphold will work to return funds to a linked bank account or to a blockchain address you choose. The User Agreement adds that Uphold "may delay, suspend, or reverse transactions where required for fraud prevention, sanctions screening, BSA/AML review, or where required by law or by our banking or payment partners" and "is not liable for resulting delays." The User Agreement's cancellation clause says you may cancel "if you are in good standing and compliant with this Agreement," that Uphold "will need to hold Funds until any applicable reversal windows are complete," and that you may not cancel "if your activity is under investigation." On termination, it says you "will generally be permitted to transfer Funds ... off the Platform within a reasonable period of time unless those transfers are otherwise prohibited."

How to complain to Uphold. Section 14 of the User Agreement ("Communicating Complaints") lists: a support request (support.uphold.com/hc/en-us/requests/new); chat in the mobile app or website; a letter to Uphold HQ Inc., 228 Park Ave. S., #50458, New York, NY 10003-1502; or a call to +1 (888) 821-0966 to leave a message (California residents: (888) 831-1780). It asks you to include your name, the email address on the account and a description, says each message is assigned a ticket number, and says to quote that number in later communications.

Errors and unauthorized transfers. For errors involving U.S. dollar and other fiat balances, the User Agreement says to write to Uphold or contact support "as soon as you can" and that Uphold "must allow you to report an error until 60 days" after the earlier of the date you accessed the account after the error or the date the first written history showing it was sent. It says Uphold will determine whether an error occurred within 10 business days, may take up to 45 days to investigate (crediting the disputed amount to your account within 10 business days in that case), and up to 90 days for new accounts or foreign-initiated transactions. For unauthorized, mistaken or accidental transfers of digital assets, it says to notify Uphold "no later than sixty (60) days" after the transaction first appears in your history, and that Uphold will notify you in writing of its investigation results no later than 45 days after receipt of your notice, or such longer period as may be required for new accounts, foreign-initiated transactions, or transactions on blockchains with extended confirmation times. The agreement says digital asset transfers and exchanges "are generally irrevocable once submitted to the relevant blockchain network or executed on the Platform," with exceptions "limited to circumstances expressly described in this Agreement." If you think your account was hacked, Uphold's Help Center article "My Uphold account may have been hacked" says to use Account Center > Security > Freeze account, or its web form if you cannot log in. To request a written history of your transactions, the agreement gives +1 (888) 677-9280 (California: (888) 831-1780).

Closing an account. The Help Center says to bring pending items and balances (including USD Interest Account, Instant Credit, Vault and Equities) to $0, then go to Account Center > Profile > Close account in the mobile app. The User Agreement also says Uphold "may in its sole discretion close accounts with balances with Value below $0.01 if there are no logins" within a one-year period and that balances in accounts closed that way "will be forfeited and become property of Uphold"; for other inactive accounts it describes unclaimed-property reporting to the state, with the dormancy period "usually between 3 and 7 years, depending on the state."

Court or arbitration. The User Agreement for U.S. users contains an arbitration provision with a class action waiver, governed by California law with Marin County, California courts for actions that go to court. It says you may reject the arbitration provision by a signed written notice sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to Uphold HQ Inc., Attn: Arbitration Rejection Notice, at the New York address above, received "within 45 days after the date you first open an account or the date this US Arbitration Provision first becomes effective, whichever is later." Read section 14 of the current agreement before relying on this summary.

Regulator routes listed by Uphold. Uphold's "US Regulators and Customer Complaints" page (last updated July 1, 2026) lists a regulator and address for each state where it reports a license. Examples: the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, 1-866-275-2677; the Texas Department of Banking, 1-877-276-5554; the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation, 1-888-784-0136. In the Texas section the page names the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (855-411-2372, consumerfinance.gov) for unresolved complaints about Uphold HQ Inc.'s money transmission activity. This section describes routes the company publishes; it is not legal advice.

What is and is not insured. The User Agreement says cryptoasset investments "are not protected by" FDIC or SIPC insurance, that U.S. dollar deposits held in U.S. dollars "may be eligible for pass-through FDIC insurance" up to $250,000 per depositor covering failure of the bank holding them, and that "Uphold US is not a bank." Users detected in New York "will have limited Platform functionality": the only cryptocurrency transactions allowed are liquidation to fiat, according to the agreement.

New York Attorney General settlement (April 29, 2026) and state licensing orders

New York Attorney General, Assurance of Discontinuance No. 26-005 (April 29, 2026). The Attorney General's press release says the office "secured more than $5 million" from Uphold HQ Inc. over its promotion of CredEarn, a product of Cred, LLC. The Assurance records these findings: from 2019 to October 2020 Uphold advertised CredEarn on its website and app; "over 6,000 Uphold customers invested approximately $50,000,000 worth of cryptocurrency into CredEarn through the Uphold platform"; Uphold's advertising called Cred's coverage "comprehensive insurance" although "no insurance existed in the industry to protect customers' digital assets from investment loss"; and Cred, which declared bankruptcy in November 2020, caused investor losses including to Uphold-platform investors "who lost over $34 million." The Attorney General found that Cred's Enhanced Yield Agreements were securities under the Martin Act and that Uphold acted as a broker and commodity broker-dealer without registering with the office.

Terms. Uphold agreed to pay $5,000,000 in monetary relief plus any initial distribution it receives on its $545,189.97 general unsecured claim in the Cred bankruptcy (Case No. 20-12836, D. Del.), to be distributed to eligible investors through an email "Accept Reimbursement Funds" process with no withdrawal fees for 90 days after distribution. Paragraph 22 of the Assurance bars Uphold from offering or selling unregistered non-exempt securities or commodities, including digital assets, within or from New York "unless and until it is in compliance with GBL § 359-e" and the related regulation; paragraph 23 requires a risk-based due-diligence process and underwriting criteria for reviewing partners before recommending their services or products. The Attorney General's press release adds that Uphold "will also register as a broker with the OAG." Under paragraphs 31 and 32, Uphold emails eligible investors every two weeks for ninety days; investors who no longer have an account may create one for the purpose of receiving the funds, and if an investor does not log in and click "Accept Reimbursement Funds" within fourteen days after the last of those emails, the funds remain in the Reimbursement Account.

Admission language, as written. Paragraph 17 states: "Respondent admits the factual findings contained in paragraphs 1-16." Paragraph 44 states the Assurance "is not intended, and should not be construed, as an admission of liability by the Respondent." Paragraph 54 bars Uphold from publicly denying any finding in the Assurance, while allowing defenses in proceedings with other parties.

Uphold's position. In a press release distributed through Blockchain Wire and reposted by HackerNoon on May 1, 2026, Uphold says it "categorically rejects any suggestion that it knowingly promoted Cred's fraudulent scheme," that "Cred deliberately and repeatedly misled Uphold," that the Attorney General's statement "misrepresents key facts," and that the U.S. Department of Justice "identified Uphold as a victim in its criminal prosecution of the Cred executives." The Assurance's own paragraph 16 says that in October 2020 Uphold "learned that Cred lost significant investor funds and demanded that Cred report the losses to its regulators or Uphold would disclose the loss."

State money-transmitter licensing orders (2019-2020). Each of these resolved allegations that Uphold HQ Inc. transmitted money in a state without a license there (in Connecticut, Maine and Vermont before it was licensed; in Idaho after it surrendered its license in 2017):

• Connecticut (Banking Commissioner Consent Order, issued September 25, 2019): the Commissioner alleged unlicensed money transmission from at least April 1, 2016 to April 19, 2018; Uphold consented to a $10,000 civil penalty, back licensing fees stated as $2,500 in figures (the order's words read "Two Thousand Five Hundred Fifty Dollars") and a cease-and-desist requirement; the order recites that the Department "received at least one complaint."
• Maine (Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection, Consented Cease and Desist Order, Docket 2019-109, December 18, 2019): Uphold disclosed in its license application 483 money transmissions from Maine between May 30, 2018 and May 30, 2019 totaling $163,030.21 without a license; it agreed to a $1,000 administrative fine, $500 in investigative costs and $1,250 in additional licensing fees; the order records that Uphold had voluntarily submitted its license application in June 2019.
• Vermont (Department of Financial Regulation, Stipulation and Consent Order, Docket No. 19-070-B, listed on the Department's website under the date January 21, 2020): Uphold certified 1,001 transactions and $3,245 in fees before licensure; it agreed to a $6,500 administrative penalty; the order says Uphold "neither admits nor denies" the allegation and records that the Department had not received complaints stemming from its Vermont activity.
• Idaho (Department of Finance, Agreement and Order, Docket No. 2020-12-06, December 17, 2020): the Department found Uphold surrendered its license on February 27, 2017 after a net-worth review and continued operating until September 9, 2020, and Uphold disclosed 3,788 transactions in that period; Uphold "neither admits nor denies" the allegations and agreed to a $25,000 civil penalty; the order states the Department "has never received a complaint regarding Respondent's business."

Alaska (Division of Banking and Securities, Limited License Agreement, Order No. AK-MT-013089): the Division issued Uphold an Alaska money transmission license limited so that Uphold "shall not use its Alaska money transmission license to transmit virtual currency," because state law at the time did not allow the Division to license that activity.

No other enforcement action against Uphold HQ Inc. was identified in the sources checked on October 12, 2026; this is a scoped statement, not a statement that none exists.

Who operates Uphold, what it offers and how assets are held

Who operates Uphold. Uphold's Important disclosures page (last updated July 1, 2026) says Uphold HQ Inc. (NMLS ID No. 1269875), Uphold Europe Limited (U.K.), Uphold Digital Assets Europe, Unipessoal, Lda (Portugal), Uphold Worldwide Ltd. (Bahamas) and Uphold Securities Inc. (FINRA CRD No. 34071 / SEC No. 8-46202) "are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Uphold Ltd." The User Agreement adds Uphold Operating Canada Ltd. for Canadian users. Fiat currencies and digital assets are offered through different Uphold entities depending on where the customer lives; for U.S. users the contracting entity is Uphold HQ Inc. The Idaho order records that Uphold HQ Inc. "has been a South Carolina corporation since March 31, 2014." The BBB profile lists Simon McLoughlin as CEO. Uphold's own pages give different registered-office addresses (Larkspur, California; Charleston, South Carolina c/o CSC; San Francisco), so the contact details on this page use the address Uphold gives for mail and the Larkspur address shown in its About page footer.

What it offers. The About page describes "a multi-asset digital money platform" offering trading between asset classes, with "over US $40 billion in transactions" since launch in 2015, which is the company's own figure. The Help Center and disclosures refer to a USD Interest Account, Instant Credit, Vault, equities through Uphold Securities Inc. (custodied by Apex Clearing Corporation, per the disclosures) and a debit card. The fee schedule and product terms for each product were not reviewed for this page.

Licensing as stated by the company. Uphold's Help Center says it is "a Money Services Business registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network" and holds money transmitter licenses or equivalents "in 46 states and territories." Its regulators page, dated July 1, 2026, lists license numbers for many states and shows California as "California Digital Financial Assets Law (DFAL) License, Application Pending." The page lists no New York license; the User Agreement restricts users detected in New York as described in the practical section. Licenses and registrations are not endorsements of Uphold's service.

How customer assets are held, per the User Agreement. Uphold US or its qualified custodial partners hold cryptoassets "in pooled custodial wallets for the benefit of US Users" with internal ledgers; Uphold says it operates "a full reserve of Assets greater than 100% of its obligations." The agreement's insolvency disclosure says that in an insolvency of Uphold US or its custodians a user's rights to cryptoassets may "be treated as those of a general unsecured creditor," with a different statement for California residents. A private policy held by the parent (the "Cryptonite" FI Bond) covers theft of digital assets in custody with maximum coverage of US$5,000,000 per occurrence and US$10,000,000 in the aggregate per policy year across all customers; the agreement says it is subject to terms, exclusions and deductibles.

Recent business news. CoinDesk reported on July 27, 2026 that Uphold cut roughly 17% of its global workforce (85 people, including permanent staff and contractors) as it shifts resources toward its enterprise business; the article says the company is not closing any offices. This is a business event reported by CoinDesk, not a regulatory or legal action.

The CredEarn history. From 2019 to October 2020 Uphold promoted a third-party yield product, CredEarn, which is the subject of the New York settlement described above. Uphold's bankruptcy-court dispute with the Cred liquidation trust is described in the litigation section.

Complaint record as displayed on October 12, 2026

Figures below are as displayed on October 12, 2026 and are not combined.

• BBB. The BBB profile for "Uphold HQ, Inc." (Larkspur, CA) shows a rating of A and says the business is not BBB Accredited. It shows 301 total complaints in the last 3 years and 90 filed in the last 12 months, with statuses of 253 Answered, 47 Resolved and 1 Unpursuable, and 1 out of 5 stars from an average of 20 customer reviews. By BBB's own category counts, the 301 complaints were filed under Product Issues (94), Service or Repair Issues (74), Billing Issues (65), Customer Service Issues (36), Sales and Advertising Issues (20), Order Issues (8) and Delivery Issues (4). BBB's raw page data gives a file opened date of October 31, 2017 and a business start date of December 15, 2014. BBB's alert section lists one "Government Actions" item, the April 2026 New York settlement.
• Trustpilot. The Uphold page shows a TrustScore of 4.6 from 27,596 reviews, a claimed profile with a paid Trustpilot subscription, and Trustpilot's notes that the company invites customers to review "whether positive or negative" and "Replied to 0% of negative reviews." Individual recent reviews on the page include both praise for support and complaints about frozen accounts.
• CFPB complaint database. A company-name lookup for "Uphold", "Uphold HQ" and "Bitreserve" in the CFPB database's company suggestion tool returned no match on October 12, 2026, and a full-text search for "uphold" returned no records. This is a scoped result about that public database on that day. The CFPB accepts complaints about financial products whether or not a company appears in the public database.
• Own archive. usacomplaints.com has no published complaint posts about Uphold HQ Inc. in the archive search run on October 12, 2026; posts that merely contain the verb "uphold" are unrelated.

BBB complaints and reviews are unverified statements by consumers. Reviews on BBB, including the "Latest Reviews" on the profile, describe accounts that were restricted, closed or frozen with balances inaccessible; the company's published position on restrictions is in the practical section.

Class action settlement, Cred trust claims and other cases

Nero, et al. v. Uphold HQ Inc., No. 1:22-cv-01602 (S.D.N.Y., Judge Denise L. Cote). A putative class action by customers who alleged unauthorized access to their accounts and withdrawals; a 2023 opinion in the case is reported as Rider v. Uphold HQ Inc., 657 F. Supp. 3d 491 (S.D.N.Y. 2023). On August 23, 2023 the court granted in part Uphold's motion for judgment on the pleadings: "The plaintiff's demand for actual damages is stricken. The motion is otherwise denied." The settlement notice says Uphold "denies any wrongdoing," that the court "has made no determination that Uphold violated the law," and that the class was customers who reported unauthorized account access on or after February 25, 2021 within seven days before or after an unauthorized withdrawal. The notice describes a fund of $820,000, of which $500,000 is for class members as statutory damages (the notice's range was $171 to $195 each if all class members claimed) and $320,000 for fees, costs and administration; the claim deadline was August 16, 2024. On October 4, 2024 the court entered a Final Approval Order and Judgment approving the settlement and awarding class counsel $257,000 in fees and $43,000 in expenses.

Cred Inc. Liquidation Trust v. Uphold HQ Inc., Adv. Proc. No. 22-50398 (Bankr. D. Del.). The trust of the bankrupt Cred companies sued Uphold HQ Inc., Uphold Inc. and Uphold Ltd. in July 2022, alleging among other things aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duty by Cred's officers and directors. On April 13, 2023 the bankruptcy court granted Uphold's motion to dismiss; its opinion states that "the claims alleged are at best only possible, not plausible." The district court (Judge Noreika, C.A. No. 23-461) affirmed on March 27, 2024. This is a ruling in the company's favor on the trust's claims and is separate from the Attorney General's regulatory findings. The dockets opened show no later appellate entry; Third Circuit records were not searched.

Sandoval, et al. v. Uphold HQ Inc., No. 21-cv-7579 (S.D.N.Y.). The complaint was filed September 10, 2021; on March 27, 2024 the court granted Uphold's motion to dismiss the amended complaint with leave to amend. On May 1, 2025 the court granted Uphold's motion to dismiss the second amended complaint "with prejudice" and judgment was entered for Uphold on May 2, 2025. A notice of appeal was filed May 30, 2025 and the docket shows a USCA mandate entered September 12, 2025; I did not open the appellate decision.

Irwin v. Uphold HQ Inc., No. 3:26-cv-05394 (W.D. Wash.). Filed April 2026 by an individual; the docket includes a "Notice re Pro Se Registration" (April 24, 2026). The docket shows a motion to compel (July 2, 2026), a filing labelled "Stay" (July 30, 2026) and an order on motion calendar, motion to compel and motion to stay entered July 31, 2026; the documents were not available, so the claims and the ruling are not described.

CourtListener lists other dockets naming Uphold HQ Inc. (for example Yuille v. Uphold HQ, Inc. and Digital Monetization LLC v. Uphold HQ Inc.); their claims were not opened for this page. Allegations in complaints are not findings.

Is Uphold Legitimate?

Uphold HQ Inc. is an identifiable U.S. operator: the User Agreement names it as the contracting party, the New York Attorney General's Assurance and several state orders name it as respondent, and its NMLS ID is 1269875. Uphold lists money transmitter licenses in many states, shows a California Digital Financial Assets Law license as pending, and says it is FinCEN-registered. The company is not a bank, and its terms say cryptoassets are not FDIC- or SIPC-insured.

The public record includes the April 29, 2026 New York Attorney General settlement over its CredEarn promotion ($5,000,000 plus bankruptcy recoveries, with Uphold publicly disputing the Attorney General's characterization), and 2019-2020 consent orders in four states over alleged unlicensed money transmission. It also includes a consumer class action that settled with court approval in October 2024 and a bankruptcy trust's claims that were dismissed in the company's favor and affirmed. BBB shows an A rating, no accreditation, 301 complaints in three years and a 1 out of 5 average from 20 reviews; Trustpilot shows 4.6 from 27,596 reviews on a profile where the company pays for a subscription and replies to 0% of negative reviews. These figures come from different sources and are not combined into one rating. This page does not rate the company.

Court & Public Records

Company Relationships

• Owned by: Uphold Ltd.
• Affiliated with: Uphold Securities Inc.
• Affiliated with: Uphold Operating Canada Ltd.

Frequently Asked Questions