Uphold has rolled out instant crypto-to-stock trading for eligible U.S. customers, letting users swap supported cryptocurrencies into more than 4,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs from inside the app.
What’s new
- One-step trade flow: Customers can initiate a single in-app transaction that starts with crypto and ends with a stock or ETF purchase. Behind the scenes, Uphold first converts the crypto into U.S. dollars, then transfers the proceeds to a brokerage account to execute the equity trade — the settlement doesn’t move crypto directly into shares.
- Large catalog and low entry: The service covers 4,000+ U.S. securities, supports fractional shares where available, and lets eligible investors start with as little as $5 (subject to account approval and order requirements).
- Fees and trading: Uphold advertises 0% commission on cash-to-stock and ETF trades, but standard conversion fees apply when crypto is converted to dollars and regulatory fees apply on securities sales. The company plans to expand trading to 24-hour weekday sessions.
How it’s structured and regulated
Uphold separates the crypto and securities parts of the business across affiliated entities. Uphold HQ handles the crypto-to-dollar conversion while Uphold Securities — an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC — executes stock and ETF orders. Apex Clearing Corporation carries and clears the brokerage accounts.
That split matters for protection: securities held in an Uphold Securities brokerage account may be eligible for SIPC coverage if the broker-dealer fails (subject to limits), but SIPC does not cover market losses. Crypto assets remain outside the brokerage account and do not receive SIPC protection.
Company comments and positioning
“Nancy Beaton, president of Uphold U.S., said, ‘People want one app for all of their investing – crypto included,’” the company said, describing the launch as a way to remove friction from moving funds between crypto and brokerage platforms.
Context in the market
Uphold’s move mirrors a broader trend of crypto platforms expanding into regulated securities. Kraken introduced U.S. stock and ETF trading in 2025 via Kraken Securities; Binance’s Direct Stocks surpassed $1 billion in user-held U.S. equities within its first month after launch. Importantly, Uphold’s offering differs from tokenized-equity models — customers buy conventional securities through a registered broker-dealer rather than receiving blockchain tokens that represent shares. This places Uphold on the regulated-brokerage side of the spectrum while keeping a crypto-friendly funding experience.
What this means for users
For investors who hold crypto and want exposure to traditional equities, Uphold’s one-step flow shortens the user journey: there’s no need to manually sell crypto, withdraw fiat, and fund a separate brokerage account. However, the transaction still passes through U.S. dollars and involves distinct regulated entities and protections for each asset class.
Uphold also reiterates commitments it has previously publicized — it says it does not lend customer assets and publishes assets/liabilities in a transparency system — and plans to expand extended trading hours to give customers more flexibility.
Bottom line
Uphold’s integration brings crypto and conventional equities closer in one interface, offering convenience and a broad securities roster while maintaining the legal and custodial separation required for regulated brokerage activity. Eligible U.S. customers can now choose crypto as the funding source for equity purchases, with the platform conducting the necessary dollar conversion and brokerage execution on their behalf.
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