Uphold US: US Fees, 50-State Legality, NMLS & Orderbook Audit
- FinCEN MSB & NMLS ID
- Registered MSB · NMLS #1269875 (48 MTLs)
- NYDFS BitLicense Status
- Does not hold a standalone NYDFS BitLicense (NY reside
- Pro Maker / Taker Fee
- No Separate CLOB (1.40%)
- Simple Buy Fee + Spread
- 1.40% Fee + ~150 bps Spread
- ACH Deposit & Hold Lock
- $0.00 Deposit · 3–7 Business Day Withdrawal Hold
- 2026 IRS Tax Reporting
- 1099-DA, 1099-B, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 8949-CSV (FIFO)
▣ VERIFIED 1200×675 QUANT DOSSIER SNAPSHOT CARD[EXPAND TERMINAL PREVIEW ▾]
Uphold US Execution Cost Curve: $100 to $50,000 (Simple vs Pro Orderbook vs US Median)
Verified Fee + Spread Benchmark1. US Regulatory Passport & Custodial Protection
No BitLicense| Benchmark Parameter / Attribute | Verified 2026 US Provision & Specification |
|---|---|
| Legal Entity | Uphold HQ Inc. |
| US Headquarters | Larkspur, CA / New York, NY |
| FinCEN MSB Status | Registered FinCEN MSB (Uphold HQ Inc.) |
| NMLS Consumer Access | NMLS #1269875 ↗ (48 State MTLs) |
| New York NYDFS | Does not hold a standalone NYDFS BitLicense (NY residents restricted from new crypto trading). |
| FDIC / Cash Sweep | USD balances enrolled in the Uphold USD Interest Account are swept to FDIC-insured program banks (up to $2.5M pass-through FDIC coverage). Crypto assets are not FDIC insured; publishes real-time reserve & liability transparency page. |
SEC, CFTC & State Regulatory Enforcement History
No major adverse SEC or CFTC civil enforcement penalties recorded in our current US regulatory audit docket.
2. Simple App vs Pro Orderbook Cost Calculator
Simulate one-way execution cost + spread across trade sizes and funding rails.
| Fee Metric | Schedule | Scenario Benchmark | Round-Trip USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACH Deposit / Withdrawal | $0.00 / $0.00 | $100 Buy + Sell (Retail) | $3.80 |
| Fedwire Deposit / Withdrawal | $0.00 ($20 if <$3,000) / $20.00 | $1,000 Buy + Sell (Retail) | $29.00 |
| Debit Card / Apple Pay | 3.99% | $1,000 Buy + Sell (Pro Tier) | $29.00 |
| $100/mo Recurring DCA (1 yr) | $34.80/yr | $10,000 Buy + Sell | $290.00 |
3. 51-Jurisdiction US Availability & Staking Restrictions Grid
Available in 49 US states + DC (unavailable in New York).
4. CFPB Complaint Profile & Proof-of-Reserves
CFPB Virtual Currency Complaints: No standalone company-level complaint cluster in the top 25 CFPB virtual currency entities (or routed via partner bank/custodian).
Custodial Reserve Verification: Assets held via regulated US qualified custodians or self-custody architecture; see Live PoR Monitor.
Compare with category peers: Coinbase · Kraken · Gemini · Crypto.com US · Open Full Uphold US Legit & Safety Audit →
5. IRS Form 1099-DA Tax Reporting & US Product Capabilities
| Benchmark Parameter / Attribute | Verified 2026 US Provision & Specification |
|---|---|
| IRS Tax Forms Issued | 1099-DA, 1099-B, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 8949-CSV |
| Default Cost Basis Method | FIFO |
| Tax API Integrations | Koinly, CoinTracker, CoinLedger, TaxBit |
| Self-Custody Withdrawal | Supported · Lightning: No |
| US Staking & Yield | 2.0% – 14.0% APY in eligible US states |
| CFTC Regulated Derivatives |
Who Should Choose vs. Who Should Avoid Uphold US (2026 Decision Matrix)
2026 US Execution & Compliance Matrix| US Trader / Investor Profile | Who Should Choose (Optimal Use Case) | Who Should Avoid (Cost or Regulatory Friction) | Recommended Execution Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Spot USD Traders ($1k–$50k) | Choose Users seeking simplified exchange execution across 250 supported assets. | Avoid Traders clicking the default Retail Simple Buy button (1.40% + 150 bps = $29.00 per $1k). | Always toggle to a Pro Central Limit Order Book (Kraken Pro, Coinbase Advanced, or Gemini ActiveTrader) before executing. |
| New York & Restricted State Residents | Choose NY residents (Not eligible on this platform) and residents in 50/51 licensed states. | Avoid Residents of restricted jurisdictions (NY). | Use NYDFS BitLicense holders (Coinbase, Gemini, Robinhood, Bitstamp US, Cash App) if domiciled in New York. |
| Automated Recurring DCA Accumulators | Choose Long-term accumulators aware of the $34.80/year cost on $100/month recurring buys. | Avoid Buyers funding recurring purchases via Visa/Mastercard debit cards (3.99% card surcharge). | Fund via $0.00 Plaid ACH or use zero-fee recurring BTC DCA on River or Strike. |
| Self-Custody Hardware Wallet Users | Choose Investors who wait for the 3–7 business day ACH hold to clear before withdrawing (Supported) to Coldcard, Trezor, or Ledger. | Avoid Users needing same-day off-platform crypto withdrawal who deposit via standard ACH instead of same-day Fedwire. | Use incoming Fedwire ($0.00 ($20 if <$3,000)) for zero-hold same-day settlement and immediate self-custody withdrawal. |
Microstructure & Fee Architecture on Uphold US: Operating in the United States as Uphold HQ Inc. (Larkspur, CA / New York, NY), Uphold US structures its retail and institutional pricing across distinct execution tiers. On the retail instant-buy interface, orders incur a 1.40% nominal fee plus an embedded principal spread averaging 150 basis points—resulting in a round-trip cost of $3.80 on $100, $29.00 on $1,000, and $290.00 on $10,000. By contrast, routing orders through Standard Execution Tier brings round-trip $1,000 execution down to $29.00.
US Banking Rails, Nacha ACH Holds & Fedwire Finality: Uphold US charges $0.00 for Automated Clearing House (ACH) deposits and $0.00 for ACH withdrawals. While Plaid OAuth linking grants immediate trading credit, Nacha return risk rules (codes R01/R10) require a 3 to 7 business day clearing hold before purchased digital assets can be withdrawn on-chain. Institutional or high-net-worth traders requiring same-day settlement without withdrawal locks should utilize Fedwire ($0.00 ($20 if <$3,000) deposit / $20.00 withdrawal).
50-State + DC Licensing & Custody Protection: Uphold US maintains 48 state Money Transmitter Licenses (NMLS #1269875) and serves 50 of 51 US jurisdictions. Regarding fiat protection: USD balances enrolled in the Uphold USD Interest Account are swept to FDIC-insured program banks (up to $2.5M pass-through FDIC coverage). Crypto assets are not FDIC insured; publishes real-time reserve & liability transparency page. Spot cryptocurrency balances are not covered by FDIC or SIPC insurance and rely on UCC Article 8 custodial segregation or direct self-custody withdrawal.
2026 IRS Form 1099-DA & Rev. Proc. 2024-28 Compliance: Under Treasury Decision 10000 (IRC §6045), Uphold US issues 1099-DA, 1099-B, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 8949-CSV for covered US digital asset dispositions using FIFO accounting. US taxpayers must reconcile wallet-by-wallet cost basis lots under IRS Revenue Procedure 2024-28 using supported tax APIs (Koinly, CoinTracker, CoinLedger, TaxBit).
Frequently Asked Questions (US Regulatory & Execution Reference)
VERIFIED Q&A PROTOCOLIs Uphold US legal in the United States and available in New York?
Uphold US (Uphold HQ Inc.) is available in 50 out of 51 US jurisdictions. In New York, it is currently restricted because it does not hold an active NYDFS BitLicense.
How much does it cost to buy $1,000 of Bitcoin on Uphold US?
On Uphold US, a $1,000 round-trip trade costs approximately $29.00 using the standard retail interface (1.40% fee + ~150 bps spread) vs $29.00 on its Standard Execution Tier.
Does Uphold US issue IRS Form 1099-DA for 2026 crypto taxes?
Yes, Uphold US tax reporting outputs 1099-DA, 1099-B, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 8949-CSV using FIFO and integrates with Koinly, CoinTracker, CoinLedger, TaxBit.
How does Uphold US US Review impact 2026 IRS Form 1099-DA and Rev. Proc. 2024-28 tax reporting?
For the 2026 tax year, regulated US digital asset brokers report gross proceeds and covered cost basis on IRS Form 1099-DA under IRC Section 6045. Taxpayers interacting with Uphold US US Review must maintain wallet-by-wallet (or account-by-account) cost-basis lot allocation under IRS Revenue Procedure 2024-28 and reconcile dispositions on Form 8949 and Schedule D.
What is the difference between Retail Instant Buy and Pro Orderbook execution for Uphold US US Review?
Across audited US platforms relevant to Uphold US US Review, standard retail 'Simple' or 'Instant Buy' widgets embed a 100 to 200 bps principal spread on top of a 0.99%–1.49% convenience fee (~$18–$29 per $1,000). Routing the exact same USD deposit through a Central Limit Order Book (CLOB) such as Kraken Pro, Coinbase Advanced, Gemini ActiveTrader, or Bitstamp US reduces total execution cost to 20–60 bps ($2.00–$6.00 per $1,000).
FinCEN / NMLS / Form 1099-DA Execution Checklist
Toggle each statutory & orderbook execution check before routing USD via ACH or Fedwire:
State MTL, BitLicense & Fee Schedule Alert Wire
Receive deterministic alerts when a US exchange changes Maker/Taker fees, NMLS state coverage, or 1099-DA reporting: