eumicaESMA data

Uphold

Fintechuphold.com

Is Uphold MiCA-licensed?

Not yet: Application pending in Portugal, no current licence

Pending

Status definitions

Licensed
Current MiCA register entry (Article 63 authorisation or an eligible Article 60 route).
Pending
Application filed or publicly committed. No current register entry yet.
Restricted
No current entry, and the firm is restricting or withdrawing services for EEA users.
Not licensed
No current MiCA authorisation, including firms whose transitional period ended.
Out of scope
Protocol model that may fall under MiCA Recital 22. Scope is fact-specific.
Unclear
We could not match a current register entry from public sources.
Application filed or publicly committed. No current register entry yet.

Checked 14 Oct 2026 against the ESMA register (snapshot 6 Oct 2026)

Uphold register record

Contracting entity
Uphold Digital Assets Europe Unipessoal, Lda
Supervising or reporting authority
Banco de PortugalBanco de Portugal
Entity jurisdiction or country context
PT Portugal
EEA MiCA authorisation
Application pending with no current register entry
Authorised
No current entry date
MiCA register route
No route granted while the application is pending
MiCA services
Not recorded in the current register
EEA passporting
Not available before a current entry
Exchange type
Fintech
Last verified
Against the ESMA snapshot of 6 Oct 2026

Uphold MiCA status in detail

Uphold has an application in progress in Portugal. It has no current MiCA CASP entry. Uphold’s Portuguese entity missed the 1 July 2026 deadline while Banco de Portugal and the CMVM were still reviewing its MiCAR CASP application. Uphold paused all crypto and fiat deposits for EEA customers on 1 July 2026. As of 12 October 2026, Uphold’s help centre still described deposits as paused during the MiCAR licensing process and withdrawals as available, and its EEA user agreement described the application as under active review. No Uphold entity appeared in the ESMA CASP snapshot dated 6 October 2026. The FCA-registered UK arm is a separate entity.

As of 12 October 2026, the CASP application was pending. Uphold paused all EEA deposits on 1 July 2026, and withdrawals remained open.

Practical effect: CASP-specific MiCA protections are not established for this service until an authorisation is granted. Other permissions can apply to a separate entity. Verify the contracting entity.

If you hold funds on Uphold

  1. Read Uphold’s latest notice for your country. It sets any account restrictions and withdrawal deadlines.
  2. Move assets to a wallet you control or to a MiCA-licensed exchange. Send a small test transfer first and check the network.
  3. Keep statements, transaction IDs and the date of each withdrawal.
  4. If a withdrawal fails, write to support and report the firm to your national regulator. The MiCA warning list shows whether a regulator has already flagged it. Read when an exchange can freeze your funds.

See the tracked MiCA-licensed exchanges, or read what changed on 1 July 2026.

Uphold’s MiCA application in Portugal

Uphold serves EEA customers through Uphold Digital Assets Europe, Unipessoal, Lda in Braga, Portugal. Its EEA user agreement, last updated on 20 August 2026, says the company is registered as a virtual asset service provider with the Banco de Portugal under Portuguese anti-money laundering law. The agreement also says its MiCAR application remains under active review.

Portugal implemented MiCA by decree in December 2025. Applications go to the Banco de Portugal, and the securities regulator CMVM supervises conduct. Existing national registrations could continue until 1 July 2026 or until a decision, whichever came first. No Uphold entity appeared in the ESMA CASP snapshot dated 6 October 2026. The only Portuguese CASP in that snapshot was Bison Bank, which the Banco de Portugal authorised on 19 May 2026.

What changed for Uphold users on 1 July 2026

Uphold published a notice on 30 June 2026 that its MiCAR process would not finish before the deadline. From 1 July 2026 it paused crypto and fiat deposits and incoming transfers for EEA customers, and buying some assets was affected. Customers could still hold and withdraw their assets. On 9 July 2026 the Brave browser community reported that Uphold had paused deposits and new connections for European Brave Rewards users.

The UK business runs through a separate entity, and its status does not affect the EEA application. Until the Banco de Portugal decides, Uphold has no MiCA authorisation for EEA customers. Uphold describes the deposit pause as temporary and linked to the licensing process, but it has given no date for a decision.

Exchanges with a current MiCA licence

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What changed, and when

  1. Status checked: Pending

    Re-verified against the ESMA register and the cited sources.

Common questions

When will Uphold get its MiCA licence?

Banco de Portugal in Portugal decides the application and has not published a fixed completion date. Uphold becomes an authorised CASP only after a granted licence appears in the ESMA register.

Is Uphold regulated in the EU right now?

Uphold is not currently an authorised CASP. A pending application does not grant CASP authorisation. Do not assume that MiCA's CASP-specific conduct, safeguarding or complaints rules apply to the service. Another entity or product may have separate permissions, which you must check independently.

Is there a MiCA-licensed alternative to Uphold?

Yes. 52 of the exchanges we track have current MiCA register entries. The licensed list shows each mapped entity, regulator and entry date.

Back to the full register

EU MiCA is an independent tracker. ESMA and national regulators do not operate this site. The content is for information only and does not provide legal, financial or investment advice. Crypto-assets involve high risk. Users must be aged 18 or older.