Uphold USD Interest Account: High-Yield Savings Review

How the Uphold high-yield savings account works

Uphold’s high-yield savings account is actually a brokerage account offered through a partnership with Atomic Brokerage LLC.

When you hold US dollars in your Uphold account, those funds are automatically swept into FDIC-insured bank partners via Atomic’s Cash Sweep Program, where balances above $1,000 earn up to 4%.

There’s no lockup period with this account, which means you can withdraw your money at any time. Interest is accrued daily and paid out monthly, up to the 15th day of each month. However, if you have a balance below $1,000, you’ll only earn 2.00%.

To fund the interest account, download the Uphold App first. Then, on the USD Interest screen, tap Money In and select a funding source. There won’t be any trading fees if you use USD to fund the account. But if you move money directly from cryptocurrencies into this account, there will be a standard exchange fee for currency conversion.

Who is Uphold high-yield savings best for?

This account is best for crypto traders who don’t want to miss out on earning interest on funds they leave sitting idle in stablecoins and fiat. That said, not everyone is eligible for this account. To be eligible, you must:

• Be a US resident (excluding those in New York, Texas, Illinois and US overseas territories)
• Be at least 18 years old
• Have an active Uphold account
• Not be a 10% shareholder, officer or executive of a publicly traded company
• Not employed by a FINRA-registered broker-dealer
• Not be a politically exposed person (PEP) or an immediate family member of one

What we like about Uphold’s high-yield savings

Uphold is one of the first major crypto trading platforms to embed a brokerage account that offers interest on USD. It eliminates the hassle and cost of withdrawing USD to a bank just to earn a return, and it’s an account definitely worth considering if you’re an avid crypto trader.

Here are a few other things we like about Uphold high-yield savings.

Earn up to 4% APY on USD

Uphold’s 4% APY on US dollar balances is much higher than what many traditional savings accounts or even high-yield savings accounts from online banks offer. Plus, there’s no cap on the amount you could put in to earn interest. And even if you have an account balance below $1,000, you could earn 2.00% APY, which is still higher than the 0.40% national average interest rate on savings accounts.⁽¹⁾

No lockup periods

Unlike some platforms that require you to stake or lock up your funds for a set period, Uphold lets you earn interest without restricting access. That means you can withdraw your money whenever you want without having to worry about penalties.

FDIC insurance Up to $2.5 million

You could have up to $2,500,000 ($250,000 per depositor, per insured bank for each account) in FDIC insurance for deposits in your Atomic Brokerage account when those deposits are swept to all ten Program Banks in the Atomic Cash Sweep Program.

Low barrier to entry

Uphold’s USD Interest Account only has a minimum deposit of just $1, which makes it easy for those who want to try it out without committing a large amount of money up front.

Where it falls short

Like any other digital financial platform, Uphold isn’t perfect.

Interest rates may fluctuate

First of all, the advertised 4% APY isn’t guaranteed. That rate is variable and subject to change based on market conditions. In other words, your earnings could drop without warning. This fluctuation is normal with any variable savings account, but it’s something worth considering. If you’d rather have a guaranteed APY, consider a certificate of deposit instead.

The platform may not suit traditional savers

Uphold is mainly a cryptocurrency exchange, and its interface reflects that. If you’re more comfortable with standard banking dashboards and aren’t familiar with crypto assets, the app can be slightly overwhelming.

Not available in all states

Uphold’s USD Interest Account isn’t available to residents of New York, Texas, Illinois and US overseas territories. That’s a pretty big limitation compared to national banks or digital savings accounts, which typically serve customers across the US.

Limited customer support

Uphold doesn’t have live phone support. Customer service is only available via email and digital chat, which can be quite frustrating if you need quick answers or help troubleshooting your account.

Compare Uphold’s high-yield savings to other savings accounts

Narrow down top savings accounts by opening deposits, fees and APY. To see providers side by side, select the Compare box on up to four accounts.

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6 of 20 results

Finder Score	Account type	Annual Percentage Yield (APY)	FDIC or NCUA insured amount	Minimum balance to earn APY	Minimum deposit to open	Rebate
Promoted Finder score 9.2 Excellent SoFi Checking and Savings	Finder score 9.2 Excellent	Traditional savings,Checking	Up to 3.60%	Up to $250,000	$0	$0	Earn up to 4.30% APY on savings and $50 or $300 with direct deposit. Open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account by 31 January 2026, set up eligible direct deposit within 60 days, and maintain direct deposit for six months. T&Cs apply.		Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Promoted Finder score 9.4 Excellent Varo	Finder score 9.4 Excellent	Traditional savings	Up to 5.00%	Up to $250,000	$0	$0		Start with 2.50% APY, then qualify next month for 5.00% APY on up to $5,000 by getting $1,000+ in direct deposits and a positive balance.	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Promoted Finder score 9.8 Excellent American Express® High Yield Savings Account	Finder score 9.8 Excellent	Traditional savings	3.40%	Up to $250,000	$0	$0		Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Finder score 8.6 Great Synchrony High Yield Savings	Finder score 8.6 Great	Traditional savings,Custodial account	3.65%	Up to $250,000	$0	$0		Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Finder score 9.2 Excellent Public High-Yield Cash Account	Finder score 9.2 Excellent	Cash management account	3.60%	Up to $250,000	$0	$0		Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading
Finder score 8.6 Great Alliant High-Rate Savings	Finder score 8.6 Great	Savings app	3.10%	Up to $250,000 by the NCUA	$100	$5	$5 opening deposit is paid for you. T&Cs apply.		Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading

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How we picked these

What is the Finder Score?

The Finder Score crunches over 250 savings accounts from hundreds of financial institutions. It takes into account the product's interest rate, fees, opening deposit and features - this gives you a simple score out of 10.

To provide a Score, Finder’s banking experts analyze hundreds of savings accounts against FDIC-reported national averages as a baseline. Accounts with rates well over the national average are scored the highest, while accounts with rates well below are scored low.

Read the full breakdown

Customer reviews and ratings

Uphold has a pretty low rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), based on a small pool of a few dozen reviews. Most complaints are about locked accounts, security issues, delayed transactions or limited support options.

Its reviews on Trustpilot are much better, though. It has a high rating with thousands of reviews, and many users say they appreciate the platform’s ease of use, especially for buying crypto and earning interest on idle USD. As one user put it, “There’s not a bank account around that can make me the interest you can make on the exchange.”

All in all, Uphold offers solid features and competitive interest rates. But the mixed reviews, especially around support and account access, are something to keep in mind.