Security Compliance
To secure an Uphold account, users enable two-factor authentication, which Uphold requires before funds can be transferred. The platform keeps around 90% of digital assets in cold storage and has never suffered a sitewide hack. For former Canadian users, the more pressing security matter is retrieving stranded balances before unclaimed property rules kick in.
CoinField marketed itself as a highly secure exchange using cold storage, multi-signature wallets and encryption. The regulatory record tells a different story: the OSC found the platform did not have sufficient crypto assets in custody to satisfy investor withdrawal requests and misled both investors and the regulator about why withdrawals were delayed. Whatever its technical security, customer funds were not safe. This is a textbook example of why we recommend holding your own coins in your own crypto wallet rather than leaving them on any exchange.
To secure an Uphold account, users enable two-factor authentication, which Uphold requires before funds can be transferred. The platform keeps around 90% of digital assets in cold storage and has never suffered a sitewide hack. For former Canadian users, the more pressing security matter is retrieving stranded balances before unclaimed property rules kick in.
CoinField marketed itself as a highly secure exchange using cold storage, multi-signature wallets and encryption. The regulatory record tells a different story: the OSC found the platform did not have sufficient crypto assets in custody to satisfy investor withdrawal requests and misled both investors and the regulator about why withdrawals were delayed. Whatever its technical security, customer funds were not safe. This is a textbook example of why we recommend holding your own coins in your own crypto wallet rather than leaving them on any exchange.
Uphold keeps around 90% of assets in cold storage, enforces 2FA and biometric login, and has never suffered a sitewide hack. CoinField marketed itself as secure but the OSC found it misled investors about the state of customer funds. Neither platform is relevant for Canadians going forward.
Regulatory Compliance
Uphold is regulated in the USA and compliant with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) record-keeping requirements. However, it is no longer Canadian-friendly: Canada appears on Uphold's non-supported jurisdictions list, and Canadian accounts were wound down in 2025. Uphold has publicly stated it's working on plans to return to Canada, but no timeline has been announced.
CoinField's FINTRAC registration was ceased, and the company was never registered with Canadian securities regulators. In August 2024, Ontario's Capital Markets Tribunal found it violated securities law through unregistered trading, illegal distribution and misleading investors, and in 2025 it was permanently banned from Ontario's capital markets with over $3 million in combined penalties, disgorgement and costs. CoinField did not participate in the proceedings.
Uphold is regulated in the USA and compliant with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) record-keeping requirements. However, it is no longer Canadian-friendly: Canada appears on Uphold's non-supported jurisdictions list, and Canadian accounts were wound down in 2025. Uphold has publicly stated it's working on plans to return to Canada, but no timeline has been announced.
CoinField's FINTRAC registration was ceased, and the company was never registered with Canadian securities regulators. In August 2024, Ontario's Capital Markets Tribunal found it violated securities law through unregistered trading, illegal distribution and misleading investors. In 2025 it was permanently banned from Ontario's capital markets with over $3 million in combined penalties, disgorgement and costs. CoinField did not participate in the proceedings.
Uphold exited Canada in June 2025 and Canadian accounts are no longer supported. CoinField had its FINTRAC registration ceased, was never registered with Canadian securities regulators, and was permanently banned from Ontario's capital markets in 2025 for securities violations.
Customer support
Uphold offers help centres on its website and in-app, with support via an online ticketing system. If you're a former Canadian customer trying to recover funds, their Canadian services withdrawal help page is the place to start, and be patient, as reviews frequently mention slow, message-only support with replies taking days.
There is no customer support because there is no company left to contact. Former customers with unfulfilled withdrawals were harmed when the platform collapsed, and the tribunal noted the total harm to investors remains uncertain. If you were affected, you can report your experience to the OSC. If anyone contacts you claiming to recover your lost CoinField funds for a fee, that is a recovery scam, a common second-wave fraud targeting victims of collapsed exchanges.
Uphold offers help centres on its website and in-app, with support via an online ticketing system. If you're a former Canadian customer trying to recover funds, their Canadian services withdrawal help page is the place to start — be patient, as reviews frequently mention slow, message-only support with replies taking days.
There is no CoinField customer support because there is no company left to contact. Former customers with unfulfilled withdrawals were harmed when the platform collapsed, and the tribunal noted the total harm to investors remains uncertain. If you were affected, you can report your experience to the OSC. If anyone contacts you claiming to recover your lost CoinField funds for a fee, that is a recovery scam.
Uphold's ticketing support is the only functional option — but only for recovering stranded CAD balances. CoinField has no support function at all.
Conclusion
From a Canadian perspective, there is nothing to choose between Uphold and CoinField — neither is available, and for very different reasons.
Uphold exited Canada on June 11, 2025. If you had an account, the withdrawal deadline was September 8, 2025, and any remaining crypto was converted to CAD. Log in and withdraw via Interac. If you used Uphold Vault, withdraw directly through the Vault Recovery Site while Uphold still holds its Vault key. Don't leave stranded balances — act soon.
CoinField is not a legitimate operating exchange. It collapsed in 2023 with unfulfilled customer withdrawals, was permanently banned from Ontario's capital markets in 2025, and impostor scam sites now operate under its name. Avoid any site presenting itself as CoinField. If you were a CoinField customer with unmet withdrawals, report your experience to the OSC. If anyone contacts you offering to recover your funds for a fee, that is a recovery scam.
For Canadians looking for well-regulated alternatives, we recommend Kraken (200+ coins, nationally registered restricted dealer since April 2025), Crypto.com (400+ coins, restricted dealer since May 2025), or NDAX (60+ coins, CIRO investment dealer with a flat 0.2% fee). See our full list of the best crypto exchanges in Canada for more options
