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.
Crypto.com is a highly secure exchange by industry standards: cold storage custody, two-factor authentication, encrypted user data, mandatory withdrawal address whitelisting with email confirmation, and substantial insurance coverage on custodied assets. For balance, it did suffer a hack in January 2022, when roughly $34 million was taken from around 483 accounts, but Crypto.com fully reimbursed affected users and overhauled its security in response, and there have been no comparable incidents since. As always, we recommend moving long-term holdings to your own crypto wallet.
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.
Crypto.com is a highly secure exchange by industry standards: cold storage custody for the majority of assets, two-factor authentication, encrypted user data, mandatory withdrawal address whitelisting with email confirmation, and substantial third-party insurance coverage on custodied assets. For balance, it did suffer a hack in January 2022 when roughly $34 million was taken from around 483 accounts, but Crypto.com fully reimbursed all affected users and overhauled its security in response, with no comparable incidents since. As always, we recommend moving long-term holdings to your own crypto wallet.
Crypto.com holds SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certifications, mandates multi-factor authentication including Face ID and Touch ID, and carries substantial insurance on custodied assets. Uphold also employs cold storage and two-factor authentication, but since Uphold is no longer available in Canada, only Crypto.com's protections are relevant for Canadian readers.
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.
Crypto.com is among the most regulated crypto platforms available to Canadians. It was the first platform to sign a Pre-registration Undertaking with the CSA and OSC in August 2022, and in May 2025 it received restricted dealer registration in every province and territory, making it only the second major global exchange after Coinbase to reach this status. It's now working toward full investment dealer registration and CIRO membership. It's also registered with FINTRAC, and globally holds a MiCA license in the EU, US money transmitter licenses, and licenses in Singapore, the UK and Dubai.
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 available to Canadians: 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.
Crypto.com is among the most regulated crypto platforms available to Canadians. It was the first platform to sign a Pre-Registration Undertaking with the CSA and OSC in August 2022, and on May 8, 2025, it received restricted dealer registration in every province and territory in Canada — only the second major global exchange after Coinbase to reach this status. It's currently working toward full investment dealer registration and CIRO membership as the next step. It's also registered with FINTRAC, and globally holds a MiCA licence in the EU, US money transmitter licences, and licences in Singapore, the UK and Dubai.
Uphold was registered with FINTRAC but is no longer authorized to serve Canadian users. Crypto.com is registered with FINTRAC and operates as a restricted dealer under Canadian securities regulation — authorized to serve Canadians in every province and territory.
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.
Crypto.com's customer support remains its weakest area: users love the app, security and coin range, but support is chat and ticket-based and can be slow for complex issues. On the education front, the platform now offers Crypto.com University with courses and articles for beginners, so our earlier criticism about missing educational resources no longer applies.
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.
Crypto.com's customer support remains its weakest area: users love the app, security and coin range, but support is chat and ticket-based and can be slow for complex issues. On the education front, the platform now offers Crypto.com University with courses and articles for beginners, so earlier criticisms about missing educational resources no longer apply.
Both platforms rely on async support channels rather than real-time phone lines. For users who need fast resolution on technical issues, this is worth knowing before choosing either platform.
Conclusion
From a Canadian perspective, this comparison has only one answer. Uphold exited Canada on June 11, 2025 — if you had an account, the withdrawal deadline was September 8, 2025, and any remaining crypto was auto-converted to CAD. Log in and withdraw it now if you haven't, and act quickly if you used Uphold Vault since the 12-month key retention window after account closure is running.
Crypto.com is the clear choice for Canadians. Its restricted dealer registration across all provinces and territories as of May 2025 makes it one of the most compliant global exchanges operating in Canada. The feature set is hard to match: 400+ coins globally, Visa card cashback, staking, an all-in-one beginner-friendly app, free Interac deposits, and Crypto.com University for newcomers. The main trade-offs are slower customer support and a spread baked into app pricing. For Canadians who want even lower fees on high volume, NDAX or Kraken Pro are worth comparing.
We recommend choosing Crypto.com over Uphold for your cryptocurrency trading needs. By using our referral link, you support us in conducting comprehensive independent analyses of crypto trading options for Canadians.
If you find that Crypto.com doesn't meet your requirements, explore our monthly-updated list of the best exchanges for Canadians for more options.
