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.
Gate has invested heavily in security in recent years, publishing monthly Proof of Reserves with coverage around 125% and holding licenses in Malta (MiCA), Dubai, Japan and elsewhere. That said, its track record includes past security incidents, and none of its licensing footprint extends to Canada. Since KYC is mandatory and tied to your ID country, Canadians who slip through via VPN risk having accounts frozen with funds inside.
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.
Gate has invested heavily in security in recent years, publishing monthly Proof of Reserves with coverage around 125% and holding licenses in Malta (MiCA), Dubai, Japan and the US. That said, its track record includes past security incidents going back to its days as Bter, and none of its licensing footprint extends to Canada. Since KYC is mandatory and tied to your ID country, Canadians who try to slip through via VPN risk having accounts frozen with funds inside.
Both Uphold and Gate employ cold storage and two-factor authentication as their core security layers. Neither platform's security arrangements are relevant to Canadians since neither is accessible. Gate's KYC enforcement against your ID country means the risk for Canadians isn't account blocking — it's certainty. Any account created via VPN will eventually be frozen.
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.
Gate is not a compliant crypto exchange in Canada. Canada sits on its restricted locations list, Canadian accounts were closed in April 2022, and while Gate has since obtained licenses in the EU, Dubai, Japan and even launched a US entity in 2025, it has shown no sign of registering with Canadian regulators.
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.
Gate is not a compliant crypto exchange in Canada. Canada sits on its restricted locations list, Canadian accounts were closed in April 2022, and while Gate has since obtained licenses in the EU (MiCA via Malta), Dubai, Japan and launched a US entity in 2025, it has shown no sign of registering with Canadian regulators. The rebrand from Gate.io to Gate.com in May 2025 changed nothing for Canadians.
Neither Uphold nor Gate is registered with Canadian securities regulators or authorized to serve Canadian retail crypto investors. Both platforms explicitly exclude Canada from their supported jurisdictions. For Canadians looking for regulated platforms, see our monthly-updated list of the best crypto exchanges in Canada.
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.
Gate offers a help centre, blog and live chat for users in supported countries. Reviews remain mixed, with recurring complaints on Trustpilot about slow support and withdrawal difficulties. For Canadians this is academic, since the platform is off-limits entirely.
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.
Gate offers a help centre, blog and live chat for users in supported countries. Reviews remain mixed, with recurring complaints on Trustpilot about slow support and withdrawal difficulties. For Canadians this is academic, since the platform is off-limits entirely.
Conclusion
From a Canadian perspective, there is no meaningful choice to make between these two platforms. Both Uphold and Gate have exited the Canadian market — Uphold in June 2025, Gate in April 2022. Neither is expected to return in the near term.
If you had an Uphold 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.
If you found this article while searching for a multi-asset exchange or an altcoin-heavy platform in Canada, we would point you elsewhere. For a wide range of cryptocurrencies with a user-friendly interface similar to what Uphold offered, Crypto.com and Wealthsimple Crypto are among the best regulated options. For altcoin variety closer to what Gate offers, Kraken and VirgoCX are worth checking.
We recommend neither Uphold nor Gate for Canadians — simply because neither is available. Explore our full list of the best crypto exchanges in Canada to find a platform that suits your needs.
