Uphold Staking Program Terms
Last updated 31 Jan 2025
These terms are incorporated by reference and supplement the User Agreement for Residents and Businesses Registered in the UK (“User Agreement”), available on our website, and govern your use of our staking services (“Staking Services”) on the Uphold Platform. Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning given to them in the User Agreement. By accessing and/or using the Staking Services, you agree that you have read, understood and accepted these Uphold Staking Program Terms in its entirety.
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The Staking Program
The Uphold Platform allows unrestricted users in good standing who reside in the UK to stake certain cryptoassets held on the Uphold Platform in a third-party proof-of-stake network. Staking involves delegating or locking certain eligible cryptoassets in these networks to support transaction validation and consensus processes on a blockchain or distributed ledger technology system (“Stake”, “Staking” or “Staked”).
When you purchase a cryptoasset that is eligible for Staking (an “Eligible Cryptoasset”), you may opt to participate in Uphold’s staking program (the “Staking Program”) whereby you may earn rewards (“Staking Rewards”) based on the amount of Eligible Cryptoasset you choose to Stake and as determined by the relevant Eligible Cryptoasset’s network.
You retain ownership of each Eligible Cryptoasset that you choose to Stake, and each Staked Eligible Cryptoasset remains your property while Staked.
A minimum amount of Eligible Cryptoassets may be required to participate in the Staking Program. Participation in the Staking Program is entirely voluntary, and you may stop participating at any time, subject to the terms set forth below.
Please view our FAQ for Staking for more information. -
Staking and Staking Rewards; Commission; Compounding
You will be eligible to receive Staking Rewards which are calculated based on the amount of Eligible Cryptoasset that you choose to Stake and any accrued rewards that remain Staked with Uphold. Staking Rewards are rewards paid in the same Eligible Cryptoasset that is staked. Uphold may, in its sole discretion, limit the amount of Eligible Cryptoassets that you are able to Stake.
Unless otherwise specified, the annualized percentage yield (“APY”) published on the Uphold Platform for a particular Eligible Cryptoasset is an estimated annualized historical rate based on the contemporaneous rewards offered by the relevant network of the Eligible Cryptoasset and the compounding of Staking Rewards earned, less our commission. This estimated rate may change over time. The actual Staking Rewards you receive may be more or less than this amount. Uphold does not guarantee that you will receive Staking Rewards.
Uphold earns a commission of between 20% - 25% of the Staking Rewards which depends on the Staked Eligible Cryptoasset. Uphold may change these published commissions without notice at any time, including after your Eligible Cryptoassets have been Staked.
You have no right to a Staking Reward unless and until the relevant Staking Reward is actually received by Uphold. Staking Rewards are delivered to your Uphold Account weekly after any Preparation Period has ended (see below), however, Uphold maintains sole discretion as to when Staking Rewards are delivered to your Uphold Account. All Staking Rewards delivered to you will automatically be re-Staked if possible, and will then themselves be eligible to receive Staking Rewards after the applicable Preparation Period. If the Eligible Cryptoasset’s applicable network distributes any rewards in un-Staked form, Uphold will use commercially reasonable efforts to re-Stake those rewards.
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Preparation Periods
When you opt-in to the Staking Program, there may be a period of up to three business days before the amount you stake is eligible to receive Staking Rewards (“Preparation Period”). However, this period may vary depending on the specific blockchain network and staking conditions. You will be notified of any Preparation Period prior to Staking your Eligible Cryptoasset. -
Unbonding Periods
You will need to request for your Staked Eligible Cryptoassets to be un-Staked before they can be sold or transferred. Depending on the Eligible Cryptoasset, the network of the Eligible Cryptoasset may require an “unbonding” period during which Staked Eligible Cryptoassets cannot be transferred, exchanged or withdrawn (“Unbonding Period”). The Unbonding Period varies, depending on the network of each Eligible Cryptoasset, and is typically set at up to 30 days, but may be longer. During any Unbonding Period in which your Eligible Cryptoasset remains unable to be transferred, exchanged or withdrawn, you will not earn Staking Rewards. At the end of any applicable Unbonding Period, your Uphold Account will be credited with the relevant Eligible Cryptoasset and only then will it be available for transfer, exchange, or withdrawal.
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Maximum/minimum staking limits
Each Eligible Cryptoasset has a quantity of Eligible Cryptoassets that may be Staked per Staking transaction, and a maximum weekly un-Staking limit per the table below. Uphold may, in its sole discretion, amend these limits.
Asset Minimum Stake/Unstake (Per Transaction) Maximum unstaking limit (Per Week) ADA 1 150,000 ATOM 0.5 5,000 APT 1 3,000 AVAX 0.1 12,500 AXL 1 30,000 CSPR 10 7,500,000 DOT 1 10,000 ETH 0.01 50 FLR 1 1,000,000 HBAR 5 1,000,000 INJ 1 135,000 KSM 0.1 1,000 NEAR 1 70,000 POL 0.1 50,000 ROSE 3 4,000,000 SGB 1 1,000,000 SOL 0.1 1,750 XTZ 5 45,000 ZIL 6 8,000,000 -
Slashing Fees
The relevant networks of Eligible Cryptoassets may charge “slashing fees” based on network downtime or if the transaction validator representing the Staked Eligible Cryptoassets incorrectly validates a transaction (“Slashing Fees”).
Slashing fees may result in the loss of the Staked Eligible Cryptoasset and non-payment of the applicable Staking Rewards by the relevant networks of the Eligible Cryptoasset.
In the unlikely event that any Slashing Fees are charged based on the Staked Eligible Cryptoasset, Uphold will promptly reimburse you for any such amount charged so long as such penalties are not a result of: (i) protocol-level failures caused by bugs, maintenance, upgrades, or general failure; (ii) your acts or omissions; (iii) acts or omissions of any third party service provider; (iv) acts by a hacker or other malicious actor; or (v) any other events outside of Uphold’s reasonable control.
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No Guarantees
UPHOLD MAKES NO GUARANTEES THAT ANY STAKING REWARDS WILL ACTUALLY BE EARNED, NOR THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE ANY PARTICULAR RETURN OVER TIME, INCLUDING ANY ESTIMATED APY THAT MAY BE DISCLOSED. UPHOLD DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE STAKING PROGRAM WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS OR FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME FOR ANY USER OR IN ANY LOCATION. THE TERMS FOR STAKING MAY BE CHANGED BY THE NETWORKS OF THE RELEVANT ELIGIBLE CRYPTOASSETS WITHOUT UPHOLD’S CONSENT, AND SUCH CHANGES MAY, IN UPHOLD’S SOLE DISCRETION, BE PASSED ON TO YOU. UPHOLD DOES NOT GUARANTEE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION OF THE STAKING SERVICES. UPHOLD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND, WITHDRAW, AMEND, OR TERMINATE THE STAKING PROGRAM IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, INCLUDING DESIGNATING ON CEASING THE DESIGNATION OF A CRYPTOASSET AS AN ELIGIBLE CRYPTOASSET. IF THERE IS ANY DISRUPTION, SUSPENSION OR DISCONTINUANCE OF THE STAKING SERVICES, ANY STAKED ELIGIBLE CRYPTOASSETS MAY STOP GENERATING STAKING REWARDS AND YOU MAY NOT RECEIVE ANY (AND YOU MAY FORFEIT ALL OR SOME) STAKING REWARDS. UPHOLD HAS NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY LOSS, LIABILITY OR DAMAGE THAT USERS MAY INCUR DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN CONNECTION WITH THE STAKING SERVICES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS, LIABILITY OR DAMAGE ARISING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM INTERRUPTIONS, ERRORS OR DEFECTS IN THE STAKING SERVICES, THIRD PARTY DISRUPTIONS OF OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO THE STAKING SERVICES AND ANY SUSPENSION OR DISCONTINUANCE OF THE STAKING SERVICES.
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Taxes
You are solely responsible for reporting and paying any applicable taxes including, but not limited to, any capital gains tax, based on your Cryptoasset Transactions on the Uphold Platform, including any Staking Rewards that you may earn. -
Risks; No Advice
In addition to the risks related to investment in Cryptoassets generally (see our Crypto-assets Risk Overview), Staking poses additional risks. Cryptoassets are volatile assets and Eligible Cryptoassets that are Staked may lose value over time, including over the period that they are Staked (including during any Preparation or Unbonding Period), and so an Eligible Cryptoasset may earn Staking Rewards while Staked but still lose principal value. You may not liquidate your investment while the Eligible Cryptoassets are Staked. You may not un-Stake an Eligible Cryptoasset until the end of the applicable Unbonding Period. The networks of Eligible Cryptoassets may change rewards that are offered, Preparation Periods, or Unbonding Periods in their sole discretion. Do not Stake Cryptoassets unless you are able to bear the risk of waiting for any applicable Unbonding Period to end. You acknowledge that Uphold does not provide investment, legal, accounting or tax advice to you in connection with your activity on the Uphold Platform, including your participation in the Staking Program. You should consult with your own investment, legal, accounting and tax advisors prior to making any investment decision, including whether to participate in the Staking Program.