How to invest in Uphold stock pre-IPO in 2026
2025 has been a big year for crypto-related companies entering the public market, such as with Circle, Figure, and Bullish conducting IPOs.4 And despite some recent price volatility, the price of Bitcoin remains roughly five times higher than levels from the doldrums of 2022.5 Meanwhile, precious metals like gold and silver have been on a tear, potentially due to some rotation out of cryptocurrency, as well as other macroeconomic factors.6
One company that sits at the intersection of these trends is Uphold. The digital trading platform specializes in crypto, but it's really a multi-asset platform where investors can buy and sell other assets, particularly precious metals and fiat currencies.7 It has also been expanding into crypto-related offerings in areas like lending, borrowing, and yield services.8
Amidst these developments, Uphold is also gearing up for an IPO, with plans to go public in Q3 2026.9
For now, though, interested accredited investors may still be able to invest in Uphold stock pre-IPO through a private marketplace like Forge. Retail investors may also be able to gain indirect exposure through other assets, as we'll examine in this post.
Uphold: Company background
Uphold was founded in New York in 2013,10 and it initially began as a Bitcoin storage platform called Bitreserve. In 2015, the company rebranded as Uphold, and in the years since, it has expanded its offerings to become more of a multi-asset trading and financial services platform, though still largely centered around crypto.11
The company was founded by Halsey Minor, an entrepreneur who earlier started CNET.12
Today, Uphold provides services in over 140 countries across over 300 fiat and crypto currencies.13
Uphold stock and funding history
Data on Uphold's stock history/funding history is currently limited, along with valuation data. However, the company did announce raising $57.5 million in 2018 from Greg Kidd, who was formerly Ripple's chief risk officer and a Federal Reserve senior analyst.14
Currently, Uphold's Forge Price is $2.40, up from a recent low of $0.78 in mid-2024.15
As of 1/1/2026
Forge Price is a derived data point that reflects the up-to-date price performance of venture-backed, late-stage companies, and is calculated based on a proprietary model incorporating pricing inputs from primary funding round information, secondary market transactions on Forge.
Check back here or create an account with Forge for more updates on Uphold's stock/funding history, as well as more valuation information.
How to buy Uphold stock
Until it potentially goes through with an IPO in 2026, Uphold's stock is not for sale to the general public. However, accredited investors may be able to buy Uphold stock through Forge's next-generation marketplace for private market trades, subject to availability.
Forge's technology and relationships facilitate the trade of private company shares in companies like Uphold, along with other private market crypto companies.
For indirect exposure, investors could also explore private market shares from different types of crypto companies like Blockchain.com, another type of crypto trading platform, or Abra, which has transitioned more into institutional crypto services subject to eligibility and availability.
Who can invest in Uphold pre-IPO?
Typically, investment in Uphold pre-IPO is generally limited to accredited investors, due to U.S. regulations that generally limit private companies when offering private company securities for sale.
Some accredited investors, such as VC funds and certain high-net-worth individuals, may be able to invest in Uphold if selected to participate in primary funding rounds or strategic investment partnerships. Smaller—but still accredited—individuals may be able to explore secondary market opportunities for Uphold stock through a private stock marketplace like Forge, subject to share availability and transfer restrictions.
Where to buy pre-IPO Uphold stock
Although pre-IPO Uphold stock is not for sale to the general public, accredited investors may be able to find shares for sale through Forge's marketplace for private market trading.
Through Forge, you can access Uphold's Forge Price, which provides real-time transparency by synthesizing data from various sources, including secondary market transactions, recent funding rounds and active bids and asks on Forge. These contextual pricing insights seek to help private market investors determine whether to accept or negotiate an existing ask or see if they want to create a new bid for Uphold shares.
Potential indirect exposure to Uphold for non-accredited investors
As a private company for now, direct pre-IPO investment in Uphold is typically limited to accredited investors. However, there are publicly available investment options that may provide exposure to broader trends in the crypto space, which could, in turn, impact companies like Uphold.
Some examples include:
1. Publicly traded Crypto exchanges
Public companies operating in the digital asset exchange space—such as Coinbase, eToro, and Gemini—may offer some industry-related exposure. While these companies compete in the same ecosystem as Uphold, performance may vary significantly between firms, due to differing strategies, market positions, and financial conditions.
2. Cryptocurrencies and crypto-related funds
Investing directly in cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ether, or Solana, could also be an option for retail investors. Similarly, investors may be able to invest in crypto-focused ETFs, such as those tracking the price of Bitcoin. These assets can reflect overall sentiment and activity within the crypto markets, though they are not directly linked to Uphold performance. Still, there can be overlap, as increases in crypto market activity may benefit many trading platforms, but crypto investments carry unique risks and are highly volatile.
3. Broader financial sector investments
While not quite the same as investing in crypto or crypto companies, making broader financial sector investments could still provide indirect exposure to Uphold. For example, investors might buy stock in traditional publicly traded financial services firms that are starting to partner with crypto companies or offer related digital asset services, or they might allocate to diversified financial ETFs. Or, investors might allocate to financial services companies involved in currency exchanges, which overlaps with some of Uphold's services.
Note, however, that market-wide factors—like macroeconomic trends or increased interest in alternative assets—may influence both traditional financial services and crypto-related companies differently.
How to analyze Uphold stock
Considering private companies do not face the same disclosure requirements as public companies, analyzing private market stocks can be more challenging, although Uphold does share some data that could provide directional insights.
For example, Uphold publishes essentially real-time data on its reserve assets, obligations, transaction value, and transaction volume.16
So, investors might compare this data to other crypto platforms that release similar information, especially those listed on Forge's private stock marketplace that have valuation data, which might provide a benchmark for analyzing Uphold. Similarly, investors could compare Uphold's data to what publicly traded crypto platforms disclose, which might provide some valuation signals.
Still, even when looking at what Uphold has disclosed and the real-time pricing insights on Forge, private market stocks are generally more opaque than public market ones. So, there can be more subjectivity involved in analyzing Uphold stock, along with the valuations of other private market companies.
Get started investing in Uphold on Forge
If you're looking to invest in Uphold pre-IPO if/when shares become available, create a free Forge account to access a leading marketplace for private company securities.
Once you’ve created your account and confirmed your accreditation, you’ll gain access to real-time pricing transparency, contextual insights may help to inform your decisions and a streamlined platform experience designed for self-directed investors. If you don’t know how to get started, we recommend reading our buyer’s guide to investing in private market shares. Then, if you ever need support, Forge’s experienced team is here to help.
Forge aims to bring greater transparency to an otherwise opaque private market, and as a publicly traded company, it operates within a regulated environment that allows investors to explore private market access.
FAQs about how to invest in Uphold
Where do I buy Uphold stock?
For now, Uphold remains a private company, so its stock is generally limited to accredited investors. If eligible, however, you may be able to buy and sell Uphold stock through a private marketplace such as Forge.
Who can invest in Uphold?
Typically, only accredited investors can invest in private market companies like Uphold. This can include institutional investors such as VC firms that might participate in primary funding rounds, as well as high-net-worth individuals who may qualify to trade private market stocks in companies like Uphold, subject to availability, through a secondary marketplace such as Forge. If it goes through with an IPO, then the general public would be able to invest in Uphold.
Who are Uphold's competitors?
Uphold has many different competitors that also offer crypto trading and related services, such as Coinbase, eToro, Kraken, Gemini, and Crypto.com, to name a few.
