Uphold and Gate.io are two recognized players in the realm of cryptocurrency exchanges. From a Canadian perspective, however, this comparison is entirely academic: neither platform is available to Canadians. Uphold exited Canada on June 11, 2025, and Gate (rebranded to Gate.com in May 2025) has listed Canada as a restricted jurisdiction since April 2022.
Uphold Vs Gate.io: Which Is Better For Canadians?
Neither is an option for Canadians today. Uphold stopped supporting accounts for Canadian residents on June 11, 2025 and says it hopes to return. Gate.io is an offshore exchange that is not registered in Canada and lists Canada as a restricted location in its user agreement. I recommend Coinbase instead (9.8/10, #1 on my list): open a Coinbase account.
What Are The Key Differences Between Uphold And Gate.io?
Uphold Vs Gate.io: Side By Side
Uphold
Gate.io
Description
Uphold is a multi-asset platform offering 200+ cryptocurrencies, precious metals and national currencies, with its signature Anything to Anything trading. As of 2025-06-11 it stopped supporting Canadian accounts due to changes in its operating environment, and says it is working on plans to return in the future.
Launched in 2013, Gate (formerly Gate.io, rebranded and moved to Gate.com in May 2025) is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. However, Canada is on the list of restricted locations in the Gate user agreement, alongside 30+ other jurisdictions. Gate has not served Canadians since earlier reports of Canadian accounts moving to withdrawal-only around April 2022, so we would not recommend trying to use it.
Coins
200+ cryptocurrencies, not accessible from Canada.
Past tense: 2,053 base assets across 2,202 tradable spot pairs (public API, 2026-10-02), none of them open to Canadians. USDT was never part of a Canadian offer.
Fees
Uphold priced trades with spreads, historically around 1.8% on crypto for Canadian users and higher on metals, and its fees always ran high compared with dedicated crypto exchanges.
Past tense: spot base fee 0.2% per pair per the public API (2026-10-02), lower with volume. Free crypto deposits. CAD was never supported.
Pros
Wide range of cryptocurrencies, including lesser-known assets
Multi-asset trading across crypto, metals and currencies
Anything to Anything swaps in seconds
Recurring buy and sell orders
Thousands of altcoins were available
Advanced trading features and tools
Not available to Canadians, so none of this is usable
Cons
Not available in Canada since 2025-06-11
High spreads compared to dedicated exchanges
Canadians who missed the 2025-09-08 withdrawal deadline had remaining crypto converted to CAD
Not allowed in Canada, and no Canadian entity
Mandatory KYC means Canadians cannot sign up, and VPN workarounds risk frozen funds
CAD was never supported
Not beginner-friendly
Security
2FA required before transferring funds, roughly 90% of digital assets in cold storage, compliance with OFAC and Bank Secrecy Act requirements, published reserve information and regular audits.
that claim was not confirmed here. Gate's FINTRAC MSB registration M20329002 (Gate Technology Corp.) expired 2023-05-31.
Methods To Buy
Canadians cannot buy on Uphold. The withdrawal deadline was 2025-09-08 and remaining crypto was converted to CAD, which accounts with balances can withdraw by Interac. Do not leave it sitting there, since unclaimed funds may eventually be surrendered under unclaimed property laws. Vault users can withdraw through the Vault Recovery Site while they hold their private keys; Uphold keeps its Vault key for only 12 months after account closure.
Canadians cannot buy crypto on Gate. Account creation requires KYC, and restrictions are enforced based on the country on your ID, so even a VPN won't get you a working account, just one that can be frozen with your funds inside.
App
iOS app rated about 4.6. Google Play rating Not verified (our old rows disagree). For Canadians the app only serves to log in and withdraw CAD.
Not applicable to Canadians.
Account Limits
New Canadian accounts cannot be opened. Existing accounts are CAD-withdrawal-only via Interac, with limits of CAD 10,000 per transaction and CAD 100,000 per day.
No longer applicable. n/a for Canadians, since accounts cannot be opened from Canada.
How Do You Fund And Cash Out Uphold And Gate.io In Canada?
Uphold: CAD Withdrawals (When It Operated)
Method
Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Speed
Interac e-Transfer
Not published
Not published
CAD 10,000 per transaction, CAD 100,000 per day
Not published
Canadian crypto remaining after 2025-09-08 was converted to CAD. Withdraw by logging in. Unclaimed funds may eventually be surrendered under unclaimed property laws. No CAD funding exists. Canada is a Restricted Location in user agreement clause 2.5. Whether any legacy Canadian account can still withdraw crypto is not stated on an official Gate page, so contact Gate support.
What Do Uphold And Gate.io Offer Beyond Buying And Selling?
Uphold Only
Anything to Anything: One-step swaps between crypto, metals and currencies. Not available to Canadians.
Vault: Self-held Vault accounts can be recovered through the Vault Recovery Site while you hold your private keys; Uphold keeps its Vault key 12 months after closure.
What Happens To Your Money If Uphold Or Gate.io Fails?
Uphold: Uphold's pre-registration undertaking was withdrawn and its Canadian MSB registration expired, so no Canadian regulator covers a leftover balance. Crypto left after 2025-09-08 was converted to CAD and can still be withdrawn by Interac; do not leave it there, because unclaimed funds may be surrendered under unclaimed property laws. Vault users must act within the 12-month key window. Uphold says it hopes to return, but no date exists.
Gate.io: Gate does not serve Canada, is not on the CSA list, holds no current FINTRAC registration and is not a CIRO member. CIPF never covers crypto. A Canadian with a balance left on Gate has no regulator to appeal to, and the user agreement tells users in restricted locations to stop using the services and lets Gate restrict or close accounts at its discretion. Opening an account through a VPN risks a freeze.
How Are Uphold And Gate.io Treated For Tax In Canada?
Uphold: The forced conversion to CAD after 2025-09-08 was a disposition, and trades on Uphold were dispositions for CRA purposes. Export your full history while you can still log in. Export formats: Not published.
Gate.io: Any earlier trades or sales on Gate are dispositions for CRA purposes. Keep or export your full trade and transfer history while you still have access, because a restricted account may be closed.
Selling, swapping or spending crypto is a disposition for the CRA on any platform. This is not tax advice: see my guide to crypto taxes in Canada.
Which Should You Choose, Uphold Or Gate.io?
Choose Uphold If
You want a registered platform that serves Canadians today: Coinbase is our number one replacement, with free Interac e-Transfer funding and a Canadian restricted dealer registration.
Choose Gate.io If
You want an altcoin-heavy exchange: Gate does not serve Canadians, so pick a registered Canadian platform with a deep coin list, such as Kraken.
What Happened To Uphold?
Left Canada
Uphold stopped supporting accounts for Canadian residents on June 11, 2025, and it says it hopes to return. It never appeared on the CSA's list of authorized platforms. It had filed a Pre-Registration Undertaking with the CSA on March 27, 2023, and delivered a notice of withdrawal on May 29, 2025, a couple of weeks before it pulled the plug.
Its FINTRAC registration for the Canadian entity, UPHOLD OPERATING CANADA LTD., is listed as expired on January 27, 2026. So there is no regulated Uphold service for Canadians today, whatever the website says about a comeback.
What Should Uphold Users Do Now?
If you still have a balance, the clock has already run. The withdrawal deadline for Canadian users was September 8, 2025, and after that date any crypto still in an account was converted to CAD. Accounts with balances can now only withdraw CAD by Interac, with limits of CAD 10,000 per transaction and CAD 100,000 per day.
Log in, withdraw the CAD, and move on. Do not wait for a relaunch before acting on money that is already yours.
What Happened To Gate.io?
Offshore, Terms Restrict Canada
Gate.io has never been a regulated option for Canadians. It is an offshore exchange that is not registered in Canada: it is on neither the CSA authorized list nor the banned list, and its FINTRAC registration (Gate Technology Corp.) expired on May 31, 2023 with no current registration found.
More to the point, its own user agreement names Canada as a restricted location. The agreement says the Restricted Locations include but are not limited to the United States of America, Mainland China, Singapore, Canada, France and Germany. Under its own terms, Canadians cannot use it, and no CAD funding was found. The public API shows a 0.2% base spot fee and 2,053 base assets, which is why it looks tempting on paper.
Can Canadians Use Gate.io Anyway?
Opening an account anyway means breaking the platform's terms and giving up any Canadian investor protection. For a wide altcoin menu without that problem, use a registered platform instead.
What Should Uphold And Gate.io Users Use Instead?
Wealthsimple Crypto: An Available Option
Registered mainstream Canadian platform with simple CAD funding for a casual multi-asset buyer. That is the nearest fit for Uphold users.
Wealthsimple Crypto: key facts
Item
Wealthsimple Crypto
Trading Cost
Flat 0.5% fee plus a spread on market orders (limit orders carry no spread); the fee schedule's example is 0.50% plus 1.00% spread, or 1.50%. With Active Trader status the spread is 0% and the fee runs 0.5% under CAD 10,000 of 30-day volume, down to 0.05% at the top tiers. CAD 1 surcharge on orders under CAD 100.
CAD Funding
Free Interac e-Transfer, up to CAD 10,000 each
Coins
170+
Registration
CIRO investment dealer member; CSA decision December 18, 2023 (amended December 22, 2025)
Sign-Up Offer
None confirmed
Wealthsimple takes free Interac e-Transfer deposits of up to CAD 10,000 each, or whatever your bank allows. Crypto withdrawal limits are up to CAD 10,000 a day and CAD 25,000 a week across all coins, according to a summary of the help centre. A CAD withdrawal fee was not found.
Wealthsimple Investments Inc. is a CIRO investment dealer member and sits on the CSA list (decision December 18, 2023, amended December 22, 2025). Wealthsimple says crypto is held in trust and that its custodial partners each carry over $75M of cold storage coverage. Cash is covered by CIPF, crypto is not.
Wealthsimple's iOS app is rated 4.62 across 129,832 Canadian ratings, a very large base, and Google Play shows 4.1 from 81K reviews.
Wealthsimple Crypto: Pros And Cons
Pros
With Active Trader status the spread drops to 0% and the fee can fall to 0.05%
Free Interac e-Transfer
CIRO investment dealer member
170+ coins
Sits next to your other Wealthsimple accounts
Cons
Without Active Trader status you pay 0.5% plus a spread on market orders
CAD 1 surcharge on orders under CAD 100
Crypto is not covered by CIPF
30% of staking rewards go to Wealthsimple on Core and Premium
Registered in Canada with a deep altcoin list, so it is the practical replacement for a wide menu. That is the nearest fit for Gate.io users.
Kraken: key facts
Item
Kraken
Trading Cost
Kraken Pro: 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker at the entry tier, 0.30% and 0.60% from $2.5K of 30-day volume, 0.22% and 0.38% from $10K. Instant Buy: 1% plus a spread.
CAD Funding
Free: Interac e-Transfer (min CAD 5) and domestic wire
Coins
About 498 (derived; no official Canadian count)
Registration
CSA Restricted Dealer (decision April 1, 2025); FINTRAC MSB; not a CIRO member
Sign-Up Offer
None verified
Kraken takes free Interac e-Transfer deposits with a CAD 5 minimum and limits of CAD 10,000 per transaction and per day, CAD 30,000 per week and CAD 100,000 per month. Domestic wires are free, though a CAD 13.74 intermediary bank fee is noted. Debit card deposits cost CAD 0.25 plus 3.75%. Interac withdrawals cost CAD 10.
Payward Canada Inc. (Kraken) is a CSA Restricted Dealer under a decision dated April 1, 2025, and a FINTRAC-registered MSB. It is not a CIRO member, though press reports say it intends to apply. Kraken's Proof of Reserves snapshot for June 30, 2026 shows reserve ratios of 102.9% on BTC, 100.5% on ETH and 100.6% on SOL. Canadian clients also face a net purchase limit of CAD 30,000 over a rolling 12 months on assets other than BTC, ETH, LTC and BCH (CAD 100,000 for eligible investors), outside Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
Kraken's iOS app is rated 4.62 from 5,662 Canadian ratings, and Google Play shows 4.2 from 55.1K global reviews. Instant Buy keeps the first purchase simple, and Kraken Pro is where the order book, charts and lower fee schedule live.
Kraken: Pros And Cons
Pros
Kraken Pro fees start at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker and fall with volume
What Changed For Uphold And Gate.io In October 2026?
: Kraken republished its fee schedule page, with Pro spot still starting at 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker.
: Wealthsimple updated its crypto fee schedule: 0.5% flat plus spread, Active Trader tiers down to 0%, and a CAD 1 surcharge on small orders.
: The CSA issued an amended decision for Wealthsimple Investments Inc.
: Withdrawal deadline for Canadian Uphold users; remaining crypto was converted to CAD afterwards.
: Uphold stopped supporting accounts for Canadian residents.
: Uphold delivered its notice of withdrawal from the CSA undertaking process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Uphold Available In Canada In 2026?
No. Uphold stopped supporting Canadian residents on June 11, 2025, and says it hopes to return. It is not on the CSA's list of authorized platforms.
Can I Still Get My Money Out Of Uphold?
Accounts with balances can withdraw CAD by Interac, with limits of CAD 10,000 per transaction and CAD 100,000 per day. The deadline to move crypto was September 8, 2025, and anything left after that was converted to CAD.
Is Gate.io Legal In Canada?
Gate.io is not registered in Canada, and its user agreement lists Canada among its Restricted Locations, so Canadians cannot use it under its own terms.
Does Gate.io Accept CAD Deposits?
No CAD funding was found. Canada is a restricted location in its user agreement, so Canadian residents cannot use it under its own terms.
What Should I Use Instead Of Uphold?
Registered mainstream Canadian platform with simple CAD funding for a casual multi-asset buyer. The registered options with verified data on this page are Wealthsimple Crypto, Kraken.
Do Uphold And Gate.io Have Limit Orders?
Uphold: Not applicable. Gate.io: Not applicable, Canadians cannot use Gate.
Which Coins Can You Buy On Uphold And Gate.io?
Uphold: 200+ globally, none for Canadians Gate.io: 2,053 base assets, none open to Canadians
Is The Spread The Fee On Uphold And Gate.io?
Uphold: No longer applicable. Gate.io: Not applicable.
Does CIPF Cover My Crypto On Uphold Or Gate.io?
Uphold: CIPF never covers crypto, and this platform no longer serves Canadians. Gate.io: CIPF never covers crypto, and Gate is not a CIPF member.
Are Uphold And Gate.io Available In Every Province?
Uphold: No longer available in any province. Gate.io: None, Canada is a Restricted Location.
Do Interac Deposits Work On Weekends On Uphold And Gate.io?
Uphold: No longer applicable. Gate.io: No Interac e-Transfer, CAD was never supported.
What Is The Minimum Buy On Uphold And Gate.io?
Uphold: No longer applicable. Gate.io: Not applicable.
Can A Business Use Uphold Or Gate.io?
Uphold: No longer applicable. Gate.io: Not applicable, Canada is a Restricted Location.
Oleg is a Canadian citizen & crypto expert who has been trading since 2016. He started out with Coinbase, Kraken and Peer-to-Peer exchanges. After some time, centralized exchanges started charging crazy fees to their users.
He decided to review different crypto exchanges that operate in Canada and start a Youtube channel in order to educate Canadians on what kinds of things are going inside each one while giving them unbiased advice. On top of that, Oleg also has experience with NFT, airdrops, and crypto staking and he is constantly checking on new crypto assets.
His writing has been featured in popular Canadian media sources such as Toronto Sun and Ottawa Citizen.
