Key Takeaways
- • Uphold launched two automated, always-on crypto trading strategies, the Momentum Strategy and the Big10 Strategy, that run entirely inside a user's Uphold account, according to a FinanceWire press release dated October 22, 2026.
- • The flagship Momentum Strategy averaged 32.9% annual historical returns in an independent backtest covering 2021 to 2025, and moved holdings into cash during sell-offs, softening the market's worst decline by around 40%.
- • The Momentum Strategy invests across the ten largest crypto assets excluding stablecoins, holding only those with the strongest momentum and shifting faded positions to cash.
- • The Big10 Strategy provides fully invested exposure to the ten largest digital assets, weighted by market capitalization and rebalanced as the market changes.
- • Uphold states there are no third-party bots or API keys, funds are USD-denominated with no lock-ups, and autopilot strategies will extend to Enterprise API customers.
Summary
Uphold, a financial technology company describing itself as an infrastructure provider for on-chain finance, launched two automated trading strategies on October 22, 2026, aimed at retail crypto investors. According to the company's announcement, the strategies run entirely within a user's Uphold account, with no third-party bots and no API keys, so that no external party gains access to the account.
The Momentum Strategy invests across the ten largest crypto assets by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins. It scores each eligible asset on momentum measures and holds only those showing the strongest and most consistent momentum. When an asset's momentum fades, that portion of the portfolio moves into cash. Uphold said the strategy was refined against five years of market data, including the 2022 crash, with input from its trading team. An independent backtest from 2021 to 2025 reported average annual returns of 32.9%, and the company said the strategy softened the market's worst decline by around 40% by moving holdings to cash during sell-offs. The company stressed that past performance is not indicative of future results.
The Big10 Strategy offers continuous, fully invested exposure to the ten largest digital assets by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, weighted by market capitalization and rebalanced as market conditions change.
Uphold CEO Simon McLoughlin said most crypto gains come from a handful of trades each year and that the Momentum Strategy is designed to capture those moments without manual asset selection. Nancy Beaton, President Consumer, described the offering as bringing traditional finance approaches to everyday investors. Strategies are funded in U.S. dollars with no lock-ups or withdrawal penalties, and customers can add or withdraw USD at any time.
Uphold also said the autopilot strategies will be available to its Enterprise customers via APIs. The company's disclosures state that Autopilot is not personalized investment advice, that participation is voluntary, that all trades are taxable events, and that the feature does not ensure a profit. Uphold is regulated in the U.S. by FinCEN and state regulators, and its securities products are offered through Uphold Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC.
The Momentum Strategy invests across the ten largest crypto assets by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins. It scores each eligible asset on momentum measures and holds only those showing the strongest and most consistent momentum. When an asset's momentum fades, that portion of the portfolio moves into cash. Uphold said the strategy was refined against five years of market data, including the 2022 crash, with input from its trading team. An independent backtest from 2021 to 2025 reported average annual returns of 32.9%, and the company said the strategy softened the market's worst decline by around 40% by moving holdings to cash during sell-offs. The company stressed that past performance is not indicative of future results.
The Big10 Strategy offers continuous, fully invested exposure to the ten largest digital assets by market capitalization, excluding stablecoins, weighted by market capitalization and rebalanced as market conditions change.
Uphold CEO Simon McLoughlin said most crypto gains come from a handful of trades each year and that the Momentum Strategy is designed to capture those moments without manual asset selection. Nancy Beaton, President Consumer, described the offering as bringing traditional finance approaches to everyday investors. Strategies are funded in U.S. dollars with no lock-ups or withdrawal penalties, and customers can add or withdraw USD at any time.
Uphold also said the autopilot strategies will be available to its Enterprise customers via APIs. The company's disclosures state that Autopilot is not personalized investment advice, that participation is voluntary, that all trades are taxable events, and that the feature does not ensure a profit. Uphold is regulated in the U.S. by FinCEN and state regulators, and its securities products are offered through Uphold Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC.
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