The move follows a UK Treasury modification to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, which took effect on January 31, 2025, and removed earlier staking barriers for UK investors.
UK investors get access to staking incentives.
Prior to the legislation update, UK users experienced uncertainties about staking, which prevented them from collecting incentives for participating in blockchain validation. With the FCA-regulated framework in place, Uphold has become one of the first UK platforms to reinstate staking, allowing users to generate passive income from their digital assets.
The platform currently offers staking for Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and NEAR, among other Proof of Stake (PoS) cryptocurrencies, with certain tokens returning up to 14.8%, depending on network conditions.
Uphold CEO Simon McLoughlin commented on the launch, saying, “Staking is an inherent function of many blockchains.” It provides a lawful means for cryptocurrency holders to put their money to work while also helping the blockchain’s validation process. With the legal clarification, we can now offer this essential functionality to our UK consumers, and as you would expect from Uphold, we will make it easier to get staking rewards than any other platform.”
Reviving staking in the UK cryptocurrency market
Staking is a fundamental function in PoS blockchains that allows users to lock up their tokens in exchange for rewards for securing networks and validating transactions. This energy-efficient alternative to Proof of Work (PoW) mining has gained popularity, especially since Ethereum switched to a PoS architecture.
Uphold sees the UK’s embrace of regulated staking as a vital step toward the wider adoption of decentralized financial systems. The company is presenting itself as a major provider of on-chain financial services, allowing consumers to expand their digital assets in a compliant environment.
As Uphold reintroduces staking into the UK market, the company emphasizes its dedication to transparency and security. Unlike some platforms, Uphold does not lend out customer funds and maintains a 100% reserve policy. It also broadcasts real-time asset and liability holdings every 30 seconds.