Uphold has rolled out fractional share trading for more than 4,000 US stocks and exchange-traded funds, the company said Tuesday. The move turns the multi-asset platform into a one-stop shop where users can buy a sliver of a blue-chip stock, a bitcoin, and a gold bar without leaving the app.
Fractional shares for 4,000+ stocks
The new feature covers a broad range of equities, from tech giants like Apple and Microsoft to smaller ETFs tracking specific sectors. Users can invest as little as $1 into any of the listed securities, buying a fraction of a share rather than a whole one. That lowers the barrier for people who want to diversify but don't have the cash to buy full shares of high-priced names.
Uphold says the rollout is live now for all eligible customers in the US. The company didn't disclose a specific launch date, but the feature appeared in the app this week.
One account for stocks, crypto, metals
What sets Uphold apart is the ability to hold stocks, cryptocurrencies, and precious metals in the same wallet. A user can, for example, sell a fraction of a gold holding and use the proceeds to buy a slice of an S&P 500 ETF — all in a single transaction. The platform already supported crypto-to-crypto and crypto-to-metal trades; now equities are part of that mix.
The company positions this as a way to simplify portfolio management. Instead of juggling a brokerage account, a crypto exchange account, and a metals dealer, customers get one login and one set of records.
Fractional share trading has become table stakes for mainstream brokerages — Robinhood, Schwab, and Fidelity all offer it. But few combine it with crypto and commodities. Uphold is betting that the convenience of a multi-asset account will attract users who are tired of moving money between platforms.
The timing also lines up with a broader push by crypto-native firms to offer traditional finance products. Coinbase, for instance, has been testing stock trading features. Uphold's move is a direct play for the same hybrid audience: people who want exposure to both digital assets and equities without opening multiple accounts.
Whether that pitch sticks depends on execution. The platform will need to keep spreads tight and execution fast, especially for the fractional trades that can be less profitable for brokers. Uphold hasn't published its fee schedule for the new stock trades, but the company says pricing will be transparent and competitive.
For now, the feature is US-only. Uphold hasn't said when or if it will expand to other countries.
