Court Rules
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SettlementHigh Risk

NY AG Secures $5M Settlement from Uphold HQ, Inc. for Promoting Fraudulent CredEarn Crypto Investment Scheme

Uphold HQ, Inc.April 29, 2026New York Attorney General

Penalty Amount

$5,000,000

Summary

New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $5 million settlement from cryptocurrency platform Uphold HQ, Inc. for promoting Cred’s fraudulent CredEarn investment product as safe and reliable, when Cred was making risky loans to uncreditworthy borrowers in China. Uphold also falsely claimed Cred had comprehensive insurance and promoted the product without registering as a broker or commodity broker-dealer under New York law. As part of the settlement, Uphold will pay $5 million to harmed investors, remit $545,189 from Cred’s bankruptcy to customers, improve due diligence policies for third-party products, and register as a broker with the OAG.

Remedy

Uphold will pay $5 million to customers who suffered losses from investing in CredEarn, and will remit all $545,189 received from Cred’s bankruptcy proceedings to harmed customers. Uphold must maintain and improve due diligence policies for third-party investment products, register as a broker with the OAG, and notify investors via email about fund distributions.

Monetary PenaltyConsumer RefundsConsent DecreeCompliance ProgramReporting Requirements

Contract Impact

In-house legal teams at financial services and cryptocurrency platforms should review third-party partnership agreements to incorporate mandatory due diligence requirements for any investment products promoted on their platforms, including verification of regulatory registration (e.g., broker-dealer status), validation of insurance coverage claims, and accurate risk disclosures to customers. Customer-facing agreements and marketing materials should be audited to eliminate misleading claims about product safety or insurance protections. Vendor agreements should include clauses requiring third parties to comply with all applicable broker registration laws, and customer agreements should clearly outline refund processes for losses stemming from third-party product failures. Internal compliance policies governing third-party product promotion should be formalized into enforceable contractual obligations across all partnership agreements.

Contract Search Terms

third-party due diligenceinvestment product promotionbroker registration clauserisk disclosure statementinsurance representationpartnership agreement vettingcustomer refund obligationcompliance policy requirement

Laws Cited

New York law

Violation Types

Entity Details

Entity

Uphold HQ, Inc.

Industry

Financial Services

Official Sources

Source Evidence

Title
"Attorney General James Secures Over $5 Million from Crypto Platform for Promoting Fraudulent Investment Scheme"
Event Date
"April 29, 2026"
Jurisdiction
"New York Attorney General Letitia James"
Event Type
"As a result of today’s settlement"
Entity Name
"Uphold HQ, Inc. (Uphold)"
Fine Amount
"Uphold will pay $5 million to harmed investors"

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