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Uphold Debuts First On-Chain XDC Staking for U.S. Investors via XDC Network and Kiln

10 July 2026

Press Release: Uphold Debuts First On-Chain XDC Staking for U.S. Investors via XDC Network and Kiln | Featured Image by FF News

Quick Summary

Uphold has launched the first on-chain XDC staking service on a major U.S. trading venue. In partnership with XDC Network and Kiln, the platform allows users to earn up to 6% annual rewards, enhancing security for the trade-finance-focused blockchain while providing institutional-grade yield access.

How Does On-Chain XDC Staking Benefit U.S. Investors?

On-chain XDC staking provides a direct mechanism for U.S. retail and institutional investors to generate yield on their holdings without leaving the Uphold ecosystem. By integrating with Kiln’s enterprise-grade node infrastructure, Uphold ensures that users can participate in network security while earning up to 6% annual rewards. This move addresses a significant demand from the XDC community for more utility within a regulated trading environment.

  • Earn up to 6% annual yield on XDC holdings.
  • Direct on-chain participation via Uphold’s licensed custody.
  • Access to institutional-grade security powered by Kiln infrastructure.

What Role Does XDC Network Play in Global Trade?

The XDC Network is specifically designed to bridge the $2.5 trillion gap in global trade finance. By utilizing an ISO 20022-compliant blockchain, the network automates complex supply chain transactions through secure smart contracts. The introduction of staking on a major U.S. venue like Uphold increases the decentralized security layer of the protocol, making it more attractive for banks and manufacturing firms looking to modernize legacy financial messaging systems.

How Does the Kiln Partnership Ensure Reliability?

Kiln acts as the yield infrastructure layer, managing the technical complexities of node validation. This partnership allows Uphold to offer seamless staking services to millions of customers while maintaining SOC 2 Type II compliance standards. By offloading node management to a specialist, Uphold can focus on treasury management and custody, ensuring that the staking process remains robust even under high institutional volume.

FF NEWS TAKE:

This move by Uphold significantly moves the needle for on-chain XDC staking by bringing a specialized, trade-finance-focused asset into the U.S. mainstream. While many platforms stick to major assets like ETH or SOL, Uphold’s focus on XDC highlights the growing importance of real-world asset (RWA) ecosystems. Providing a 6% yield on a regulated venue will likely force other U.S. competitors to accelerate their own alt-coin staking roadmaps.

Companies in this story: XDC Network, Asian Development Bank, Uphold, Kiln

People in this story: Ernest Oppetit, Anthony Johnson, Jeremy Noori