IG Group becomes first UK-listed firm to offer retail crypto trading through Uphold partnership

IG Group, a UK-listed investment and trading platform, this week rolled out direct cryptocurrency trading for retail investors, making it the first publicly traded British company to offer buying, selling, and holding of digital assets.

The new service — provided in partnership with U.S.-based crypto firm Uphold — includes exposure to major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether. Uphold will handle trade execution and price data, integrating its infrastructure directly into IG's platform.

Simon McLoughlin, Uphold’s CEO, described the initiative as a significant step toward broadening crypto services in the United Kingdom.

"We want to give people better access to this asset class so they can participate in the evolving financial world," McLoughlin said in a press statement. "Partnerships like this are so important in helping us achieve that goal."

The launch extends IG's product offerings beyond crypto derivatives, previously available only through contracts for difference (CFDs). CFDs allow investors to speculate on asset prices without owning the underlying securities, settling profits or losses based on the difference between entry and exit prices.

IG’s retail crypto rollout joins the firm's existing stocks, indices, exchange-traded funds, FX, commodities, and derivatives offerings. The global investment firm also joins a roster of companies combining cryptocurrency trading with traditional financial vehicles, such as Bybit , Kraken , and Robinhood , to name a few.

Michael Healy, IG’s U.K. managing director, called the launch "a huge moment for IG and a major milestone in the UK's crypto journey," citing the country’s growing crypto adoption and increasing regulatory clarity.

Indeed, IG’s crypto launch follows recent moves by the U.K. government to standardize a crypto framework. In late April, the Treasury released two consultation papers, while the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) invited public comment on draft rules ahead of planned legislation in 2026 in an early May notice.