Exa Card (Uphold) vs KAST
Crypto native
Crypto native
Verdict
- Exa Card (Uphold) scores higher overall (6.5 vs 6.0 out of 10).
- Exa Card (Uphold) is clearly stronger on: Custody & security, Transparency.
- KAST is clearly stronger on: Product features, Credit & financing.
- A full annual cost comparison is not possible yet because some fees are not disclosed or not yet researched.
Exa Card (Uphold) is a good fit for
- Users who need credit rather than a debit/prepaid card
Stronger on: Custody & security, Transparency
KAST is a good fit for
- Stablecoin holders
- Users who need credit rather than a debit/prepaid card
Stronger on: Product features, Credit & financing
★ Our pickEditorial choice · score unchanged · Affiliate link
Neither card is our pick. The card we recommend instead:
Crypto native · ether.fi
Why we recommend it
- 3% cashback in ETHFI on up to $2,000 of spend a monthConditions apply
- 5.35% variable interest on your balanceConditions apply
- No annual or monthly fee on the base tierConditions apply
- Extras on the base tier: airport lounge access, travel / rental car insurance, purchase protectionConditions apply
- Self-custody: funds stay in your own walletConditions apply
Conditions apply; the review lists them with sources.
Score by criterion
| Criterion | Exa Card (Uphold) | KAST |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | 100 | 99 |
| Cashback & rewards | – | 35 |
| Availability | – | – |
| FX & international | – | 30 |
| Product features | 53 | 70 |
| Custody & security | 70 | 60 |
| Credit & financing | 60 | 70 |
| Limits & ATM | – | 33 |
| Transparency | 100 | 86 |
| Best for Cashback | n/a | 5.2 |
| Best for Travel | n/a | 5.0 |
| Best for DeFi Users | 6.8 | 6.3 |
| Best for Stablecoins | n/a | 6.3 |
| Best for High Spenders | n/a | 5.2 |
| Best for Low Fees | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| Best for Beginners | 7.3 | 7.2 |
| Best Crypto Credit Card | 7.0 | 7.0 |
Conditions apply, e.g. only for the base tier, up to a monthly cap or in some countries. Tap a value with * (or hover over it) to see them.
Product
Product status
ActiveShow source
ActiveShow source
Card type
Crypto-backed creditShow source
Stablecoin cardShow source
Network
VisaConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Visa Signature
VisaShow source
Custody model
HybridConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Collateral leaves Uphold and is held in Exactly Protocol smart contracts
CustodialConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Deposited assets are sold to KAST and held by a custodian on behalf of KAST, not the user
Card issuer / program manager
Third National; credit by Exactly ProtocolShow source
Tiers / plans
Standard · Premium · PrivateConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Account-level memberships replacing card tiers (announced May 5, 2026)
Fees
Annual fee
FreeShow source
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Standard membership; Premium $1,000/yr, Private $10,000/yr
Physical card fee
$40Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Delivery fee; the Standard physical card itself is free
Virtual card fee
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Created automatically with the Instant Credit account
$2Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Certain markets only, Standard tier
FX fee
1.75%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Up to; 0.5%–1.75% on non-USD card spend depending on membership
ATM fee
$3 + 2%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Plus FX fee on non-USD ATMs; operators may add charges
Small transaction fee
$0.10Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Non-USD transactions under $25
Other fees & markups
Monthly inactivity fee of $1 on dormant accounts (12 months without transaction activity) · Possible reactivation fee after 6 months of inactivity · Possible card renewal fee (specified in app) · Non-refundable chargeback/dispute processing feesShow source
Cashback & rewards
Base cashback
1.5%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Standard membership, first $2,000 of spend per month
Max cashback
3%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Private membership ($10,000/yr), first $40,000 per month; plus 2% in KAST Points
Cashback paid in
USDShow source
Cashback-eligible spend cap
$2,000/monthConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Standard; Premium $10,000, Private $40,000 per month
Cashback conditions
Premium adds 1% and Private 2% in KAST Points on all spend · Subject to eligibility, caps and regional availabilityShow source
Reward expiry / vesting
Accrued unused benefits/rewards are forfeited when the membership expires or is terminatedShow source
Reward exclusions
Some merchant categories excludedShow source
Credit & financing
Credit line
YesShow source
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Card described as a credit card secured by deposited virtual assets
Credit type
InstalmentsConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
One payment or up to 8 fixed-rate installments every 28 days
Collateral assets
BTC · ETH · USDC · XRPShow source
Interest notes
Fixed APR per payment option, confirmed at purchaseShow source
Liquidation risk
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Spending limit depends on collateral value and health score
Spend by borrowing against collateral
YesShow source
Features
Apple Pay
YesShow source
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Region-dependent
Google Pay
YesShow source
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Region-dependent
Physical card
NoShow source
YesShow source
Virtual card
YesShow source
YesShow source
ATM withdrawals
YesShow source
Spend stablecoins
YesShow source
Spendable assets
USDT · USDCConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Acceptable Tokens for deposit
Blockchains
Ethereum · Solana · Polygon · Arbitrum · TRONConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Deposit networks for USDT/USDC; list not exhaustive, varies by coin
Limits
ATM limit
$750Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
$250 per withdrawal incl. fees, max 3 withdrawals per rolling 24h
Security & custody
Deposit protection
NoShow source
Annual cost at 1,500 EUR/month
Exa Card (Uphold)
- Annual & monthly fees+0 EUR
- FX costsunknown
- Crypto conversion–
- ATM costsunknown
- Cashbackunknown
- Net annual valuenot enough data
KAST
- Annual & monthly fees+0 EUR
- FX costs−63 EUR
- Crypto conversion–
- ATM costs−56 EUR
- Cashback+270 EUR
- Net annual value151 EUR
Assumes 300 EUR foreign spend and 100 EUR ATM per month, base tier only. Use your own numbers