Uphold
Uphold (formerly Bitreserve) is a cloud-based financial service whereby users can transfer deposits of bitcoin into reserve-backed currencies and commodities allowing anyone with a device to send, receive, and exchange money and commodities for free. Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, with offices in San Francisco, Braga, London, and Shanghai, Uphold allows users to convert bitcoin into "cloud money," in 14 currencies (dollars, euros, yen, rupee and others) and 4 precious metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum, and Palladium). The company also has an open API and has stated interest in addressing the remittance market through partnerships with the retail outlet Elektra and the Salinas Group. (Remittances from the US to Mexico alone ran to an estimated $22 billion last year, according to the World Bank.) Though Uphold holds bitcoins as stable, real-world currency, Anthony Watson, CEO, has stated it is "not a bitcoin company. In terms of bitcoin's relevance to us, it is a means to an end."