AMERICAS · JURISDICTION PROFILE
Canada
Overview
Canada applies existing securities and money-services law rather than a bespoke crypto statute. Provincial and territorial regulators, coordinated through the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), require crypto trading platforms to register as restricted or investment dealers under pre-registration undertakings.
Regulatory framework
Platforms operate under CSA staff notices and undertakings; FINTRAC registers dealers in virtual currency as money services businesses. The Bank of Canada oversees retail-payment service providers and is developing a stablecoin approach.
Licensing & authorisation
Crypto trading platforms register with securities regulators as dealers; virtual-currency dealers register with FINTRAC as MSBs.
AML & Travel Rule
FINTRAC's Travel Rule for virtual-currency transfers has applied since 2021, alongside record-keeping and reporting duties.
Track developments
This jurisdiction is covered by the live wire — see the latest official items filtered to it.
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