5 Best Crypto Exchanges In Canada (May 2023) $50+ Bonuses

Here’s something you may not realize: the cryptocurrency exchange you choose matters. Your choice will impact how profitable your trades are, how easily you can buy and sell coins, and in some cases, whether you get your money back at all.

I'm not exaggerating here. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians lost tens of millions of dollars in the QuadrigaCX scam of 2019, and to date, none of those funds have been returned. That's why platform security and trustworthiness is my #1 criteria for my selections below.

So if you're looking for a safe, secure Canadian cryptocurrency exchange that's easy to use and offers low trading commissions, you've come to the right place. I've been investing in crypto for over 9 years now, and I make tweaks to the list below almost every day.

Here's a quick look at my picks for the best crypto exchange Canada has to offer:

Best In Canada	Trading fees: 0.2% (Medium) Security: 95% cold storage Signup bonus: $50 Low fees + excellent platform.	CLAIM $50 BONUS ★★★★★ Rated 4.9/5
#2 In Canada	Trading Fees: 0% Security: 95% cold storage Signup bonus: $20 Solid bonus + security.	CLAIM $20 BONUS ★★★★★ Rated 4.7/5
Good All-Around	Account Opening: Free Security: Best in class Customer Support: Excellent Top-notch security + average fees.	SECURE MY COINS FOR FREE ★★★★ Rated 4.4/5

Now let's take a deeper dive into all of our top selections.

What Is The Best Crypto Exchange In Canada?

1. CoinSmart – $50 Signup Bonus

Best In Canada

Trading fees: 0.2% (Medium) Security: 95% cold storage Signup bonus: $50 Low fees + excellent platform.

CLAIM $50 BONUS ★★★★★ Rated 4.9/5

CoinSmart supports 16 cryptocurrencies, verifies accounts instantly, prides itself on its helpful customer service reps, and has a beautiful, well-rated app.

CoinSmart has been designated a Registered Marketplace by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), is registered as a Money Services Business with FINTRAC, and is a member of the anti-money laundering group TRUST, all of which means they're a highly secure exchange.

CoinSmart maintains a 95% cold storage policy, and as a publicly-traded company, its financials are audited by a third-party firm at least once per year.

If you're looking for a great all-around crypto trading platform, CoinSmart is an excellent choice.

Features

• Very low spreads on trades
• 24/7 customer support available via live chat and email
• Instant account verification
• Supports 16 cryptocurrencies
• Registered Marketplace by the OSC
• Immediate deposits and withdrawals
• User-friendly for both beginners and advanced traders
• 95% cold storage policy keeps your crypto extra secure

Cost

• Account Opening: Free
• Trading Fees: 0.2%
• INTERAC Deposit: 1.5%
• Bank Wire Deposit: 0%
• Bank Wire Withdrawal: 1%
• EFT Withdrawal: 1%

Signup Bonus

$50 bonus when you sign up using this link and our promo code YOREOYSTER.

Best For

Investors looking to trade with low trading fees.

2. VirgoCX – $20 Signup Bonus

#2 In Canada

Trading Fees: 0% Security: 95% cold storage Signup bonus: $20 Solid bonus + security.

CLAIM $20 BONUS ★★★★★ Rated 4.7/5

VirgoCX offers 50+ cryptocurrencies, charges zero trading fees, and only charges spread between 0.5% – 0.95%, making it a cost-effective exchange.

VirgoCX’s trading platform and mobile app are intuitive and easy to use, even for beginners. It offers 24/7 customer support via live chat and email, plus an extensive FAQ section on its site.

VirgoCX charges no deposit or withdrawal fees on fiat and covers the first $6 in mining fees on ERC20 withdrawals. It requires 2-factor authentication on all accounts and maintains a 95% cold storage policy to keep your assets safe at all times.

As a new VirgoCX user, you'll receive a $20 bonus upon funding your account, which you can use to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any of the dozens of assets VirgoCX supports.

If maximizing your investment potential is important to you, VirgoCX is a great choice.

Features

• Lowest fees in all of Canada
• Supports 50+ cryptocurrencies
• Free fiat deposits and withdrawals
• Free deposits and withdrawals on most cryptocurrencies
• 24/7 support available via live chat and email
• User-friendly for both beginners and more advanced traders
• 95% cold storage policy keeps your crypto extra secure

Cost

• Account Opening: Free
• Cash Deposits: Free
• Cash Withdrawals: Free
• Crypto Deposits: Free
• Crypto Withdrawals: Free for all major coins
• Spreads on trades: 0.5% – 0.95%

Signup Bonus

$20 when you fund your account with $100 or more using this link.

Best For

Investors looking for the lowest fees in Canada.

3. ZenGo – Most Secure

Good All-Around

Account Opening: Free Security: Best in class Customer Support: Excellent Top-notch security + average fees.

SECURE MY COINS FOR FREE ★★★★ Rated 4.4/5

ZenGo is free to use, which means you get the industry's best security for no cost. Sending and receiving crypto to and from ZenGo is also free, and their 24/7 support team answers most queries in 5 minutes or less.

ZenGo’s proprietary keyless technology means that your crypto is protected by two independently created mathematical secret shares: one that lives on your phone, and another that lives in the cloud. This unique setup means that your coins are always 100% secure, and that you’ll never have any trouble accessing them, even if your phone is lost, stolen, or broken, or if ZenGo (the company) were to go bankrupt, commit fraud, or cease operations for any other reason.

ZenGo supports more than 75 crypto assets, and it takes less than 30 seconds to open your free account.

Overall, ZenGo represents the next generation of crypto: with top-level security inside an easy to use app, ZenGo offers the best of both worlds.

Features

• Supports 75+ crypto assets
• 24/7 customer support
• Extremely well-rated mobile app (4.7/5 on the App Store) 
• Face scanning technology for even greater security
• Up to 8% APY in crypto savings 
• Cancel or speed up your sent transactions with one tap
• Choose from the 3 network fees modes: economy, regular, and fast (applicable for BTC, ETH, and ERC20)

Cost

• Account Opening: Free

Best For

Crypto investors looking for the most secure trading experience + low fees.

4. Newton — $25 Signup Bonus

Zero Trading Fees

Spreads: 0.2% – 0.7% Security: 95% cold storage Signup bonus: $25 Low spreads & zero trading fees.

CLAIM $25 BONUS ★★★★★ Rated 4.2/5

Newton supports 75+ cryptocurrencies and has an easy-to-use mobile app that's well-reviewed on both iPhone and Android. Newton doesn't charge any trading fees, and its spreads are reasonable, generally around 0.2% – 0.7% depending on the coin you're trading.

With that in mind, Newton's higher spreads do make it more expensive overall than CoinSmart and VirgoCX. Still, Newton is a respectable exchange with a well-trained customer support team, making a solid option for Canadian crypto traders.

Features

• Zero trading fees
• Reasonable spreads (typically 0.2% – 0.7%)
• No deposit/withdrawal fees
• Well-rated mobile app (4.6/5 on iPhone, 4.4/5 on Android)
• Supports 75+ cryptocurrencies

Cost

• Account Opening: Free
• Trading Fees: None
• Cash Deposits/Withdrawals: Free
• Crypto Deposits: Free
• Crypto Withdrawals: Free (up to $5 in transaction fees)
• Bid-ask spreads: From 0.2% to 0.7%

Signup Bonus

$25 free when you sign up using this link.

Best For

Crypto investors interested in trading a wide variety of altcoins.

5. Bitbuy — $30 Signup Bonus

Strong Security

Trading fees: 1.5% (High) Security: 99% cold storage Signup bonus: $30 Higher fees, strong security.

CLAIM $30 BONUS ★★★★ Rated 4.1/5

Bitbuy is another solid option for Canadians seeking a reliable, trustworthy crypto exchange.

Bitbuy's trading fees are quite high at 1.5%. They offer customer support available 24/7, and user accounts are verified instantly.

To date, Bitbuy has processed more than $4 billion in trades across its 400,000+ Canadian users. It's a Registered Marketplace and Investment Dealer as recognized by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), which means it's a highly safe and secure exchange that offers deep liquidity on all order sizes.

I've personally used Bitbuy for over a year, so I've seen them change their platform over time. For example, Bitbuy recently removed its fees on deposits, making the overall trading experience less expensive for users. However, they increased their trading fees to 1.5% around the same time, negating most or all of those cost savings.

For a limited time, Bitbuy is offering a $30 bonus to Yore Oyster readers who fund their account with $250 or more. If you’re looking for a highly-respected exchange that offers great customer service and a slick mobile app, open a Bitbuy account today.

Features

• Easy to use for both beginners and more advanced traders
• Supports 25+ cryptocurrencies
• Customer support via live chat and email
• Powerful mobile app (rated 4.6/5 on the App Store)
• 99% cold storage policy keeps your crypto extra secure

Cost

• Account Opening: Free
• Trading Fees: 1.5%
• INTERAC Deposits: Free
• INTERAC Withdrawals: 1.5%
• Bank Wire Deposit: Free
• Bank Wire Withdrawal: 1.5%
• Credit Card Transactions: 6.25%

Signup Bonus

$30 bonus when you deposit $250 using this link.

Best For

Investors looking for a solid overall trading experience.

Canadian Cryptocurrency Exchanges I Don’t Recommend

Interestingly, some of the most well-known Canadian crypto exchanges are among the worst out there. Serious investors are running away from them, and even if you’ve got a smaller amount of money on the table, I strongly suggest steering clear of these platforms:

1. Coinberry: In my experience with Coinberry, they seem to have some internal issues that make working with them difficult. I've had to reach out to their team many times just to get simple issues solved, which is a big red flag for me.
2. Wealthsimple Crypto: Wealthsimple Crypto may seem promising at the outset, but when you dig a little deeper, you'll discover that they’re a subpar exchange. Spreads sit in the range of 2%, which means buying and selling 1 BTC would cost you over $1,000 CAD at current prices. Also, Wealthsimple is notorious for its slow response times, which makes dealing with them frustrating. Stay away.
3. Shakepay: Shakepay seems good on the surface, but they're terrible when it comes to one thing: fees. Spreads on Shakepay tend to be around 2.5%—3%, which means you're paying about 4x more than you would trading with someone like CoinSmart or VirgoCX. Shakepay was a popular crypto exchange in Canada for a while, but it's long been overtaken by better, less expensive options.
4. Coinbase: Coinbase is a well-known crypto exchange due to its strong branding and heavy marketing campaigns over the past 10 or so years, though it has high deposit fees (4% on debit & credit cards) and conversion fees (2%), which eat away at your trading profits. Coinbase has also flip-flopped between operating and not operating in Canada, which suggests that it may pull out of the country again at a moment’s notice. As a former Coinbase user who has had several poor experiences with them, I can’t recommend Coinbase for Canadians.
5. Kraken: Like Coinbase, Kraken is also based in the US, which means Canadian users must comply with the strict regulations of the IRS. For most Canadians, it's much simpler to keep your tax burden within Canada, and as a result, I don't recommend Kraken.
6. NDAX: One of the major drawbacks of trading with NDAX is that you can't trade between two cryptocurrencies directly: if you're holding Bitcoin and want to exchange it for Ethereum, you need to go Bitcoin -> CAD and then CAD -> Ethereum, which costs double the amount in fees.
7. Bybit: I don't recommend Bybit to anyone for one big reason: terrible customer support. Bybit reps have frequently taken weeks to respond to my questions if they get back to me at all. This is a major red flag in a crypto exchange, and certainly not something you want to deal with when you're waiting for funds to clear. I suggest you steer clear.
8. Binance: Binance once operated in Canada, but it announced in May 2023 that it was leaving the country for good.

How We Chose The Best Crypto Exchanges In Canada

There are several important factors to consider when choosing a safe, trustworthy crypto exchange in Canada. Here are the criteria we used when making our selections:

• Fees: How much does it cost to buy and sell? If trading fees are high, your profits will be negatively impacted.
• User interface: New traders should avoid crypto trading platforms that are exceedingly difficult to use. While these exchanges provide additional freedom, that could be intimidating if you're new to cryptocurrency.
• Deposit & withdrawal options: Check to see whether the exchange offers funding alternatives that are suitable for your requirements. A combination of bank transfer, Interac e-transfer, and crypto deposits is ideal. Also, see if there are any costs associated with each option, since those fees will lower your profits, too.
• Regulation: Check whether they are licensed to operate, as well as the types of asset protection available. While no crypto exchanges in Canada currently provide CIPF (Canadian Investor Protection Fund) security, make sure they are authorized and have the required coverage.
• Account security: You'll want to be able to move your coins off of the exchange and into a secure crypto wallet for maximum protection. Confirm that the exchange uses cold storage to protect users' coins and find out what their policies are when it comes to privacy, account security, and insurance.
• Advanced trading tools: Charting tools, various order types, a live order book, an OTC desk, and other features may all be required by experienced crypto traders. If you're new to crypto trading, though, these probably will not be important to you.
• Customer support: Do they offer 24/7 customer support? Is it easy for consumers to contact customer service and get answers?
• Supported coins: With 10,000+ cryptocurrencies in existence, the more of them that your exchange supports, the better.

Best Crypto Exchanges In Canada FAQs

What’s the best way to buy crypto in Canada?

The best way to buy crypto in Canada is to use one of our top two recommended cryptocurrency exchanges: CoinSmart or VirgoCX. Both apps have their own unique features and benefits, so it’s a good idea to read our reviews above before deciding which trading platform is right for you.

What is the best Bitcoin trading platform in Canada?

The best Bitcoin trading platform in Canada is CoinSmart, both for its bank-level security and its extremely low fees. It supports more than a dozen cryptocurrencies, processes deposits and withdrawals instantly, and verifies accounts in 2 minutes or less.

If you're looking to buy Bitcoin in Canada (or other cryptocurrencies), CoinSmart is the best cryptocurrency exchange out there.

What is the best Canadian crypto exchange?

The best cryptocurrency exchange in Canada is CoinSmart. CoinSmart keeps more than 95% of its users' funds in cold storage, has very low trading fees, and offers a well-rated mobile app that Canadians love.

What's the best crypto off-ramp in Canada?

The best way to withdraw crypto in Canada is with VirgoCX, since selling crypto with VirgoCX incurs spreads of around 0.5% – 1%, and VirgoCX doesn't charge any fees for withdrawing major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Most other exchanges charge more than this, making VirgoCX a great way to cash out your crypto in Canada.

What's the cheapest crypto exchange in Canada?

The cheapest crypto exchange in Canada is VirgoCX, which only charges spreads of 0.5% – 1%. VirgoCX doesn't charge any deposit and withdrawal fees, either, making it an extremely cost-effective exchange.

What’s the best altcoin exchange in Canada?

The best altcoin exchange in Canada is either VirgoCX or Newton. VirgoCX allows users to trade altcoins directly (rather than exchanging through a stablecoin like Bitcoin), which minimizes fees, while Newton supports 75+ coins, and is regularly adding more of the altcoins most Canadians are looking for.

Which Bitcoin wallet is the best in Canada?

The best Bitcoin wallet in Canada is CoinSmart, thanks to its bank-level security, free signup and usage, and easy-to-use mobile app. Storing your crypto with CoinSmart is both safer and more cost-effective than storing it with traditional software or hardware wallets, since opening an account with CoinSmart is free and–unlike other hardware and software wallets—any crypto assets you store with them are kept safe, even if anything goes wrong.

What is the safest crypto wallet in Canada?

The safest crypto wallet in Canada is also CoinSmart, due to the unique way it protects your account using facial scanning technology, your fingerprint, and other security measures. No one else (including hackers) can gain access to a CoinSmart wallet, and even if your phone is lost or stolen, their industry-leading security means you never have to worry about losing your coins.

What is the safest crypto exchange in Canada?

The safest cryptocurrency exchange in Canada is CoinSmart. CoinSmart have bank-level security protocols, hold your coins offline in cold storage, and lets you move your coins on or off of their platform at any time. On top of that, they have some of the lowest fees and spreads of any exchange in Canada and are known for being a reputable, trustworthy crypto exchange.

What’s the best crypto exchange in Ontario?

The best crypto exchange in Ontario is CoinSmart for its user-friendly interface and very reasonable fees. Other great crypto apps operating in Ontario include VirgoCX and ZenGo, both of which offer good customer support and highly secure storage protocols to keep your crypto safe.

What crypto exchanges are legal in Ontario?

Every exchange on this list operates legally in Ontario, including CoinSmart, VirgoCX, and ZenGo. All of the platforms on this list also follow all Canadian and Ontario-specific regulations (as set out by the Ontario Securities Commission and other regulatory bodies), which suggests they'll be able to operate in Ontario and the rest of Canada for a long time to come.

Is cryptocurrency legal in Canada?

Yes, cryptocurrency is legal in Canada, and you can buy, sell and use crypto without breaking the law. However, cryptocurrency is not currently considered legal tender in Canada, and the Canadian government shows no indication of accepting it as such any time soon.

What crypto exchange is best for beginners in Canada?

The best crypto exchange for beginners in Canada is CoinSmart. It's ideal for beginners because it verifies accounts instantly, has an easy-to-use crypto trading platform and offers great customer support in case you need any help along the way.

What's the best crypto app in Canada?

The best crypto app in Canada is either CoinSmart or ZenGo. Both apps are rated 4.6/5 or higher on the App Store, and Canadians love them for their ease of use, strong security, and low fees.

What is the best crypto exchange for day trading in Canada?

The best crypto exchange for day trading in Canada is ZenGo since it charges low trading fees on trades up to $200, stores your crypto securely, and its prices update multiple times per second, giving day traders an upper hand over the rest of the market.

Is Bitbuy legal in Canada?

Yes, Bitbuy operates legally in Canada. All of the other recommended cryptocurrency exchanges in this post operate legally in Canada, too.

What crypto exchanges are legal in Canada?

The crypto exchanges that operate legally in Canada include CoinSmart, VirgoCX, ZenGo, and everyone else on this list. I have not included any crypto platforms that don't operate legally in Canada, since they may need to leave abruptly in the way that Binance did.

Can the CRA track cryptocurrency?

Yes, the CRA can track cryptocurrency trades and transactions, though whether or not it can track your specific activity depends on how much you've done to obscure it. For example, if you buy Bitcoin from a crypto exchange and sell it from the same exchange 12 months later, that will be quite easy for the CRA to track; if you send it through multiple anonymous wallets and then sell it from a different exchange, though, that will be much harder for them to track.

Keep in mind that all transactions above $10,000 must be recorded and submitted to the CRA by the exchanges, though transactions under that amount do not. Hiding your cryptocurrency from the CRA is not recommended, but if you're buying and selling less than $10,000 at a time, it's still quite difficult for them to monitor taxpayers' crypto activities.

In Summary

Choosing the best Canadian cryptocurrency exchange is far from straightforward, given how many are out there and all of the different features each of them offers. As a long-time crypto aficionado myself, I've spent years keeping up with the best crypto exchanges, and I'm confident in recommending the ones I personally use.

CoinSmart is the favourite among knowledgeable Canadian crypto investors, both for its high level of security and for its ease of use. It also has extremely low trading fees, so if you're looking for a secure, cost-effective way to buy and sell crypto in Canada with a $50 signup bonus (available until May 30, 2023), I can't recommend CoinSmart highly enough.