Canada's cryptocurrency ownership rate has more than doubled to 25% in 2026 from 10% in 2023, according to new research from the Ontario Securities Commission. The OSC surveyed 2,360 Canadian adults aged 18 and over between December 2025 and January 2026, finding that 59% of respondents were aware of crypto assets, while one in four reported owning them. As reported by the OSC, this represents a 15-percentage-point gain in ownership over roughly three years, suggesting digital assets are reaching a broader section of the Canadian population despite persistent concerns about fraud, volatility and consumer protection. The shift matters for regulators because it implies crypto is moving from a niche activity toward mainstream consumer behavior, with investor protection issues typically becoming more urgent as more Canadians participate.
Despite growing ownership, the OSC found that knowledge of existing protections remained limited among crypto investors. About 50% of crypto owners reported checking whether a platform was registered before opening an account or completing a transaction, leaving a large portion of investors using services without first confirming their regulatory status. However, the report also suggests that heightened awareness does not necessarily translate into correct understanding of the rules that govern crypto activity in Canada. Many respondents still had some misunderstanding around key issues—namely regulation, insurance protections, and transaction capabilities. For investors, this mix of behavior is significant, as register checks can be a useful step, but misunderstanding the practical meaning of registration—or assuming protections exist where they do not—can expose users to avoidable losses. The OSC's results imply that more effective education and clearer disclosures may be needed, even as adoption rises.
Higher adoption comes as Ottawa considers tougher restrictions on some uses of digital assets. According to the government's Spring Economic Update 2026, Canada's federal government outlined plans to prohibit crypto ATMs nationwide. Officials described these machines as a frequent tool for scammers seeking to collect money from victims or process illicit cash, with investigations identifying crypto ATMs as a channel through which fraud victims are instructed to transfer funds. A separate bill introduced earlier this year would restrict cryptocurrency donations to political groups, part of a wider effort to tighten election-financing rules and limit foreign interference risks before the next federal election. Taken together, these proposals highlight a broad regulatory theme: as crypto use grows, authorities are focusing not just on trading and custody, but also on high-risk channels that can enable fraud.
The rising ownership rate places more pressure on regulators to balance market access with investor protection. As previously reported by crypto.news, Coinbase is preparing to expand its 'Everything Exchange' strategy into Canada, moving beyond cryptocurrency trading by combining tokenized stocks, traditional financial products and blockchain-based services in one application for Canadian users. This expansion could give local customers access to a broader selection of crypto and traditional financial products, while planned restrictions show that federal officials remain cautious about use cases that can obscure the source or destination of funds. The OSC's survey lands amid ongoing policy debate in Canada about the appropriate ways to regulate different crypto-related activities, with lawmakers in Ottawa considering measures tailored to how cryptocurrencies are used in practice.
The OSC research indicates that adoption is moving faster than investor understanding, with registration checks, insurance assumptions and transaction recovery remaining central risks as more Canadians enter the market. As noted by Naizam Kanji, executive vice president of strategic regulation at the OSC, the commission expects emerging trends and behaviors to help it anticipate opportunities and risks, with the goal of supporting investor protection while fostering fair and efficient markets. Future policy will therefore need to address both sides of the trend: growing demand for digital assets and the consumer-protection gaps that become more consequential as ownership rises. The most important question for users and market participants is whether regulators will translate these survey insights into clearer requirements, better consumer education, and more targeted enforcement—especially in areas where misunderstanding could lead to financial harm.
