Compare the best crypto exchanges in Canada for 2026: regulation, CAD deposits and withdrawals, fees, coins, futures and each exchange's main catch.
Accepts clients from Canada Accepts clients from Canada Accepts clients from Canada Accepts clients from Canada Accepts clients from Canada Accepts clients from Canada| Exchange | Spot assetscrypto | Futures assets | Spot feesmaker/taker | Futures feesmaker/taker | Max leverage | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. CoinbaseVisit | 402 | 131 | 0.4% / 0.6% | 0.05% / 0.05% | 10× | Yes |
| 2. BTCCVisit | 246 | — | 0.2% / 0.3% | 0.03% / 0.06% | 500× | Yes |
| 3. GeminiVisit | 76 | 7 | 0.6% / 1.2% | 0.02% / 0.07% | 20× | Yes |
| 4. KrakenVisit | 682 | 177 | 0.4% / 0.8% | 0.02% / 0.05% | 50× | Yes |
| 5. PhemexVisit | 1,028 | 815 | 0.1% / 0.1% | 0.01% / 0.06% | 100× | Yes |
| 6. KuCoinVisit | 815 | 692 | 0.1% / 0.1% | 0.02% / 0.06% | 125× | Yes |
| Exchange | Score | Founded | Headquarters | Founder | CEO | KYC | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. CoinbaseVisit | 7.7 | 2012 | Remote | Brian Armstrong | Brian Armstrong | Required | Yes |
| 2. BTCCVisit | 7.5 | 2011 | London | Bobby Lee | Mark Lee | No KYC | Yes |
| 3. GeminiVisit | 7.2 | 2014 | New York, USA | Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss | Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss | Required | Yes |
| 4. KrakenVisit | 9.3 | 2011 | San Francisco, USA | Jesse Powell | David Ripley | Required | Yes |
| 5. PhemexVisit | 7 | 2019 | Singapore | Jack Tao | Jack Tao | No KYC | Yes |
| 6. KuCoinVisit | 7.1 | 2017 | Seychelles | Michael Gan | BC Wong | Required | Yes |
The Canada column is checked live against each exchange's restricted-country list.
Coinbase is our top pick for Canadians who want an easy app for a first purchase and a large coin list to grow into. Buying, holding and trading crypto is legal in Canada, and platforms that hold crypto for clients must register with a provincial or territorial securities regulator and with FINTRAC.
After that, three things decide which exchange suits you: how you move Canadian dollars in and out, what each trade costs, and which coins and products you can use. Costs vary a lot. Phemex and KuCoin are cheap for spot trades and Gemini is expensive. Withdrawals vary too: some exchanges here pay out to a bank, while BTCC only pays out in crypto.
Coinbase is the simplest place here to make a first crypto purchase, and Coinbase Advanced adds TradingView charts plus limit and stop-limit orders once you want more control. It is a publicly listed company regulated in the United States and it publishes proof of reserves, so its finances face outside scrutiny and you can check that customer coins are backed.
You can trade 402 coins on spot and perpetual futures on 131 coins with up to 10x leverage. Futures cost just 0.05% for makers and takers, and staking and a self-custody wallet are included. Pre-launch markets for new tokens aren't open to Canadian residents, so you can't trade coins before they officially list.
Spot trades cost 0.4% for makers and 0.6% for takers until your monthly volume brings the rate down. You deposit by card, PayPal or crypto, withdraw by bank transfer or SWIFT wire, and must verify your ID first. Coinbase launched in 2012 as a remote company and was co-founded by Brian Armstrong, who runs it as CEO.
The main risk is account takeover: over 6,000 customers had their accounts compromised in 2021. Set up two-factor authentication and an address whitelist as soon as you open your account.
Key points
Leveraged futures are BTCC's speciality: you can trade with up to 500x leverage, and limit orders are charged 0.03% while market orders cost 0.06%. It is registered with FINTRAC as a money services business. That registration shows BTCC met Canada's legal requirement to register; it is not an endorsement or a licence.
Spot trading covers 246 coins. BTCC also offers tokenized stocks such as Tesla and Apple, gold, copy trading and a demo account where you can practise with virtual funds. The catch for Canadians is cashing out: withdrawals are crypto only, so getting dollars back into your bank means sending coins to another platform first.
Spot fees are fixed at 0.2% for makers and 0.3% for takers. You can buy USDT by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or through partners such as MoonPay and Simplex, and KYC is optional, though unverified accounts can withdraw only $10,000 a day. BTCC launched in 2011, is based in London, was co-founded by Bobby Lee and is run by CEO Mark Lee.
BTCC has never been hacked and backs deposits with public proof of reserves, which leaves the leverage itself as the main risk. At those multiples, a small price move can wipe out your whole position.
Key points
Caution is Gemini's selling point. It runs as a New York trust company regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services, holds customer assets one to one and keeps most crypto in cold storage. Its proof of reserves is public too, letting you check that your deposits are fully backed.
The range is narrow: 76 coins on spot and perpetual futures on 7 coins, where leverage tops out at 20x. The app switches between a simple mode and ActiveTrader, and you can protect your account with a hardware security key. That suits someone holding a few major coins, not someone chasing small caps.
On ActiveTrader spot trades, a new account is charged 0.6% as a maker and 1.2% as a taker. You can fund the account by card, PayPal, wire, Apple Pay or Google Pay, withdraw to a bank account, card or PayPal, and you'll need photo ID plus proof of address. Gemini dates from 2014, has its base in New York, USA and was co-founded by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss; the founders still run it.
Its security record includes a 2022 customer data breach involving 5.7 million records and a 2024 breach at an ACH banking partner. Use a security key and don't assume your personal details are beyond reach.
Key points
Few exchanges combine a record as long as Kraken's with FINTRAC registration as a money services business. That registration shows Kraken met Canada's legal requirement to register, not that FINTRAC vouches for it. Kraken publishes proof of reserves, holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification and uses cold storage, so you can check that your deposits are backed.
The market is broad: 682 spot coins, plus futures on 177 coins that allow up to 50x leverage. Margin trading and staking are also available. Kraken Pro adds advanced order types and analytics, and futures are cheap too: 0.02% when you add liquidity and 0.05% when you take it.
Kraken's base spot fees are 0.4% on maker orders and 0.8% on taker orders. You deposit by bank transfer, card, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, cash out by bank transfer, and must verify your ID. Kraken started in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, USA; Jesse Powell co-founded it, and David Ripley is its chief executive.
The main drawback is the cost of spot trading. Frequent buyers should place limit orders on Kraken Pro to keep fees down.
Key points
Cheap, varied trading is what Phemex offers. Spot trades cost 0.1% whichever side of the order you're on, while futures charge makers 0.01% and takers 0.06%. That is a fraction of Coinbase's or Gemini's spot rates, and the savings add up fast if you trade often.
You get 1,028 spot coins, the most of any exchange here, and futures on 815 coins, with leverage reaching 100x. Tokenized stocks and ETFs, copy trading, free trading bots and a demo account are also included. P2P trading lets you buy from other users with local payment methods, which helps if card or bank options don't suit you.
Once verified, you can buy with a card, Google Pay, Apple Pay or services such as MoonPay, and cash out by bank transfer or P2P. Crypto deposits cost only network fees. Phemex opened in 2019 with its head office in Singapore, and its co-founder Jack Tao serves as CEO.
In January 2025, about $85 million in crypto was stolen from its hot wallets. Keep only your trading money on Phemex and move long-term holdings to your own wallet.
Key points
If you hunt small-cap altcoins, KuCoin lists 815 spot coins, sorted into tabs such as AI, DePin and memes. Its main tokens cost 0.1% for makers and takers. Residents of Ontario and British Columbia can't use KuCoin, which rules it out for a large share of Canadians.
Futures cover 692 coins and go as high as 125x leverage; makers pay 0.02% and takers pay 0.06%. Margin trading, P2P, staking and savings products are also available. Less popular tokens fall into pricier fee classes, so trading obscure coins costs more than the main rate.
Fiat goes through third-party providers that charge their own fees, and P2P is one way to cash out. You need ID and a face check before you can deposit or trade. Set up in 2017 and operating from Seychelles, KuCoin was co-founded by Michael Gan, with BC Wong now leading it as CEO.
KuCoin pleaded guilty in the United States in January 2025 to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. In 2020, a private key leak led to large withdrawals from its hot wallets. With that record, keep your balance on the exchange small.
Key points
Our editorial team selected, tested and ranked the best crypto exchanges for traders in Canada. We picked exchanges that accept users in Canada and ordered them on the whole package rather than a single number. The order is our editors’ judgment of that package. The CWR Score on each card rates each exchange on its own, so an exchange placed lower can have a higher score.
Buying, holding and trading crypto is legal in Canada, but crypto isn’t legal tender, and federal and provincial deposit insurance doesn’t cover it. Crypto trading platforms that hold crypto for their clients, or trade securities or derivatives, must be registered with a provincial or territorial securities regulator; these regulators work together as the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA). Businesses that deal in virtual currency must also register with FINTRAC, Canada’s financial intelligence agency, as money services businesses before they start operating.
Registered platforms operate under terms and conditions set in each platform’s registration decision. FINTRAC registration isn’t an endorsement or a licence; it only shows that a business met the legal requirement to register. The federal Stablecoin Act has received Royal Assent, with the Bank of Canada supervising stablecoin issuers once the framework comes into force, expected in 2027.
In Canada, selling crypto, trading it for another crypto-asset, using it to buy goods or services, or giving it away counts as a disposition for tax. If you invest rather than run a business, half of your capital gain (the taxable capital gain) is added to your income for the year. Capital losses can only reduce capital gains, and net capital losses can be carried back three years or forward indefinitely. If your activity looks like a business, for example frequent trades held for short periods, the full profit is business income instead.
Staking rewards from a centralized exchange are generally income when they’re credited to your account, and mining is usually treated as a business. You report crypto capital gains on Schedule 3 of your T1 return, in the section for bonds, debentures, promissory notes, crypto-assets and similar property. For most people, returns and any balance owing are due by April 30; self-employed people have until June 15 to file.
This is a general overview, not tax advice. Tax rules change and depend on your situation, so check with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or a tax adviser before you file.
Official sources, checked September 2026: CRA: Reporting income from crypto-asset transactions; CRA: Reporting income from crypto-asset mining and staking activities; CRA: Reporting your capital gains as a crypto-asset user; CRA: Important dates for individuals.
Getting Bitcoin or Ethereum in Canada takes just a few steps once you’ve settled on an exchange.
Coinbase is the easiest start for most Canadians, with a simple app, a large coin list and cheap futures, though its spot fees are high. Kraken suits you if you want FINTRAC registration, bank withdrawals and a broad market. Phemex and KuCoin cost less per trade but have weaker security records, and BTCC is for leveraged futures traders who are happy to cash out in crypto. Buying and trading crypto is legal in Canada, but deposit insurance doesn’t cover it, so keep only what you’re actively trading on any exchange.
Yes. Buying, holding and trading crypto is legal in Canada, though crypto isn't legal tender. Platforms that hold crypto for clients must be registered with a provincial or territorial securities regulator and with FINTRAC.
No. Federal and provincial deposit insurance doesn't cover crypto, so you can't rely on it if an exchange fails or is hacked. Every exchange here publishes proof of reserves, which at least lets you check that customer deposits are backed.
For spot trading, Phemex and KuCoin charge the least, with the same low rate for makers and takers. Gemini and Coinbase are the most expensive for spot. Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini all charge low futures fees.
Coinbase and Kraken offer bank transfer withdrawals, and Gemini pays out to a bank account, card or PayPal. BTCC only lets you withdraw crypto, so you'd have to move your coins to another platform to get money back into your bank.
Crypto gains can be taxable in Canada. See "How is crypto taxed in Canada?" above for how it works, and keep a record of every trade you make.
Coinbase is the simplest place to start, with an easy app for first purchases and more advanced tools when you're ready. Gemini also offers a simple mode, but its spot fees are higher and its coin list is much shorter.
