How we check crypto platforms
Updated November 2026. Checked against the regulators' registers and each platform's own pages.
Every page on this site follows the same routine. It’s written down here so you can judge how much to trust us, and catch us if we skip a step.
1. We start with the regulator
A platform only gets a positive review if it’s registered with Canada’s securities regulators. We check the Canadian Securities Administrators’ list of crypto trading platforms authorized to do business with Canadians, and the copy published by New Brunswick’s regulator, which shows each platform’s latest decision. Our registered list shows exactly what those lists say, with screenshots.
Platforms that aren’t registered still get a page when people search for them, because that’s when readers most need a straight answer. Those pages say clearly that the platform isn’t registered, and why that matters.
2. We read the platform’s own pages
Every fee, limit, funding method and feature we quote comes from the platform’s own site: its fee schedule, help centre, terms and the regulatory notice in its footer. We don’t copy figures from other review sites, because they’re often out of date or describe another country’s version of the platform.
3. We screenshot what matters
When a fact matters, we keep a screenshot of where it came from and put it on the page with the date we took it. That covers register listings, fee tables and regulatory notices.
4. We say who pays us, at the top
Canada’s securities regulators expect anyone paid to promote a platform to say so clearly, at the start, naming who pays and how. So every page opens with a “Who pays us” line. If no platform on the page pays us, it says that too. A platform paying us never moves it up a list or softens what we say about it.
5. We recheck and log changes
Platforms change fees and terms, and regulators add and drop registrations. We recheck every page at least once a month. Each page keeps a log of what changed and when, and mistakes go in our corrections log.
How we score
Each registered platform we review gets six ratings out of 5, using only what its own Canadian pages, the regulators’ register and Apple’s Canadian App Store show. The overall score out of 10 is the weighted average of the six, doubled. Unregistered and banned platforms don’t get a score.
| Area | Weight | What earns a 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Trading costs | 30% | A stated fee of 0.25% or less with no spread. A stated fee of 0.50% or less with no spread scores 4.5, up to 0.80% scores 4, up to 1% scores 3.5, and above 1% scores 3. A stated fee with an unpublished spread on top scores 3, and a spread with no published size at all scores 2.5. |
| Regulation and custody | 25% | Investment dealer and CIRO member, with client crypto held by named outside custodians. Restricted dealers start at 4. |
| Cash in and out | 15% | No fee on Interac deposits or withdrawals, with limits published. A daily cap or a small published fee costs half a point to a point. An unpublished withdrawal fee scores 3. |
| Moving your crypto | 10% | Every listed coin can go to your own wallet, with a no-fee option. Trade-only coins cost points, and no transfers at all scores 1. |
| Coins and tools | 10% | 200 or more coins, or a separate order book screen with a wide coin list. A handful of coins scores 2. |
| App | 10% | Rated 4.7 or higher from at least 10,000 Canadian App Store ratings. |
Costs carry the most weight because they’re where platforms differ most and say least. Regulation comes next because it decides what protection you have if something goes wrong. A platform that pays us gets no extra points, and a score never moves because of a commission. When a platform changes its fees or terms, we rescore it and log the change on its review.
What we don’t do
We don’t tell you which coin to buy or whether crypto suits you. We don’t run quizzes that pick a platform for you. Everything here is general information about the platforms themselves, and the decision is yours.
We don’t hold accounts at every platform, so some details that only show up after you sign up are marked as such.
Questions or corrections
If something on this site is wrong or out of date, email [email protected]. We check every report against the regulator’s list and the platform’s own pages, and fix confirmed errors within 48 hours.