Ottawa says Bitcoin ATMs have become a key tool for scammers, as regulators move to tighten oversight of high-risk parts of the crypto sector. The Canadian government has proposed banning Bitcoin and other crypto ATMs, arguing the machines have become a primary on-ramp for fraudsters and money launderers rather than a convenient access point for everyday users. The government's Spring Economic Update 2026, published on April 28, says crypto ATMs are a “primary method for scammers to defraud victims and for criminals to place their cash proceeds of crime,” and explicitly states that the government “proposes to ban crypto ATMs.” The proposal states that Canadians will still be able to buy virtual currencies from brick-and-mortar money services businesses, but the standalone kiosks that have proliferated in malls, gas stations and corner stores would be phased out. Read more
Lawmakers look to push election reform that would block crypto campaign donations, even as Canada expands oversight of stablecoins and digital asset markets. Canada is moving closer to banning political donations made in cryptocurrency, as lawmakers in Ottawa tighten rules around how money flows into elections. That's after a proposed law — Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act — passed a second reading in the House of Commons on Friday. The vote signals that lawmakers support the bill in principle and will now study it in detail at committee, where amendments can still be made. The legislation would prohibit political parties and candidates from accepting cryptocurrency donations, closing what regulators see as a gap in campaign finance rules. Read more
The technology services provider said wealth managers have faced challenges integrating digital assets without relying on separate systems. Broadridge Financial Solutions has launched a digital asset platform for Canadian wealth managers, allowing companies to offer cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets alongside traditional investments. According to Monday’s announcement, the platform integrates trading, custody and asset servicing, enabling firms to manage digital and traditional assets within existing workflows rather than through separate systems. It also supports both advisor-led and self-directed models, with connectivity to custodians and exchanges. The platform offers access to cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets including equities, funds and alternative investments, with integrated wallets, institutional custody options and connectivity to exchanges and asset managers. Read more
A Bank of Canada staff paper found Aave V3 avoided bad debt in 2024, but said the model pushed losses onto borrowers during liquidations. A Bank of Canada staff paper found that Aave V3 reported zero non-performing loans in 2024, with overcollateralization and automated liquidations helping prevent lender losses in its Ethereum lending market. Using transaction-level data from Jan. 27, 2023, to May 6, 2025, the study found that positions were typically liquidated before collateral values fell below outstanding debt, helping contain lender losses across the sample. But the model came with a tradeoff, the paper said. While it protected lenders from unrecovered losses, it also shifted risk onto borrowers and constrained capital efficiency compared with traditional lending systems. Read more
A new bill in Canada would ban crypto donations to political parties, a move which election overseers have supported in past recommendations to Parliament. A new bill in Canada, if passed, would ban political parties and other third parties in elections from accepting cryptocurrency donations in a bid to prevent election interference. The Strong and Free Elections Act would also ban contributions made by money orders and prepaid cards, citing these methods as difficult to track. The bill notes the potential for foreign actors to influence elections through difficult-to-trace digital payment methods, ensuring Canadian elections “remain free, fair and secure at all times,” according to Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon. Read more
A similar bill was proposed in 2024 but it failed to advance past the second reading in the House of Commons and ultimately died before it could become law. Canada’s federal government has proposed a total ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, citing concerns that foreign entities could exploit the technology to interfere in elections. Known as the Strong and Free Elections Act, the bill was introduced on Thursday and proposes to amend the Canada Elections Act to prohibit political parties and third parties involved in the election process from accepting donations in crypto, money orders and prepaid cards to prevent anonymous and “hard to trace contributions.” The bill's sponsor, Steven MacKinnon, the government House leader, said in an X statement on Thursday that the measures are intended to block foreign interference and other threats to elections. Read more
The crypto industry has seen a number of regulatory changes over the past year, with the Canadian government taking a risk-management, rules-first approach. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have increasingly become part of Canada’s core financial system over the past year. In November, the country introduced stablecoin regulations as part of the Canada Stablecoin Act. Introduced as part of the budget, it gives the Bank of Canada the power to regulate stablecoins in the country. Elsewhere, policymakers are finalizing amendments to laws for crypto asset funds, including those for cold wallets and custodians. Read more
Dubbed “Operation Atlantic,“ the effort involves law enforcement agencies from the three countries and is aimed at preventing phishing attacks involving cryptocurrencies. The US Secret Service, UK National Crime Agency, and Canadian authorities have partnered to disrupt fraudulent schemes related to crypto, raise awareness of scams, and recover stolen funds. In a Monday notice, law enforcement agencies from the three countries — including Canada’s Ontario Provincial Police and the Ontario Securities Commission — said that they had launched “Operation Atlantic,” focusing on identifying people at risk of losing or those who had already lost crypto through “approval phishing” schemes. “Approval phishing and investment scams cost victims millions in financial loss each year,” said Brent Daniels, deputy assistant director for the US Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations. The agencies said they hope to identify and disrupt these scams in near real-time. Read more