Coinsquare editorial guide
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Quick answer
Coinsquare is a Canadian crypto trading platform for buying, selling and staking digital assets in Canadian dollars. It is operated by Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd., a CIRO-registered investment dealer, and has served Canadian investors since 2014.
What is Coinsquare?
Coinsquare is a Toronto-based cryptocurrency platform built around Canadian dollars and Canadian regulation. Founded in 2014, it gives individual investors one place to buy, sell and hold digital assets, fund an account in CAD and earn staking rewards on eligible coins.
The platform is aimed at people who want a straightforward route into crypto without opening an account on an offshore exchange. Identity verification, custody arrangements and product disclosures are part of the account experience. You can trade through the web platform or the Coinsquare mobile app.
Coinsquare is not a bank account and it is not investment advice. Crypto prices move in both directions, and the value of your holdings can fall. The sections below explain how the platform works so you can judge whether it fits your own situation.
How to buy Bitcoin in Canada with Coinsquare
Buying Bitcoin on Coinsquare follows the same broad path as opening a brokerage account: verify who you are, move Canadian dollars into the account, review the order and confirm it. Here is the process in four steps.
- 1
Create and verify your account
Sign up with an email address and password, then complete identity verification. Canadian regulations require platforms to collect personal information and confirm your identity, which usually means a government-issued ID and a selfie or liveness check.
- 2
Add Canadian dollars
Fund the account by Interac e-Transfer or bank transfer. Deposit methods, limits and processing times can depend on your account and verification level, so check the funding screen before you send money.
- 3
Choose Bitcoin and enter an amount
Search for BTC/CAD, enter how much you want to spend and review the price, estimated fee and the amount of Bitcoin you would receive. The quick-trade estimator on this page uses illustrative prices, not a live quote.
- 4
Review, confirm and decide where to hold it
Check the order details before confirming. After the trade, you can keep the Bitcoin in your Coinsquare account or move it to a wallet you control, depending on the product and withdrawal options available to you.
CAD funding, trading pairs and fees
One of Coinsquare’s practical differences is that prices are quoted in Canadian dollars. You can deposit CAD and trade pairs such as BTC/CAD without converting your money to US dollars first. Coinsquare lists more than 60 cryptocurrencies and over 3,000 trading pairs, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Dogecoin and Cardano.
Trading fees depend on the product and order type. Coinsquare publishes a fee schedule and shows the relevant costs in the order flow before you confirm. The quick-trade example on this page uses a sample 0.50% fee to demonstrate the calculation; it is not a quote and should not be used to estimate a real trade.
Market data shown on this landing page is indicative 24-hour information. It is there to show the shape of the product, not to serve as a live price feed. Check the platform for the current price and fee before you trade.
60+
crypto assets
3,000+
trading pairs
CAD
native account currency
Regulation, custody and account security
Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. is registered as an investment dealer and is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). It is also a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). That matters because these are Canadian regulatory structures with defined obligations, not terms invented by an exchange.
Client crypto assets are held in trust with external, licensed custodians. Coinsquare states that its custodians carry a combined $680 million USD of insurance. Eligible cash in your account is protected by CIPF up to $1 million CAD per account if Coinsquare becomes insolvent and your cash is unavailable.
CIPF protection applies to cash, not crypto. Digital assets can lose value and are not covered by CIPF or CDIC. On the account side, Coinsquare supports security controls such as two-step verification. You should use a unique password, keep your email account secure and turn on 2FA before funding an account.
- CIRO-registered investment dealer
- CIPF member for eligible cash
- External licensed crypto custodians
- Two-step verification available
Staking crypto in Canada
Staking is a way to participate in proof-of-stake networks by committing supported assets to help secure the network. In return, participants may receive rewards paid in crypto. Coinsquare lists staking rates of up to 12.77% on supported assets, but a published maximum is not a promise of a fixed return.
Reward rates can change, staking may involve lock-up or withdrawal conditions, and the value of the asset can fall by more than the reward you earn. Staking rewards may also have tax consequences. The calculator on this page uses an illustrative 8.5% annual rate to show the arithmetic, not a current offer.
If you are comparing staking products, look at the asset, the current rate, the lock-up terms, the fee treatment and the network risk. A higher percentage is not automatically a better outcome.
Who is Coinsquare for?
Coinsquare suits Canadian residents who want a CAD-first, regulated platform and a clear path from account opening to a first trade. It is also designed for people who already hold crypto and want a Canadian venue with multiple trading pairs, staking and human support.
A good fit if you
- Want to fund with Canadian dollars
- Prefer a regulated Canadian platform
- Are starting with a small first purchase
- Want staking and support in one account
Look elsewhere if you
- Need guaranteed investment returns
- Want someone else to make trading decisions
- Cannot tolerate large price swings
- Need a product not available to your account
Crypto taxes and investing risk in Canada
Crypto is a volatile asset class. Prices can move sharply, some assets are less liquid than Bitcoin or Ethereum, and you can lose some or all of what you invest. Crypto holdings are not covered by CIPF or CDIC. Never invest money you need for essential expenses or short-term goals.
Canadian tax treatment depends on what you do with the asset and on your personal circumstances. Buying, selling, trading, staking and transferring crypto can each have different consequences. Keep records of every transaction, including fees and rewards, and speak with a qualified Canadian tax professional. This guide is general information, not tax or investment advice.
Crypto terms, briefly explained
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- The first cryptocurrency and the largest by market value. Bitcoin runs on a public blockchain and is widely used as a store of value and a trading asset.
- Ethereum (ETH)
- A blockchain network and its native asset. Ethereum supports smart contracts and applications, and its network uses proof-of-stake.
- Trading pair
- Two assets quoted against each other. A BTC/CAD pair shows how many Canadian dollars are needed to buy one Bitcoin.
- Staking
- Committing supported crypto assets to help secure a proof-of-stake network, usually in exchange for variable rewards.
- CIPF
- The Canadian Investor Protection Fund. It protects eligible cash in a member firm's client accounts within defined limits. It does not cover crypto assets.
- Custodian
- A regulated institution that safeguards client assets. Coinsquare holds client crypto assets with external licensed custodians.
- KYC
- Know Your Client. The identity verification process Canadian financial platforms use to confirm who is opening an account.
