Policy Reference

Canada

Explore Canada’s crypto laws, including exchange registration, securities rules, taxes, AML compliance, and digital asset regulation.

Canadian Securities Administrators, CSA
Status
Topic
Law Type
Asset Class

Law database

21 law profiles

Law / Bill
Draft Intro Committee Passed Enacted Effective
CSA Staff Notice 81-336 Crypto Asset Investment Funds Guidance CSA Staff Notice 81-336 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

CSA Staff Notice 81-336 Guidance on Crypto Asset Investment Funds that are Reporting Issuers

Canadian CSA staff guidance for public crypto asset funds, covering NI 81-102, custody, valuation, liquidity, staking, KYC/KYP and suitability expectations.

Last action: Jul 16, 2025 - NI 81-102 crypto amendments effective

Profile CSA Staff Notice 81-336
National Instrument 81-102 Crypto Asset Amendments NI 81-102; 81-102CP; CSA Apr. 17, 2025 amendments Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

Amendments to National Instrument 81-102 Investment Funds Pertaining to Crypto Assets and Changes to Companion Policy 81-102CP

Canada’s CSA amendments to NI 81-102 set investment, eligibility and custody rules for reporting issuer investment funds with direct or indirect crypto-asset exposure, effective July 16, 2025.

Last action: Jul 16, 2025 - Amendments came into force

Profile CSA news release on NI 81-102 crypto amendments
Canada Excise Tax Act Crypto GST/HST Rules R.S.C., 1985, c. E-15, ss. 123(1), 188.2 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

Excise Tax Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. E-15, subsection 123(1) and section 188.2

Canada’s Excise Tax Act treats qualifying virtual payment instruments as financial instruments for GST/HST and sets rules for cryptoasset mining activities, mining payments and related ITCs.

Last action: Jun 24, 2025 - CRA Notice 324 updated

Profile Excise Tax Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. E-15, section 188.2
CSA Crypto Asset Trading Platform Registration and PRU Regime CSA Staff Notices 21-329, 21-332 and 21-333 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

CSA Crypto Asset Trading Platform Registration and Pre-Registration Undertaking Regime

Canada’s CSA regime applies securities-law registration and PRU expectations to crypto asset trading platforms, including custody, leverage and VRCA terms.

Last action: Dec 31, 2024 - Final VRCA compliance deadline

Profile Joint CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 21-329
CSA Staff Notice 21-332: Crypto Asset Trading Platform PRUs CSA Staff Notice 21-332 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

CSA Staff Notice 21-332 Crypto Asset Trading Platforms: Pre-Registration Undertakings – Changes to Enhance Canadian Investor Protection

CSA notice setting enhanced PRU expectations for unregistered crypto asset trading platforms operating in Canada while seeking registration, covering custody, leverage, capital, CCO, reporting, VRCAs and proprietary-token limits.

Last action: Dec 31, 2024 - VRCA compliance deadline extended

Profile CSA Staff Notice 21-332 PDF
CSA Staff Notice 21-333: Value-Referenced Crypto Assets CSA Staff Notice 21-333 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

CSA Staff Notice 21-333 Crypto Asset Trading Platforms: Terms and Conditions for Trading Value-Referenced Crypto Assets with Clients

CSA Staff Notice 21-333 outlines CSA staff’s interim terms and conditions for Canadian crypto asset trading platforms seeking consent to offer certain fiat-backed value-referenced crypto assets to clients.

Last action: Dec 31, 2024 - Post-extension FBCA posture begins

Profile CSA Staff Notice 21-333 PDF
CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 21-329: Crypto Trading Platform Guidance Joint CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 21-329 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

Joint Canadian Securities Administrators/Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada Staff Notice 21-329 Guidance for Crypto-Asset Trading Platforms: Compliance with Regulatory Requirements

Canadian guidance on how securities and derivatives requirements apply to crypto-asset trading platforms, covering registration, marketplace oversight, custody, disclosure, market integrity and retail safeguards. In 2024, regulators said the general interim dealer path would not continue.

Last action: Aug 6, 2024 - CSA and CIRO update the transition pathway

Profile Joint CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 21-329
CSA Staff Notice 46-307 Cryptocurrency Offerings CSA Staff Notice 46-307 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

CSA Staff Notice 46-307 Cryptocurrency Offerings

Canadian CSA staff guidance on when ICOs, token offerings, crypto investment funds and trading platforms may trigger securities-law, prospectus, registration, marketplace, disclosure and custody requirements.

Last action: Jul 6, 2023 - CSA publishes public crypto fund guidance

Profile CSA Staff Notice 46-307 Cryptocurrency Offerings
Joint CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 21-330 Guidance for Crypto-Trading Platforms: Requirements Relating to Advertising, Marketing and Social Media Use Joint CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 21-330 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

Joint CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 21-330 Guidance for Crypto-Trading Platforms: Requirements Relating to Advertising, Marketing and Social Media Use

Canadian staff guidance on how securities legislation and former IIROC rules apply to crypto-trading platform advertising, promotions and social media, including misleading claims, trading incentives, supervision and recordkeeping.

Last action: Jun 1, 2023 - Successor SRO named CIRO

Profile Staff Notice 21-330 — official PDF
FINTRAC Large Virtual Currency Transaction Reporting Regime SOR/2002-184; SOR/2019-240; SOR/2020-112 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Regulations

Canada’s AML/CFT regime requires reporting entities to report receipt of virtual currency worth CAD 10,000 or more, including linked receipts aggregated within a static 24-hour window, generally within five working days, subject to prescribed exceptions.

Last action: Jun 1, 2021 - Large virtual currency reporting took effect

Profile Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Regulations

Information is for general purposes only and not legal advice. See full disclaimer.