Note: Bitvo no longer exists. In November 2023, its client accounts were acquired by Bitbuy and migrated into the WonderFi ecosystem, meaning Bitvo customers became Bitbuy customers. Bitbuy itself was then acquired by Robinhood, which completed its C$250M acquisition of WonderFi on June 1, 2026. Former Bitvo customers with account questions should contact Bitbuy/Robinhood support. Bitbuy is the only active platform here.
In this comparison, we look at two prominent Canadian crypto exchanges: Bitbuy and Bitvo. Bitbuy is one of Canada’s longest-standing registered platforms, now owned by Robinhood following the June 2026 WonderFi acquisition, with 60+ coins and both beginner and pro trading interfaces. Bitvo was a Calgary-based exchange known for its same-day guarantee and 24/7 phone support, before its orderly wind-down in November 2023, with all client accounts transferred directly to Bitbuy.
Bitbuy Vs Bitvo: Which Is Better For Canadians?
Neither is an option for Canadians today. Bitbuy accounts were moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. in May 2024, and since Robinhood closed its WonderFi purchase on June 1, 2026 the Bitbuy site tells users it is now part of Robinhood and customers are being invited to move to the Robinhood app. Bitvo stopped operating on its own in November 2023 when Bitbuy bought all of its client accounts and the Bitvo.com domain. I recommend Coinbase instead (9.8/10, #1 on my list): open a Coinbase account.
Every row below comes from each company’s own pages and the Canadian registries, checked October 2026. Where a row has no fair winner, it says so.
Bitbuy Vs Bitvo: Master Spec Table
Bitbuy
Bitvo
Winner
Company
Bitbuy Technologies Inc., founded in Toronto in 2016. Accounts moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. in May 2024; parent WonderFi was bought by Robinhood on 2026-06-01. Founders: Not published.
Bitvo Inc., Calgary, founded 2018. Bitbuy bought all client accounts (17,000+ per WonderFi) and the domain in November 2023. Founders and funding: Not published.
Depends
Regulation
FINTRAC MSB M20728803 Ceased 2025-02-20. Bitbuy Technologies Inc. sits under CSA Expired Decisions. Live CSA entry is Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd., Decision 2024-10-11. Not on the CSA banned list.
FINTRAC MSB M20580992 Ceased 2024-10-08. Bitvo Inc. is under CSA Expired Decisions.
Tie
Assets
60+ coins offered (BTC, ETH, SOL, ADA, DOGE, DOT, USDC). Order book on Pro. Current list: see the Robinhood app.
Small list: BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC, ADA, QCAD.
Depends
Price
Express: spread, Pro: maker/taker, exact rates Not published. Robinhood signaled a flat 0.5% on CAD trades after migration.
Zero trading commission, revenue from the spread (rate Not published). 1% withdrawal fee, $15 minimum.
Depends
CAD In
Free Interac e-Transfer, wire and bank draft were offered.
Free deposits; Interac e-Transfer about 30 minutes, no minimum deposit.
Depends
CAD Out
Not published in the sources reviewed.
1% withdrawal fee with a $15 minimum.
Depends
Crypto In And Out
Crypto deposits and withdrawals to private wallets were allowed. Networks and minimums: Not published.
No longer available to Canadians
Depends
Custody
Held with BitGo, majority in insured cold storage; quarterly proof-of-reserves under CIRO rules. Crypto was never CIPF-covered.
Full reserve, never lent customer funds. BitGo custody, over 80% in cold storage.
Depends
Verification (KYC)
No longer available to Canadians
No longer available to Canadians
Depends
Account Types
Express and Pro platforms; OTC desk and Private Wealth.
No longer available to Canadians
Depends
Provinces
No longer available to Canadians
No longer available to Canadians
Depends
Extra Products
Staking on nine coins including ETH, SOL, ADA and DOT, at a combined 39% fee on rewards.
Bitvo Cash Card and the Same Day Guarantee.
Depends
Tax Tools
No longer available to Canadians
No longer available to Canadians
Depends
App
App Store rating 4.6 (Oleg's old row). Being replaced by the Robinhood app.
What Are The Key Differences Between Bitbuy And Bitvo?
Bitbuy Vs Bitvo: Side By Side
Bitbuy
Bitvo
Description
Bitbuy was founded in Toronto in 2016 and was one of the first registered crypto marketplaces in Canada. It offered 60+ cryptocurrencies through an Express platform for beginners and a Pro platform for experienced traders. Its accounts moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. in May 2024, and since June 2026 it has been part of Robinhood, which acquired parent company WonderFi for C$250 million. Customers are being invited to move to the Robinhood app.
Bitvo was a Calgary-based cryptocurrency exchange, founded in 2018, known for its Same Day Guarantee, zero trading fees and 24/7 phone support. In November 2023 its client accounts were acquired by Bitbuy and the Bitvo platform was wound down. It is also remembered as the exchange FTX almost bought, a deal terminated days after FTX's collapse in November 2022.
Coins
60+ including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Dogecoin, Polkadot and USDC.
A small selection including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Litecoin, Cardano and QCAD, Canada's first mass-market stablecoin.
Fees
Free Interac e-Transfer deposits. Express Trade prices included a spread, the pricier way to buy. Pro Trade used lower maker/taker fees with TradingView charting. Staking carried a combined fee of roughly 39% of rewards (30% Bitbuy plus 9% custodian). Robinhood has signaled a flat 0.5% CAD trading fee after migration; the schedule is likely to change during the transition.
Free deposits, zero trading fees (revenue came from the spread), and a 1% withdrawal fee with a $15 minimum.
Pros
One of Canada's longest-standing registered platforms, later under CIRO oversight with segregated client assets and quarterly proof-of-reserves
Express and Pro platforms served beginners and advanced traders alike
Free Interac e-Transfer deposits
Staking on nine coins including ETH, SOL, ADA and DOT
Insured cold storage custody with BitGo and a clean security track record
OTC desk and Private Wealth services
No trading fees
The Same Day Guarantee
The Bitvo Cash Card
Rare 24/7 phone support
Cons
No longer a separate platform: accounts moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd., then to Robinhood
Staking's roughly 39% combined cut of rewards was the highest in Canada
Support was email-ticket only, with no live chat or phone
Fees ran higher than global competitors unless you stuck to Pro Trade
No margin, derivatives or stop-loss orders
Migration to the Robinhood app brings new terms, fees and interface
Platform wound down in November 2023 with client accounts sold to Bitbuy
High spreads masked the "zero fee" pitch
The 1% withdrawal fee was a sore point
Small coin selection even at its peak
Security
Majority of digital assets in insured cold storage with BitGo, mandatory 2FA, quarterly proof-of-reserves under CIRO requirements, withdrawals to private wallets allowed. No hacks in nearly a decade of operation.
Bitvo operated on a full reserve basis, meaning it never lent customer funds, and held client assets with third-party custodian BitGo, with over 80% in cold storage. No customer funds were reported lost in the wind-down.
Methods To Buy
Interac e-Transfer, wire transfer, bank draft and crypto deposits were accepted. Today new Canadians are pointed to the Robinhood app instead.
There was no way to buy through Bitvo after the migration. Former clients were moved to Bitbuy. A site claiming to be Bitvo and taking deposits is an impostor.
App
Bitbuy's app held a 4.6-star rating on the App Store. It is being replaced by the Robinhood app.
Not published. The website and apps are no longer operational.
Account Limits
Standard verified accounts handled typical retail volumes, with OTC and Private Wealth desks for large trades. Legacy limit figures changed repeatedly through the platform mergers.
No minimum deposit. Free 30-minute Interac e-Transfer deposits.
How Do You Fund And Cash Out Bitbuy And Bitvo In Canada?
Bitbuy: CAD Deposits (When It Operated)
Method
Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Speed
Interac e-Transfer
Free
Not published
Not published
Not published
Bitvo: CAD Deposits (When It Operated)
Method
Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Speed
Interac e-Transfer
Free
No minimum
Not published
about 30 minutes
Bitvo: CAD Withdrawals (When It Operated)
Method
Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Speed
Fiat withdrawal
1%
CAD 15 fee minimum
Not published
Not published
Funding for the live platform is now on Robinhood. Bitbuy-specific limits are Not published. All funding now ended. Accounts moved to Bitbuy.
What Do Bitbuy And Bitvo Offer Beyond Buying And Selling?
Bitbuy Only
Staking:Staking on nine coins including ETH, SOL, ADA and DOT, with a combined 39% cut of rewards (30% Bitbuy plus 9% custodian).
OTC desk and Private Wealth: Offered for large trades.
Bitvo Only
Bitvo Cash Card: A prepaid card product listed among Bitvo's strengths.
Same Day Guarantee: A funding-speed promise Bitvo marketed.
What Happens To Your Money If Bitbuy Or Bitvo Fails?
Bitbuy: Existing Bitbuy users should watch for Robinhood migration emails and read the new terms and fees before accepting. Accounts are held by Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd., a CIRO-regulated dealer, and the registry says the CSA entry for Bitbuy Technologies Inc. is expired. If you do not want to move, withdraw your crypto to a wallet you control. CIPF covers cash but never crypto.
Bitvo: This was a merger, not a collapse: Bitvo's client accounts moved to Bitbuy, which has since moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. and now Robinhood, per the registry. Check that you are logged into your account with the current owner and withdraw to a wallet if you prefer. Do not send crypto to an old Bitvo address or trust a site using the Bitvo name.
How Are Bitbuy And Bitvo Treated For Tax In Canada?
Bitbuy: Selling or swapping crypto on Bitbuy was a disposition for CRA purposes. Export your full transaction history before your account is migrated or closed. Export formats: Not published.
Bitvo: Trades on Bitvo were dispositions for CRA purposes. Ask for or export your Bitvo history from your migrated Bitbuy account. Export formats: Not published.
Selling, swapping or spending crypto is a disposition for the CRA on any platform. This is not tax advice: see my guide to crypto taxes in Canada.
Which Should You Choose, Bitbuy Or Bitvo?
Choose Bitbuy If
You want a registered platform that serves Canadians today: Coinbase is our number one replacement, with free Interac e-Transfer funding and a Canadian restricted dealer registration.
You hold a Bitbuy account and want to compare it with what Robinhood is offering before you accept the migration.
Choose Bitvo If
You want a registered platform that serves Canadians today: Coinbase is our number one replacement, with free Interac e-Transfer funding and a Canadian restricted dealer registration.
What Happened To Bitbuy?
Bitbuy is no longer a separate platform. Its accounts moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. in May 2024, and since Robinhood closed its WonderFi purchase on June 1, 2026, the Bitbuy site tells users it is now part of Robinhood and invites customers to move to the Robinhood app.
Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. is the entity that operates the platform, and it appears on the CSA list with a decision dated October 11, 2024. Bitbuy Technologies Inc. sits under expired decisions on the CSA site, and its FINTRAC MSB registration shows as ceased on February 20, 2025. Bitbuy's help centre says the 2024 move was required because its CSA relief was time-limited and called for a move under CIRO oversight.
If you still hold coins there, watch for the migration invitation, open it only from the official Bitbuy or Robinhood channels, and read the new terms before you accept. I do not send new readers to Bitbuy, because the business is being folded into Robinhood. On the Robinhood side, a flat 0.5% on CAD trades was advertised for the first few months after launch, and the zero-fee promotion for Canada ended on September 30, 2026. Its fee schedule sets the fee at 0.5% through October 31, 2026 and 0.95% from November 1, 2026.
Bitbuy: What The Records Show
Item
Record
Status
Bitbuy accounts were moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. in May 2024, and since Robinhood closed its WonderFi purchase on June 1, 2026 the Bitbuy site tells users it is now part of Robinhood and customers are being invited to move to the Robinhood app.
Key dates
2024-05-28 (accounts moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd.); 2026-06-01 (Robinhood closes WonderFi, parent)
CSA record
Bitbuy Technologies Inc. is under 'Crypto Platforms Expired Decisions' on the CSA site (Decision, Expired; no date shown). The live CSA list entry is Coinsquare Capital Markets Limited, Decision (October 11, 2024)
FINTRAC record
BITBUY TECHNOLOGIES INC. M20728803 status Ceased, cessation 2025-02-20 (initial approval 2020-02-07)
What Happened To Bitvo?
Bitvo did not leave Canada, it merged into Bitbuy. Bitvo stopped operating on its own in November 2023 when Bitbuy bought all of its client accounts and the Bitvo.com domain, in a deal announced on November 15, 2023.
WonderFi put the number of moved accounts at 17,000 plus. Bitvo Inc. now sits under expired decisions on the CSA site, its FINTRAC registration shows as ceased on October 8, 2024, and bitvo.com no longer resolves in DNS as of October 2, 2026.
The catch is that the platform Bitvo merged into has since merged again. Bitbuy accounts moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. in 2024, and Robinhood closed its WonderFi purchase on June 1, 2026.
Bitvo: What The Records Show
Item
Record
Status
Bitvo stopped operating on its own in November 2023 when Bitbuy bought all of its client accounts and the Bitvo.com domain.
Bitvo Inc. is under 'Crypto Platforms Expired Decisions' on the CSA site (Decision, Expired)
FINTRAC record
BITVO INC. M20580992 Ceased 2024-10-08
What Should Bitbuy And Bitvo Users Use Instead?
Neither side of this pair is a place to open a new account. The registry points Bitbuy users to Coinbase and Bitvo users to NDAX, and both are CSA-registered in Canada.
Where Bitbuy And Bitvo Users Can Go Instead
Platform
Canadian Status
Published Fee
CAD Funding
Coins
My Ranking
Coinbase
CSA Restricted Dealer in all provinces and territories; FINTRAC MSB; not a CIRO member
Coinbase fee of up to 1.875% on simple buys (varies by payment method) plus spread; separate 1% fee on simple limit orders
Interac e-Transfer and EFT, free
200+
#1 of 10, 9.8/10
NDAX
CSA-registered; CIRO Dealer Member since December 19, 2024
Flat 0.20% on every buy and sell
Interac e-Transfer and wire, free
77 base assets (public API)
#7 of 10, 7.8/10
Coinbase. Coinbase is the closest like-for-like for a Bitbuy user: a beginner app, free Interac e-Transfer and EFT funding, and a Restricted Dealer registration in every province and territory. It sits first in my ranking at 9.8 out of 10. Simple buys carry a Coinbase fee of up to 1.875% on top of the spread, and fiat balances are not covered by CIPF. Derivatives launched for eligible Canadian investors only, so there is no retail leverage.
NDAX. NDAX is a CIRO Dealer Member since December 19, 2024, charges a flat 0.20% on every trade and takes Interac e-Transfer and wire for free. It is seventh in my ranking at 7.8. The public API lists 77 base assets, there is a 20% administration fee on staking and Auto Earn rewards, and the pages I could read show no insurance dollar figure.
What Changed For Bitbuy And Bitvo In October 2026?
: Bitbuy announced it had bought Bitvo's client accounts and the Bitvo.com domain.
: Bitbuy accounts moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd..
: CSA decision and CIRO membership (investment dealer) for NDAX Canada Inc..
: Robinhood closed its WonderFi purchase, and the Bitbuy site now says it is part of Robinhood.
: Robinhood crypto trading launched in Canada with 50+ coins.
: Robinhood's zero-fee promotion for Canada ended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bitbuy Still Open In 2026?
Bitbuy accounts were moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. in May 2024, and since Robinhood closed its WonderFi purchase on June 1, 2026 the Bitbuy site tells users it is now part of Robinhood and customers are being invited to move to the Robinhood app.
Should I Open A New Bitbuy Account?
I would not. Bitbuy accounts sit with Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd., and the Bitbuy site now tells users it is part of Robinhood and invites customers to move to the Robinhood app. A registered platform that is still taking new customers is the safer starting point.
What Happened To Bitvo?
Bitvo stopped operating on its own in November 2023 when Bitbuy bought all of its client accounts and the Bitvo.com domain.
What Should I Use Instead Of Bitvo?
NDAX is the registry pick: Alberta-based registered Canadian platform with CAD funding, the nearest like-for-like for an Alberta-origin exchange.
Bitbuy: Yes on Pro, historically. Bitvo: Not published
Which Coins Can You Buy On Bitbuy And Bitvo?
Bitbuy: 60+ coins offered Bitvo: Small list, closed
Is The Spread The Fee On Bitbuy And Bitvo?
Bitbuy: Express prices included a spread, which was the cost. Bitvo: No longer applicable.
Does CIPF Cover My Crypto On Bitbuy Or Bitvo?
Bitbuy: CIPF never covers crypto, and this platform no longer serves Canadians. Bitvo: CIPF never covers crypto, and this platform no longer serves Canadians.
Are Bitbuy And Bitvo Available In Every Province?
Bitbuy: Bitbuy's CSA entry expired; accounts now sit with Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. Bitvo: No longer available in any province.
Do Interac Deposits Work On Weekends On Bitbuy And Bitvo?
Bitbuy: No longer applicable. Bitvo: No longer applicable.
What Is The Minimum Buy On Bitbuy And Bitvo?
Bitbuy: Not published Bitvo: No longer applicable.
Can A Business Use Bitbuy Or Bitvo?
Bitbuy: Private Wealth and OTC desks existed. Bitvo: No longer applicable.
Oleg is a Canadian citizen & crypto expert who has been trading since 2016. He started out with Coinbase, Kraken and Peer-to-Peer exchanges. After some time, centralized exchanges started charging crazy fees to their users.
He decided to review different crypto exchanges that operate in Canada and start a Youtube channel in order to educate Canadians on what kinds of things are going inside each one while giving them unbiased advice. On top of that, Oleg also has experience with NFT, airdrops, and crypto staking and he is constantly checking on new crypto assets.
His writing has been featured in popular Canadian media sources such as Toronto Sun and Ottawa Citizen.
