Note: Bitvo no longer exists. In November 2023, its client accounts were acquired by Bitbuy and migrated into the WonderFi ecosystem, and the Bitvo platform was wound down. 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. VirgoCX is the only active platform here.
As we explore the world of cryptocurrency trading, Bitvo and VirgoCX once stood as two distinct Canadian exchanges. Bitvo was known for its same-day guarantees and 24/7 phone support before its orderly wind-down. VirgoCX is a Toronto-based platform that pivoted to a non-custodial model in April 2025, offering 90+ coins with zero commissions.
Bitvo Vs VirgoCX: Which Is Better For Canadians?
Neither is an option for Canadians today. Bitvo stopped operating on its own in November 2023 when Bitbuy bought all of its client accounts and the Bitvo.com domain. The OSC lists VirgoCX's restricted dealer registration as suspended effective November 24, 2025, and the CSA list shows it under terms requiring a wind-down of its registrable business. It remains a FINTRAC-registered money services business. 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.
Bitvo Vs VirgoCX: Master Spec Table
Bitvo
VirgoCX
Winner
Company
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.
VirgoCX Inc. and VirgoCX Direct Inc. (FINTRAC names), Toronto. Founding year, founders, funding and staff: Not published.
Depends
Regulation
FINTRAC MSB M20580992 Ceased 2024-10-08. Bitvo Inc. is under CSA Expired Decisions.
CSA restricted dealer suspended effective 2025-11-24 (OSC list); CSA list shows wind-down terms. FINTRAC MSB M19955733 expiry 2027-10-21. No CIRO, no CIPF cover of crypto.
Tie
Assets
Small list: BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC, ADA, QCAD.
Not published.
Depends
Price
Zero trading commission, revenue from the spread (rate Not published). 1% withdrawal fee, $15 minimum.
Not verified; the official fee page was blocked.
Depends
CAD In
Free deposits; Interac e-Transfer about 30 minutes, no minimum deposit.
Interac e-Transfer free (2021 article, not re-confirmed).
Depends
CAD Out
1% withdrawal fee with a $15 minimum.
Not published.
Depends
Crypto In And Out
No longer available to Canadians
Non-custodial: crypto goes to your own wallet. Details Not published.
Depends
Custody
Full reserve, never lent customer funds. BitGo custody, over 80% in cold storage.
Custodial accounts wound down from 2025-04-04; remaining assets were sold after the deadline.
Depends
Verification (KYC)
No longer available to Canadians
Not published.
Depends
Account Types
No longer available to Canadians
Not published.
Depends
Provinces
No longer available to Canadians
Not published.
Depends
Extra Products
Bitvo Cash Card and the Same Day Guarantee.
Not published.
Depends
Tax Tools
No longer available to Canadians
Not published.
Depends
App
No longer available to Canadians
iOS Canada 4.43 (395 ratings), 2026-10-03.
Depends
Support
24/7 phone support was offered.
Help centre on virgocx.zendesk.com; channels Not verified.
What Are The Key Differences Between Bitvo And VirgoCX?
Bitvo Vs VirgoCX: Side By Side
Bitvo
VirgoCX
Description
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.
VirgoCX was a Toronto-based platform that served Canadians as a CSA restricted dealer. In April 2025 it ended custodial accounts and moved to a non-custodial service, where crypto goes to your own wallet. The OSC lists its dealer registration as suspended effective November 24, 2025.
Coins
A small selection including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Litecoin, Cardano and QCAD, Canada's first mass-market stablecoin.
It advertised 90+ coins including BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL and USDC before the change. The current list is not published.
Fees
Free deposits, zero trading fees (revenue came from the spread), and a 1% withdrawal fee with a $15 minimum.
Past tense: Oleg's table cited spreads of 0.95% on BTC and ETH and 1.6% on other assets, with volume tiers. The official fee page is behind a bot check, so this was not re-confirmed and is no longer current.
Pros
No trading fees
The Same Day Guarantee
The Bitvo Cash Card
Rare 24/7 phone support
Was registered with the CSA as a restricted dealer until suspended
Non-custodial service from April 2025
OTC desk (VirgoCX Wealth)
Still a FINTRAC registered money services business
Cons
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
Registration as a dealer suspended effective November 24, 2025
The non-custodial service is not offered under its securities registration, and no regulator has confirmed it is regulated under securities law
No securities-law investor protections for the non-custodial service
Custodial accounts ended; assets left after the deadline were sold
Fee page and coin list could not be verified
Security
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.
Past tense: VirgoCX stopped holding crypto for customers in 2025. No protections under securities law were confirmed for the non-custodial service, and CIPF never covered crypto.
Methods To Buy
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.
Past tense: Interac e-Transfer (free, 2021 help article, not re-confirmed after the 2025 switch).
App
Not published. The website and apps are no longer operational.
Apple Canada app 'Virgo: Buy Bitcoin, XRP and More' rated 4.43 from 395 ratings (2026-10-03).
Account Limits
No minimum deposit. Free 30-minute Interac e-Transfer deposits.
Not published. Custodial accounts ended in 2025; customers must hold crypto in their own wallets.
How Do You Fund And Cash Out Bitvo And VirgoCX In Canada?
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
VirgoCX: CAD Deposits (When It Operated)
Method
Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Speed
Interac e-Transfer
Free, no funding minimum (2021 article, not re-confirmed)
None stated
Not published
Not published
All funding now ended. Accounts moved to Bitbuy. VirgoCX is no longer a registered dealer in Canada; do not treat these methods as current.
What Do Bitvo And VirgoCX Offer Beyond Buying And Selling?
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 Bitvo Or VirgoCX Fails?
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.
VirgoCX: The OSC lists VirgoCX's restricted dealer registration as suspended since November 24, 2025, and the CSA list shows terms requiring a wind-down of its registrable business. It stopped holding customer crypto in 2025, so the remaining service is non-custodial and sits outside securities-law investor protections. A FINTRAC MSB registration covers anti-money-laundering rules only. CIPF never covered crypto. Use this platform only if you accept those gaps, or move to a registered dealer.
How Are Bitvo And VirgoCX Treated For Tax In Canada?
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.
VirgoCX: Past activity on VirgoCX followed the usual rules: selling, swapping or spending crypto are dispositions reportable to the CRA. Check your old statements for cost basis; export tools are 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, Bitvo Or VirgoCX?
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.
Choose VirgoCX If
You already hold a VirgoCX history and need to check records
You are looking only for registered Canadian dealers: pick another platform
I have been trading crypto in Canada since 2016 and have tested 61 exchanges on my YouTube channel, so this comparison sticks to what each platform publishes and what Canadian regulators list. One side of this comparison, Bitvo, is not an option for Canadians any more. That changes the question from which one wins to what you should use instead.
What Happened To Bitvo?
Merged, not operating
Status: Bitvo stopped operating on its own in November 2023 when Bitbuy bought all of its client accounts and the Bitvo.com domain.
This was a merger, not Bitvo leaving Canada. Bitvo was an Alberta-origin exchange, and WonderFi said more than 17,000 client accounts moved to Bitbuy in November 2023. The bitvo.com domain no longer resolves in DNS (checked October 2, 2026).
The chain did not stop there. Bitbuy moved its accounts 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. Bitvo Inc.'s CSA decision now sits under Expired Decisions, and its FINTRAC registration shows as Ceased on October 8, 2024.
If you still have questions about an old Bitvo account, the successor chain is Bitbuy, so that is where the history sits. If anyone contacts you offering to recover Bitvo funds for a fee, treat it as a recovery scam.
What Should Bitvo Users Use Instead?
VirgoCX, the other half of this comparison, is not a like-for-like replacement: it stopped holding crypto for customers in 2025 and now runs a non-custodial service that sits outside its dealer registration. The better fit for a former Bitvo user is below.
NDAX: Alberta-based registered Canadian platform with CAD funding, the nearest like-for-like for an Alberta-origin exchange.
NDAX at a glance
NDAX
Trading Cost
Flat 0.20% on every buy and sell, no tiers
CAD Funding
Interac e-Transfer and wire free
Coins
77 base assets (public API, not an official Canadian count)
Registration
CSA decision December 19, 2024; CIRO investment dealer member
Interac e-Transfer free, no funding minimum (2021 support article, not re-confirmed since the switch)
CAD Withdrawal
Not verified
Crypto Withdrawal
You hold your own wallet
Coins
Not verified
Registration
On the CSA list under terms requiring wind-down of its registrable business; FINTRAC registered
Custody
Non-custodial since 2025: you must hold crypto in your own wallet
VirgoCX's official fee page was not retrievable, so I have no verified trading fee or spread to quote and I am leaving out third-party figures.
A 2021 VirgoCX support article described free Interac e-Transfer funding with no minimum. It has not been re-confirmed since VirgoCX went non-custodial in 2025.
VirgoCX does not publish a coin count I could verify, so I am not quoting one.
VirgoCX is a different animal from a normal registered exchange. It is on the CSA list, but under terms requiring wind-down of its registrable business. It stopped holding crypto for customers: the custodial wind-down began on April 4, 2025, and assets remaining after the June 16, 2025 deadline were force-sold. It now offers only a non-custodial buy-and-sell service, which it says is not offered under its securities dealer registration. Its FINTRAC registrations are current.
Says its current service is not offered under its dealer registration
Fees and coin count not verified
No investor protection confirmed
Which One Should You Choose Instead Of Bitvo?
VirgoCX suits only someone who already uses it and understands that its current service sits outside its securities dealer registration.
NDAX suits people who want a low flat fee and cheap cash-outs to their bank.
Key Dates For Bitvo And VirgoCX
: Robinhood closed its WonderFi purchase; Bitbuy now tells users it is part of Robinhood.
: VirgoCX began its custodial wind-down and moved to a non-custodial buy-and-sell service.
: The CSA issued an Amended Decision for VirgoCX requiring wind-down of its registrable business.
: Bitbuy announced it had acquired Bitvo's client accounts and the Bitvo.com domain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bitvo Still Available To Canadians?
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?
Alberta-based registered Canadian platform with CAD funding, the nearest like-for-like for an Alberta-origin exchange.
NDAX: Flat 0.20% on every buy and sell, no tiers. Coins: 77 base assets (public API, not an official Canadian count).
Can I Still Recover My Funds From Bitvo?
If you still have questions about an old Bitvo account, the successor chain is Bitbuy, so that is where the history sits. If anyone contacts you offering to recover Bitvo funds for a fee, treat it as a recovery scam.
Is VirgoCX Registered In Canada?
On the CSA list under terms requiring wind-down of its registrable business; FINTRAC registered.
Is VirgoCX A Good Choice In 2026?
VirgoCX suits only someone who already uses it and understands that its current service sits outside its securities dealer registration.
Do Bitvo And VirgoCX Have Limit Orders?
Bitvo: Not published VirgoCX: Not published.
Which Coins Can You Buy On Bitvo And VirgoCX?
Bitvo: Small list, closed VirgoCX: Not published (90+ advertised before 2025)
Is The Spread The Fee On Bitvo And VirgoCX?
Bitvo: No longer applicable. VirgoCX: Not verified; spreads of 0.95% to 1.6% were reported historically.
Does CIPF Cover My Crypto On Bitvo Or VirgoCX?
Bitvo: CIPF never covers crypto, and this platform no longer serves Canadians. VirgoCX: CIPF never covers crypto.
Are Bitvo And VirgoCX Available In Every Province?
Bitvo: No longer available in any province. VirgoCX: Not published.
Do Interac Deposits Work On Weekends On Bitvo And VirgoCX?
Bitvo: No longer applicable. VirgoCX: Not published.
What Is The Minimum Buy On Bitvo And VirgoCX?
Bitvo: No longer applicable. VirgoCX: Not published.
Can A Business Use Bitvo Or VirgoCX?
Bitvo: No longer applicable. VirgoCX: VirgoCX Wealth OTC existed; current status Not verified.
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.
