CoinSmart Vs Netcoins: Which Is Better For Canadians In 2026?

How Do CoinSmart And Netcoins Compare, Fact By Fact?

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.

What Are The Key Differences Between CoinSmart And Netcoins?

How Do You Fund And Cash Out CoinSmart And Netcoins In Canada?

All funding ended. Accounts moved to Bitbuy. Not verified

What Does It Actually Cost To Buy On Netcoins?

Netcoins: Netcoins states no separate trading fee and an all-in price; the spread percentage is not published (2026-10-03). The old 0.5% flat fee is gone. Neither publishes a maker and taker schedule because there is no order book: the spread is the fee. If cost matters most, NDAX (flat 0.20%) or Kraken Pro are cheaper places to buy in Canada. Ranges reflect each platform’s published band, not a single quote. Bank and network fees are not included.

What Do CoinSmart And Netcoins Offer Beyond Buying And Selling?

Netcoins Only

• Staking: Staking on ETH, SOL and ATOM while the crypto stays held by Netcoins.
• Crypto lending: Borrow CAD against crypto with same-day funding; rates and LTV Not verified.
• OTC desk: Large trades with dedicated account managers and same-day settlement.
• Referral program: Invite a friend and both earn a cash reward after they sign up and trade; the amount is Not verified.

What Happens To Your Money If CoinSmart Or Netcoins Fails?

CoinSmart: This was a merger, not a collapse. CoinSmart's accounts went to Bitbuy, which has since moved to Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd. and then Robinhood. Log in through Bitbuy with your old CoinSmart email, and never send crypto to an old CoinSmart deposit address, because the addresses changed. If you prefer not to follow the move to Robinhood, withdraw to your own wallet.

Netcoins: Netcoins is a CSA restricted dealer under the BCSC, so it must follow custody, disclosure and limit conditions, but CIPF never covers crypto. Customer crypto sits mostly in BitGo cold storage and Fireblocks hot wallets, and Netcoins says it carries insurance without giving the amount or insurer. No proof of reserves was found. If Netcoins failed or was hacked, you would rely on those custodians and any insurer paying out, and you would be an unsecured creditor for the rest. The parent company changed its name to Surge Digital Inc in 2026.

How Are CoinSmart And Netcoins Treated For Tax In Canada?

CoinSmart: Trades on CoinSmart were dispositions for CRA purposes. Pull your CoinSmart history from your migrated Bitbuy account. Export formats: Not published.

Netcoins: Buying with CAD is not a disposition. Selling, swapping and spending crypto are dispositions you report to the CRA, and staking rewards are income. Export formats were not verified.

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, CoinSmart Or Netcoins?

Choose CoinSmart 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 Netcoins If

• You want a broker app with 60+ coins, free Interac funding and phone support
• You value a long-registered Canadian dealer owned by a public company
• You can accept an unpublished spread in exchange for simple all-in prices

What Happened To CoinSmart?

CoinSmart, run by Simply Digital Technologies Inc., stopped operating as a separate exchange after WonderFi moved its client accounts to Bitbuy. WonderFi announced the deal on September 8, 2023, and I could not verify the exact completion date. Its two CSA decisions, the original of October 21, 2021 and an amended one of December 21, 2021, now sit under the CSA's expired decisions.

FINTRAC lists the CoinSmart registration as ceased on September 10, 2024. Today coinsmart.com serves the Bitbuy site with a banner saying Bitbuy is now part of Robinhood. That chain matters: CoinSmart accounts went to Bitbuy, Bitbuy later moved under Coinsquare Capital Markets Ltd., and Robinhood closed its WonderFi purchase on June 1, 2026.

So CoinSmart did not collapse. It was folded into a larger group, and the group is now being folded into Robinhood. Bitbuy has a help article for migrated CoinSmart accounts if you ever need to trace one.

For more detail, see my CoinSmart page. I do not link to CoinSmart for sign-ups, because it is not an option for Canadians.

What Should CoinSmart Users Use Instead?

The short answer is Netcoins, the other half of this match-up. It is available to Canadians, and it is people who want a registered Canadian dealer with a broad list and are comfortable that the price includes a spread. If you want the closest like-for-like match to CoinSmart, my notes name NDAX.

How Much Does Netcoins Cost, And How Do You Fund It?

Since CoinSmart cannot be compared on current fees, here is what Netcoins charges today, taken from its own published pages.

Is Netcoins Safe For Canadians?

Netcoins Inc. is a restricted dealer with the BC Securities Commission as principal regulator. Its latest amended CSA decision is dated September 16, 2026, which added Solana, and it holds a FINTRAC registration to October 2027. Certain investors in specific jurisdictions face a rolling 12-month investment limit, except on Appendix C assets.

I have no verified custody or insurance detail for Netcoins.

I could not verify app store ratings.

Whichever platform you use, I still say the same thing: do not keep more on an exchange than you are prepared to lose, and move long-term holdings to your own wallet.

Who Should Choose Netcoins?

Netcoins suits people who want a registered Canadian dealer with a broad list and are comfortable that the price includes a spread. It is a weaker fit if you need something its list or fee structure does not cover: spread percentage not published, and wire withdrawals cost CAD 50 under CAD 25,000.

Not sure which platform fits you? Take my 60-second quiz or see my full ranking.

What Should You Do If You Still Have Something With CoinSmart?

CoinSmart: If you held a CoinSmart account, it was migrated to Bitbuy, and Bitbuy's help centre has an article on what to do with a migrated account. Bitbuy itself is now part of Robinhood and is inviting customers to the Robinhood app, so check what you hold there and decide whether you want to stay. Whatever you decide, do not send crypto to an old CoinSmart deposit address.

A simple rule applies after any platform change: keep your own records of every purchase, because the CRA treats crypto as a commodity and you need the history for your tax return.