MEXC lists more than 1,400 coins and its User Agreement names Canada as a prohibited jurisdiction. Netcoins lists 65 and is a CSA-registered Canadian broker. The comparison is range against permission.
MEXC Vs Netcoins: Which Is Better For Canadians?
For most Canadians, MEXC is the better choice (it wins on my ranking). Netcoins still comes out ahead on canadian status.
65 coins listed on the official fee page (one, Bittensor, is trade-only)
Depends
MEXC is offshore: not registered with the Canadian Securities Administrators, and its terms restrict Canadian residents. No Canadian investor protection applies.
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.
MEXC Vs Netcoins: Master Spec Table
MEXC
Netcoins
Winner
Company
Agreement is with 'MEXC Trading Platform'. Legal entity, founders, year founded, HQ and funding not published on a primary page we could verify.
Netcoins Inc., Vancouver; founded 2014; owned by Surge Digital Inc (TSXV: SRGE, formerly BIGG Digital Assets). Founders and staff: Not published.
Depends
Regulation
Not on the CSA list or banned list (updated 2026-09-18). No CIRO. No FINTRAC MSB match. No CIPF.
CSA restricted dealer (BCSC principal regulator; amended decision Sept 16, 2026). FINTRAC MSB M15560893, expiry 2027-10-15. Not CIRO. CIPF: no crypto cover.
Netcoins
Assets
1,425 spot base assets (1,813 spot pairs). Order book exchange.
65 coins on the fee page (60+ advertised), one trade-only. Solana added to the permitted list 2026-09-16. Broker model, no public order book.
MEXC
Price
Spot 0% maker and 0.05% taker (0.04% with MX discount); futures 0% maker. Not a spread model.
No separate trading fee; price includes a spread, percentage Not published. Flat crypto withdrawal fees per coin. VIP/Prime discount Not published.
Depends
CAD In
None verified. Canada is a prohibited jurisdiction.
Interac e-Transfer free, about 15 to 30 minutes. Bank wire free over CAD 3,000. Crypto deposits free.
Netcoins
CAD Out
None verified.
Interac e-Transfer free; wire CAD 50 under CAD 25,000.
Netcoins
Crypto In And Out
Not verified (networks, minimums, fees).
On-chain withdrawals with flat per-coin fees (0.00014 BTC, 0.003 ETH) and minimums of 2x the fee. Lightning and Liquid: Not verified.
Depends
Custody
Custodial. Insurance, proof of reserves and cold storage share not verified.
Custodial. Majority in BitGo cold storage, Fireblocks hot wallets, multi-sig, insured (amount Not published). No proof of reserves found.
Netcoins
Verification (KYC)
Not verified. Canadians barred under the User Agreement.
Government ID verification and appropriateness checks; selfie, address and SIN not stated on the security page. Old table said automated verification in about 2 minutes.
Depends
Account Types
Not published
Personal, private wealth, corporate and institutional, OTC, API and enterprise offered. TFSA/RRSP: Not verified.
Depends
Provinces
0 of 13. Canada is a prohibited jurisdiction. No French or Quebec support verified.
Registered in all provinces, Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. French and Quebec product limits Not verified.
Netcoins
Extra Products
Futures are offered but unavailable to Canadians. Other products not verified.
Not verified
Depends
Tax Tools
Not verified.
Not verified.
Depends
App
iOS 4.74 (1,908 ratings, Canadian store). Android 4.6 (313K reviews, global). French UI not verified.
iOS Canada 4.53 (753 ratings); Google Play Not verified. Web app yes.
MEXC
Support
Not verified on a primary page.
Phone +1 844 515 2646 (7 days, 8 am to 2 pm PST), email and contact form (7 days, 6 am to 8 pm PST). French Not verified.
What Are The Key Differences Between MEXC And Netcoins?
MEXC Vs Netcoins: Side By Side
MEXC
Netcoins
Description
MEXC is a large offshore exchange known for a huge altcoin list and zero maker fees on spot. It is not registered in Canada and its User Agreement names Canada as a prohibited jurisdiction, so Canadians are not permitted to register or trade.
Netcoins is a Vancouver-based Canadian crypto exchange founded in 2014 and now owned by Surge Digital Inc (TSXV: SRGE), formerly BIGG Digital Assets. One of the first platforms registered with Canadian securities regulators, it focuses on making crypto simple for beginners, with all-in pricing and free Interac funding.
Coins
1,425 spot base assets tradable per the public API (1,813 spot pairs), 2026-10-01.
60+ cryptocurrencies (65 listed on the fee page, one, Bittensor, trade-only), including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Cardano, DOGE, SHIB, USDC, Avalanche and Polkadot.
Fees
Spot 0% maker and 0.05% taker (0.04% taker with the 20% MX discount); some special pairs cost more. Futures 0% maker. No CAD funding.
No separate trading fee: the price you see includes Netcoins' spread, and the spread percentage is not published. The old flat 0.5% trading fee is no longer on the fee page. Interac e-Transfer deposits and cash withdrawals are free. Wire deposits are free over CAD 3,000. Wire withdrawals under CAD 25,000 cost CAD 50. Crypto withdrawal fees are flat per coin (for example 0.00014 BTC).
Pros
Very large altcoin selection
0% maker fee on spot
Highly rated app (4.74 on the Canadian App Store, 4.6 on Google Play with 313K reviews)
Restricted dealer registered with the BCSC and regulators in all provinces and territories, plus FINTRAC MSB registration
Free Interac funding and withdrawals
All-in pricing with no separate trading fee line
Staking on ETH, SOL and ATOM
Phone, email and chat support 7 days a week
Owned by a publicly traded company
OTC desk for large trades
Cons
Canada is a prohibited jurisdiction in the User Agreement
Not on the CSA list, not a CIRO member, no FINTRAC registration found
No CAD funding verified
No Canadian entity and no CIPF coverage
Custody, insurance and proof of reserves not verified
Spread percentage is not published, so the real cost is hidden in the price
Fewer coins than the biggest platforms
No advanced charting or pro order types (Oleg's original note, not re-tested)
Wire fees under the free thresholds
Netcoins app rated 4.5 on Apple Canada but few ratings
Security
Custody, insurance and proof-of-reserves details were not verified on a primary page. As an unregistered offshore exchange it gives Canadians no regulator protection.
Majority of funds in BitGo cold storage with Fireblocks for hot wallets, multi-signature wallets and mandatory 2FA, per Netcoins' security page. It also states an insurance policy without naming the amount or insurer. CIPF never covers crypto.
Methods To Buy
No CAD funding verified. Canadians cannot register under the User Agreement.
Interac e-Transfer, bank wire, crypto deposits.
App
iOS 4.74 across 1,908 ratings (Canadian App Store), Android 4.6 across 313K reviews (global Google Play total).
Netcoins app on Apple Canada rated 4.53 from 753 ratings (2026-10-03). Google Play rating Not verified.
Account Limits
Not applicable to Canadians. Not published for prohibited jurisdictions.
Restricted dealer purchase limits apply on a rolling 12 months for certain investors on restricted assets; dollar amounts are not stated in the CSA variation order.
How Do You Fund And Cash Out MEXC And Netcoins In Canada?
Netcoins: CAD Deposits
Method
Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Speed
Interac e-Transfer
Free
Not verified
Not published
typically 15 to 30 minutes
Bank wire
Free over CAD 3,000; under that Not published
Not verified
Not published
Not published
Crypto deposit
Free
Not published
Not published
Network speed
Netcoins: CAD Withdrawals
Method
Fee
Minimum
Maximum
Speed
Interac e-Transfer
Free
Not published
Not published
Not published
Bank wire
CAD 50 processing fee under CAD 25,000
Not published
Not published
Not published
No CAD funding was verified, and Canada is a prohibited jurisdiction so no Canadian route exists under the User Agreement. Not verified
What Does It Actually Cost To Buy On MEXC And Netcoins?
Worked Cost, Buy Only And Buy Plus Sell (Round Trip)
Amount
MEXC Buy
MEXC Round Trip
Netcoins Buy
Netcoins Round Trip
CAD 100
$0.00 to $0.05
$0.00 to $0.10
Not published
Not published
CAD 500
$0.00 to $0.25
$0.00 to $0.50
Not published
Not published
CAD 1,000
$0.00 to $0.50
$0.00 to $1.00
Not published
Not published
CAD 10,000
$0.00 to $5.00
$0.00 to $10.00
Not published
Not published
MEXC: Spot base maker 0% and taker 0.05% (0.04% with 20% MX discount) per mexc.com/fee, checked 2026-10-01; some special pairs higher. 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. Ranges reflect each platform’s published band, not a single quote. Bank and network fees are not included.
What Do MEXC And Netcoins Offer Beyond Buying And Selling?
MEXC Only
Futures: Futures maker fee 0%. Not available to Canadians because Canada is a prohibited jurisdiction.
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 MEXC Or Netcoins Fails?
MEXC:MEXC is not registered with the CSA, is not a CIRO member and has no FINTRAC MSB registration, so no Canadian regulator oversees it. It is not on the CSA banned list either, but it prohibits Canada in its own terms, so an account opened from Canada can be frozen with funds inside. CIPF never covers crypto. Insurance and proof of reserves were not verified. If the exchange fails or is hacked, a Canadian has no regulator to turn to.
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 MEXC And Netcoins Treated For Tax In Canada?
MEXC: Spot sales and crypto-to-crypto trades are dispositions for CRA purposes. No tax export was verified, so rebuild records from trade history.
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, MEXC Or Netcoins?
Choose MEXC If
You want a huge altcoin list: MEXC bars Canada, so compare registered Canadian dealers instead.
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
Is MEXC Or Netcoins Better For Canadians In 2026?
Netcoins. MEXC is #9 on my ranked list at 7.0 and carries an offshore label, and Netcoins sits outside my top 10 with no score. Eligibility decides it. MEXC's User Agreement, updated May 29, 2025, names Canada as a prohibited jurisdiction, it is not on the CSA list, it has no CIRO membership, and I found no FINTRAC MSB match.
Netcoins Inc. is a CSA restricted dealer with the BCSC as principal regulator, holds FINTRAC MSB M15560893 and is registered in every province plus Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. CIPF does not cover crypto there.
Small Caps Versus A Registered Broker: Which Costs Less?
MEXC's spot fee is 0% maker and 0.05% taker, or 0.04% with the MX discount, which is CAD 0.50 or less on CAD 1,000. Netcoins has no separate trading fee. The price includes a spread, and I cannot give you the percentage because it is not published.
So MEXC is cheaper on paper, but it cannot take Canadian dollars. Netcoins' ramps are clear: free Interac e-Transfer in and out, free wires in over CAD 3,000, and CAD 50 for a wire out under CAD 25,000. To size the Netcoins spread, compare its quote against a live market price before buying, and do the same on a second dealer.
Any fee advantage MEXC has disappears if the account is closed with your money inside.
How Do The Coin Lists Compare?
MEXC lists 1,425 spot base assets across 1,813 pairs. Netcoins shows 65 coins on its fee page, one of them (Bittensor) trade-only, and added Solana to its permitted list on September 16, 2026. Netcoins' list follows what its CSA decision permits.
In my view, that narrower list is the price of being allowed to operate here. If you need more coins than Netcoins carries and still want a registered venue, Kraken lists about 490 tickers for Canadians and is #3 on my list.
What Does Netcoins Offer Beyond A Buy Button?
More than a plain broker. It offers staking on ETH, SOL and ATOM while the crypto stays held by Netcoins, borrowing in CAD against crypto, an OTC desk with dedicated account managers and same-day settlement, and a referral program that pays both sides a cash reward after sign-up and trading (the amount is not verified). Account types run from personal to private wealth, corporate and institutional.
The iOS app is rated 4.53 across 753 ratings in the Canadian store, and there is a web app. MEXC offers futures that Canadians cannot use, and I could not verify its support channels, account types or tax tools. Netcoins is the one you can phone on a Saturday.
Which Is Safer For Canadians?
Netcoins keeps most customer crypto in BitGo cold storage, with Fireblocks hot wallets and multi-signature controls, and says it is insured without stating an amount. There is no proof of reserves. You would rely on those custodians and any insurer if it failed.
MEXC is custodial too. I could not verify insurance, proof of reserves or cold storage. If it freezes an account opened from Canada, nobody regulates it here. That is the deciding difference, and it does not depend on which exchange has the lower fee.
Who Should Choose MEXC And Who Should Choose Netcoins?
You do not need a hard calculation to decide this one.
Choose Netcoins if you want a registered broker with free Interac. You want a CSA-registered Canadian dealer with phone support seven days a week, and a clear cash-out route.
MEXC is not something I can recommend to Canadians. Its terms bar Canada and no CAD funding is verified. If you want more coins, check Kraken's list first.
The CSA list of authorized crypto platforms was last updated. MEXC is not on it.
The CSA amended its decision for Netcoins, and Solana was added to its permitted list.
MEXC updated its User Agreement, which names Canada as a prohibited jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Canadians Sign Up With MEXC?
MEXC's User Agreement, updated May 29, 2025, names Canada as a prohibited jurisdiction. I found no CAD funding method for it.
How Many Coins Does Netcoins List?
65 on its official fee page, one of which (Bittensor) is trade-only. Netcoins advertises 60-plus.
Does Netcoins Charge For Withdrawals?
Interac e-Transfer withdrawals are free. A wire out costs CAD 50 under CAD 25,000. Crypto withdrawals have flat per-coin fees, such as 0.00014 BTC and 0.003 ETH, with minimums of twice the fee.
Is Netcoins Regulated By The BCSC?
Yes, the BCSC is its principal regulator under a CSA restricted dealer decision, with an amended decision dated September 16, 2026.
Do MEXC And Netcoins Have Limit Orders?
MEXC: Not verified for Canadians. Netcoins: No; Netcoins is a buy-and-sell broker with instant prices (not re-tested).
MEXC: MEXC charges maker/taker fees, not a spread. Netcoins: The price includes Netcoins' spread and no separate trading fee is shown, so the spread is the fee.
Does CIPF Cover My Crypto On MEXC Or Netcoins?
MEXC: CIPF never covers crypto, and MEXC is not a CIPF member. Netcoins: CIPF never covers crypto.
Are MEXC And Netcoins Available In Every Province?
MEXC: None, Canada is a prohibited jurisdiction. Netcoins: Registered in all provinces and territories.
Do Interac Deposits Work On Weekends On MEXC And Netcoins?
MEXC: No Interac e-Transfer verified on MEXC. Netcoins: Not verified; Interac deposits usually take 15 to 30 minutes.
What Is The Minimum Buy On MEXC And Netcoins?
MEXC: Not applicable, Canadians cannot register. Netcoins: Not published; Interac deposit minimum was CAD 10.
Can A Business Use MEXC Or Netcoins?
MEXC: Not applicable, Canadian businesses are barred as residents of Canada. Netcoins: Yes, corporate and institutional accounts and OTC are offered.
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.