One in four Canadians now holds cryptocurrency or crypto-related investment products, according to a new survey from the Ontario Securities Commission. The ownership rate has more than doubled from 10% in 2023, positioning Canada as one of the most mature digital asset markets globally. The survey, released on August 2, 2026, marks a significant milestone for a country that moved early to regulate the space.
Survey details
The OSC survey found that 25% of Canadian adults own crypto. That's a sharp increase from just two years ago, when only one in ten reported holding digital assets. The regulator did not break down ownership by province or asset type in the summary released today, but promised a full dataset later this month. The survey was conducted online and included a representative sample of Canadian adults, the OSC said. The margin of error was not disclosed.
Why Canada's market matured
Canada's crypto ecosystem has benefited from relatively early regulatory guardrails. The OSC and other provincial regulators have issued guidance on crypto trading platforms, stablecoins, and investment products since 2020. That clarity, the survey suggests, may have encouraged more mainstream adoption compared to jurisdictions where rules remain uncertain. The country was also among the first to approve Bitcoin ETFs, which likely contributed to the growth. The survey did not ask about specific holdings, but previous data has shown Bitcoin and Ethereum are the most popular among Canadian investors.
What this means for regulators
The doubling of ownership in three years presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Canadian watchdogs. More users means more potential for fraud, hacks, or investor losses. The OSC has already stepped up enforcement actions this year, but the survey underscores the need for continued investor education and oversight. The regulator said it will use the data to inform its policy work and may adjust its approach to crypto asset regulation based on the findings.
The full survey results, including demographic breakdowns and asset preferences, are expected to be published later this month. That data could offer a clearer picture of which coins Canadians are buying and how they're storing them. For now, the headline number is clear: crypto has gone mainstream in Canada. The OSC plans to release a follow-up report in the fall comparing Canadian adoption trends with other countries.
