A study from the Bank of Canada found that Bitcoiners surveyed, on average, have lower financial literacy than those who don’t own Bitcoin (BTC). The study was compiled from four years of annual surveys from 2016 to 2020, with the sample sizes ranging anywhere from 1,987 to 3,893 respondents. The Bank of Canada’s full study titled “Bitcoin Awareness, Ownership and Use: 2016-20” was published on Tuesday. A key conclusion from the study was that: “Bitcoin owners displayed greater knowledge about the Bitcoin network than nonowners, yet they scored lower on questions testing financial literacy.” However, the financial literacy testing was …

WonderFi Technologies, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, plans to continue its expansion in Canada by purchasing the Coinberry crypto exchange for $38 million. The platform will be the second regulated crypto exchange under WonderFi once the acquisition is finalized. The firm recently closed its acquisition of Bitbuy's parent company First Ledger Corp. for $162 million. In an interview, Kevin O’Leary mentioned that there will be “several more and even bigger” acquisitions that are on the way. O'Leary also highlighted that the company is competing on the global stage while making sure that it's on "a regulated basis." The billionaire mentioned …

Multiverse Computing, a quantum computing firm with offices in Canada and Spain, has partnered with the Bank of Canada to run simulations on how the adoption of cryptocurrency might proceed as a payment method. In a Thursday announcement, Multiverse Computing said it used its equipment as part of a proof-of-concept project with the Bank of Canada to generate examples of how non-financial firms may end up adopting crypto. The quantum simulations used scenarios with 8 to 10 financial networks with more than 1.2 octillion possible configurations. According to the firm, it was “important to develop a deep understanding of interactions …

In her monthly Expert Take column, Selva Ozelli, an international tax attorney and CPA, covers the intersection between emerging technologies and sustainability, and provides the latest developments around taxes, AML/CFT regulations and legal issues affecting crypto and blockchain. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also known as the UN Refugee Agency, nearly 4 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since bombs began falling and bullets started flying on Feb. 24, with most heading to neighboring Central European countries. At the same time, people around the world have sent over $100 million in crypto donations to support Ukraine, …

As Bitcoin (BTC) continues to eat away at gold’s market share, the bullion industry is looking to blockchain — the technology first made famous by BTC — to solve its most enduring challenges. How’s that for irony? Someone should really check on Peter Schiff. Speaking of Bitcoin, a MicroStrategy subsidiary confirmed this week that it plans to buy more “digital gold” through a crypto-collateralized loan. Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon also ramped up his Bitcoin purchases to provide solid backing for Terra’s UST stablecoin. This week’s Crypto Biz takes a deep dive into the gold industry and the latest business …

A group of financial technology firms has formed the Canadian Web3 Council, a non-profit trade association that will work with policymakers to advance Canada’s position at the forefront of the global digital economy. Bringing together exchange platforms, blockchain projects and tech investors, the association will work to advance blockchain-related policies that balance “innovation, consumer protection, and stability”. The open letter from Web3 Council announcing its launch came out on Tuesday, March 29. At the outset, the association consists of 11 members: Aquanow, Axiom Zen, Chainsafe Systems, Dapper Labs, Ether Capital, ETHGlobal, Figment, Informal Systems, Ledn, Wealthsimple and WonderFi Technologies. Related: …

The Canadian Conservative Party candidate for Prime Minister, Pierre Poilievre, has come out in support of allowing Canadians to use Bitcoin (BTC) as legal money in the country. The YouTube channel BITCOIN posted a video on March 29 of Poilievre saying that the people of Canada need “more financial freedom” before a crowd of about 100 at a local restaurant. He added, “That includes freedom to own and use crypto, tokens, smart contracts, and decentralized finance.” “People should have the freedom to choose other money. If the government is going to abuse our cash, we should have the freedom to …

Last month, cultural critic Alison P. Davis published an article in The Cut titled “A Vibe Shift is Coming. Will Any of Us Survive It?” The “vibe shift” Davis was referring to had nothing to do with crypto. She was referring to a sea change in pop culture and social trends, particularly in view of GenZ’s ongoing ascendance into trendsetting and cultural relevance. Nevertheless, her positioning caught my eye because she aptly put her finger on something crucial that I’ve also been feeling, particularly as it relates to crypto. The paradigm shift toward the next cultural moment — whatever it …

Citing compliance with local jurisdictions, crypto exchange Coinbase announced to soon collect additional information from users based in Canada, Singapore and Japan. Effective from April 1, Coinbase users from Canada, Singapore and Japan will be required to provide additional information while sending cryptocurrencies to a different (non-Coinbase) platform. However, while Singaporean and Japanese investors will be required to share additional information about the recipient for every single off-platform transaction, Canadians sending less than $801 (1,000 CAD) will be exempted from this requirement. As shown in the above screenshot, Canadian users will need to share the full name and residential address …

Binance confirmed in an undertaking to the Ontario Securities Commission, or OSC, in Canada dated March 16 that the crypto exchange will cease activities involving Ontario residents. Binance will also stop opening new Ontario accounts and provide fee waivers and fee reimbursements to certain Ontario users under the administration of a third party, the company said. The undertaking appears to mark the end of a disagreement that started in June, when Binance announced that it would no longer service Ontario accounts and customers were advised to close out active positions by the end of the year. The month prior to …

Canadian cryptocurrency miner Hut 8 posted mixed financial results on Thursday, as revenue and mining profitability soared while overall net income declined — underscoring a volatile end to the year for Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader digital asset market. The Toronto-based company, which trades publicly on the Nasdaq and TSX, saw its revenues surge to $45.69 million (C$57.901 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, up from $10.25 million (C$12.986 million) the year before. Full-year revenues were $137.1 million, up 326% compared with 2020. Despite generating a large profit from mining activities, the company posted an overall loss of $0.53 …

The Bank of Canada has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to work on a 12 month research project focused on the design of a Central Bank Digital Currency. According to a March 16 announcement, the bank will work alongside the MIT Media Labs’ Digital Currency Initiative (DCI) team to examine how “advanced technologies could affect the potential design of a CBDC.” The Bank of Canada stated that the project is part of a broader development agenda on digital currencies, fintech and how CBDCs could work in a Canadian context. It cautions that “no decision has been made …