You might not know it, but Canada is quietly becoming a major player in the blockchain and crypto scene: Ethereum has strong Canadian roots, Toronto-based 3iQ launched North America’s first physically-settled Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) and the percentage of active crypto holders in the country has increased steadily over the past two years. Against this backdrop, I had the pleasure of attending this year’s Blockchain Futurist Conference in Toronto, where I got to moderate two panels on rebuilding the financial system through Web3 and onboarding the next wave of crypto users. The event served as another reminder that the …

For all the gloom and doom in the cryptocurrency market these days, our industry continues to make inroads into mainstream tech. This week, I had the pleasure of attending the sold-out Collision Conference in Toronto, and crypto was featured prominently. During the event, I got to moderate three panels, including two that were crypto-focused. The fact that the biggest tech conference in North America is letting me talk cryptocurrency after a six-month bloodbath proves there’s more to the industry than just price. And, I’m not saying the price isn’t important — but context is everything. This week’s Crypto Biz gives …

After putting the matter to a vote among the unitholders of its Bitcoin trust, Toronto-based investment manager Ninepoint Partners has filed its final prospectus for a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund. According to an announcement from Ninepoint on Thursday, the securities’ regulatory authorities in each of the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada have acknowledged a receipt for its application to establish a Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund, or ETF. The firm said in March, it would allow its unitholders to vote on whether to convert its existing BTC trust to a Bitcoin ETF on the Toronto Stock Exchange, or TSX. Ninepoint …

Canadian regulated digital asset manager 3iQ has recorded another massive milestone of its public Bitcoin (BTC) fund. On Jan. 14, 3iQ’s Bitcoin Fund (QBTC) hit the $1 billion mark, the company announced on Twitter. The new milestone demonstrates QBTC’s parabolic growth after 3iQ launched the fund in April 2020. QBTC is now up 900% from its previous milestone of $100 million recorded in October 2020. As previously reported, 3iQ’s QBTC is Canada's first public Bitcoin fund listed on a major stock exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss' Gemini provides custody services for 3iQ’s QBTC. At publishing time, …

The world’s first Ether-based fund to be listed on a major stock exchange opened for trading on Thursday, but not without some hiccups. Listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, The Ether Fund (TSX:QETH.U) opened for trading at $10.80 per share after completing a successful IPO in which $76.5 million was raised. Now available in brokerage and registered retirement accounts....... The Ether Fund (TSX:QETH.U) is the world's first regulated and major exchange-listed ETH fund https://t.co/L2U7JCutf3 pic.twitter.com/8PfgJgQcpK — 3iQ Corp (@3iq_corp) December 10, 2020 To the concern of interested traders, the fund was not available for trading upon the opening bell, officially …

Canadian digital asset manager 3iQ has recorded a major milestone fo its public Bitcoin (BTC) fund. The Bitcoin Fund — Canada’s first Bitcoin fund listed on a major stock exchange — has crossed the $100 million market cap threshold, 3iQ announced in an Oct. 20 tweet. Tyler Winklevoss, a major cryptocurrency investor and a co-founder of United States’ Gemini crypto exchange, congratulated 3iQ on the milestone. Big Milestone. The #Bitcoin Fund by @3iq_corp that trades publicly on the Toronto Stock Exchange under $QBTC.U, just passed the $100 million mark. Onward! — Tyler Winklevoss (@tylerwinklevoss) October 21, 2020 As previously reported, …

Digital asset data firm Brave New Coin (BNC) has inked a multi-year deal with the Toronto Futures Options Swaps Exchange (tFOSE) to power its crypto options trading. BNC’s data will enable the new Canadian derivatives exchange and clearinghouse to offer cash-settled crypto derivatives to global clients. The partnership will see BNC “design, calculate, and administer a suite of cryptocurrency indices to power cash-settled options trading on tFOSE.” 2021 launch for crypto options James Beattie, the president and chief executive of tFOSE, stated that BNC was chosen after the exchange conducted extensive research into crypto market data providers. “Brave New Coin …

The promise is great for so-called smart cities, which will deploy a network of interactive sensors to achieve efficiency and innovation. The smart city vision includes driverless cars, renewable energy to aid a city’s power consumption, energy-efficient buildings, and communications systems that work with the location’s infrastructure to avoid waste, among other features. A report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) indicates that spending on smart city technology is expected to grow to $135 billion by 2021. Despite the promise of a futuristic and more environmentally friendly city, the results — at least so far — are not vast. Politicians …

Shares in Mike Novogratz’s crypto-focused merchant bank plunged 20 percent during their trading debut on a major Canadian stock exchange Wednesday, August 1, CNBC reported. After opening at $2.75 Canadian dollars ($2.11 USD) apiece for their first ever listing on Toronto’s TSX Venture Exchange, shares in Galaxy Digital LP fell 20 percent in the first half hour of trading. Shares were down further to $1.98 CAD ($1.52 USD) as of 1:48 p.m. ET August 1, according to CNBC. Galaxy Digital LP is trading as ‘Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd’ under the stock exchange’s GLXY ticker, slightly renamed after its founder, former …

Canada’s central bank, Toronto Stock Exchange operator TMX Group, and non-profit organization Payments Canada, completed tests showing blockchain can be used for instantaneous securities settlements, Reuters reports today, May 11. The three companies concluded that blockchain, the technology originally developed for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), is usable for automating securities settlements in real time. Both cash and assets can effectively be “tokenized” for instant exchange. Gerry Gaetz, president and CEO of Payments Canada, told Reuters: “This shows that it is possible to deliver payments in a way that has never been done before – by directly swapping cash from …