Is Bitfinex available in Canada?

Is the platform available to residents

As of June 2026 Bitfinex is not available to residents of Canada. Its terms of service list Canadian persons among the prohibited persons, defined to include residents of Canada and entities organised in Canada, who are not permitted to open an account or use the services directly or indirectly.

This followed a wider regulatory tightening. Bitfinex stopped allowing Ontario customers to open accounts from October 2021, then began limiting and ending services for existing Ontario customers, with full cessation from March 2022, as Canadian securities regulators set out that crypto trading platforms serving Canadians must register or commit to register. Bitfinex did not pursue that registration, so the platform is not a compliant route for residents of Canada as of June 2026.

The regulator and the framework

In Canada crypto trading platforms are regulated at the provincial and territorial level by the members of the Canadian Securities Administrators, such as the Ontario Securities Commission, the Autorite des marches financiers in Quebec, and the British Columbia Securities Commission. A platform that offers trading to Canadians must register as a dealer or give a pre registration undertaking that commits it to the regulators' terms while its application is assessed (as of June 2026).

Separately, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) registers money services businesses, including virtual currency dealers, for anti money laundering purposes. Bitfinex restricts Canadian persons rather than holding the securities registration the Canadian Securities Administrators require, so it is not a compliant route for residents of Canada as of June 2026.

What this means for residents

Residents of Canada do not have a compliant route to Bitfinex as of June 2026, because the platform prohibits Canadian persons. Existing Ontario customers were asked to close positions and withdraw during the wind down, and the restriction now extends to Canadian persons generally under the terms of service.

Residents who want to buy, sell, or hold crypto should use a platform that is registered with the relevant provincial securities regulator or that operates under a pre registration undertaking. See the page on the best exchanges in Canada for platforms that are registered to serve Canadians.

Tax treatment

Tax on crypto for taxpayers in Canada is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency, which generally treats crypto as a commodity, with gains taxed as capital gains or as business income depending on the activity. This page does not give tax advice. For how crypto is treated in Canada in general terms, see the Canada tax page, and confirm your own position with a qualified local professional before filing.

Regulator and sources

The relevant authorities are the provincial and territorial members of the Canadian Securities Administrators and FINTRAC, with the Canada Revenue Agency responsible for tax.

• Bitfinex, its terms of service listing Canadian persons among prohibited persons, and its Ontario customer notices on restricting and ending services.
• Canadian Securities Administrators, their guidance that crypto trading platforms serving Canadians must register or give a pre registration undertaking, and the Ontario Securities Commission's actions on unregistered platforms.
• Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, its registration regime for money services businesses dealing in virtual currency.
• Canada Revenue Agency, its general guidance on the taxation of crypto assets for taxpayers in Canada.

Frequently asked questions

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