OSC survey shows 25% of Canadians now own crypto or crypto funds

A newly released Ontario Securities Commission survey found that 25% of Canadians now hold crypto assets or crypto investment funds, up sharply from 10% in 2023 and 13% in 2022. The survey, conducted among 2,360 people aged 18 and over between December 2025 and January 2026, also found that 59% of respondents were aware of crypto assets. The OSC said Canadians are participating in crypto markets more than ever, while the findings also pointed to greater awareness of risk. The results suggest digital assets are moving further into the mainstream, but with important gaps in understanding. Half of crypto owners said they check whether a trading platform is registered before using it, up from 38% in the previous survey. At the same time, many investors still misunderstood regulation, insurance protections and whether transactions can be reversed or funds recovered after being sent to a fraudulent address. Naizam Kanji, executive vice president of strategic regulation at the OSC, said the research is intended to help the regulator identify emerging trends and behaviors as markets evolve. The survey lands as major crypto firms seek a larger role in Canada and as Ottawa weighs tighter restrictions on certain uses of digital assets. Coinbase is preparing to expand its “Everything Exchange” strategy into Canada, while the federal government has outlined plans in its Spring Economic Update 2026 to prohibit crypto ATMs nationwide and a separate bill introduced in March would restrict cryptocurrency donations to political groups, citing concerns around fraud and hidden funding.