Blockchain Financial Services Firm Paxos Sets Withdrawal From Canada

The company joins others that have decided to depart from the country in the face of increased regulatory requirements.

AccessTimeIconApr 12, 2023 at 7:38 p.m. UTC
Updated May 9, 2023 at 4:12 a.m. UTC

Paxos, whose businesses include crypto brokerage and stablecoin issuance, is exiting the Canadian market, effective June 2, according to a posting on its website.

While the posting doesn’t mention boosted regulatory efforts, Canada did set a March 24 deadline for entities to commit to stricter requirements for crypto exchanges with a presence in the country. Some exchanges, including Coinbase and Gemini, have said they will remain active in Canada, while others such as OKX, dYdX and now Paxos, have decided to depart.

"While our platform will no longer support Canadian customers in the immediate term, we will reassess our presence in this region in partnership with our clients' evolving needs," a spokesperson told CoinDesk.

Any accounts with no funds in them will be automatically shuttered on May 9, said Paxos, while all other accounts will be disabled on June 2.

UPDATE (April 12, 20:13 UTC): Adds comment from a Paxos spokesperson.

Edited by Stephen Alpher.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Helene Braun

Helene is a New York-based news reporter at CoinDesk, currently covering the criminal trial of infamous crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried. Helene is a recent graduate of New York University's business and economic reporting program and has appeared on CBS News and Nasdaq TradeTalks. She holds BTC and ETH.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.