Ten Canadians what a cryptocurrency asset is and you’ll likely get the same answers, but with a few variations. This is the real beginning point for the new Ontario Securities Commission survey on Canadian crypto-related investor awareness. It’s also a much more intriguing report as opposed to “adoption is up.” Sure, around a quarter of Canadians are now owners of some kind in digital assets, which is more than double that of 2023. However, owning something and knowing the value of it are two distinct things and this survey is refreshingly honest about the gap.
Canadian Crypto Investor Awareness Keeps Climbing
Let’s begin with the good news, as there’s some positive news in this. The OSC conducted the research in conjunction together with Ipsos the third time it has looked at these kinds of questions since 2022. This round surveyed 2360 adults Canadians from December 2025 until January 2026. Ownership went from 10 percent to 25% over three years. This is an incredibly fast rise for any activity that involves money from people.
The number of people who are familiar with crypto is also increasing but not as quickly. 35% of respondents have their crypto knowledge at a high level, compared to 27 percent. If you are a person who has cryptocurrency, that figure jumps to 69 percent. This is understandable since holding the cryptocurrency can require you to know some basic information about it. The 59% who have the knowledge could define what a cryptocurrency asset is, an increase from 54% two years ago. A step forward but not an eruptive.
A few numbers can tell the tale in a glance:
- Crypto-related ownership in Canada is 25% by 2026 which is up from 10 percent in 2023.
- Canadians who claim to have crypto-knowledge high 35%, up from 27 percent
- Canadians who know how to define crypto assets 59%, up from 54 percent.
There’s a catch, though. Ownership almost doubled, as did correct understanding, which barely increased. It’s not just a footnote. This is the entire tension that the survey is based on.
Why More Canadians Are Buying In
Motives are shifting in a clear manner. Portfolio diversification is now at 22% of the reasons to buy, which is up from 18 percent in 2022. Pure speculation remained the same at 22 percent. That’s roughly the same number of Canadians are purchasing to last as long as they buyers looking to make the chance to win quickly. Both camps are equally large and nearly 33% of buyers admit regretting the purchase. This speaks volumes about the number of people who jumped into without having a plan.
Where do people get their data? The majority of it comes from sources which aren’t designed to verify everything. Social media is the most popular, with 46%, while friends and family are next with 34% and the financial press is just 19 percent. Consider that for a moment. One in five cryptocurrency buyers consult analysts or journalists before they make a deposit.
Financial advisors’ conversations with crypto are now catching up at the very least. Within Canadians working with advisors 39% of them say they’ve received recommendations for crypto, almost twice as many as the 19% of 2023. The majority of recommendations were small, typically 10 percent or less. Self-directed investors are still leading the pack in ownership, with 44% compared to 30% for those who rely on advice from a professional. This is in line with how retail-driven this entire trend has been.
Canadian Crypto Investor Awareness Still Has Blind Spots
The next part might cause regulators a bit of concern. Only 6% of those who surveyed believed they had the provincial regulators for securities supervise cryptocurrency trading platforms in Canada. Six percent. It’s not a gap; it’s a complete void particularly given how often regulators have been discussing this matter.
Platform vetting is the same story. Only half of users on trading platforms took the time to confirm that the platform they were using was registered prior to making use of it. It’s a significant improvement from 38percent in 2023 however, it’s still just half. Turn it around and that implies that half of users didn’t complete a two-minute security screening. The Ottawa Stablecoin Act has recently been given royal assent, in part to help solve issues like this. It establishes clearer guidelines for the way that stablecoins are supported by a redemption, then publicized to people who buy the coins.
In the end, Canadian crypto investor awareness has grown, however not uniformly. The public is aware that crypto is and a lot of them have a stake in it. Fewer people know what safeguards their crypto and how to make use of the protections that are available when it is needed.
The Price of Misunderstanding: Fraud Losses Are Climbing
Such gaps rarely remain unnoticed for time, and the fraud figures show that. Canadians were able to report losses of $224 million due to fraud involving crypto in 2024. This is compared to $19 million two years prior. This is a more than tenfold increase and is matched closely with the time frame in which ownership was increasing the fastest.
About 15% of respondents reported that they’ve had to pay for a scam or fraud. CBC News has covered the alarms victims would like to have caught earlier. Truthfully, none are new: advice from strangers and pressure to act quickly and platforms that nobody is able to verify. All of them are simple advice. It’s just that it’s usually delivered just after the money is gone. This is the problem with warnings that nobody is aware of until it’s already too late.
What Growing Canadian Crypto Investor Awareness Means for You
In the future, optimism keeps growing from both ends of ownership. A little more than half believe that 52% of respondents will see the digital asset market to have an important role in Canada’s banking system in the near future. This is up from 34 percent in 2023. The survey also found that 38% of respondents are likely to invest in crypto over the next year, which is an increase of 18 points from the previous survey.
If you’re considering joining in the next wave, consider the following survey like a guideline instead of an article. Learn what a crypto asset is before you invest real money in one. Make sure that the platform that you’re using has been registered with an authority in your province, it can take a couple of minutes. Use a hot tip on social media as advice from someone you’ve met on the street. You should respond politely with a raised brow. If you’re beginning from scratch and need a reference like an introduction to digital financial success beats rummaging through forums late at night.
Increased ownership figures can be a compelling story, however they’re just one half of the Canadian crypto investor’s awareness story. The more subtle part of the story is how much catching-up is required before this awareness becomes actual knowledge. Before you invest a dime on the asset, you should spend an hour or so learning about the basics. This is the lowest insurance you can buy.
