Security Compliance
Bitvo's exit was orderly and its record clean. It was a CSA-registered restricted dealer that operated on a full reserve basis, meaning it never lent customer funds, and held client assets with third-party custodians BitGo, with over 80% in cold storage. No customer funds were lost in the wind-down, and its refusal to close the FTX deal after the collapse protected its clients from being dragged into the largest fraud in crypto history.
Gate has invested heavily in security in recent years, publishing monthly Proof of Reserves with coverage around 125% and holding licenses in Malta (MiCA), Dubai, Japan and elsewhere. That said, its track record includes past security incidents, and none of its licensing footprint extends to Canada. Since KYC is mandatory and tied to your ID country, Canadians who slip through via VPN risk having accounts frozen with funds inside.
Bitvo's exit was orderly and its record clean. It was a CSA-registered restricted dealer that operated on a full reserve basis, meaning it never lent customer funds, and held client assets with BitGo, with over 80% in cold storage. No customer funds were lost in the wind-down, and its refusal to close the FTX deal after the collapse protected its clients from being dragged into the largest fraud in crypto history.
Gate has invested heavily in security in recent years, publishing monthly Proof of Reserves with coverage around 125% and holding licenses in Malta (MiCA), Dubai, Japan and elsewhere. That said, its track record includes past security incidents — it operated as Bter before a rebranding following a major hack in its early years — and none of its licensing footprint extends to Canada. Since KYC is mandatory and tied to your ID country, Canadians who slip through via VPN risk having accounts frozen with funds inside.
Bitvo had a clean security and compliance record during its operational life, with BitGo cold storage custody and an orderly wind-down with no customer fund losses. Gate publishes Proof of Reserves and has improved its security posture over the years, but its history includes past incidents and it remains unavailable to Canadians. Neither platform is relevant to Canadian users going forward.
Regulatory Compliance
Bitvo was registered with FINTRAC and as a restricted dealer with Canadian securities regulators, and that registration shaped its ending: rather than collapsing, its client accounts were transferred to another registered platform under regulatory oversight. Its successor chain: Bitvo clients to Bitbuy (November 2023), Bitbuy's parent WonderFi to Robinhood (2025). Former Bitvo customers with account questions should contact Bitbuy support.
Gate is not a compliant crypto exchange in Canada. Canada sits on its restricted locations list, Canadian accounts were closed in April 2022, and while Gate has since obtained licenses in the EU, Dubai, Japan and even launched a US entity in 2025, it has shown no sign of registering with Canadian regulators.
Bitvo was registered with FINTRAC and as a restricted dealer with Canadian securities regulators, and that registration shaped its ending: rather than collapsing, its client accounts were transferred to another registered platform under regulatory oversight. Its successor chain: Bitvo clients to Bitbuy (November 2023), Bitbuy's parent WonderFi to Robinhood (June 2026, C$250M acquisition). Former Bitvo customers with account questions should contact Bitbuy/Robinhood support.
Gate is not a compliant crypto exchange in Canada. Canada sits on its restricted locations list, Canadian accounts were closed in April 2022, and while Gate has since obtained licenses in the EU, Dubai, Japan and even launched a US entity in 2025 under the Gate.com rebrand, it has shown no sign of registering with Canadian regulators.
Bitvo was registered with FINTRAC and the CSA, enabling an orderly wind-down with no customer funds lost; its successor chain ends with Bitbuy/Robinhood. Gate is not registered with Canadian securities regulators and has restricted all Canadian accounts since April 2022.
Customer support
There is no Bitvo support team anymore. Former customers should reach out to Bitbuy, which assumed servicing of migrated accounts. If anyone contacts you offering to recover Bitvo funds for a fee, treat it as a recovery scam.
Gate offers a help centre, blog and live chat for users in supported countries. Reviews remain mixed, with recurring complaints on Trustpilot about slow support and withdrawal difficulties. For Canadians this is academic, since the platform is off-limits entirely.
There is no Bitvo support team anymore. Former customers should reach out to Bitbuy/Robinhood, which assumed servicing of migrated accounts. If anyone contacts you offering to recover Bitvo funds for a fee, treat it as a recovery scam.
Gate offers a help centre, blog and live chat for users in supported countries. Reviews remain mixed, with recurring complaints on Trustpilot about slow support and withdrawal difficulties. For Canadians this is academic, since the platform is off-limits entirely.
Neither platform has relevant ongoing support for Canadians. Bitvo support now routes through Bitbuy/Robinhood; Gate's support is academic for Canadian users.
Conclusion
Neither Bitvo nor Gate.com is available to Canadians — for different reasons. Bitvo wound down in November 2023 with client accounts migrated to Bitbuy, which is now owned by Robinhood following the June 2026 WonderFi acquisition. Gate has restricted all Canadian accounts since April 2022 and has not returned despite its expanding global licence footprint.
If you were a Bitvo customer with outstanding account questions, contact Bitbuy/Robinhood support. Historical transaction records for tax purposes are available through Bitbuy support.
For Canadians looking for well-regulated alternatives — particularly those drawn to Gate's altcoin range — we recommend Kraken (200+ coins, nationally registered restricted dealer since April 2025), Crypto.com (400+ coins, restricted dealer since May 2025), or NDAX (60+ coins, CIRO investment dealer with a flat 0.2% fee). See our full list of the best crypto exchanges in Canada for more options.
