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.
Since April 2025, VirgoCX operates as a non-custodial platform, meaning it never holds your crypto. The coins you buy are delivered to your own wallet, so there is no pool of customer funds on the exchange for hackers to steal. This replaces the old model, where assets were held in cold storage with third-party custody and covered by crime insurance. The new approach is actually closer to what we always recommend anyway: holding your own coins in your own Canadian crypto wallet. Fiat balances are held with Canadian banking partners.
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.
Since April 2025, VirgoCX operates as a non-custodial platform, meaning it never holds your crypto. The coins you buy are delivered to your own wallet, so there is no pool of customer funds on the exchange for hackers to steal. This replaces the old model, where assets were held in cold storage with third-party custody and covered by crime insurance. The new approach is actually closer to what we always recommend anyway: holding your own coins in your own Canadian crypto wallet. Fiat balances are held with Canadian banking partners.
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. VirgoCX protects users through its non-custodial model — it never holds customer crypto — along with 2FA, SSL encryption and ongoing activity monitoring. Only VirgoCX is relevant for 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.
VirgoCX is registered with FINTRAC as a money services business (MSB M19955733) and appears on the Canadian Securities Administrators' list of crypto platforms authorized to do business with Canadians, so it is fully legal in Canada. It originally registered as a restricted securities dealer in 2022 but did not complete CIRO investment dealer registration, which is why it pivoted to the non-custodial model in April 2025.
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.
VirgoCX is registered with FINTRAC as a money services business (MSB M19955733) and appears on the Canadian Securities Administrators' list of crypto platforms authorized to do business with Canadians, so it is fully legal in Canada. It originally registered as a restricted securities dealer in 2022 but did not complete CIRO investment dealer registration, which is why it pivoted to the non-custodial model in April 2025.
Both Bitvo and VirgoCX were registered with FINTRAC and fully authorized to serve Canadians. Bitvo's CSA registration enabled an orderly wind-down with no customer funds lost; its successor chain ends with Bitbuy/Robinhood. VirgoCX remains active on the CSA's authorized list.
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.
If you need help, you can contact VirgoCX's support team via email or live chat, and they offer multi-language support. Not many exchanges offer live chat.
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.
If you need help, you can contact VirgoCX's support team via email or live chat, and they offer multi-language support. Not many exchanges offer live chat.
VirgoCX's live chat and email support is the only relevant option for Canadians. Bitvo support now routes through Bitbuy/Robinhood.
Conclusion
Bitvo no longer exists. Its client accounts were migrated to Bitbuy in November 2023, and Bitbuy itself was acquired by Robinhood in June 2026. If you were a Bitvo customer, your account is now part of the Robinhood/WonderFi group — contact Bitbuy support for any outstanding questions.
VirgoCX is the clear choice for Canadians looking for an alternative today. Zero commissions, 90+ coins, free CAD deposits, a TradingView-based terminal, and the non-custodial model introduced in April 2025 make it a well-rounded option for traders comfortable managing their own wallet. The wallet setup adds one step for beginners, but Quick Trade and live chat keep things accessible. If you want a custodial multi-coin exchange, NDAX (0.2% flat fee, CIRO investment dealer) or Netcoins (0.5% flat fee, phone support) are strong alternatives.
We recommend choosing VirgoCX over Bitvo for your cryptocurrency trading needs. By reading our full review, you can learn more about how VirgoCX serves Canadians.
If you find that VirgoCX doesn't meet your requirements, we encourage you to explore our monthly-updated list of the best exchanges for Canadians to trade crypto.
