Security Compliance
KuCoin offers two-factor authentication and has tightened compliance considerably since its early years. Its history still matters though: $275 million was stolen by North Korean hackers in 2020, with about $200 million recovered, and in 2025 its operator pleaded guilty in the US to anti-money-laundering failures. If you somehow still have funds on the exchange, move them to a private crypto wallet.
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.
KuCoin offers two-factor authentication and has tightened compliance considerably since its early years. Its history still matters: $275 million was stolen by North Korean hackers in 2020, with about $200 million later recovered — one of the largest exchange hacks on record. In 2025 its operator pleaded guilty in the US to anti-money-laundering failures with ~$297 million in penalties. If you still have funds on the exchange, move them to a private crypto wallet — but note that incoming transfers from KuCoin may be blocked by regulated Canadian exchanges, so withdraw to your own wallet first and then transfer from there.
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 the US. That said, its track record includes past security incidents going back to its days as Bter, and none of its licensing footprint extends to Canada. Since KYC is mandatory and tied to your ID country, Canadians who try to slip through via VPN risk having accounts frozen with funds inside.
Both KuCoin and Gate implement security measures including 2FA and cold storage. Gate's monthly Proof of Reserves gives it a slight transparency edge on reserves. Neither platform's security is relevant to Canadians since neither is accessible — and KuCoin's $275M hack history is a major red flag regardless of geography.
Regulatory Compliance
KuCoin is banned in Canada. After ignoring OSC proceedings entirely, KuCoin received a permanent ban from Ontario's capital markets in June 2022 along with the maximum penalties the tribunal could impose, about $2 million plus costs, and the CSA lists it as a banned platform nationwide. Mandatory KYC since July 2023 means there is no longer any workaround, and using a VPN violates KuCoin's own terms with the risk of frozen funds and zero consumer protection or legal recourse in Canada. This is a hard no for Canadians, not a grey area.
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.
KuCoin is permanently banned in Canada. After ignoring OSC proceedings entirely, KuCoin received a permanent ban from Ontario's capital markets in June 2022 along with the maximum penalties the tribunal could impose — about $2 million plus costs. The CSA lists it as a banned platform nationwide. Mandatory KYC since July 2023 means there is no longer any workaround: verification requires ID from a supported country, and Canada isn't one. Using a VPN violates KuCoin's own terms, with the risk of frozen funds and zero consumer protection or legal recourse in Canada. This is a hard no for Canadians, not a grey area.
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 (MiCA via Malta), Dubai, Japan and launched a US entity in 2025, it has shown no sign of registering with Canadian regulators. The rebrand from Gate.io to Gate.com in May 2025 changed nothing for Canadians.
Neither KuCoin nor Gate is registered with Canadian securities regulators or authorized to serve Canadian retail crypto investors. Both platforms explicitly exclude Canada. KuCoin was also actively sanctioned by the OSC with a permanent ban — a distinction that makes it the more egregious of the two from a Canadian regulatory standpoint.
Customer support
KuCoin offers FAQs, an online ticketing system and 24/7 live chat for users in supported countries. For Canadians the only relevant support scenario is recovering legacy funds, and be prepared for friction, since closed-jurisdiction withdrawals often involve extra verification steps.
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.
KuCoin offers FAQs, an online ticketing system and 24/7 live chat for users in supported countries. For Canadians the only relevant support scenario is recovering legacy funds, and be prepared for friction since closed-jurisdiction withdrawals often involve extra verification steps.
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.
Conclusion
From a Canadian perspective, there is no meaningful choice to make between these two platforms. Neither KuCoin nor Gate is available to Canadians — KuCoin is permanently banned by the CSA with a $2M+ OSC penalty, and Gate has listed Canada as a restricted jurisdiction since April 2022. Recommending either one for Canadians would be irresponsible.
If you found this article while searching for a high-altcoin-count exchange in Canada, we would point you to regulated alternatives instead. Kraken offers 200+ coins with CAD pairs and is a nationally registered restricted dealer since April 2025. Crypto.com offers 400+ coins globally with restricted dealer registration since May 2025. VirgoCX offers 90+ coins with zero trading commissions under the non-custodial model.
If you have legacy funds on either KuCoin or Gate, withdraw them to your own wallet immediately. For KuCoin specifically, route through your own wallet before transferring to a regulated Canadian exchange, as some regulated platforms block incoming transfers directly from KuCoin.
We recommend neither KuCoin nor Gate for Canadians — simply because neither is available. Explore our full list of the best crypto exchanges in Canada to find a platform that suits your needs.
