Security Compliance
Newton holds 80% of client assets offline in custodial cold storage with Coinbase and the remaining 20% in hot wallets secured by Fireblocks, with crypto assets covered by an insurance policy. Customer data is stored on Canadian servers with daily offsite backups, and the platform is tested internally every month and externally every year for vulnerabilities. Mandatory two-factor authentication and direct bank integration round out fraud protection.
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.
Newton holds 80% of client assets offline in custodial cold storage with Coinbase and the remaining 20% in hot wallets secured by Fireblocks, with crypto assets covered by an insurance policy. Customer data is stored on Canadian servers with daily offsite backups, and the platform is tested internally every month and externally every year for vulnerabilities. Mandatory two-factor authentication and direct bank integration round out fraud protection.
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.
Newton publishes its custody split: 80% with Coinbase Custody (cold storage, insured) and 20% with Fireblocks (hot wallets), with mandatory 2FA and regular security audits. Gate uses hot and cold storage with multi-signature protocols and publishes monthly Proof of Reserves at 125% coverage. Since Gate is not accessible from Canada, only Newton's security is relevant for Canadian readers.
Regulatory Compliance
Newton is regulated by the Canadian Securities Administrators, FINTRAC, and securities regulators in every province and territory, a major step up from its early days as a FINTRAC-only MSB. It was among the first Canadian exchanges to pursue securities registration, and its affiliation with DV Trading adds institutional market-making depth behind its pricing.
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.
Newton is regulated by the Canadian Securities Administrators, FINTRAC, and securities regulators in every province and territory, a major step up from its early days as a FINTRAC-only MSB. It was among the first Canadian exchanges to pursue securities registration, and its affiliation with DV Trading adds institutional market-making depth behind its pricing.
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.
Newton is registered with FINTRAC and operates as a CSA Restricted Dealer in every Canadian province and territory. Gate lists Canada as a disallowed country and has held no Canadian regulatory registration since closing Canadian accounts in April 2022.
Customer support
Newton has FAQs and a knowledge centre on its website, with support handled through online tickets. There's no phone or live chat, and its middling Trustpilot score mostly reflects slow support and ID-verification frustrations rather than fund-safety issues. For simple buy-and-hold users the support model is adequate; anyone who values a human on demand should look at NDAX or Netcoins instead.
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.
Newton has FAQs and a knowledge centre on its website, with support handled through online tickets. There's no phone or live chat, and its middling Trustpilot score mostly reflects slow support and ID-verification frustrations rather than fund-safety issues. For simple buy-and-hold users the support model is adequate; anyone who values a human on demand should look at NDAX or Netcoins instead. Newton also integrates with Koinly for simplified tax reporting at year end.
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.
Newton's support is the only relevant option for Canadians. Gate's support matters only if you have a legacy account to close, and expect friction there.
Conclusion
From a Canadian perspective, this comparison has a clear answer. Gate has listed Canada as a restricted jurisdiction since April 2022 and is simply not available — the May 2025 rebrand to Gate.com changed nothing, and KYC enforcement means even VPN workarounds result in accounts that can be frozen with funds inside.
Newton is the clear choice for Canadians. It is registered with the CSA and securities regulators in every province, offers a genuinely beginner-friendly interface with no commissions and free Interac funding, and holds 80% of assets in Coinbase cold storage. The widening spreads and ticket-only support are genuine weaknesses — active traders will find better value at NDAX (0.2% flat fee) or Wealthsimple Crypto, and anyone who needs real-time customer support will prefer NDAX or Netcoins. But as a starting point for Canadians new to crypto, Newton's clean interface, Koinly integration and regulatory standing make it a solid option.
We recommend choosing Newton over Gate.io for your cryptocurrency trading needs. By using our referral link, you get $25 and support us in conducting comprehensive independent analyses of crypto trading options for Canadians.
If you find that neither Newton nor Gate.io meets your requirements, we encourage you to explore our monthly-updated list of the best exchanges for Canadians to trade crypto.
