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.
Netcoins keeps the majority of client crypto in cold storage with custodian BitGo, whose private keys live in air-gapped offline systems, while hot wallet operations run through Fireblocks. Two-factor authentication is mandatory for withdrawals, and multi-signature wallets add another layer. Its parent company's blockchain surveillance technology monitors wallet addresses and transactions for fraud and links to criminal enterprises. Netcoins has operated since 2014 without a hack.
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.
Netcoins keeps the majority of client crypto in cold storage with custodian BitGo, whose private keys live in air-gapped offline systems, while hot wallet operations run through Fireblocks. Two-factor authentication is mandatory for withdrawals, and multi-signature wallets add another layer. Its parent company's blockchain surveillance technology monitors wallet addresses and transactions for fraud and links to criminal enterprises. Netcoins has operated since 2014 without a hack.
Newton publishes its custody split: 80% with Coinbase Custody (cold storage, insured) and 20% with Fireblocks (hot wallets), with mandatory 2FA and regular internal and external security audits. Netcoins publishes its custody details: BitGo cold storage with air-gapped keys and Fireblocks for hot wallets, plus blockchain surveillance through its parent company's compliance tools. Both platforms are highly secure with excellent transparency and no hacks on record.
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.
Netcoins is one of the most regulated exchanges in Canada. Beyond its FINTRAC MSB registration, it has been registered as a Restricted Dealer with the Canadian securities regulators in every province since 2021, among the very first platforms to achieve this, and is working toward full investment dealer registration and CIRO membership. Its parent, BIGG Digital Assets, is publicly traded and must publish audited financial statements, adding a transparency layer most private exchanges can't match.
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.
Netcoins is one of the most regulated exchanges in Canada. Beyond its FINTRAC MSB registration, it has been registered as a Restricted Dealer with the Canadian securities regulators in every province since 2021, among the very first platforms to achieve this, and is working toward full investment dealer registration and CIRO membership. Its parent, BIGG Digital Assets, is publicly traded and must publish audited financial statements, adding a transparency layer most private exchanges can't match.
Both Newton and Netcoins are registered with FINTRAC and operate as CSA Restricted Dealers authorized to serve Canadians in every province and territory. Both are working toward full CIRO investment dealer registration. Netcoins holds a slight edge in transparency due to its publicly traded TSXV parent.
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.
Netcoins offers email, live chat and phone support seven days a week, and phone support remains rare among crypto exchanges. Its reputation for customer service is strong, with reviewers consistently praising the fast, human support and quick verification, though some negative reviews cite blocked withdrawals during compliance checks. Check the live Trustpilot page for the current rating before quoting a number.
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.
Netcoins offers email, live chat and phone support seven days a week, and phone support remains rare among crypto exchanges. Its reputation for customer service is strong, with reviewers consistently praising the fast, human support and quick verification, though some negative reviews cite blocked withdrawals during compliance checks.
Netcoins wins on support. Seven-days-a-week phone, live chat and email coverage is rare in Canadian crypto; Newton's ticket-only model can be frustrating for users who run into verification or account issues. Newton's Koinly integration partially compensates by reducing the tax-season support burden.
Conclusion
Both Newton and Netcoins are excellent, well-regulated Canadian options, and this is one of the closest comparisons on the site since both platforms are genuinely strong for beginners.
Newton is the stronger pick for Canadians who want slightly more coins (70+ vs 60+), a slightly lower effective cost for many asset pairs, the Koinly tax integration, and a cleaner mobile app (4.6 vs 4.0 stars). The ticket-only support is a genuine weakness — if you run into account or verification issues, expect delays.
Netcoins is the stronger pick for Canadians who want phone and live chat support seven days a week, a Visa card with 3% bitcoin cashback, credit card purchases via Simplex, USD support, and the transparency of a publicly traded parent company with audited financials. The 0.5% fee plus spread combination is worth modelling for active traders — at that point NDAX's 0.2% flat fee may serve you better.
We recommend choosing Newton for Canadians who prioritize coin range, Koinly integration and app quality, and Netcoins for those who prioritize phone support, a Visa card and TSXV transparency. By using our referral links, you get $25 on both platforms and support us in conducting comprehensive independent analyses of crypto trading options for Canadians.
If you find that neither Newton nor Netcoins meets your requirements, we encourage you to explore our monthly-updated list of the best exchanges for Canadians to trade crypto.
