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.
Shakepay holds the majority of users' funds in cold storage with insurance covering risks like theft or key loss, and client funds are held 1:1 with approved custodians. Operating since 2015, it has never been hacked. As a CIRO member, Shakepay's CAD balances carry Canadian Investor Protection Fund coverage up to $1 million, though crypto assets fall outside CIPF. Two-factor authentication, biometric login and email withdrawal confirmations round out account security.
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.
Shakepay holds the majority of users' funds in cold storage with insurance covering risks like theft or key loss, and client funds are held 1:1 with approved custodians. Operating since 2015, it has never been hacked. As a CIRO member, Shakepay's CAD balances carry Canadian Investor Protection Fund coverage up to $1 million, though crypto assets fall outside CIPF. Two-factor authentication, biometric login and email withdrawal confirmations round out account security.
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. Shakepay holds client crypto in insured cold storage, mandates 2FA and biometric login, and as a CIRO investment dealer carries CIPF coverage on CAD balances. Both platforms have clean fund-safety records with 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.
Shakepay is one of the most regulated crypto platforms in Canada. Beyond its FINTRAC Money Service Business registration, it became a CIRO-registered investment dealer in January 2025, the first Quebec-based crypto platform to reach that tier, and the first crypto-native member of Payments Canada in May 2025. Its bitcoin-backed lending product operates under a three-year exemptive relief from Quebec's AMF with passport coverage across all provinces. Montreal-based, it operates in every Canadian province and territory.
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.
Shakepay is one of the most regulated crypto platforms in Canada. Beyond its FINTRAC Money Service Business registration, it became a CIRO-registered investment dealer in January 2025, the first Quebec-based crypto platform to reach that tier, and the first crypto-native member of Payments Canada in May 2025. Its bitcoin-backed lending product operates under a three-year exemptive relief from Quebec's AMF with passport coverage across all provinces.
Both Newton and Shakepay are registered with FINTRAC and fully compliant with Canadian regulations. Shakepay holds the higher regulatory tier as a full CIRO investment dealer with CIPF coverage on fiat; Newton operates as a CSA Restricted Dealer working toward the same standard.
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.
Shakepay offers chat support, helpful FAQs and email support at [email protected], with tickets typically answered within hours, even on weekends. When we tested it, we received a reply in under 24 hours, and customer reviews consistently rank Shakepay's support among the friendliest in Canadian crypto.
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.
Shakepay offers chat support, helpful FAQs and email support, with tickets typically answered within hours, even on weekends. When we tested it, we received a reply in under 24 hours, and customer reviews consistently rank Shakepay's support among the friendliest in Canadian crypto.
Shakepay's faster turnaround and friendlier reviews give it the support quality edge. Newton's Koinly integration partially compensates by reducing the tax-season support burden.
Conclusion
Both Newton and Shakepay are excellent choices for Canadian crypto users, and the right pick depends on what you need.
Newton is the stronger pick for Canadians who want more than two coins. With 70+ cryptocurrencies, commission-free trading, free Interac deposits and withdrawals, staking on ETH and SOL, T5-friendly exports, Koinly tax integration and a $25 referral bonus, it is a well-rounded beginner platform. The widening spreads are a genuine weakness for active traders — NDAX's 0.2% flat fee is more cost-effective at volume.
Shakepay is the stronger pick for Canadians focused on BTC and ETH who want the simplest experience and the strongest individual regulatory protection. As a full CIRO investment dealer since January 2025, Shakepay holds CIPF coverage on CAD balances up to $1 million — a tier Newton does not yet match. Add free crypto withdrawals with network fees covered, ShakingSats, the Shakepay Card with bitcoin cashback, interest on CAD, and bitcoin-backed loans launched in April 2026, and it is hard to beat for Bitcoin and Ethereum buyers specifically.
We recommend choosing Shakepay for Canadians focused on BTC and ETH who want the highest regulatory protection, and Newton for those who want more coins and Koinly integration. By using our referral links, you get $10 on Shakepay and $25 on Newton, and support us in conducting comprehensive independent analyses of crypto trading options for Canadians.
If you find that neither Newton nor Shakepay meets your requirements, we encourage you to explore our monthly-updated list of the best exchanges for Canadians to trade crypto.
