Kraken signs commitment to launch regulated business in Canada

abdelaziz Fathi

San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has filed a pre-registration undertaking with a Canadian provincial regulator as it works towards becoming a regulated provider in the country.

To continue operating while their application is being processed, cryptocurrency platforms must give their primary regulator a pre-registration undertaking. By making these commitments, Kraken acknowledges that its platform is bound by terms and conditions that address investor protection issues.

If a cryptocurrency trading platform is unable to file an undertaking or does not adhere to its requirements, CSA members may seek legal action.

Kraken, which recently settled with the US regulators for listing digital assets that should be registered as securities, filed the undertaking with the Ontario Securities Commission to qualify as a registered Restricted Dealer across Canada.

“Canada as a geography is critical to our mission to empower people with new ways to connect and transact. Trading platforms that prioritize compliance and secure trading experiences will have more success advocating for crypto’s economic benefits and transformative potential for crypto traders and investors,” said David Ripley, Kraken’s Chief Operating Officer and incoming CEO.

“As we forge this new regulatory path, we’ll continue engaging with our local regulators to enhance understanding of crypto’s economic benefits and transformative potential. We believe in offering clients a compliant trading platform that leverages our robust security protocols, unrivaled 24/7, live customer services support, industry-leading liquidity and a superior product offering,” added Mark Greenberg, Managing Director for Canada at Kraken.

The recent move comes as Canada’s financial regulator is rolling out a co-ordinated oversight regime for cryptocurrency activities. Now, all crypto trading platforms seeking registration are obliged to sign undertakings to comply with investor protections.

The new rules will also make it more difficult for retail investors to trade cryptocurrencies using leveraged bets.

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) plans to strengthen its oversight of cryptocurrency exchanges operating in the country. As part of a basket of new registration requirements, crypto applicants will have to agree to tighter rules, including a ban on margin and leverage trading.

Additionally, the proposal prevents crypto providers from accepting payments via credit cards and requires them to keep customer assets segregated from their own operational funds.

These measures also include suggestions that providers should be forced to hold all Canadian clients’ assets with an appropriate custodian and segregate these assets from the platform’s proprietary business.

Kraken’s registration comes barely a week after OKX informed its Canadian users that it would cease operations and no longer be accepting new customers.  The industry’s giant seemingly opted to pull out of Canada, rather than comply with securities law or face regulatory scrutiny.

OKX described its decision to quit Canada as “temporary” and that it’s working with the nation’s regulators to solve the issue.

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