News linked to both this project and an event.
Odaily News - Karia Samaroo, founder and former CEO of Canadian crypto company WonderFi, recently stated that the company's acquisition by US trading platform Robinhood Markets for CAD 250 million was not due to a lack of growth potential, but rather because Canada's market environment has restricted local tech companies from continuing to scale.Samaroo said that WonderFi was founded in 2021. After several years of development, the company consolidated Canada's fragmented crypto market, built a nationwide brand, and survived the QuadrigaCX collapse, the FTX crash, and Canada's strict crypto regulatory environment. By 2023, WonderFi had become a leading crypto platform in the Canadian market.However, he believes that succeeding in Canada was not the company's ultimate goal. WonderFi had originally hoped to grow into a global enterprise, and Robinhood saw WonderFi as a strategic gateway into the Canadian market, which led to the CAD 250 million acquisition. Samaroo pointed out that Canada has long faced structural issues that limit companies' ability to scale, including insufficient venture capital, weak public markets, regulatory fragmentation, and declining attractiveness of entrepreneurial returns.For the crypto industry, the challenges are even more pronounced. Samaroo noted that after the QuadrigaCX incident, Canadian regulators established one of the world's strictest crypto regulatory frameworks. While the original intent was to protect investors, it also increased operational costs for businesses. International trading platforms including Binance, OKX, Bybit, and Gemini all entered the Canadian market previously and then exited. He believes that Canada's crypto regulations are not only strict but also compounded by fragmented securities regulatory systems, leading to higher financing costs, increased operational complexity, and diminished interest from overseas investors.Samaroo said that WonderFi is not an isolated case—many Canadian tech companies have followed a similar trajectory: growing domestically until hitting market ceilings, then ultimately seeking overseas capital or strategic buyers. Shopify founder Tobi Lütke has also previously criticized Canada for repeatedly "nurturing important companies only to send them abroad." Restricting corporate sales can easily become a political statement, but the real key to solving the problem lies in building a business environment that supports companies in financing, expansion, and competing globally.Robinhood previously announced the acquisition of WonderFi for approximately CAD 250 million. This deal also reflects the accelerating consolidation in the North American crypto industry, as US platforms expand into other markets through M&A. (Fortune)
According to The Globe and Mail, Canadian fintech company Wealthsimple has announced a partnership with prediction market platform Kalshi to jointly launch a new prediction market product. Previously, Robinhood also entered the Canadian market through its acquisition of WonderFi, intensifying competition in the prediction market sector in Canada. Currently, Canadian regulatory authorities are actively studying preparations related to prediction markets.
According to The Block, Robinhood Markets has completed its $180 million acquisition of Canadian digital asset services firm WonderFi. WonderFi operates Bitbuy and Coinsquare—the two largest regulated crypto platforms in Canada—and existing users will be invited to migrate to the Robinhood app. This acquisition pushes Robinhood’s overseas registered user base past 1 million, adding approximately 300,000 Canadian users. Robinhood stated it will continue supporting WonderFi’s partnerships with local institutions to further expand its institutional business. The deal was initially announced in May 2025 and originally slated for completion in the second half of 2025 but was delayed until now due to technical deployment and regulatory approval requirements.
Odaily Odaily, Robinhood has received final regulatory approval to acquire Canadian company WonderFi for $180 million. (Cointelegraph)
Canada’s investment industry regulator, CIRO, has approved Robinhood’s acquisition of digital asset products and services company WonderFi. WonderFi stated that the transaction will help Robinhood enhance its programmable financial products capabilities and expand Canadian users’ access to cryptocurrency trading. Originally scheduled for completion in the second half of last year, the acquisition has been extended to June 1, 2026, to allow Robinhood time to deploy its proprietary technology in Canada and complete regulatory approvals. WonderFi’s portfolio includes Bitbuy and Coinsquare, with operations spanning cryptocurrency trading, staking, and custody.