Category Archives: Press Releases

The Canada Border Services Agency Pilots IBM Maersk TradeLens Blockchain Solution

IBM Release | Oct 25, 2018

The CBSA is one of the first border agencies to join more than 94 organizations participating in global trade solution

More than 200 million events captured on the platform and growing by one million per day.

TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2018 /CNW/ - IBM (NYSE: IBM) and A.P. Moller–Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) today announced that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has agreed to pilot TradeLens, a blockchain-enabled digital shipping solution jointly developed by Maersk and IBM to promote more efficient and secure global trade.

To facilitate the flow of legitimate travellers and trade across the busy Canadian border, on an average day, the CBSA processes over 58,600 commercial releases, 14,400 trucks, 240,000 mail items, and 127,400 courier shipments, collecting more than $88,200,000 (CDN) in duty and taxes.

See:  How AI and Blockchain Have Changed Canada’s Business World

Like all global border agencies, the CBSA is constantly striving to increase efficiencies for the increasing number of people and commercial goods passing through Canada's ports of entry, while upholding national security and public safety priorities. The CBSA is participating in the TradeLens pilot to determine what role the platform could play in its business processes. Ultimately, the goal for the Agency is to see if this type of solution can help improve the quality and timeliness of commercial data, increase visibility to cargo movement past the first port of arrival and reduce the number of transactions necessary to make a release decision for shipments.

"This development is an example of the Government of Canada using innovative technology to easily and securely facilitate trade and engage in global trading ecosystems in a modern, productive manner," said John Ossowski, President, CBSA. "TradeLens could create a singular, trusted digital supply chain for all shipments entering Canada.  The TradeLens pilot gives us an opportunity to not only find process efficiencies and gain analytical insights, but improve data providence, accuracy and targeting capabilities. The end result may be a faster and more reliable national supply chain, which could positively impact Canada's economic output."

Maersk and IBM have worked with dozens of shippers, ocean carriers, freight forwarders, port and terminal operators, and inland transportation and customs authorities to identify opportunities to prevent delays caused by documentation errors, information delays, and other impediments facing the industry. TradeLens participants can track critical import and export data in real-time with a secure, non-repudiable audit trail.

Mike White, who leads TradeLens for Maersk, said "We look forward to working with the CBSA to pilot how the quality and timeliness of data in TradeLens can act as a catalyst for significant productivity gains and optimized financial cycles. Our goal is to play a leading role with all members of the World Customs Organization to help them attain faster processing of global trade data into a more effective, simplified structure and process that addresses their current challenges and future needs to improve the customer experience."

Maersk North America President, Omar Shamsie, added "We are delighted to see the CBSA pilot this solution to create a more productive and reliable ecosystem for North America supply chain competitiveness."

See:  The Future of Government… in a Digital Age

Maersk Canada President Jack Mahoney attended the signing ceremony, commenting "On a national level, Maersk Canada's strategic plan places great emphasis on the country's trade development goals – and the appeal of the TradeLens neutral platform solution is a key pillar of this."

Hosted on IBM Cloud and built on open industry standards, TradeLens has been proven to reduce the transit time of a shipment of packaging materials to a production line in the United States by as much as 40 percent, avoiding thousands of dollars in cost. Through better visibility and more efficient means of communicating, some supply chain participants estimate they could reduce the steps taken to answer basic operational questions such as "where is my container" from 10 steps and five people to, with TradeLens, one step and one person. This efficiency gain ensures that the remaining four personnel can then focus on more complex initiatives across the sector.

"We believe blockchain can play an integral role in digitizing and reinventing shipping for agencies like the Canada Border Services Agency, who are responsible for moving nearly 500,000 commercial transactions safely across Canadian borders daily. TradeLens provides a common approach to building a strong, secure and connected digital trade network that benefits all participants equally," said Ayman Antoun, president, IBM Canada.

"Our work with Maersk and other enterprises in the shipping ecosystem has shown that blockchain can be used to transform a vital part of how global trade is conducted as members like the CBSA and Port of Montreal begin to interact more efficiently, securely sharing important transactions through real-time access to shipping data and shipping documents."

The TradeLens solution is available today through a Limited Availability offering. TradeLens is expected to be fully commercially available by the end of this year.

For more information about TradeLens and what ecosystem participants are saying about this solution, please visit: www.tradelens.com.

Source:  release

 


The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

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Nov 12, 2026 Buying a Canadian money services business starts with identifying what the buyer will acquire: a legal entity, a registration history, contracts, records and possibly an active operation. The value of that package depends on whether it supports the services the new owner intends to provide. A FINTRAC registration entry is an important starting point. It does not establish the company’s financial condition, the quality of its compliance programme or the availability of banking relationships after an acquisition. A payment business may also need a separate assessment under the Retail Payment Activities Act, or RPAA. For investors evaluating a Canadian MSB company for sale, due diligence should connect registration status, actual activities, transaction structure and financial evidence before the parties agree a completion timetable. Verify the Canadian MSB registration and legal entity Begin with the target’s exact legal name, incorporation details, registration number and current status. Match the entity in the corporate documents to the entity in FINTRAC’s Money Services Business Registry. FINTRAC explicitly states that registration does not mean it endorses or licenses a business. It also states that it does not issue licences or certificates of registration. A sales presentation using the phrase “FINTRAC licence” should ...
AI illustration of a Canadian MSB acquisition due diligence checklist covering FINTRAC registration, RPAA compliance, ownership, financial review and banking relationships
November 12, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Wealthtech Investing And Trading Strategy still runs a software business, but Bitcoin now dominates its assets and capital raising. MSCI no longer treats that balance as an index eligible operating company. November 11, 2026, MSCI confirmed Strategy’s removal from the MSCI USA and MSCI World indexes after the November 30 close under its new methodology for non operating companies. MSCI is one of the world’s largest index providers, and its benchmarks are followed by funds investing across global equity markets. Japan’s Metaplanet is also being removed from an MSCI index. MSCI has decided that Strategy no longer qualifies for its equity indexes because Bitcoin now dominates its assets and much of its capital raising. Strategy still sells software and reports operating revenue, but MSCI is drawing a line between a business that holds investment assets and one where those assets have become the main financial story. Why Is MSCI Removing Strategy From Its Indexes? MSCI first looked at a rule aimed specifically at digital asset treasury companies. It later dropped that proposal and change it's methodology to cover companies whose finances ...
AI illustration of Bitcoin and public company symbols representing Strategy’s removal from MSCI indexes and the financing model behind Bitcoin treasury companies
Nov 12, 2026 Crypto market cap is calculated by multiplying an asset's reference price by its circulating supply. A token priced at $2 with 50 million units circulating has a market cap of $100 million. The calculation estimates the value of that supply at the reference price; it does not total the money investors deposited. To understand a change in the ranking, examine both inputs and the provider's definitions. A larger number can result from price changes, supply changes, or revised reporting. Establish what the two inputs represent The arithmetic is simple, but neither input is self-explanatory. “Price” may be a reference assembled from selected trading pairs and venues, rather than the last transaction on the exchange you use. A provider may exclude observations or convert quote currencies. Two services can publish different estimates because their source selection and methods differ. Circulating supply is an estimate of units treated as available in the market under a provider's rules. It may differ from the number minted, the total recorded by a contract, or the maximum permitted under a protocol's current design. Locked balances, treasury allocations, burns, and scheduled releases require interpretation. A transparent methodology matters because identical arithmetic can still use ...
AI illustration of stacks of coins beside financial charts illustrating how cryptocurrency prices and circulating supply affect crypto market capitalization
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Risk Compliance And Regtech Financial firms are putting AI agents into production well before giving them broad financial authority. That creates time to set identity, permissions and transaction controls before autonomous execution becomes common. On November 11, 2026, Bank of England Financial Policy Committee external member Jonathan Hall used his final FPC speech to examine what happens when AI agents get more authority inside financial firms. A Bank of England and FCA survey of 196 firms found that 80% already deploy AI agents and another 14% plan to within 12 months. Only 2% reported agents with broad autonomy, and none of those were in trading and payments. Finance is adopting agents quickly, but firms are still keeping people and hard limits around the decisions that can change money, positions or customer outcomes. AI Agents Are In Finance But They Are Not Trading Alone The 2026 Bank of England and FCA survey separates four levels of authority: Decision support lets an agent recommend an action while a person decides and executes it. Constrained execution lets the agent act inside preset rules. Conditional autonomy ...
AI illustration of AI agents connected across a financial trading network, representing shared market behaviour, trading automation and financial stability risk
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Entrepreneurs Startups Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding And Alternative Funding A small group of large rounds is carrying Canadian venture totals while deal count and growth stage financing remain well below recent norms. On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association published its Q3 2026 venture capital report. Canadian companies raised $4.3 billion across 397 deals through September, only 1% less capital than a year earlier. But 23 rounds of $50 million or more represented just 6% of disclosed deals and absorbed 58% of all venture capital invested. Deal count has also fallen every year since 2021. The national total is holding up far better than the number of companies getting financed. Six Big Rounds Carried 59% Of Q3 Venture Capital Q3 produced $1.35 billion across 129 deals. Capital was 1% higher than Q2, but deal count fell 15%. Six rounds above $50 million accounted for $793 million, or 59% of the quarter’s capital. That's a decent quarter for the companies that closed those rounds, but a weak quarter for everyone else. Mega rounds above $50 million totalled $2.5 billion across 23 transactions ...
AI Illustration of large venture capital deals dominating smaller financings, representing concentration in Canada’s VC market
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Story Intelligence | Competition And Market Structure, Wealthtech Investing And Trading, Regulation And Policy Canada is cutting bank fees and switching barriers after years of weak competition, high concentration and poor productivity. On November 7, 2026, the federal government proposed something Canadian investors have complained about for years. Banks would no longer be allowed to charge most investment account transfer fees, which typically cost about $150 per account. Ottawa also wants clearer transfer information and tighter timelines for moving investments to another financial institution. The fee matters because leaving can already be slow and frustrating. Receiving firms often reimburse the outgoing charge to win the account. That means a fee collected by the institution losing the customer can become part of the acquisition cost for the institution trying to win that customer. Canada's six largest banks hold roughly 93% of banking assets. The Competition Bureau was warning about barriers facing fintech competitors in 2017. Ottawa began reviewing open banking in 2018. A federal advisory committee later recommended an operating system by January 2023 and warned that government should not delay. January 2023 came and went. Real Time Rail also slipped years beyond its first expected ...
Digital illustration of Canada bank transfer fee reform showing easier investment account switching, lower fees, open banking, payment infrastructure and stronger financial competition
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Regulation And Policy Funds, Collateral And Settlement Lead Canada’s Near Term Tokenization Opportunity On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Securities Administrators published its Project Tokenization Phase 1 findings, setting out where Canadian market participants see the strongest commercial opportunities for tokenization and what regulators plan to test next. The report draws on 233 organizations, 21 bilateral meetings and 80 survey responses, along with workshops attended by 281 people in Calgary and 491 in Toronto. Participants put investment funds, private assets, collateral, treasury and settlement infrastructure ahead of public stocks as the strongest near term opportunities. The report also cuts through one of tokenization’s biggest sales pitches. Blockchain can change how an asset is recorded, transferred or settled, but it doesn't automatically create liquidity, investor demand, broader eligibility or stronger ownership rights. Those outcomes still depend on the product, market, legal structure and infrastructure around it. The CSA now plans to take specific projects into Phase 2 through a 120 day public call for proposals. Firms may be able to use existing regulatory processes, tailored regulatory treatment or bounded testing in a ...
Digital illustration of tokenized financial assets, blockchain settlement and legal infrastructure, representing Canada's investment funds and collateral markets.
Nov 11, 2026 A positive work environment is key for any team that wants to succeed. Team morale is crucial for productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. Engaging in activities that lift spirits and strengthen connections can lead to great results. Creating a positive team environment requires creativity, engagement, and some fun. Each activity can strengthen connections, boost motivation, and improve workplace dynamics. When teams focus on strategies to boost morale, they work toward shared success. These activities can lead to lasting memories and help build a stronger team culture. Here are some fun strategies to help improve your team's morale and make the workplace livelier. Fun at the Arcade Visiting an arcade spot is a great way to enjoy time together and build teamwork. Imagine your team facing challenges with various games. Whether it's racing or playing team games, the arcade encourages friendly competition and bonding. These fun experiences can help reduce stress and improve relationships among coworkers. Arcades offer many options to suit diverse interests and skill levels. The lively atmosphere invites everyone to relax and take a break from their daily tasks. Shared laughter and enjoyment can lead to better communication and teamwork when you return to the ...
Digital illustration of team building activities boosting workplace morale with coworkers playing games and laughing in a bright modern office
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Leadership, Competition, Human Capital, Health A Brokerage Race Beyond $0 Commissions On November 10, 2026, Webull Canada added Nasdaq Basic Canada, giving clients free real time Level 1 quote and trade data across Canadian listed equities. The feed provides best bid, best offer and last sale information for stocks listed on the TSX, TSX Venture, CSE and Cboe Canada. Nasdaq says its consolidated feed can reduce Level 1 market data costs by more than 60% compared with traditional Canadian data packages. Webull isn't first to give Canadian investors free real time information. The more interesting story is how quickly another paid feature is becoming part of the basic brokerage account. Wealthsimple helped normalize $0 trading in 2019, Questrade followed in 2025 and Webull dropped its own commissions in April 2026. With the headline trading fee largely gone, brokers now need other reasons for investors to move money and keep it on the platform. Who Led Canada’s Race To $0 Trading And Free Market Data Wealthsimple Trade launched nationally on March 13, 2019 with $0 commissions on Canadian and U.S. stocks and ETFs. Questrade removed commissions on listed stocks and ETFs ...
AI illustration of Canadian online brokerage competition with racing cars promoting $0 commissions, free real time market data and transfer match bonuses
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding A Toronto Fintech Riskfuel Analytics Brings AI Pricing Into BBVA’s Global Markets Workflow On November 10, 2026, BBVA deployed Riskfuel Analytics' neural pricing technology inside the pre-trade structuring workflow for autocallable products on its ePricer platform. Riskfuel is a Toronto fintech founded in 2019 that builds AI models for derivatives pricing. BBVA is a global bank with a large corporate and investment banking business. The deployment puts Canadian built AI directly into the calculations used to design complex structured products at a major global bank. Riskfuel's model is trained on BBVA's own pricing engine and uses more than 4,000 market and product inputs. The company says the surrogate was tested against more than 100,000 trades and can evaluate thousands of candidate structures in under a minute. BBVA had already added AI generated investment ideas to ePricer in September. Riskfuel goes further into the workflow by speeding up the numerical pricing work while BBVA's own model remains the reference. How Riskfuel Speeds Up BBVA's Autocallable Pricing Autocallables can depend on volatility, interest rates, dividends, maturity, coupon levels and several barrier conditions. Autocallables are structured investments ...
AI illustration of AI powered derivatives pricing shown on a financial trading screen, illustrating Riskfuel technology used in BBVA structured product workflows

 

Progressa Closes $84 Million Funding Round Co-Led by Canaccord Genuity and Gravitas Securities, Supporting Record Growth

Progressa Release | Aug 14, 2018

TORONTO, Aug. 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Progressa, a Vancouver and Toronto based financial technology company, announced today it has successfully closed an $84 million equity and loan funding round. The equity financing was co-led by Canaccord Genuity Corp. and Gravitas Securities Inc. and included Eight Capital and Paradigm Capital as part of the syndicate. The equity capital allows Progressa to unlock a new forward-flow whole loan purchasing program for up to $72 million, with Vancouver-based credit fund Cypress Hills Partners.

The equity financing was largely supported by the Canadian investment banks who see the potential for Progressa to complete a go-public transaction (“IPO”) before the end of 2019.

Ali Pourdad, Progressa’s co-founder and CEO, commented, “Progressa is proud to have developed first-to-market technology solutions for the Canadian non-prime credit consumer market. Today’s enterprise business partners are utilizing the Company’s Powered by Progressa solutions to improve their customer experience, while enhancing collections recoveries and mitigating significant risk, a true win for both enterprise and Canadian consumers. We are pleased with this broad level of support from Canadian investment banks who see that Progressa is making a positive difference in the lives of Canadians.”

See:  Upstart Vancouver eyes Toronto’s fintech crown

This latest financing round is anticipated to be Progressa’s last private round, as it has now raised over $15 million of equity capital since inception and begins to prepare for an IPO. Kia Besharat, Senior Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets Origination at Gravitas Securities commented, “We are incredibly excited to have supported Progressa over both its bridge and pre-IPO rounds in 2017 and 2018. Ali has assembled a world-class management team and has operated the business like a public company for as long as we have been working with him. We look forward to continue watching Progressa’s success in tackling the vastly underserved collections debt and retail point-of-sale finance market in Canada.” Gravitas has acted as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Progressa since May of 2016.

In the past 5 years, Progressa has established itself as a market leader in Canada by developing innovative software solutions for enterprise business that tackles a traditionally negative collections process in a positive and socially responsible way. Progressa’s solutions ultimately protect the enterprises' brand reputation, among other things, utilizing non-traditional credit evaluation techniques to improve lending outcomes. With additional lending capacity, the Company can onboard new banking partners and continue on its mission to help Canadians borrow for the right reasons and improve their financial well-being.

Miller Thomson LLP, a leading national law firm with expertise in, among other things, technology and financial services, assisted with the legal aspects of the Company’s equity round and loan purchasing program. Kevin Refah, who is the lead relationship partner for Progressa, commented, “Progressa’s new financial capacity will help position it well to continue its ascent in the Canadian FinTech space, and we certainly look forward to continuing to support Progressa and its excellent management team on the company’s impressive growth trajectory.”

See:  Fintech Frenzy: Hype or Reality? A Closer Look at 6 Key Sectors

“Cypress Hills Partners is proud to have been a part of Progressa's impressive growth over the past 3 years and is excited by our continued financial relationship. Progressa has proven to be a leader in serving Canadian unbanked and underbanked consumers with their highly successful instalment loan program,” said Kelly Klatik, Managing Partner with Cypress Hills Partners.

“They have demonstrated steady and continued growth in consumer underwriting practices and significant advancement in their adjudication technology required to further scale their lending business. We are proud to work with them as they continue their expansion and innovation in the Canadian FinTech industry.”

Progressa is experiencing a truly transformative year, expected to near $100 million of loan funding before the end of 2018. With offices in Vancouver and Toronto, the Company has over 100 team members and continues to make significant investments in its proprietary credit score that drives all of its enterprise software solutions.

Continue to the original release --> here


The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with fintech, alternative finance, blockchain, cryptocurrency, crowdfunding and online investing stakeholders globally. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, services, and networking opportunities to thousands of members and subscribers and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org

NCFA Financial Innovation MapNCFA Innovation Opportunity BriefsNCFA Fintech Insights

Nov 12, 2026 Buying a Canadian money services business starts with identifying what the buyer will acquire: a legal entity, a registration history, contracts, records and possibly an active operation. The value of that package depends on whether it supports the services the new owner intends to provide. A FINTRAC registration entry is an important starting point. It does not establish the company’s financial condition, the quality of its compliance programme or the availability of banking relationships after an acquisition. A payment business may also need a separate assessment under the Retail Payment Activities Act, or RPAA. For investors evaluating a Canadian MSB company for sale, due diligence should connect registration status, actual activities, transaction structure and financial evidence before the parties agree a completion timetable. Verify the Canadian MSB registration and legal entity Begin with the target’s exact legal name, incorporation details, registration number and current status. Match the entity in the corporate documents to the entity in FINTRAC’s Money Services Business Registry. FINTRAC explicitly states that registration does not mean it endorses or licenses a business. It also states that it does not issue licences or certificates of registration. A sales presentation using the phrase “FINTRAC licence” should ...
AI illustration of a Canadian MSB acquisition due diligence checklist covering FINTRAC registration, RPAA compliance, ownership, financial review and banking relationships
November 12, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Wealthtech Investing And Trading Strategy still runs a software business, but Bitcoin now dominates its assets and capital raising. MSCI no longer treats that balance as an index eligible operating company. November 11, 2026, MSCI confirmed Strategy’s removal from the MSCI USA and MSCI World indexes after the November 30 close under its new methodology for non operating companies. MSCI is one of the world’s largest index providers, and its benchmarks are followed by funds investing across global equity markets. Japan’s Metaplanet is also being removed from an MSCI index. MSCI has decided that Strategy no longer qualifies for its equity indexes because Bitcoin now dominates its assets and much of its capital raising. Strategy still sells software and reports operating revenue, but MSCI is drawing a line between a business that holds investment assets and one where those assets have become the main financial story. Why Is MSCI Removing Strategy From Its Indexes? MSCI first looked at a rule aimed specifically at digital asset treasury companies. It later dropped that proposal and change it's methodology to cover companies whose finances ...
AI illustration of Bitcoin and public company symbols representing Strategy’s removal from MSCI indexes and the financing model behind Bitcoin treasury companies
Nov 12, 2026 Crypto market cap is calculated by multiplying an asset's reference price by its circulating supply. A token priced at $2 with 50 million units circulating has a market cap of $100 million. The calculation estimates the value of that supply at the reference price; it does not total the money investors deposited. To understand a change in the ranking, examine both inputs and the provider's definitions. A larger number can result from price changes, supply changes, or revised reporting. Establish what the two inputs represent The arithmetic is simple, but neither input is self-explanatory. “Price” may be a reference assembled from selected trading pairs and venues, rather than the last transaction on the exchange you use. A provider may exclude observations or convert quote currencies. Two services can publish different estimates because their source selection and methods differ. Circulating supply is an estimate of units treated as available in the market under a provider's rules. It may differ from the number minted, the total recorded by a contract, or the maximum permitted under a protocol's current design. Locked balances, treasury allocations, burns, and scheduled releases require interpretation. A transparent methodology matters because identical arithmetic can still use ...
AI illustration of stacks of coins beside financial charts illustrating how cryptocurrency prices and circulating supply affect crypto market capitalization
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Risk Compliance And Regtech Financial firms are putting AI agents into production well before giving them broad financial authority. That creates time to set identity, permissions and transaction controls before autonomous execution becomes common. On November 11, 2026, Bank of England Financial Policy Committee external member Jonathan Hall used his final FPC speech to examine what happens when AI agents get more authority inside financial firms. A Bank of England and FCA survey of 196 firms found that 80% already deploy AI agents and another 14% plan to within 12 months. Only 2% reported agents with broad autonomy, and none of those were in trading and payments. Finance is adopting agents quickly, but firms are still keeping people and hard limits around the decisions that can change money, positions or customer outcomes. AI Agents Are In Finance But They Are Not Trading Alone The 2026 Bank of England and FCA survey separates four levels of authority: Decision support lets an agent recommend an action while a person decides and executes it. Constrained execution lets the agent act inside preset rules. Conditional autonomy ...
AI illustration of AI agents connected across a financial trading network, representing shared market behaviour, trading automation and financial stability risk
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Entrepreneurs Startups Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding And Alternative Funding A small group of large rounds is carrying Canadian venture totals while deal count and growth stage financing remain well below recent norms. On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association published its Q3 2026 venture capital report. Canadian companies raised $4.3 billion across 397 deals through September, only 1% less capital than a year earlier. But 23 rounds of $50 million or more represented just 6% of disclosed deals and absorbed 58% of all venture capital invested. Deal count has also fallen every year since 2021. The national total is holding up far better than the number of companies getting financed. Six Big Rounds Carried 59% Of Q3 Venture Capital Q3 produced $1.35 billion across 129 deals. Capital was 1% higher than Q2, but deal count fell 15%. Six rounds above $50 million accounted for $793 million, or 59% of the quarter’s capital. That's a decent quarter for the companies that closed those rounds, but a weak quarter for everyone else. Mega rounds above $50 million totalled $2.5 billion across 23 transactions ...
AI Illustration of large venture capital deals dominating smaller financings, representing concentration in Canada’s VC market
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Story Intelligence | Competition And Market Structure, Wealthtech Investing And Trading, Regulation And Policy Canada is cutting bank fees and switching barriers after years of weak competition, high concentration and poor productivity. On November 7, 2026, the federal government proposed something Canadian investors have complained about for years. Banks would no longer be allowed to charge most investment account transfer fees, which typically cost about $150 per account. Ottawa also wants clearer transfer information and tighter timelines for moving investments to another financial institution. The fee matters because leaving can already be slow and frustrating. Receiving firms often reimburse the outgoing charge to win the account. That means a fee collected by the institution losing the customer can become part of the acquisition cost for the institution trying to win that customer. Canada's six largest banks hold roughly 93% of banking assets. The Competition Bureau was warning about barriers facing fintech competitors in 2017. Ottawa began reviewing open banking in 2018. A federal advisory committee later recommended an operating system by January 2023 and warned that government should not delay. January 2023 came and went. Real Time Rail also slipped years beyond its first expected ...
Digital illustration of Canada bank transfer fee reform showing easier investment account switching, lower fees, open banking, payment infrastructure and stronger financial competition
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Regulation And Policy Funds, Collateral And Settlement Lead Canada’s Near Term Tokenization Opportunity On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Securities Administrators published its Project Tokenization Phase 1 findings, setting out where Canadian market participants see the strongest commercial opportunities for tokenization and what regulators plan to test next. The report draws on 233 organizations, 21 bilateral meetings and 80 survey responses, along with workshops attended by 281 people in Calgary and 491 in Toronto. Participants put investment funds, private assets, collateral, treasury and settlement infrastructure ahead of public stocks as the strongest near term opportunities. The report also cuts through one of tokenization’s biggest sales pitches. Blockchain can change how an asset is recorded, transferred or settled, but it doesn't automatically create liquidity, investor demand, broader eligibility or stronger ownership rights. Those outcomes still depend on the product, market, legal structure and infrastructure around it. The CSA now plans to take specific projects into Phase 2 through a 120 day public call for proposals. Firms may be able to use existing regulatory processes, tailored regulatory treatment or bounded testing in a ...
Digital illustration of tokenized financial assets, blockchain settlement and legal infrastructure, representing Canada's investment funds and collateral markets.
Nov 11, 2026 A positive work environment is key for any team that wants to succeed. Team morale is crucial for productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. Engaging in activities that lift spirits and strengthen connections can lead to great results. Creating a positive team environment requires creativity, engagement, and some fun. Each activity can strengthen connections, boost motivation, and improve workplace dynamics. When teams focus on strategies to boost morale, they work toward shared success. These activities can lead to lasting memories and help build a stronger team culture. Here are some fun strategies to help improve your team's morale and make the workplace livelier. Fun at the Arcade Visiting an arcade spot is a great way to enjoy time together and build teamwork. Imagine your team facing challenges with various games. Whether it's racing or playing team games, the arcade encourages friendly competition and bonding. These fun experiences can help reduce stress and improve relationships among coworkers. Arcades offer many options to suit diverse interests and skill levels. The lively atmosphere invites everyone to relax and take a break from their daily tasks. Shared laughter and enjoyment can lead to better communication and teamwork when you return to the ...
Digital illustration of team building activities boosting workplace morale with coworkers playing games and laughing in a bright modern office
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Leadership, Competition, Human Capital, Health A Brokerage Race Beyond $0 Commissions On November 10, 2026, Webull Canada added Nasdaq Basic Canada, giving clients free real time Level 1 quote and trade data across Canadian listed equities. The feed provides best bid, best offer and last sale information for stocks listed on the TSX, TSX Venture, CSE and Cboe Canada. Nasdaq says its consolidated feed can reduce Level 1 market data costs by more than 60% compared with traditional Canadian data packages. Webull isn't first to give Canadian investors free real time information. The more interesting story is how quickly another paid feature is becoming part of the basic brokerage account. Wealthsimple helped normalize $0 trading in 2019, Questrade followed in 2025 and Webull dropped its own commissions in April 2026. With the headline trading fee largely gone, brokers now need other reasons for investors to move money and keep it on the platform. Who Led Canada’s Race To $0 Trading And Free Market Data Wealthsimple Trade launched nationally on March 13, 2019 with $0 commissions on Canadian and U.S. stocks and ETFs. Questrade removed commissions on listed stocks and ETFs ...
AI illustration of Canadian online brokerage competition with racing cars promoting $0 commissions, free real time market data and transfer match bonuses
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding A Toronto Fintech Riskfuel Analytics Brings AI Pricing Into BBVA’s Global Markets Workflow On November 10, 2026, BBVA deployed Riskfuel Analytics' neural pricing technology inside the pre-trade structuring workflow for autocallable products on its ePricer platform. Riskfuel is a Toronto fintech founded in 2019 that builds AI models for derivatives pricing. BBVA is a global bank with a large corporate and investment banking business. The deployment puts Canadian built AI directly into the calculations used to design complex structured products at a major global bank. Riskfuel's model is trained on BBVA's own pricing engine and uses more than 4,000 market and product inputs. The company says the surrogate was tested against more than 100,000 trades and can evaluate thousands of candidate structures in under a minute. BBVA had already added AI generated investment ideas to ePricer in September. Riskfuel goes further into the workflow by speeding up the numerical pricing work while BBVA's own model remains the reference. How Riskfuel Speeds Up BBVA's Autocallable Pricing Autocallables can depend on volatility, interest rates, dividends, maturity, coupon levels and several barrier conditions. Autocallables are structured investments ...
AI illustration of AI powered derivatives pricing shown on a financial trading screen, illustrating Riskfuel technology used in BBVA structured product workflows

 

FCA publishes update on wide-ranging review of retail banking sector

WiredGov UK | FCA | Jun 28, 2018

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) yesterday published an update on its Strategic Review of Retail Banking Business Models.

The Review is an in-depth and wide-ranging piece of work to give the FCA a greater understanding of retail banks’ business models, and how these may change in the future. This includes looking at how personal current accounts (PCAs) are paid for, the possible impact of technological and regulatory developments such as Open Banking and changes to payment services due to the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2). It sets out the progress made on the analysis of the issues and planned next steps.

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The review is also critical to the FCA’s work on overdrafts. The FCA has already expressed concerns that some potentially vulnerable people are paying significantly more for their current accounts through unarranged overdraft charges and fees. In May this year, the FCA proposed a set of potential changes on overdrafts for discussion as part of its high cost credit work and will consult on any changes later this year.

The review shows that most current account customers contribute to their bank’s profits, but a small proportion pay significantly more than others – around 10% of customers generate between a third and a half of all contributions to profits from current accounts. The data also show that many consumers go to their current bank rather than shopping around when looking for other financial products.

For example:

  • 52% of PCA customers with credit cards have one with their PCA provider;
  • 48% of PCA customers with personal loans have one with their PCA provider; and
  • 32% of PCA customers with mortgages have one with their PCA provider.

Andrew Bailey, FCA Chief Executive, said: “This is an important piece of work to help us understand the complexities of the retail banking market and how this may develop in the future.

“It provides more evidence that there is no such thing as free banking. In particular, this evidence will inform the work we are doing on overdrafts, so we can fully understand the potential effects of the significant action we are considering taking in this market.”

The FCA’s analysis shows some of the reasons why retail banking markets remain highly concentrated.  Major banks have a captive audience of customers who do not switch and can be cross-sold other products.  Together they have a large share of the PCA market, currently over 80%, giving them considerable competitive advantages.

Yesterday’s update also sets out a number of factors that could lead to significant changes in this overall picture of the market. In the next stage of the Review, we will look at a number of scenarios to assess when and how these changes may have an effect – including changing customer behaviour, regulatory initiatives, technological developments like Open Banking, and changes to banks’ business models such as branch closure programmes.

The FCA has collected information from 45 firms across the range of the market to inform the Review including major banks, small retail banks, building societies, specialist lenders and new digital banks.

See:  Europe’s banks brace for a huge overhaul that throws open the doors to their data

The FCA is asking for responses to this update, including evidence or views, by 7 September 2018. The next stage of the Review will look at a range of possible future scenarios, including what branch closure programmes mean for consumers and banks’ business models, and how technological and regulatory changes may affect the market.

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The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with cryptocurrency, blockchain, crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, STO, and online investing stakeholders globally. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, services, and networking opportunities to thousands of members and subscribers and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org

Canadian securities regulators provide additional guidance on securities law implications for offerings of tokens

CSA | Staff Notice 46-308 | June 11, 2018

Montréal – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today published CSA Staff Notice 46-308 Securities Law Implications for Offerings of Tokens, which provides additional guidance on the applicability of securities laws to offerings of coins or tokens, including ones that are commonly referred to as “utility tokens.”

“Since publishing initial guidance, we have engaged with numerous businesses considering token offerings and have found that most of these offerings involve securities,” said Louis Morisset, CSA Chair and President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers. “Our notice sets out additional guidance based on situations we have seen to date and common inquiries we have received from businesses and their advisors.”

CSA Staff Notice 46-308 outlines specific situations that may have an implication on the presence of one or more of the elements of an investment contract in the context of an offering of coins or tokens.

This notice supplements the CSA’s August 2017 publication of CSA Staff Notice 46-307 Cryptocurrency Offerings, which outlines how securities law requirements may apply to initial coin offerings, initial token offerings, cryptocurrency investment funds and the cryptocurrency platforms trading these products.

See: 

Any business planning to raise capital through an offering of coins or tokens should consider whether it involves the distribution of a security. In order to avoid costly regulatory surprises, businesses are encouraged to consult qualified securities legal counsel about the potential application of, and possible approaches required to comply with, securities legislation. Businesses should also contact their local securities regulatory authority to discuss possible flexible approaches to complying with securities laws, including time-limited exemptive relief.

The CSA Regulatory Sandbox is an initiative of the CSA to support financial technology (fintech) businesses seeking to offer innovative products, services and applications in Canada. The CSA has granted, through the CSA Regulatory Sandbox, exemptive relief from certain securities law requirements to firms in the context of offerings of coins or tokens that involve the distribution of securities, subject to conditions to ensure adequate investor protection.

CSA staff monitor cryptocurrency offerings activity and will continue to take action against businesses that do not comply with securities laws.

The CSA, the council of the securities regulators of Canada’s provinces and territories, co-ordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian capital markets.

Source:  Security law implications for Offerings of Tokens

Download CSA Staff Notice 46-308 --> here

 


The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with cryptocurrency, blockchain, crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders globally. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, services, and networking opportunities to thousands of members and subscribers and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org

Leading Blockchain Firm Decentral Announces Launch of Jaxx Liberty & Decentral Unity

Decentral Release | May 17, 2018

Next phase of global digital wallet Jaxx will create customizable digital ecosystem for users

TORONTO, May 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Decentral Inc., Canada's leading blockchain company and the creator of the multi-platform, multi-currency digital wallet Jaxx, has announced its next phase: Decentral Project, which was three years in the making. The company also unveiled the first three of the project's many initiatives: Jaxx Liberty, the single, gamified interface for everyone to experience the blockchain ecosystem; a native token Decentral Unity, which will reward users for engaging with Decentral's partners on Jaxx Liberty; as well as other exciting announcements, including two new hardware pieces. The details of Decentral Project were revealed to 1,000 partners and friends of Decentral aboard a yacht cruise called "United By Decentral," the official after-party of major crypto conference Consensus 2018.

Founded in 2014, Decentral was created with the goal of fostering the next generation of disruptive and decentralized technologies. In just four years, Decentral has created a community of hundreds of partner projects, most notably spawning leading blockchain Ethereum, and developing Jaxx, which actively engages more than 750,000 global monthly users without collecting user information or holding customer funds. With the announcement of Jaxx Liberty, which is due to launch on July 1, 2018, Decentral will continue to realize this mission by reimagining the blockchain experience for users and providing a wide portfolio of high-caliber blockchain service providers for users to engage with on the platform.

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Jaxx Liberty will be a gamified experience, where users who engage with Decentral's partners on Jaxx Liberty will earn Unity tokens, level up, and eventually have the opportunity to use tokens to gain discounts on partner services. Unity is a complementary token to every other token in the ecosystem, providing partners more value the more users engage with their projects. As a single, unified blockchain experience, Jaxx Liberty will allow users to check cryptocurrency balances on one streamlined portfolio and customize their interface with portfolios, avatars, wallets, charts, graphs, news, and partner integrations.

Decentral CEO & Founder and Ethereum Co-founder Anthony Di Iorio said: "Our core objective of Decentral Project is to empower the ecosystem with unparallelled tools, enabling the masses to take control of their digital lives. We believe that Jaxx Liberty is a crucial step in this journey, and we hope that the platform, designed as an interactive game, will transform the way that everyday consumers interact with and secure their digital wealth. Jaxx Liberty will create wins for everyone; our partners will have a broader network of engaged individuals, and the more users engage with our partners, the more Unity they can earn to take advantage of discounts on partners services."

Through this incentive-based system, Decentral hopes to gamify cryptocurrency markets on a large scale, encouraging partners to build on Jaxx Liberty, as well as motivate users to take advantage of the exclusive services provided by hundreds of participating industry partners. The platform is also designed to offer users the best possible prices for purchasing partners' services.

"With the implementation of the Unity token, Decentral hopes to blur the line between the digital and real-world interactions of millions of people. We believe that by rewarding the community for their participation on this innovative platform, we can — once and for all — transition to a future where the user is in control. It has always been our mission at Decentral to pioneer the new internet of value, and we plan to achieve this by providing our users with the tools to get them there. We believe that Jaxx Liberty, and the Unity token in particular, will be key tools in that toolbox. I look forward to seeing what the future holds," continued Di Iorio.

With the expansion of Jaxx Liberty, Decentral hopes to scale its capabilities to as many as 10 million users per month — all interacting anonymously to provide unprecedented security and accountability to the exchange.

Jaxx Liberty will officially launch on July 1, 2018, with Decentral Unity to follow soon after. The platform will be made available for reporters upon request prior to launch.

Source:  newswire


The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with cryptocurrency, blockchain, crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders globally. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, services, and networking opportunities to over 1700+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry.  Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE!  Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit:  ncfacanada.org

FinMason Launches in Canada

FinMason Release | Apr 27, 2018

Canadian Dollar support within acclaimed investment analytics as a service platform marks the first step in international expansion

BOSTON, April 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FinMason, a rapidly growing FinTech company, today announced that they are rolling out a Canadian Dollar version of their acclaimed investment analytics as a service platform. This enhancement marks the first step in FinMason's international expansion plans.

The new production environment will allow Canadian financial services firms – and U.S.-based companies with operations in Canada – to leverage FinMason's robust investment analytics to enhance their offerings. U.S. firms interested in expanding to Canadian markets can also take advantage of FinMason's new capabilities to facilitate the process and accelerate their timelines.

"One of the pleasures of working with a completely modern tech platform is that we can put in place a system for rapidly rolling out new base currencies at scale," said Kendrick Wakeman, CEO of FinMason. "That allows us to support our clients and prospective clients across the globe."

This announcement comes on the heels of last month's appointment of 32-year industry veteran David Remstein as the firm's first president and COO, a role in which he will help drive FinMason's international expansion. Prior to FinMason, Remstein held several senior global analytics roles at JP Morgan, Citi and Riskcare, including global head and chief operating officer of analytics and consulting at JP Morgan.

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"It is important that investors always look at analytics specific to their own base currency," commented Remstein. "To do it right, you need to do more than just translate the currency. You need to change the perspective. For example, a U.S.-based investor would want to consider Trade-Weighted US Dollar as a potential return driver, but a Canadian-based investor would want to see trade-weighted Canadian Dollar. FinMason's system does just that."

The new Canadian analytics product is scheduled to launch at the end April. Looking forward, the firm projects incorporating support for the Euro, Pound and Swiss Franc by the end of the summer, with many of the Asian currencies following in early 2019. The new base-currency analytics can be accessed by simply changing three letters in the API address, allowing for global firms to use the same code base across all currencies.

ABOUT FINMASON INC.

FinMason is the world's largest independent investment analytics engine for financial services platforms. The Boston-based financial technology firm provides access to more than 700 calculations on every publicly traded asset in the world delivered through one simple API. Developed by FinMason's team of seasoned data practitioners and nine Ph.D.s, the cutting-edge platform delivers institutional-grade analytics in milliseconds via two core products: FinRiver™ – a lightning-fast API that delivers any analytics anywhere in a financial services firm's platform with just a few keystrokes; and FinScope™ – a bulk processing platform that can analyze millions of portfolios every night for compliance screening and performance attribution. For more information, visit www.finmason.com and follow FinMason on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

View the original release --> here


The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding and fintech industry in Canada.  For more information, please visit:  ncfacanada.org

CryptoChicks Conference and Hackathon for Blockchain Professionals

CryptoChicks | Release | March 14, 2018

Toronto, Ontario, Mar 9, 2018- Toronto-based non-profit CryptoChicks and online educator BlockGeeks are pleased to invite entrepreneurs, startups, enthusiasts, investors, developers, and students of all genders to the CryptoChicks Blockchain Conference and Hackathon, April 6-8, 2018 at the MaRSDD centre in downtown Toronto.

Since being popularized by Bitcoin, encrypted accountancy ledgers or “blockchains” have taken the finance world by storm. Unmet demand for blockchain developers is high and increasing- blockchains simplify transactions and reduce costs- but, currently, in the industry men outnumber women 92-to-8.

“We believe this hackathon will provide needed exposure to female talent...connecting hackers with employers,” says CryptoChicks cofounder Natalia Ameline.

Speakers, participants, and mentors of all genders will gather alongside teams of females hacking in Business or Developer streams. Industry leaders from around the globe, including Paige Bailey of Microsoft, Amanda B. Johnson of Dash, Dr. C Mohan of IBM, 16-year-old ‘Crypto Price Tracker’ app-developer Harshita Arora and many others, will speak on blockchain matters in AI, healthcare, the developing world, small and large enterprise, investing strategies, ICOs and DAICO’s, hedge funds, fintech, venture capital, crypto economics, social welfare and industry disruption. The opening night panel will feature entrepreneurs Dmitry Buterin and Natalia Ameline, parents of Ethereum inventor Vitalik Buterin, speaking on supporting the next generation of tech pioneers.

Content tailored to blockchain entrepreneurs and startups includes starting a blockchain business, designing an effective token model, running a successful ICO, attracting investors and complying with regulations. Many employers and venture capitalists will be circulating at business pitches, the cocktail meet-and-greet, and the VIP dinner. The first-floor conference and second-floor hackathon, hosting over 100 female (cis and trans) hackers, will be connected to live video feeds. Hacked projects will be judged and awarded on the final day.

This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of sponsors BlockGeeks, Polychain Capital, RBC, Pixel Dreams, Microsoft, IBM, Nobul, RightMesh, ZCash, NeuFund and The Opinion Economy, who will present their ‘CryptoChick of the Year’ award at this event.

Act soon: early-bird ticket sales (3-day conference, including food, for $150.00) end March 15, 2018.

For more information, go to cryptochickshackathon.com.

Company Contact:
Elena Sinelnikova,

CryptoChicks Founder, and CEO
647-546-6461

The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a national non-profit actively engaged with social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, peer-to-peer (P2P), initial coin offerings (ICO), and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, networking opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, academia and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and online financing industry in Canada.  For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org