Shakepay Enables Bitcoin-Backed Lending in Canada
- Stacey George
- April 21, 2026
- News
- 0 Comments
Shakepay has launched a bitcoin-backed lending product in Canada following regulatory approval from the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), giving Canadian users a new way to borrow against their bitcoin holdings without selling.
TLDR KEYPOINTS
- Shakepay has enabled bitcoin-backed lending for Canadian customers.
- The launch follows approval from Quebec’s AMF, a key provincial securities regulator.
- The product allows users to borrow against bitcoin collateral rather than liquidating holdings.
What Shakepay’s Bitcoin-Backed Lending Launch Means
The Montreal-based crypto platform now offers lending services that let users pledge bitcoin as collateral for loans. This marks a shift in the Canadian crypto landscape, where regulated lending options backed by digital assets have been limited.
Bitcoin-backed lending allows holders to access liquidity without triggering a taxable sale event. For Canadian users, this is a meaningful distinction given the country’s capital gains framework for cryptocurrency dispositions.
The rollout positions Shakepay alongside a broader push among Canadian fintech firms to expand crypto-native financial products. Recent legislative developments, including efforts like the NC Digital Asset and Stablecoin Act in the United States, signal growing regulatory engagement with digital asset services across North America.
Why AMF Approval Is Central to the Story
The AMF, Quebec’s financial markets regulator, serves as the primary oversight body for Shakepay’s operations. Receiving AMF approval to offer lending is the specific regulatory catalyst that enabled this product launch.
Approval from a provincial securities regulator signals that the lending product has met compliance thresholds for consumer protection and operational standards. In Canada’s regulatory framework, provincial authorities like the AMF and the Ontario Securities Commission play a central role in overseeing crypto platforms.
This approval distinguishes Shakepay’s offering from unregulated lending platforms that have drawn scrutiny in recent years. The collapse of several offshore crypto lenders in 2022 underscored the risks of borrowing and lending products operating outside regulatory frameworks. Developments in institutional blockchain infrastructure have similarly reinforced the value of regulated, transparent financial services built on digital assets.
What Canadian Crypto Users and the Market May Watch Next
Canadian bitcoin holders may want to monitor the specific loan terms Shakepay offers, including interest rates, loan-to-value ratios, and liquidation thresholds. These details will determine how competitive the product is against traditional lending alternatives.
Whether other Canadian-registered platforms pursue similar AMF-approved lending products could shape the competitive landscape. Regulated crypto lending remains a relatively uncrowded space in Canada compared to the United States.
Broader market conditions for bitcoin will also influence adoption. As large on-chain movements between ethereum and bitcoin continue to reflect shifting capital allocation among digital assets, demand for bitcoin-collateralized borrowing may fluctuate with price trends and holder sentiment.
Rollout pace, user uptake numbers, and any additional regulatory guidance from the AMF or the Canadian Securities Administrators are the near-term items worth tracking as this product moves from launch to scale.
Additional source references: source document 1, source document 2.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
