A Wealthsimple crypto account puts 170+ coins, from Bitcoin and Ethereum to Solana, in the same app as your stocks, TFSA and chequing account. That convenience is real, but it isn’t the cheapest way to trade crypto in Canada. This review covers what the account can and can’t do, what it costs next to Kraken, NDAX, Coinbase, Shakepay and Newton, how staking and Wealthsimple Predict work, and who is better off at a dedicated exchange. YieldMaple checked Wealthsimple’s crypto page, its crypto fee schedule, its crypto risk disclosure and its Predict page, plus the official fee pages of Kraken, NDAX, Coinbase, Shakepay and Newton, on September 24, 2026.
Wealthsimple crypto account at a glance
| Feature | Wealthsimple Crypto |
|---|---|
| Coins available | 170+, including BTC, ETH and SOL (better on this row) |
| Account type | Non-registered only (no TFSA, RRSP or FHSA) (better on this row) |
| Investor protection | Crypto is not covered by CIPF or CDIC |
| Trading cost | a flat 0.5% trading fee plus a price spread on market orders (the rate without Active Trader status) |
| Lower-cost routes | Recurring buys from your paycheque (no trading fee); limit orders (spread-free, per Wealthsimple's crypto page); one fee on coin swaps |
| Staking | ETH, SOL, ADA and DOT: up to 5% a year (rewards vary by coin); Wealthsimple keeps 30% of your staking rewards on Core and Premium, and 15% on Generation |
| Wallet transfers | supported (network fees apply) |
| Instant deposits | up to $50,000 for Core clients and up to $250,000 for Premium and Generation clients |
| Custody | Held in trust, mostly in cold storage at Tetra Trust, Coinbase Custody and BitGo (over $75M in cold-storage coverage at each custodial partner) |
Sources: wealthsimple.com/en-ca/trade/crypto, the Wealthsimple Crypto Fee Schedule (headed Updated May 11, 2026) and the Crypto Product Risk Disclosure, checked September 24, 2026.
How does a Wealthsimple crypto account work?
A Wealthsimple crypto account is a non-registered account in the Wealthsimple app where you buy, sell, swap, stake and transfer coins, funded in Canadian dollars.
It is offered by Wealthsimple Investments Inc., which is registered as an investment dealer in every province and territory and is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). Wealthsimple’s crypto page is explicit that cryptocurrencies can only be held in a non-registered account, so the coins you buy here never get TFSA or RRSP treatment.
What you can do inside the account:
- Buy and sell 170+ coins with market orders, or set a target price and let a limit order fill if the coin reaches it.
- Schedule recurring buys of any amount. Recurring buys set up through Wealthsimple’s “automate your pay” feature, which sends part of your paycheque straight into crypto, carry no trading fee, according to both the crypto page and the fee schedule.
- Swap one eligible coin for another in a single trade, which pays one trading fee instead of the two you’d pay to sell and then buy.
- Stake ETH, SOL, ADA and DOT for rewards that Wealthsimple advertises at up to 5% a year (rewards vary by coin).
- Send and receive crypto to and from outside wallets, which is supported (network fees apply).
Funding is quick. Wealthsimple lets you deposit and trade before the money arrives from your bank, with instant deposits of up to $50,000 for Core clients and up to $250,000 for Premium and Generation clients. There is no account minimum, and trading volume counts toward lower fees under Wealthsimple’s Active Trader and volume-based pricing.
How do you trade bitcoin on Wealthsimple?
Fund a Wealthsimple crypto account in Canadian dollars, search for Bitcoin (BTC), pick a market or limit order, check the cost on the order screen, then submit.
- Open the Wealthsimple app and verify your identity if you’re new. Wealthsimple’s plans (Core, Premium and Generation) are based on the assets you hold, and the fee schedule sets crypto pricing by plan.
- Add a crypto account. It is a separate, non-registered account; your TFSA or RRSP can’t hold coins.
- Deposit Canadian dollars. Instant deposits go up to $50,000 for Core clients and up to $250,000 for Premium and Generation clients.
- Search for Bitcoin (BTC) and choose a market order (fills now) or a limit order at your target price. Wealthsimple’s crypto page says limit orders are spread-free.
- Enter the amount. You can buy a fraction of a coin; Wealthsimple shows quantities to up to six decimal places.
- Check the order screen before you submit. Wealthsimple says it shows the spread before you submit; confirm the total cost there, because its two fee pages disagree on the fee.
For a monthly bitcoin habit, the cheapest Wealthsimple route is a recurring buy funded from your paycheque, because neither fee page charges a trading fee on those purchases.
How much does Wealthsimple charge for crypto?
Standard Wealthsimple crypto orders carry a trading fee plus a spread, but the rate is unsettled: Wealthsimple’s crypto page and its legal fee schedule list different numbers.
YieldMaple compared the two pages on September 24, 2026. The marketing page describes one flat rate for all crypto trades, plus a spread that varies by coin, order size and market conditions. The legal fee schedule, headed “Updated May 11, 2026”, sets a baseline rate by plan (Core, Premium or Generation) that falls as your 30-day trading volume rises. Until Wealthsimple reconciles them, the honest summary is the one in the table above: a flat 0.5% trading fee plus a price spread on market orders (the rate without Active Trader status).
What both pages agree on, and what you can control:
- Paycheque-funded recurring buys pay no trading fee. This is where Wealthsimple can undercut even a flat-fee exchange.
- Higher volume lowers your rate. Both pages say frequent traders qualify for cheaper pricing.
- Swaps pay a single fee. Converting one eligible coin straight into another costs one trading fee, not two.
- Limit orders avoid the spread, according to the crypto page.
- The order screen is the final word. Wealthsimple says it shows the spread before you submit, so price the same order there and at a rival before you move money.
Wealthsimple vs Kraken, NDAX, Coinbase, Shakepay and Newton
Kraken, NDAX, Coinbase, Shakepay and Newton were each checked on their own official fee pages on September 24, 2026. Fees are entry-level rates for a new account.
| Feature | Trading cost | Staking commission | Where it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wealthsimple | Trading fee plus a spread (its two fee pages list different rates) | 30% of your staking rewards on Core and Premium, and 15% on Generation | Crypto beside your stocks, TFSA and chequing |
| NDAX | a flat 0.20% on every buy and sell, with no volume tiers (better on this row) | 20% of staking rewards (better on this row) | Deposits free by Interac e-Transfer, bank wire or crypto |
| Kraken | Instant buy: 1% on instant and recurring buys and sells (1.5% on custom orders), plus a spread. Kraken Pro: 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker at the entry tier, falling to 0.30% / 0.60% from US$2,500 of 30-day volume | a share of rewards that Kraken's fee schedule and its staking help article currently state differently | Order-book trading with volume discounts |
| Coinbase | Spread plus a Coinbase fee shown on the preview; limit orders add 1% of the amount traded on each simple limit buy or sell | 35% of rewards (standard rate on ETH, SOL, ADA, DOT and others) | Coinbase Advanced order book with no spread |
| Shakepay | no commission (Shakepay earns a spread instead) | Not listed on its fee page | Interac e-Transfer deposits free, from $5 up to $10,000 per transfer |
| Newton | 1.00% to 1.15% on BTC, ETH and USDC; 1.25% to 1.45% on LTC, SOL and XLM; 1.50% to 1.60% on other coins | A trading fee applies when you stake | Fee shown for each trade |
Sources: ndax.io/fees, kraken.com/features/fee-schedule, help.coinbase.com pricing and fees disclosures, shakepay.com/fees, newton.co/fees, wealthsimple.com/en-ca/legal/fees/crypto. Checked September 24, 2026. Spreads are not published by Wealthsimple, Shakepay, Coinbase or Kraken's instant buy.
Wealthsimple vs Kraken
Kraken Pro usually costs less for active traders because it charges maker and taker fees on an order book rather than an instant-buy spread, while Wealthsimple is simpler for buy-and-hold investors.
Kraken runs two products. Its instant buy in the Kraken app costs 1% on instant and recurring buys and sells (1.5% on custom orders), plus a spread, which is closer to what an all-in-one app charges. Kraken Pro charges 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker at the entry tier, falling to 0.30% / 0.60% from US$2,500 of 30-day volume, and the rates keep falling at higher volumes; a limit order that rests on the book pays the maker rate. Staking is harder to compare: Kraken takes a share of rewards that Kraken's fee schedule and its staking help article currently state differently, and its flexible staking pays rewards on up to 50% of the assets you stake, so check the net reward in the Kraken app before comparing it with Wealthsimple’s 30% on Core and Premium. Kraken’s Canadian arm, Payward Canada Inc., says it is registered with FINTRAC as a money services business and as a restricted dealer with securities regulators in every province and territory.
Where Wealthsimple wins: one app for crypto, stocks and your TFSA; paycheque-funded recurring buys with no trading fee; and instant deposits. Where Kraken wins: order-book pricing that falls as your volume grows, and more trading tools, including Kraken Pro and an API.
Wealthsimple vs NDAX
NDAX is cheaper for most regular crypto buyers: it charges a flat 0.20% on every buy and sell, with no volume tiers, while Wealthsimple charges a fee plus a spread.
NDAX deposits are free by Interac e-Transfer, bank wire or crypto. Moving Canadian dollars out costs $1.50 by Interac e-Transfer or $4.99 by EFT, and its staking fee is 20% of staking rewards. Both of Wealthsimple’s fee pages list trading rates above NDAX’s for typical clients. What NDAX doesn’t give you is a TFSA, stocks or a chequing account in the same place. The NDAX review for Canadians covers the platform in more depth.
Wealthsimple vs Coinbase
Coinbase and Wealthsimple both price simple buys with a spread plus a fee, so neither is a low-cost choice for small instant purchases.
Coinbase’s pricing and fees disclosure says it includes a spread in the quoted price on simple buys and sells, and that its fee varies with payment method, order size and asset. A simple limit order adds 1% of the amount traded on each simple limit buy or sell. Coinbase Advanced trades directly on the order book with no spread; YieldMaple couldn’t load Coinbase Advanced’s fee schedule, so this review doesn’t quote those fees. Its standard staking commission is 35% of rewards (standard rate on ETH, SOL, ADA, DOT and others), higher than Wealthsimple’s. One detail worth knowing: Coinbase Custody Trust Company is one of the three custodians that hold Wealthsimple clients’ crypto.
Wealthsimple vs Shakepay
Shakepay charges no commission (Shakepay earns a spread instead), which suits simple bitcoin buys; Wealthsimple adds more coins, staking and your investment accounts in one app.
Shakepay’s fee page lists Interac e-Transfer deposits as free, from $5 up to $10,000 per transfer. Bitcoin withdrawals are free at normal speed (about 12 hours); fees apply for fast withdrawals (about 10 minutes); Shakepay covers the network fee on normal-speed sends. Shakepay says it is a CIRO member registered as an investment dealer with the AMF and the securities regulators in every province and territory. It doesn’t publish the size of its spread, so the only fair comparison with Wealthsimple is to price the same purchase in both apps at the same moment.
Wealthsimple vs Newton
Newton charges 1.00% to 1.15% on bitcoin, ether and USDC and more on other coins, so it rarely beats NDAX; against Wealthsimple, it depends on which Wealthsimple rate applies to you.
Newton’s fee page lists 1.00% to 1.15% on BTC, ETH and USDC; 1.25% to 1.45% on LTC, SOL and XLM; 1.50% to 1.60% on other coins, with the exact rate shown on each trade and lower rates for high-volume clients. Its trading fees also apply when you stake. Newton says it is registered with FINTRAC and is a dealer member of CIRO and CIPF, while noting that crypto assets are not protected by CIPF.
Wealthsimple vs Crypto.com
YieldMaple couldn’t load an official Crypto.com fee schedule for Canada from its website on September 24, 2026, so this review doesn’t quote Crypto.com fees. The Crypto.com Canada review covers its card and app; check the fee on Crypto.com’s order screen before you compare it with Wealthsimple’s.
Worked example: the cost of a $1,000 bitcoin buy
The same $1,000 bitcoin purchase costs very different amounts in trading fees, depending on the platform and order type.
| Platform and order type | Fee on the buy | Buy now, sell later | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|
| NDAX (flat fee) | $2.00 | $4.00 | Order-book price gap; $1.50 by Interac e-Transfer or $4.99 by EFT to withdraw cash |
| Kraken Pro, limit order that rests on the book | $4.00 | $8.00 | The order may not fill |
| Kraken Pro, market order | $8.00 | $16.00 | Order-book price gap |
| Kraken instant buy | $10.00 | $20.00 | Kraken’s spread (not published) |
| Newton (bitcoin tier) | $10.00 to $11.50 | $20.00 to $23.00 | Any spread (not stated on its fee page) |
| Coinbase simple limit order | $10.00 plus the Coinbase fee | $20.00 plus Coinbase fees | Coinbase fee varies by payment method |
| Shakepay | Spread only | Spread on each side | Spread size not published |
| Wealthsimple | Fee plus spread (spread shown before you submit) | Fee plus spread on each side | Its two fee pages list different rates |
At entry-level rates, NDAX’s flat 0.20% makes it the cheapest published option: $2.00 on the buy. Kraken Pro costs $4.00 with a resting limit order or $8.00 at market, before volume discounts. Kraken’s instant buy and a Coinbase limit order each cost $10.00 before spreads or extra fees, and Newton charges $10.00 to $11.50 on bitcoin.
The picture flips for a steady monthly habit. Putting $500 a month into bitcoin adds up to $6,000 a year. At NDAX that costs $12 in trading fees; through Kraken’s instant buy, $60 plus spreads. Through Wealthsimple’s “automate your pay” recurring buys, both of its fee pages say there is no trading fee, which can beat even NDAX for someone whose paycheque already lands at Wealthsimple.
How does Wealthsimple crypto staking compare?
Wealthsimple lets you stake ETH, SOL, ADA and DOT, but on Core and Premium it keeps 30% of rewards, more than NDAX and less than Coinbase.
Wealthsimple’s crypto page advertises rewards of up to 5% a year (rewards vary by coin), deposited to your account automatically. Its fee schedule sets the staking fee at 30% of your staking rewards on Core and Premium, and 15% on Generation. Validators take their own cut first; on Ethereum that is about 5% of ETH staking rewards, and Wealthsimple’s statements show only its own fee, not the validator’s.
| Platform | What you keep from every $100 of staking rewards | On ETH, after the validator’s cut |
|---|---|---|
| Wealthsimple (Core or Premium) | $70 | about $66.50 |
| Wealthsimple (Generation) | $85 | about $80.75 |
| Kraken | Not settled: its fee schedule and its staking help article list different commissions | Kraken says the reward rates shown in its app don’t include its commission |
| NDAX | $80 | Not broken out on NDAX’s fee page |
| Coinbase (standard rate) | $65 | Coinbase says the rewards it displays are after its commission |
These are headline commissions, and the reward rates each app displays aren’t directly comparable: Coinbase shows rates after its commission, while Kraken’s in-app rates don’t include its commission. Kraken’s staking commission itself is unsettled, because its fee schedule and its staking help article state different rates, and its flexible staking pays rewards on up to 50% of the assets you stake, with the rest kept unstaked. Reward rates also differ by coin, so compare the net reward each app says you’ll receive before you stake. Staking rewards aren’t guaranteed.
Is there a Wealthsimple crypto wallet, and can you send coins to your own?
Yes to both: your Wealthsimple crypto account can send and receive coins for the network fee, and Wealthsimple also offers a separate self-custody Web3 wallet.
Older reviews, including an earlier version of this page, said Wealthsimple limited withdrawals to outside wallets. That is out of date. Transfers are supported (network fees apply). Wealthsimple’s fee schedule says it shows an estimated network fee before sending, charges the fee the network actually takes, and covers any difference if you send your entire balance.
Three things to check before you move coins:
- The coin and the network are supported. Wealthsimple’s risk disclosure says depositing an unsupported crypto asset results in losing it, and some coins run on several networks.
- The address is right. Once coins leave your account, Wealthsimple has no control over them.
- What rivals charge. For comparison, Shakepay’s bitcoin withdrawals are free at normal speed (about 12 hours); fees apply for fast withdrawals (about 10 minutes). NDAX charges a flat, network-based withdrawal fee per coin.
There are two kinds of wallet in the Wealthsimple app, and they work differently:
- Your crypto account (custodial). Wealthsimple and its custodians hold the keys, and your coins are held in trust for you. This is where buying, selling, staking and swaps happen.
- The Web3 wallet (self-custody). Offered by a separate company, Wealthsimple Web3 Inc., under terms last updated April 9, 2026. It creates wallets controlled by you for sending coins and using on-chain apps; Wealthsimple says it never controls or has access to your private keys or recovery materials. The trade-off is total responsibility: the terms warn that losing access to your authentication methods can mean losing the crypto for good, and that coins in these wallets aren’t protected by any insurance or investor protection scheme.
Wealthsimple’s crypto page also advertises DEX (decentralized exchange) trading for on-chain tokens inside the app. The Web3 wallet terms say Wealthsimple doesn’t recommend, endorse or operate the on-chain protocols you reach through that wallet, so treat on-chain trading as an advanced tool.
Is Wealthsimple crypto safe?
Wealthsimple crypto is held in trust with regulated custodians, mostly in cold storage, but it isn’t covered by CIPF or CDIC, and nothing protects you from price swings.
Wealthsimple’s crypto risk disclosure names three custodians: Tetra Trust Company in Calgary, Coinbase Custody Trust Company in New York and BitGo Trust Company in South Dakota. Coins held with them sit in cold storage, with keys on devices never connected to the internet, and Wealthsimple cites over $75M in cold-storage coverage at each custodial partner. The rest sits in Wealthsimple’s hot wallets, which are also insured, with Coincover as a recovery partner if there’s a hack. Your coins are beneficially owned by you, and Wealthsimple and its custodians are prohibited from pledging, re-hypothecating or otherwise using them without your express instructions.
The gap is investor protection. Wealthsimple Investments Inc. is a CIPF member, and in its investment accounts CIPF protection applies to securities eligible for CIPF coverage up to $1M per defined account. Crypto assets don’t qualify, and they aren’t CDIC-insured either. Insurance covers events such as theft or a hack, not a fall in the price of bitcoin. The broader question of platform safety is covered in Is Wealthsimple safe?
Can you hold crypto in a Wealthsimple TFSA?
No: Wealthsimple only allows crypto in a non-registered crypto account, so coins you buy directly get no TFSA, RRSP or FHSA tax shelter.
Selling crypto at a gain can create tax to pay, so keep a record of your adjusted cost base (what you paid for each coin). Swaps count too: Wealthsimple’s risk disclosure notes that swapping one coin for another may be treated as a sale of the first coin and a purchase of the second, which can have tax consequences.
If tax-sheltered crypto exposure matters more to you than owning the coins, the usual route is a crypto ETF listed on a Canadian exchange, held in a TFSA, RRSP or FHSA like any other ETF. Wealthsimple charges $0 commission on listed Canadian and US stocks and ETFs. The Wealthsimple TFSA guide explains contribution room and how the account works.
What is Wealthsimple Predict, and how does it use Kalshi?
Wealthsimple Predict is a separate app for trading yes-or-no event contracts on Kalshi’s exchange; the fee is US$0.02 per contract, charged on every buy and every sell.
Predict is not crypto and doesn’t live in your crypto account, but it is part of Wealthsimple’s trading menu and is often searched alongside it. Key facts from Wealthsimple’s Predict page, checked September 24, 2026:
- How contracts work. Each contract is a yes-or-no question about financial markets, the economy or climate. It is priced from US$0.01 to US$0.99 per contract and, if you’re right, pays US$1 per contract, minus fees. The price is the market’s implied probability: a 60-cent contract means traders see roughly a 60 percent chance.
- Your risk is capped. The most you can lose is what you paid, and you can sell before the event resolves.
- It’s a separate app in US dollars. It works with your existing Wealthsimple account, and you can fund Predict from it; contracts trade in USD, so a CAD deposit is converted at Wealthsimple’s standard FX rate.
- Hours. Trading runs around the clock, except Thursdays from 3:00 to 5:00 a.m. ET, when Kalshi runs maintenance.
- Regulation. Wealthsimple says it is one of two CIRO-regulated brokerages able to offer prediction markets in Canada, and listed contracts must meet the 30-day term-to-maturity rule in effect in Canada.
A worked example: buying 10 contracts at 60 cents costs US$6.00 plus US$0.20 in fees, or US$6.20 in total. If you’re right and hold to settlement, the contracts pay US$10.00, minus fees. If you’re wrong, you lose everything you paid, fees included.
Who should (and shouldn’t) open a Wealthsimple crypto account
Pick Wealthsimple Crypto if:
- You already invest or bank with Wealthsimple and want a small crypto position in the same app.
- Your paycheque lands at Wealthsimple and you want recurring bitcoin buys with no trading fee.
- You value staking, wallet transfers and instant deposits more than the lowest possible fee.
Pick NDAX if:
- You buy regularly and want the lowest published flat fee, 0.20% per trade, with free deposits.
Pick Kraken if:
- You trade actively, use limit orders and want order-book pricing that drops with volume.
Pick Shakepay if:
- You mainly buy bitcoin with Interac e-Transfers and want free normal-speed bitcoin withdrawals.
Pick Coinbase if:
- You want a global exchange with an order-book mode (Coinbase Advanced) and don’t mind a higher staking commission.
Pick Newton if:
- You trade enough to qualify for its Signature program, which Newton says brings lower fees for higher-volume traders.
Skip direct crypto if:
- You want crypto exposure inside a TFSA, RRSP or FHSA. A crypto ETF in a registered account is the tool for that.
The verdict
A Wealthsimple crypto account is the easiest way for a Canadian who already uses Wealthsimple to own Bitcoin, Ethereum or any of 170+ coins, and it is no longer a closed box: you can stake, swap and send coins to your own wallet. Its weak point is cost. Standard market orders pay a fee plus a spread, the company’s two fee pages disagree on the rate, and a flat-fee exchange such as NDAX charges 0.20%. The exception is paycheque-funded recurring buys, which carry no trading fee.
If you trade often, use NDAX or Kraken Pro. If you want a simple, long-term crypto slice next to the rest of your money, Wealthsimple is a reasonable choice, as long as you check the cost on the order screen before each trade. This page is general education, not financial advice; crypto is volatile and you can lose money.