How does crypto on Wealthsimple work?

Wealthsimple crypto is a trading account in the Wealthsimple app where people in Canada can buy, sell, hold, send and stake coins. It is offered by Wealthsimple Investments Inc., which Wealthsimple says is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. The wider rules for platforms like this are explained in how crypto is regulated in Canada.

How do you buy crypto on Wealthsimple?

You open a crypto account and complete a loss limit survey before your first trade. Wealthsimple suggests funding by Interac e-Transfer or debit card for instant trading. Money from a linked bank account is held for five business days before crypto bought with it can be withdrawn. Crypto can be held only in a non-registered account, not a TFSA, so a crypto ETF in a TFSA is a separate product.

Wealthsimple says most coins sit in offline cold storage with custodial partners and are held in trust for clients. It also says crypto is not covered by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund or CDIC.

What are Wealthsimple crypto fees?

As of its September 24, 2026 schedule:

• Standard. 0.5% on every order, plus a spread on market orders. Limit orders carry no spread.
• Active Trader. The fee drops with 30-day volume, from 0.35% at $10,000 to 0% at $15 million, with no spread.
• Small orders. A $1 surcharge on orders under $100.
• Stablecoins. No fee or spread when swapping a stablecoin for its own currency.

There is no separate withdrawal fee, but blockchain network fees apply.

Can you withdraw crypto from Wealthsimple?

Yes, for most listed coins. You use Send crypto under the Move tab, pass a one-time selfie check if you skipped it at sign-up, paste the address and pick a network where there is a choice. USDC can go out on Ethereum, Solana or Base, and ETH on Ethereum or Base. USDT is not supported for withdrawals.

Limits are $10,000 CAD a day and $25,000 CAD a week, and most coins have a $5 minimum. Wealthsimple says most transfers finish within 30 minutes.

How do Wealthsimple crypto staking and shorting work?

Staking is available for ether, solana, cardano and polkadot. Wealthsimple keeps 30% of rewards for Core and Premium clients and 15% for Generation clients, before validator commissions. Staked coins have a cool-down period before they can be sold. Wealthsimple notes that rewards are taxable, as covered in how crypto is taxed in Canada.

Shorting is a different matter. Canadian crypto platforms agreed under CSA terms not to offer margin or leverage, so the crypto account cannot short bitcoin. A separate Wealthsimple margin account can short stocks and ETFs when shares can be borrowed, and futures can be sold short there, but its futures list does not include crypto contracts as of October 2026. How shorting works is covered in how does shorting crypto work.