Netcoins

Netcoins is a Canadian cryptocurrency exchange that has operated since 2014 from its base in Vancouver. It is owned by BIGG Digital Assets Inc., a company publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker BIGG, which also controls Blockchain Intelligence Group and TerraZero Technologies. That public company structure gives Netcoins a level of financial transparency and corporate governance that most crypto-native exchanges do not offer. As of 2026, the platform serves more than 300,000 active Canadian users and has processed approximately $3.5 billion in cumulative trading volume.

The exchange is purpose-built for the Canadian market. It integrates Interac e-Transfer — Canada's most widely used bank-to-bank transfer system — for free deposits and withdrawals in Canadian dollars, an advantage that most global exchanges cannot replicate. Account funding is available through Interac e-Transfer, bank wire, and crypto deposit. There are no fees on CAD inflows or outflows, and the trading fee is a flat 0.5% on all buys and sells regardless of volume tier. That simplicity positions Netcoins clearly: it is not competing with institutional trading desks on rebate structures, but rather serving individual Canadians who want low-friction access to digital assets without the complexity of order books or variable fee schedules.

Regulatory Standing

Netcoins carries one of the most thorough compliance profiles of any crypto exchange serving Canadian retail users. It is registered with the British Columbia Securities Commission and holds registrations with securities regulatory authorities in all Canadian provinces and territories. It holds a FINTRAC Money Services Business registration (MSB #M15560893) covering its obligations as a virtual currency dealer under Canada's Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act. The platform completed a SOC 2 Type 2 security audit, a standard used by regulated financial services companies to certify controls over data security, availability, and confidentiality.

Customer asset custody runs through two institutional providers: Fireblocks handles hot wallet storage for operational liquidity, while BitGo Trust Company holds the majority of client assets in segregated cold storage wallets. BitGo's qualified custodian status is relevant for any Canadian user comparing custody arrangements across platforms.

Supported Assets and Trading Features

Netcoins lists more than 60 cryptocurrencies spanning major assets, Layer 1 protocols, and emerging tokens. Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin anchor the offering. The exchange has continued to add assets across categories including AI-linked tokens such as Bittensor (TAO) and Artificial SuperIntelligence Alliance (FET), Layer 1 protocols such as Sui (SUI), and various meme-category tokens that have attracted retail demand.

Trading features include instant market execution and limit orders, a personal price alert system across SMS, email, and push notification channels, and a portfolio view inside the web and mobile interfaces. An OTC desk serves institutional clients, private wealth managers, corporations, and fintech platforms that need to move size outside the public order book. API trading is available for automated strategies.

Solana on Netcoins

Solana is available both for spot trading and for staking. The staking product targets Canadian users who want passive SOL yield without bridging assets to external protocols or managing validator accounts directly.

Staking parameters as of mid-2026: SOL earns 5–6% APR with payouts credited every 72 hours. The yield is auto-compounded, meaning staking rewards are folded back into the staking position automatically rather than accumulating as idle cash. Staked SOL is held with BitGo Trust Company in segregated cold storage, consistent with the custody arrangement for other platform assets.

The exchange supports unstaking, though the timeline depends on Solana's native protocol mechanics — specifically the epoch-based stake deactivation cycle, which typically runs two to three days. Netcoins displays estimated unstaking timelines in the staking interface before a user commits funds.

SOL Strategies Validator Partnership

In October 2025, Netcoins announced that it had selected SOL Strategies Inc. as its institutional validator for Solana staking operations. SOL Strategies (NASDAQ: STKE) runs four active validators serving more than 15,000 unique wallets, including institutional clients accessible through BitGo and Crypto.com custodians. The company's validator client list includes Ark Invest's Digital Asset Revolutions Fund and white-label arrangements with Pudgy Penguins and Solana Mobile.

Under the agreement, Netcoins transitioned its Solana staking operations from its prior validator arrangement to SOL Strategies' infrastructure. The stated rationale from both parties emphasized the balance between yield and compliance: regulated exchanges must vet their validator relationships for operational security and regulatory alignment, not simply optimize for the highest nominal APR.

Fraser Matthews, CEO of Netcoins, described the logic directly: "This partnership allows us to deliver improved staking yields to our customers while meeting our regulatory obligations." Andrew McDonald, COO of SOL Strategies, framed it from the infrastructure side: "Regulated exchanges like Netcoins need industry leading partners who can provide high yielding tech within institutional compliance frameworks."

The partnership is notable for the Solana ecosystem because it illustrates the growing demand from regulated retail and institutional distribution channels for validator services that can pass compliance due diligence. Netcoins functions as a distribution layer, routing Canadian retail staking demand through compliant infrastructure rather than requiring users to interact with the Solana validator set directly.

Platform Access and User Experience

Netcoins operates through both a web platform and mobile apps on iOS and Android. Account opening requires KYC verification, consistent with its regulatory obligations. The platform supports 24/7 staking operations and Interac e-Transfer deposits described as instant during standard banking hours.

Customer feedback on Trustpilot stands at 4.2 out of 5 from more than 350 reviews, with positive sentiment concentrated around ease of use and Canadian-based customer support. The platform markets itself explicitly against the complexity of global exchanges, emphasizing a minimal interface aimed at crypto newcomers rather than active traders seeking charting tools, derivatives, or cross-margin facilities.

Parent Company Context

BIGG Digital Assets' multi-business structure means Netcoins operates alongside Blockchain Intelligence Group, which provides blockchain analytics and forensics tools used by law enforcement and financial institutions, and TerraZero Technologies, focused on immersive media and Web3 development. The Blockchain Intelligence Group unit gives BIGG direct expertise in on-chain compliance tooling, which may inform the thoroughness with which Netcoins approaches its regulatory obligations relative to single-product crypto companies.

BIGG trades on the TSXV, giving Canadian investors a public markets entry point into a business whose primary revenue driver is Netcoins exchange volumes and fee income.

Summary

Netcoins is an active, regulated Canadian exchange with a decade of operating history, transparent public company ownership, and a clear focus on retail Canadian users. Its Solana offering extends from spot trading to staking with auto-compounding yield, backed by an institutional validator partnership with SOL Strategies announced in October 2025. The platform's regulatory depth — provincial securities registration, FINTRAC compliance, SOC 2 Type 2, and BitGo custody — sets it apart from less-regulated competitors serving the Canadian market. For Solana holders based in Canada who want regulated exchange access and staking yield without self-custody complexity, Netcoins is one of the few venues that combines all three under a federally registered, publicly accountable structure.