Advisor recommendations nearly doubled since 2023 - and clients are paying attention
Canadian investors are increasingly bringing crypto to their advisors - and more advisors are recommending it - a new Ontario Securities Commission survey found.
The regulator on July 28, 2026 published the third wave of its Crypto Asset Survey, conducted with Ipsos among 2,360 Canadians between December 18, 2025 and January 22, 2026. The survey found that 59 per cent of Canadians were aware of crypto assets, and that ownership rose to 25 per cent, up from 10 per cent in 2023.
The survey also tracked how crypto is figuring into advice relationships. It found that 22 per cent of crypto owners sought information from a financial advisor before buying, compared with 13 per cent in 2023. Among investors who work with an advisor, 39 per cent said their advisor had recommended they put at least a small share of their portfolio into crypto assets – nearly double the 19 per cent recorded in 2023. Recommendations typically involved allocating a small portion, 10 per cent or less, of a portfolio.
The survey found that 30 per cent of those with a financial advisor owned crypto, while 44 per cent of self-directed investors did. Overall, 39 per cent of investors owned some type of crypto product.
Views on the asset class also shifted. The OSC reported that 43 per cent of Canadians believed crypto assets currently play a key role in the financial system, up from 26 per cent in 2023, and that 52 per cent expected them to play a key role in the future, compared with 34 per cent two years earlier. Among those aware of crypto, 38 per cent said they were highly likely to buy, up 18 percentage points since 2023. Diversification, belief in the underlying technology and speculation were the most common reasons given for buying.
The survey also examined newer products. The OSC said awareness of stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, or RWA tokens, remained relatively low, but that 74 per cent of those aware of RWA tokens would consider buying them if their main bank or investment firm offered them.
On investor protection, the OSC said half of crypto owners checked whether their trading platform was registered before using it, up from 38 per cent in 2023. It said working knowledge of crypto nonetheless remained limited, with persistent misunderstanding of how the assets are regulated, whether they are insured and how transactions work. It also said 15 per cent of trading-platform users had experienced a financial loss through a scam, fraud or hacking incident.
"Crypto markets continue to evolve, and Canadians are participating in them more than ever before," said Naizam Kanji, executive vice president, strategic regulation at the OSC. He said the research helps the regulator anticipate opportunities and risks while supporting investor protection and fair, efficient markets.
The OSC said the growing role of advisors could become an avenue to help investors understand the financial risks and the rationales tied to crypto, when they ask.
The full text of the OSC news release, "OSC finds growing awareness, ownership and optimism toward crypto assets," is available at https://www.osc.ca/en/news-events/news/osc-finds-growing-awareness-ownership-and-optimism-toward-crypto-assets.
