Crypto is increasingly popping up in discussions between investors and their advisors — and advisors are becoming much more likely to recommend it — according to new research from the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC).
The regulator published the results of an online survey of 2,360 adults — which was carried out between Dec. 18, 2025 and Jan. 22, 2026 — that found growing awareness, and ownership, of crypto by investors.
Among other things, the research found that 59% of Canadians are now aware of crypto assets, and 25% of respondents actually own some crypto.
Moreover, investors are increasingly talking about crypto with their advisors.
The survey found that 22% of respondents said that they have discussed crypto with their advisor — that’s up from 13% in 2023. Moreover, advisors are increasingly recommending that their clients allocate a small portion of their portfolio to crypto, with 39% of respondents reporting that their advisor recommended crypto exposure, up from 19% in 2023.
“[I]nvestors with financial advisors are now more likely than before to cover crypto in their discussions,” the OSC noted in its report on the results. “They are also now more likely to say that they seek their advisors’ opinions on crypto and that they have been recommended to allocate at least some portion of their investment portfolio to crypto assets.”
The survey found that investors said that they acquired crypto exposure primarily to diversify their portfolios, to invest for the long-term, or as a speculative gamble.
Alongside the growing interest in crypto as a portfolio position, the survey also found that investors are growing more confident that crypto will play a key role in the future of finance, the survey noted.
The regulator suggested that the growing role for advisors in shaping investors’ crypto exposure represents an opportunity to improve investors’ understanding of the fledgling asset class.
“Given Canadians’ increasing awareness and curiosity with crypto assets, the avenue of the client-advisory relationship could potentially be used to support investors’ understanding of financial risks and informed rationales for purchasing crypto,” it said.
Among investors that don’t own crypto, the survey noted that the top reasons they gave for avoiding the sector include concerns about investment risk, their lack of knowledge about the sector, and fears about having their accounts hacked and assets stolen.
Despite the growing role for advisors however, most investors are still getting their info about crypto from friends and family (34%), the survey found — while the reliance on advisors is now on par with social media influencers (21%), and purported crypto experts (23%), it noted.
Additionally, most investors are still using dedicated crypto platforms to acquire their holdings. The survey found that Coinbase, Wealthsimple Crypto, Crypto.com, and Binance were most popular with investors.
“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, in a release accompanying the research.
“By identifying emerging trends and behaviours with our research, we can look around corners, anticipate potential opportunities and risks, and ensure our regulatory approach supports investor protection while fostering fair and efficient markets,” he said.