BCSC Advises Caution in Investing with Cryp Trade

The British Columbia Securities Commission has issued an official public warning, urging BC residents to be wary of engaging with Cryp Trade.

The Canadian regulator specified that it had found that Cryp Trade has been placing advertisements that are targeting BC residents.

Moreover, the public address notes that due to the nature of cryptocurrencies, they could be classified as securities under BC legislation. In such a circumstance, it would require proper registration and licensing in order to legally offer trading or advise on the relatively infant financial product.

As it stands, Cryp Trade is not registered or authorized to “trade in, or advise on, securities or exchange contracts in BC.” Consequently, the BCSC is urging that residents of BC adhere to cautionary behavior with regard to engaging in any activity with Cryp Trade, or any other unregistered company or entity.

Allegations of unlawfully offering financial products without proper licensing is not a new issue for Cryp Trade. In September of last year, the Italian regulator, Commissione Nazionale per la Societa e la Borsa (CONSOB), the operations of Cryp Trade, for exactly that reason.

During the CONSOB investigation, it was also discovered that Cryp Trade had been offering, through various channels, participation in an investment portfolio that guaranteed a monthly ROI ranging from 17.7% to 29.7%. Furthermore, the company failed to respond to requests for additional information, issued by CONSOB on two separate occasions.

The BCSC continues to monitor and assess unlawful and unauthorized activity in the financial sector, with respect to companies that are offering financial services without authorization.

The Canadian regulator has maintained a stringent stance to unauthorized financial firms and unlicensed entities. The scope of their jurisdiction includes the industry as well, which has been the recipient of global regulators’ scrutiny in recent years.