Is Netcoins safe? Our 2026 review

Netcoins is a Vancouver crypto platform that sells coins through an app and a web app. Its pricing works differently from platforms that charge a set percentage on top of each trade, so the fee section matters more here than usual.

Who owns Netcoins

Netcoins’ home page says it “is owned by Surge Digital Inc. (formerly BIGG Digital Assets Inc.)”, which trades on the TSX Venture Exchange. Netcoins’ relationship disclosure calls Netcoins Inc. “an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Surge Digital Inc.” and says Surge Digital is a public company. The brand on the site and app is still Netcoins.

Netcoins’ registration

Netcoins’ terms of service, last updated 10 February 2026, say “Netcoins Inc. is a registered Restricted Dealer in all provinces and territories in Canada.” They add that it is subject to the terms and conditions in a decision by the British Columbia Securities Commission.

The site footer says Netcoins “is registered with the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) and the securities regulatory authorities in all Canadian provinces, Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories.” The footer also gives its FINTRAC number. FINTRAC registration is a separate anti-money-laundering requirement and isn’t the same as securities registration.

The regulators’ register lists Netcoins Inc. as a restricted dealer, with its latest decision dated 29 September 2025.

A restricted dealer is registered under a set of terms and conditions, often on the way to full registration. Netcoins’ relationship disclosure describes its registration as obtained “on an interim, time limited basis.” Investment dealer is the higher type of registration. You can compare Netcoins with the investment dealers on our registered list.

How Netcoins holds your crypto

Netcoins’ terms say it “does not itself maintain custody of” client crypto. It uses outside custodians, BitGo Trust Company, Inc. and Fireblocks Inc. Your coins may sit in omnibus wallets with other clients’ coins, tracked on Netcoins’ own ledger. The terms say crypto in your account “is held in trust for the benefit of the account owner (you).”

Its security page says “the majority of funds are held in cold storage” with BitGo, and Fireblocks runs the hot wallets. It doesn’t give a percentage.

Canadian and US dollar balances are held in a trust account at Concentra Trust, separate from Netcoins’ own money, according to its risk statement. The terms say Netcoins keeps any interest the bank pays on that cash.

The terms also give a plain warning. If Netcoins or a custodian became insolvent, the law on how your crypto is treated is “unsettled,” and you could be treated as an unsecured creditor.

Insurance

Netcoins mentions two private arrangements. Its terms say it has an insurance-backed guarantee from Coincover for crypto held in Fireblocks, covering theft up to a coverage level that isn’t stated. Its risk statement says BitGo carries a policy “covering $100 million in losses” for crypto in cold storage and hot wallets, which is BitGo’s policy across its clients, not a Netcoins-only amount.

CIPF and CDIC don’t apply. The risk statement says crypto held with Netcoins is “not protected by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund, the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other investor protection insurance scheme.” The terms say cash balances aren’t covered by CDIC either.

Fees

Netcoins’ fee page says: “The price you see includes our spread. We do not charge any separate trading fees.” The terms confirm a spread-based model with no separate commission. You get a quote and have about six seconds to accept it.

The fee page doesn’t publish the size of the spread. The relationship disclosure says transaction fees are “currently” 50 basis points, built into the spread. Its worked example has a $100 buy costing $1.00 when the spread is also 50 basis points. We couldn’t see a date on that document, so treat the figure as Netcoins’ stated rate rather than a quote you’ll get.

If you stake ETH, SOL or ATOM, the terms say Netcoins keeps a percentage of the net rewards after the staking partner’s fee. The percentage isn’t given on the pages we read.

Deposits and withdrawals

The fee page lists these funding costs:

• Interac e-Transfer deposits: no fee.
• Crypto deposits: no fee.
• Bank wire deposits: no fee for deposits over $3,000.
• Interac e-Transfer withdrawals: no fee.
• Bank wire withdrawals: a $50 processing fee for withdrawals under $25,000.

The fee page doesn’t say what a wire deposit of $3,000 or less costs. Deposit and withdrawal limits are shown inside the platform only, after sign-up, according to the terms. The risk statement says cash withdrawals over $10,000 must be reviewed and approved by Netcoins. The terms say deposits can take 1 to 5 business days to confirm.

Sending crypto to an outside wallet costs a flat fee for each coin, the same “whether you’re sending out $100 or $100,000.” Its fee table lists Bitcoin at 0.00014 BTC, with a minimum withdrawal of 0.00028 BTC, Ethereum at 0.003 ETH and Solana at 0.06 SOL. Because the fee is a fixed amount of the coin, its value in dollars rises and falls with the price.

Coins, limits and the app

The fee page lists 65 coins, one of them trade-only. The home page says “over 60.”

Netcoins’ relationship disclosure says it may “impose certain restrictions on the acquisition of crypto assets based on the client’s information.” Its help article on these limits blocked our check, so we can’t give the amounts or which provinces they apply to.

Netcoins has apps for iPhone and Android and a web app at netcoins.app. Account features beyond the public pages are only visible after sign-up.

Frequently asked questions

Is Netcoins legit?

Yes. Netcoins Inc. is registered with Canada’s securities regulators as a restricted dealer in every province and territory. It’s owned by Surge Digital Inc., a public company.

Is Netcoins safe?

Your crypto is held by outside custodians, BitGo and Fireblocks, in trust for you, mostly in cold storage. That lowers some risks but doesn’t remove them, and crypto prices can still fall.

Is my crypto on Netcoins covered by CIPF?

No. Netcoins says crypto and cash held with it aren’t covered by CIPF or CDIC. It points to a Coincover guarantee and BitGo’s insurance instead, which are private arrangements with limits.

How much does Netcoins charge?

There’s no separate trading fee. The cost is built into the spread, which the fee page doesn’t publish. Interac deposits and withdrawals carry no fee, and wire withdrawals under $25,000 cost $50. Our comparison of registered exchanges shows how other platforms price their trades.

Sources

Checked 10 November 2026.

• Netcoins, home page and footer
• Netcoins, fees
• Netcoins, safety and security
• Netcoins, terms of service, last updated 10 February 2026
• Netcoins, relationship disclosure
• Netcoins, risk statement
• New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission, registered crypto asset trading platforms