For Canadian banks, stablecoins could be, well, destabilizing. These value of these cryptocurrency assets is tied to the value of a traditional currency, which makes them more practical to use than volatile cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This year, Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify began accepting a stablecoin called USDC, but stablecoins are in a regulatory grey area in Canada, and our banking system is not prepared for their widespread adoption.
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Published on: 10 Jul 2025
Cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) allow investors to hold a variety of cryptocurrencies in a single investment product. While all of Canada’s Big Six banks now include some crypto ETFs in their portfolios, these investments represent only a small fraction of their holdings. A major advantage of ETFs is their ability to offer protection from market volatility. However, given the speculative nature of crypto means it can still be extremely volatile, even within an ETF structure.
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Published on: 11 Dec 2024
Despite commitments to implement the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) by 2027, Canada’s strides in regulating crypto-assets remain sluggish. CARF establishes a standardized reporting system for crypto-assets across 48 nations with the aim of tracking specific asset types and transactions while defining relevant tax jurisdictions.
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Published on: 9 May 2024
In 2023, more than 120 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were delisted in Canada—more than four times as many as in an average year. Even so, there was still a net gain in the overall number of ETFs, with 164 new ones launching for the year. With numbers in for the first quarter of 2024, the high number of delistings appears to have been an anomaly.
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Published on: 17 Apr 2024
Cryptocurrencies are an unregulated, ethically dubious financial instrument used by criminal organizations, terrorists and war criminals, writes Andy Holloway in the FP Investor Newsletter. But central bank digital currencies (CBDC) are the right side of regulation. “A CBDC that offers maximal privacy of individuals' spending and is a legal tender would be a more compelling alternative to cryptocurrencies as a pure digital means of payments and money,” says Katrin Tinn, Assistant Professor of Finance at Desautels.
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Published on: 25 May 2023
People are using cash less, and plastic more. But this presents a problem for unbanked and underbanked people. There are still a significant number of Canadians who don’t have a bank account. They can’t participate fully in the digital economy, but central bank digital currencies could help them do that. The Bank of Canada is one of the central banks considering a digital currency, and one of its main benefits is inclusion, says Katrin Tinn, an Assistant Professor of Finance at McGill.
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Published on: 21 Dec 2022
On November 14, the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics hosted students, faculty, staff, donors, alumni and friends of McGill Desautels for the official launch of the Centre.
The Laidley Centre for Business Ethics will serve as a hub for McGill researchers across disciplines, from law and religion to economics and engineering, to work toward solutions for the most pressing ethical issues of our time.
Published on: 23 Nov 2022
Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) represent a possible next step in the technological evolution of banking and the financial intermediation sector, with advances in privacy, fraud protection, and efficiency—but their roles and risks on the high-tech path forward are only now becoming clear.
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Published on: 8 Nov 2022
Danielle Smith is running for the leadership of Alberta’s United Conservative Party, and could become Alberta’s next premier. But Smith is campaigning on a platform that includes internet conspiracy theories. In a newsletter, she cautioned that Canada’s currency could be replaced with an international common digital currency, and the federal government could use it to “punish and reward” Canadians. But that’s not very likely, according to Mo Chaudhury, an Assistant Professor of Finance at Desautels.
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Published on: 16 Sep 2022
Wealthsimple, a Toronto-based financial services company, recently announced plans to push for digital currencies to be used in day-to-day transactions beyond trading. Professor Katrin Tinn says the recent downturn in cryptocurrency use emphasizes the need for stakeholders to innovate cryptocurrency for real-world applications.
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Published on: 4 Feb 2022
With digital currencies like Bitcoin gaining traction in the e-commerce space, banks are considering the challenge of integrating digital and paper currencies while protecting user privacy. Although the Bank of Canada has no immediate plans to implement a government-backed digital currency, Professor Katrin Tinn wouldn't rule out a shift to cryptocurrency in the future.
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Published on: 21 Jan 2022
Get to know Assistant Professor Katrin Tinn, who teaches in the Finance area, in a new Q&A. She discusses her research on digital currencies and stock trading, her teaching style - including how she integrates her research - and her interest in art.
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Published on: 22 Dec 2021
Could a Central Bank Digital Currency ensure privacy and transparency for every transaction? A new model of digital currency by Desautels Professor Katrin Tinn proposes a secure yet anonymous “asymmetric privacy” alternative to cash, traditional bank transactions, and cryptocurrency. “A public institution is in a better position to design a digital currency that has the correct incentives,” says Tinn.
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Published on: 1 Nov 2021
Over the last ten years, cash payments have been in a free fall and experts predict that by 2030, they could make up for just 10% of monetary transactions.
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Published on: 9 Sep 2021
A recent survey found that Canada has the most cashless economy in the world, with most consumers using the credit card system. Professor Katrin Tinn joined CTV News Montreal to share her insights on the potential for the Bank of Canada to approve other forms of digital currencies, such as Bitcoin. She explains how new digital currencies could be used concurrently with physical cash and credit cards, giving consumers greater choice and control over their spending preferences.
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Published on: 15 Jul 2021
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