TL;DR:
- Shakepay offers loans from $100 to $50,000 CAD with a fixed annual APR of 9.5%.
- The service has the approval of Quebec’s AMF, guaranteeing a regulated and legal framework.
- The platform safeguards 95% of the collateral in cold wallets through third-party custodians like Coinbase.
This Tuesday, it was announced that the Canadian platform Shakepay has enabled Bitcoin-backed loans for its base of 1.5 million users. This initiative comes after obtaining a key regulatory exemption from the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF).
Today we're starting a slow rollout of bitcoin backed loans to customers on @shakepay
Bitcoin backed loans are one of the most requested products since we started.
For those who never want to sell and live on a bitcoin standard, borrowing against your bitcoin is one of the… https://t.co/ALY4TbDurQ
— Jean Amiouny (@aiouy) April 21, 2026
Through this new financial product, Canadian citizens will be able to access fiat capital by using their BTC holdings as collateral. The system operates with a Loan-to-Value (LTV) monitored in real-time, triggering margin calls at 80%.
Thanks to this modality, investors will obtain immediate liquidity without having to sell assets, thus avoiding costly tax events. The CEO, Jean Amiouny, highlighted that this was one of the most requested features by their community.
From a technical perspective, the collateral is securely held in cold and hot wallets through third-party providers such as Coinbase Custody. Furthermore, the company confirmed that there is no rehypothecation of client funds.
Financial Innovation and Regulatory Compliance in Canada
The loan structure is agile: once approved, the funds are immediately deposited into the user’s account. There are no origination fees or prepayment penalties, providing unprecedented flexibility in the market.
It is worth noting that the loans are denominated in CAD or USD and have terms ranging from three months to three years. For now, only Bitcoin and Ether are accepted as collateral under current regulations.
The rollout of this feature will be gradual within the Shakepay mobile app. Eligible users must have completed their KYC process and legally reside in Canadian territory to access the credit service.
To ensure transparency, Shakepay presents audited financial statements to Quebec regulators. This measure reinforces trust in an ecosystem that seeks to integrate cryptocurrencies with traditional banking standards.
Shakepay positions itself as a pioneer by offering a regulated credit solution that protects the ownership of digital assets. This tool redefines how Canadian users interact with their capital in the long term.
