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ARTICLE · 06 FEBRUARY 2018

OMERS Enters Cryptocurrency Market

Aird & Berlis LLP
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Developments in blockchains and cryptocurrencies have dominated fintech news in 2018 for a variety of reasons, not least because they are responsible for increased stock trading.

CanadaTechnology
Aird & Berlis LLP
Aird & Berlis LLP
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Developments in blockchains and cryptocurrencies have dominated fintech news in 2018 for a variety of reasons, not least because they are responsible for increased stock trading. The online brokerages of Canada's major banks are reporting outages during peak periods, and some banks report account opening requests at rates three times higher than average rates in 2017 due to the increased popularity of investments in cryptocurrencies and cannabis.

Despite what the Globe & Mail has deemed a "frenzy" to invest in cryptocurrency-related stocks, many institutional investors remain cautious about this new asset class. Cryptocurrency markets – relatively small and young – are still quite volatile. In November and December 2017, bitcoin stocks rose from $5,000 to $19,000, then crashed back down to $10,000.

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