Canada
Coinsquare acquires publicly traded crypto exchange CoinSmart
Canada’s crypto exchange landscape appears to be consolidating after Coinsquare, one of the largest digital asset trading platforms in the country, acquired CoinSmart for an undisclosed amount. On Thursday, Coinsquare announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to purchase all issued and outstanding shares of CoinSmart’s wholly-owned subsidiary Simply Digital. Once the deal becomes final, CoinSmart will hold a roughly 12% ownership stake in Coinsquare on a pro-forma basis. Shares of the CoinSmart crypto exchange, which trade on the NEO Exchange, were up 67% on Friday, largely in response to the news. The acquisition makes Coinsquare one of Canada’s largest crypto exchanges and expands its operational and business capabilities. Founded in 2014, Coinsquare has expanded it...
The Ultimate Electronic Music Fan’s Canadian Bucket List
With an enormous dance music scene and crowds as passionate as ever, Canada is the perfect hub for rave experiences of all shapes and sizes. If you’re a diehard electronic music fan living in Canada or are thinking of traveling to enjoy the vibrant scene in one of its cultural and metropolitan hubs, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our ultimate electronic music fan’s Canadian bucket list guide for the best cities to visit, clubs to attend and places to stay. Toronto Toronto, Canada’s most populated city, offers a myriad of options for tourists and residents alike. We recommend staying at Samesun Toronto, which is conveniently located in the heart of the city and 15 minutes by foot from the beloved CODA nightclub. Use the discount code “PARTYTIME” for 10%...
Pierre Kwenders Wins 2022 Polaris Music Prize for Best Canadian Album
Congolese-born, Montreal-based musician, songwriter, and DJ Pierre Kwenders has won the 2022 Polaris Music Prize for his third album, José Louis and the Paradox of Love. An 11-member jury selected the record as the Canadian album of the year, based on artistic merit, without regard to genre, sales, or record label. The announcement was made at the Carlu in Toronto on Sept. 19 — Polaris’ first in-person celebration since 2019. In his acceptance speech, Kwenders thanked family, friends, and collaborators who contributed to the telling of his journey: “This is for all the kids from the diaspora… This is my story. This is my African story, my Congolese story, my Canadian story. This is your story if you want to take it as yours.” José Louis and the Paradox of Love — José ...
“Where Friends Become Family”: Friendzy Fest Returns for Successful Sophomore Year
Last month, friends from near and far retreated to Rangton Park, Alberta for the second edition of Friendzy Fest. Hosted during the peak of summertime in the Canadian prairies, the intimate dance music gathering took place on a campground just outside of Evansburg, alongside a meandering river. Boasting two stages this year, the Friend Den and a new beach stage dubbed Havoc on the Beach, the fest featured music around the clock. During the daytime, Havoc on the Beach set the mood while attendees got to know one another, decompressed and cooled off by the river. In the afternoon and evening, the Friend Den came to life, conveniently located close to camp. Kicking things off on Thursday at the Friend Den, standout performances included sets from Woofax and Zovah. On Friday, the B...
Bear market uncertainty is the perfect time to build and learn, says Sato exec
The decisions made by companies during bear markets play a pivotal role in determining their longevity in the crypto ecosystem. Representing Canadian Bitcoin (BTC) mining firm Sato Technologies, COO Fanny Philip revealed what it takes to survive the bearish loom as the market prepares for the next bull run. Speaking to Cointelegraph during the Surfin’ Bitcoin 2022 event in France about the impact of bear markets on business, Philip said now is the time for mining companies to build and learn. Sato is a digital assets mining company, publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSXV) since Sept. 2021 and mines both Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). Philip further told Cointelegraph about the initial challenges of setting up in the industry despite entering the space during a bull marke...
Canadian regulatory council creates new preregistration filing for crypto platforms
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), the council of provincial and territorial securities regulators, announced Monday that crypto trading platforms will be expected to provide a preregistration undertaking to their principal regulators as they take steps to comply fully with securities regulation. Two platforms, Crypto.com and the Canadian platform Coinsquare Capital Markets, have already filed those undertakings. Trading platforms will be expected to agree in the undertaking to comply with terms and conditions relating to investor protection. Filing the undertaking will allow crypto trading platforms to continue operating during the review of their applications for registration with the CSA. The new undertaking is part of the “interim approach” introduced in the guida...
Crypto Biz: A Futurist take on crypto
You might not know it, but Canada is quietly becoming a major player in the blockchain and crypto scene: Ethereum has strong Canadian roots, Toronto-based 3iQ launched North America’s first physically-settled Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund (ETF) and the percentage of active crypto holders in the country has increased steadily over the past two years. Against this backdrop, I had the pleasure of attending this year’s Blockchain Futurist Conference in Toronto, where I got to moderate two panels on rebuilding the financial system through Web3 and onboarding the next wave of crypto users. The event served as another reminder that the industry’s brightest minds are still building amazing products despite current market conditions. Not to sound overly cliche, but it’s hard to be b...
Australia-based crypto miner doubles hash rate after energizing Canadian rigs
Australian Bitcoin miner Iris Energy said it had increased its hash rate to more than 2.3 exahashes per second following the completion of phase two of its operations in Mackenzie, Canada. In a Monday announcement, Iris Energy said it had brought 41 megawatts of operating capacity in the British Columbia municipality online roughly two months ahead of schedule, adding 1.5 EH/s to its existing hash rate. In addition, the Bitcoin (BTC) miner expects to bring another 50 MW online in Prince George by the end of the third quarter of 2022, increasing its operating capacity to 3.7 EH/s. Iris Energy co-founder and co-CEO Daniel Roberts said the firm had energized the facility on schedule “despite the current market backdrop and ongoing international supply chain challenges.” The firm planned to de...
Piknic Électronik Is Turning Montréal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau Into a Dance Music Hub This Summer
Piknic Électronik is taking over the summer in Montréal. For the past 19 years, Piknic Électronik has been providing the city with unforgettable live music experiences, curating a bevy of electronic music shows and cultural events while bringing together both international stars and local talent. With its fresh and exciting concept, organizers have also managed to successfully cross Canada’s borders, expanding its diverse programming to Melbourne since 2014, Santiago since 2015 and a brand new Miami edition since 2022. This year, Piknic Électronik has been lighting up Parc Jean-Drapeau—an urban park just 10 minutes from downtown Montréal—since May 22nd with a jam-packed schedule of events that cater to the city’s vibrant electronic dance music community. Taking over Parc Jean-Drapeau...
Vancouver’s Fvded In The Park Returns to Glory With Memorable 2022 Festival
Returning to its original festival grounds, Fvded In The Park recently made an electric homecoming to Western Canada. Produced by Blueprint Events, the fest took place on July 8th and 9th at Holland Park in Vancouver. In the previous year, the event was hosted at the PNE Amphitheatre with a single stage due to restrictions instated due to the impact of the pandemic. However, 2022 attendees were able to experience the authentic, three-stage layout for which Fvded In The Park is beloved. Troyboi performs Fvded In The Park 2022. Trifecta Productions Excision, SLANDER and Troyboi were just some of the artists that held down the mainstage on Day 1 with heavy-hitting bass sets. Day 2 saw a bit more variety, with Australian dance music star Dom Dolla bringing his patented tech house sound between...
An Insider’s Guide to Bass Coast Music and Art Festival 2022
The time has almost come. After not one, but two postponements, Bass Coast Festival is gearing up for one of its biggest editions yet. From July 8th to 11th, the boutique music and arts fest returns to Merritt, B.C. on the shared traditional territories on the Nłeʔkepmx and Syilx nations. Ahead of Bass Coast’s long-awaited return, EDM.com has put together an insider’s guide to help prospective attendees prepare for what’s to come. And we’ve curated a few handy tips and tricks from the festival’s organizers as well as trusted patrons. PACKING ESSENTIALS When packing for any outdoor activity within Canada, it’s essential to prepare accordingly for the weather. While the forecast may read sunny skies, you just never know when it will cloud over and do...
Here Are the Top 10 Things to Cross Off Your Shambhala Music Festival Bucket List
There’s an immeasurable amount of reasons why world-famous DJs and electronic dance music fans from all walks of life flock to Shambhala Music Festival. Besides the festival itself, there are a multitude of special, wholly singular experiences that Shambhala offers its attendees. Ahead of the 23rd edition of the beloved Canadian fest, we have curated a checklist of some of the most unique ways to spend your time at the Salmo River Ranch. The festival returns following a two-year hiatus from July 22-25. In no particular order, here are 10 things every person who attends Shambhala should experience at least once. 1. SkiiTour at The Amp BananaCamPhoto While the festival doesn’t officially start until Friday, many attendees arrive early to get their camp set up. You can arrive at t...
