Pan-Canadian self-regulator takes steps to deepen its understanding of crypto assets

October 31, 2019 (Toronto, Ontario) – The Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) today announced the members of its new Crypto-Asset Working Group.

Chaired by Victoria Pinnington, IIROC's Senior Vice-President, Market Regulation, this group of individuals from various sectors will lend their wide breadth of expertise to advise on:

• any future proposed IIROC rules, guidance and other policy matters related to the regulation of crypto assets; and
• any potential impacts on investor protection and market integrity.

"It is important that IIROC continues to assess how regulatory requirements might be best tailored for crypto assets," said Pinnington. "This group of diverse industry members will better position IIROC to support industry transformation, while ensuring we deliver on our mandate to protect investors."

The Crypto-Asset Working Group members are:

• Stephen Allcock (Questrade Financial Group)
• Pam Draper (Bitvo)
• Robin Ford (Robin Ford Consulting)
• Andrew Grovestine (Canadian Securities Exchange)
• François Lavallée (National Bank Financial)
• Julie Mansi (Borden Ladner Gervais LLP)
• Felix Mazer (Coinsquare)
• Linda Montgomery (Coinchange Financial/Blockstation)
• Brian Mosoff (Ether Capital Corp.)
• Souvik Mukherjee (Scotia Wealth Management)
• Laurence Rose (Omega Securities Inc./ 4C Clearing Corporation)
• Duncan Rule (CIBC)
• Phil Sham (Aquanow)
• Sean Shore (Canadian Compliance & Regulatory Law)
• Paul Stapleton (Fidelity Clearing Canada)
• Dino Verbrugge (DV Trading LLC)
• Joseph Weinberg (Paycase Financial)
• Robert Whitaker (Blockchain Intelligence Group)
• Lara Wojahn (Dominion Bitcoin Mining Company Ltd.)

In March 2019, IIROC and the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) published a consultation paper seeking input from stakeholders on how regulatory requirements may be tailored for crypto-asset trading platforms operating in Canada.

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About IIROC:

IIROC is the pan-Canadian self-regulatory organization that oversees all investment dealers and their trading activity in Canada’s debt and equity markets. IIROC sets high quality regulatory and investment industry standards, protects investors and strengthens market integrity while supporting healthy Canadian capital markets. IIROC carries out its regulatory responsibilities through setting and enforcing rules regarding the proficiency, business and financial conduct of more than 170 Canadian investment dealer firms and their more than 29,000 registered employees, the majority of whom are commonly referred to as investment advisors. IIROC also sets and enforces market integrity rules regarding trading activity on Canadian debt and equity marketplaces.

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