Page 32 - XperienceAlberta-EDA-2025

UNLOCKING
BLOCKCHAIN
Alberta’s crypto-friendly landscape
BY RENATO PAGNANI
32
XPERIENCE ALBERTA 2 0 2 5 WHEN IT COMES to Bitcoin business opportunities in
Canada, Alberta is the biggest dog on the block(chain).
While other provinces remain cautious, Alberta has
fully embraced blockchain technology — a digital, decen-
tralized ledger technology powering secure and transparent
information sharing for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. As
a key part of its diversification strategy, the government
passed the Financial Innovation Act in 2022, which creates
a “regulatory sandbox” where fintech companies can test
new financial products with less regulatory oversight from
the government, as they explore ever-evolving technolo-
gies. Alberta’s government hopes this sandbox option can
turn the province into a destination for cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin in particular has found a thriving community in
the province. Calgary, Alberta’s largest city and a key finan-
cial centre in Western Canada, is home to Canada’s largest
blockchain initiative, the Canadian Blockchain Consortium,
which has been headquartered there since 2016.
Other successes include two companies based in
the province’s capital city of Edmonton: the world’s first
publicly traded Bitcoin ATM company, Bitcoin Well, which
EDAAlberta.ca
in 2022 expanded to include non-custodial
Bitcoin exchange and payment services, and
Bull Bitcoin, a non-custodial Bitcoin exchange
and payments service.
Bitcoin Well is working to make it easier for
regular consumers to use cryptocurrency, with a
variety of services including a network of more
than 160 Bitcoin ATMs in Canada and the ability
to pay bills with Bitcoin.
Though Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
can be complex for the uninitiated, Alberta’s
vibrant community of enthusiasts and
entrepreneurs (which includes over 300
full-time jobs as estimated by the Canadian
Blockchain Consortium) has created a
welcoming space for those eager to learn more
about this revolutionary technology.
Local Bitcoin “meetups” act as incubators for
knowledge-sharing and community building,
making it easier than ever for newcomers to
get involved. The meetup scene is a diverse one