What Shakepay does

Shakepay is a Canadian-regulated money and bitcoin platform founded in 2015 in Montreal by Jean Amiouny (CEO) and Roy Breidi (CTO). It serves more than 1.5 million Canadians across all 13 provinces and territories, providing a mobile-first (iOS/Android) and web app that combines a fiat on-ramp and off-ramp with bitcoin, ethereum, and USDC wallets, recurring buys (DCA), a CAD and USD cash account, and the Shakepay Visa Prepaid Card issued by Peoples Trust Company. The platform extends into credit via Shakepay Credit Inc., which launched bitcoin-backed loans at 9.5% APR in April 2026, and is segmented across Shakepay Blue (retail status tiers), Shakepay Business (SMEs, startups, crypto-native firms), and Shakepay Private (HNW, treasury, and high-volume traders with negotiated rates).

The technology stack is built around a CIRO/AMF/FINTRAC-registered, CIPF-protected Canadian brokerage with a hot/cold custody architecture (cold storage at an NYDFS-regulated, SOC 1/2 Type II custodian, multi-party approvals, AES-256, 2FA) and supports bitcoin Lightning, multi-chain USDC (Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Polygon), and wallet interoperability. Shakepay monetizes primarily through bid-ask spread on commission-free BTC/ETH trades, Visa interchange and FX margin on the prepaid card, interest income on bitcoin-collateralized loans, USDC network/fast-cashout fees, and negotiated spread on the Private tier. Distribution is product-led (self-serve mobile and web, viral ShakingSats and $20 refer-a-friend mechanics, owned social and earned media) augmented by sales-assisted funnels for Business and Private.

Name

Shakepay

Legal name

Shakepay Inc.

Website

https://shakepay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Shakepay is a CIRO/AMF/FINTRAC-registered Canadian money app that lets more than 1.5M Canadians buy, hold, spend, earn, and borrow against bitcoin and USDC through a mobile-first platform, a Visa prepaid card, and a bitcoin-backed lending product.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cryptocurrency Exchange and Digital Asset Services

NAICS

Credit Card Issuing (522210), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services (FSAMAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Open-Loop Prepaid Cards (Network-Branded) (FSAMANAA), Enterprise Payments & Tokenized Money (stablecoins, tokenized deposits, CBDC rails) (FSAPAIAJ), On/Off-Ramps & Fiat Liquidity Providers for Stablecoins (FSADADAG)

Keywords

• Cryptocurrency exchange
• Bitcoin trading platform
• Digital asset wallet
• Crypto lending products
• Digital payments platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Spread on crypto trades: Primary revenue stream: commission-free BTC and ETH purchases embed a spread into the execution price rather than charging a fee, monetizing trading volume across the 1.5M+ Canadian user base.
2. Card interchange and FX margin: Shakepay Visa Prepaid Card generates interchange revenue on user spending; the Blue tier also monetizes cross-border transactions through a 0% card FX fee (versus 3% on Base), positioning the higher tier as a revenue driver via increased spend volume.
3. Bitcoin-backed loan interest: Interest income on CAD loans collateralized by customer bitcoin at 9.5% APR, with loan sizes ranging from $100 to $50,000 CAD — a usage-based lending stream tied to platform borrowing activity.
4. USDC network and fast-cashout fees: After the first free fast USDC transaction per month, subsequent fast network transactions incur fees, generating a usage-based revenue stream from power USDC users.
5. Negotiated trading spread for Private tier: Shakepay Private serves high-net-worth investors, businesses & treasuries, and high-volume traders with rates as low as 0.5% on trades over $100K, generating higher-margin spread revenue per transaction from the most active accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Shakepay is a Canadian-regulated digital asset platform that enables consumers and businesses to buy, sell, hold, and earn bitcoin, ethereum, and USDC through a mobile-first app. It bundles a Cash account paying interest, a Visa Prepaid Card for spending, bitcoin-backed loans (Shakepay Credit), and tiered service programs (Blue status, Business, Private) into a single integrated offering used by more than 1.5 million Canadians.

Product overview

Shakepay is a Canadian cryptocurrency platform built on a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core trading and funding layer comprises Bitcoin (with Recurring Buys), a Canadian-dollar Cash account (linked to external banks via Interac e-Transfer), and USDC (supported across Ethereum Mainnet, Base, Arbitrum, and Polygon). A payment module, the Shakepay Card (a Visa Prepaid Card issued by Peoples Trust Company and tokenized into Apple Pay and Google Pay), lets users spend from their Shakepay balance in the real world. On top of this core, Shakepay operates several sub-brand extensions that segment the offering by user type: Shakepay Blue (enhanced retail tier), Shakepay Business (commercial accounts), Shakepay Private (high-net-worth), and Shakepay Credit (the bitcoin-backed lending product launched in April 2026 via Shakepay Credit Inc.). Together, these products let Canadian users onboard fiat, buy and store Bitcoin/USDC, spend via the Shakepay Card, and access credit and tiered services, all under a single Shakepay account.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shakepay Blue: Tiered rewards program (Base, Bright, Blue statuses) offering bitcoin cashback, interest on cash, ShakingSats, and priority support to Shakepay customers.
• Shakepay Private
• Shakepay Business
• Shakepay Card

Products and services

• Bitcoin trading and custody Core product allowing Canadian users to buy, sell, hold, and earn bitcoin through the Shakepay mobile and web apps.
• Ethereum trading and custody Buy, sell, hold, and earn ethereum within the Shakepay platform.
• USDC trading and transfers Buy, sell, send, and receive USDC stablecoin across multiple chains including Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, and Polygon.
• Recurring Buys Automated scheduled bitcoin purchases that allow users to dollar-cost average their crypto holdings.
• Shakepay Cash account Canadian dollar cash account that pays interest on balances and supports deposits, withdrawals, and paycheque auto-detection.
• Shakepay Prepaid Visa Card Visa Prepaid Card linked to Shakepay balances that enables users to spend bitcoin, USDC, or cash anywhere Visa is accepted.
• Shakepay Credit (bitcoin-backed loans) Bitcoin-collateralized lending product allowing users to borrow against their bitcoin holdings without selling.
• Shakepay Blue rewards program Tiered status and rewards program offering benefits such as the proprietary ShakingSats feature and other perks to active users.
• Shakepay Business Business-tier account offering tailored features for companies and startups using Shakepay's platform.
• Shakepay Private Premium service tier for high-net-worth individuals providing enhanced service and tailored offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1.5 million Canadians use Shakepay to buy and sell digital currency
• +6 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Tetra Digital GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Canadian-dollar stablecoin consortium in which Shakepay is a co-investor alongside Wealthsimple, National Bank of Canada, ATB Financial, Shopify, Urbana Corporation, and Purpose Unlimited, with Tetra Trust Company as the regulated trust vehicle. The partnership positions Shakepay to access a domestic, regulated CAD stablecoin rail.
• WealthsimplecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Co-investor with Shakepay in the Tetra Digital Group CAD stablecoin consortium; the broader backer coalition also includes National Bank of Canada, ATB Financial, Shopify, Urbana Corporation, and Purpose Unlimited.
• National Bank of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Co-investor in the Tetra Digital Group CAD stablecoin consortium alongside Shakepay, Wealthsimple, ATB Financial, Shopify, Urbana Corporation, and Purpose Unlimited.
• ATB FinancialcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Co-investor in the Tetra Digital Group CAD stablecoin consortium alongside Shakepay, Wealthsimple, National Bank of Canada, Shopify, Urbana Corporation, and Purpose Unlimited.
• ShopifycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Co-investor in the Tetra Digital Group CAD stablecoin consortium alongside Shakepay, Wealthsimple, National Bank of Canada, ATB Financial, Urbana Corporation, and Purpose Unlimited.
• Purpose UnlimitedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Co-investor in the Tetra Digital Group CAD stablecoin consortium alongside Shakepay.
• Visa InternationalflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensor of the Visa brand and acceptance network used by the Shakepay Visa Prepaid Card. The card is issued under a licence from Visa Int., allowing Shakepay customers to spend their balance anywhere Visa is accepted in Canada.
• Peoples Trust CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationCard-issuing partner for the Shakepay Visa Prepaid Card. Disclosed in the card fine print as the issuer under licence from Visa Int., enabling the regulated issuance of prepaid cards to Shakepay customers.
• NYDFS-regulated cold storage custodiancoreTechnology or IntegrationUnnamed cold storage provider regulated under the New York State Department of Financial Services, holding SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II certifications. Shakepay uses multi-party approvals to move funds out of cold storage, and the partner provides the regulated, audited custody underpinning the platform's security claims.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wealthsimple: Canadian retail wealth platform offering Wealthsimple Crypto alongside trading, savings, and tax products. Directly competes with Shakepay for the same CAD retail crypto wallet user, and is a co-investor with Shakepay in the Tetra Digital Group stablecoin consortium.
• Coinbase Canada: U.S.-listed global crypto exchange with a Canadian operation that competes head-on with Shakepay for CAD retail trading, custody, and staking. Comparable in product scope (exchange + card + earn) and is identified alongside Shakepay as welcoming Canadian stablecoin legislation.
• Newton: Canadian-headquartered crypto exchange offering commission-free BTC/ETH trading with no spread on certain pairs. Closely comparable to Shakepay's core commission-free CAD on-ramp and is among the small set of Canadian-registered competitors targeting the same retail wallet user.
• Bitbuy (now part of WonderFi / Beyond Markets): Canadian-registered crypto exchange operating under CIRO oversight with similar CAD on/off-ramp, custody, and trading features. Targets the same regulated Canadian retail and institutional segments and competes on pricing, product breadth, and brand trust.

Broad incumbents

• Block (Cash App): U.S. consumer fintech whose Cash App product pioneered a buy-and-earn bitcoin experience with integrated card spending. Not available in Canada but a frequently cited global reference point for the consumer bitcoin super-app model Shakepay is pursuing.
• Robinhood: U.S. retail brokerage with crypto trading, recurring buys, and a spending card. Comparable to Shakepay on commission-free crypto, PLG onboarding, and integrated cash management, although Robinhood does not serve Canadian retail directly.
• Kraken: Global crypto exchange serving Canadian retail and institutional customers with spot trading, staking, and OTC. Competes with Shakepay Private on deeper liquidity and lower spreads for HNW and high-volume traders in Canada.
• PayPal: Global digital wallet and payments network that offers U.S. users crypto buy/hold/sell plus a USD-denominated interest feature and card spend. Operates as a broader incumbent whose crypto + wallet + card stack mirrors Shakepay's integrated offering at much larger scale.

Others

• Stripe: Global payments infrastructure provider enabling merchants to accept and settle in stablecoins (including USDC). Adjacent rather than competitive, but relevant as both an enabling rail for Shakepay's on/off-ramp ambitions and a benchmark for the fiat-crypto integration Shakepay Business targets.
• Circle (USDC issuer): Issuer of USDC, which Shakepay natively supports across Ethereum mainnet, Base, Arbitrum, and Polygon. Not a direct competitor but a critical infrastructure counterparty and a benchmark for how regulated stablecoin issuers — like the future Tetra stablecoin — could shape Shakepay's product and revenue model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shakepay
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/shakepay
• Facebookfacebook.com/shakepay
• Instagraminstagram.com/shakepay

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shakepay