In collaboration with the Scotiabank Digital Banking Lab, the LNC presents a new perspective policy brief: Canada’s Digital Asset Opportunity: Shaping a Strategic Path to Global Leadership. Authored by Hubert Pun and Amin Mazhari (PhD ’27), the brief explores how Canada is at a pivotal moment in the evolution of the digital economy. Blockchain technologies, digital assets, and tokenized financial systems are no longer emerging trends. They are rapidly becoming part of the core infrastructure for financial innovation, inclusion, and economic competitiveness.
Canada holds strong foundations: respected regulatory institutions, world-class talent, and a history of early exploration in blockchain research and digital identity frameworks. However, the global race for digital asset leadership is accelerating. Countries such as the United States (through the FIT Act), the European Union (via MiCA), Japan, Singapore, and the UAE are implementing comprehensive frameworks that enable secure stablecoins, digital asset custody, and open financial innovation ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Canada risks falling behind. The absence of a coordinated national strategy, limited banking access for blockchain-based firms, and regulatory uncertainty push talent and capital abroad, stifling innovation and undermining long-term competitiveness in financial services and digital infrastructure. This brief outlines an actionable roadmap for Canada to reclaim its leadership and secure its position in the
programmable economy.
With the right strategy, Canada can foster a trusted and competitive digital economy, stimulate high-quality jobs, and deliver long-term economic growth. But without urgent and collaborative action, it risks becoming a follower in an increasingly digital global financial order.
Read the Ivey Impact article featuring the research: Canada’s crypto wake-up call