The Canadian Securities Administrators will be holding workshops in Calgary and Toronto as part of its initiative to investigate the potential for tokenized financial products in the capital markets.
The group has asked interested parties like fintechs, issuers, financial institutions, developers, transfer agents, custodians, marketplaces, clearing agencies/houses, services providers, legal and accounting professionals, and academics to participate in the workshops. The Calgary workshop takes place on Thursday April 9, while the Toronto workshop will be conducted on June 11.
The CSA defines tokenization as the use of distributed ledger technology in creating, issuing, or representing assets. Project Tokenization will determine how tokenization technology intersects with Canada’s securities laws and will support regulatory responses.
“The CSA supports responsible innovation in the capital markets to enhance Canada’s global competitiveness. Globally, tokenized products are being developed and launched by a broad range of market participants, including financial institutions, asset managers, issuers, market infrastructure providers, and technology developers,” the group said in a statement. “In parallel, central banks and regulators are exploring ways to support innovation (such as tokenization) while protecting investors and safeguarding financial stability.”
The first phase of Project Tokenization will identify tokenization opportunities and risks based on stakeholder engagement, issue mapping, and targeted research. Subsequent phases may involve a discussion paper and a live rollout of tokenized financial instruments and infrastructure within the CSA Collaboratory.
The CSA indicated that it would collaborate with stakeholders to strengthen regulatory understanding throughout the evolution of tokenization in capital markets.
Tokenization is the CSA Collaboratory’s fall 2025 theme. The Collaboratory gathers regulators and innovators to support evolving capital markets in Canada. It is the entry point through which Canadian market participants and investors engage with CSA members on new financial concepts and business models.
Collaboratory insights may contribute to regulatory policy development and help market participants with decision making.