The Blockchain Blindspot: Why Businesses Can’t Afford to Ignore Blockchain

Crypto and blockchain aren’t just for startups or speculators.

From accounting giants and credit unions to banks, e-tailers, and railways, Canada’s largest organizations are already integrating digital-asset and blockchain solutions—proving that adoption is here, now, not years away. Whether you’re an SMB exploring new payment rails, an enterprise mapping your fintech strategy, or an SMB that is looking to fund a project there’s never been a better time to see how crypto can work for you.

1. KPMG Canada

What they’re doing: Added Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) to its corporate treasury—its first direct crypto allocation. Custody and execution were handled through Gemini Trust, with a governance committee overseeing regulatory, custodial, and tax risks.Why it matters: One of the first “Big Four” firms in Canada to treat crypto as a legitimate asset class on its balance sheet. CoinDesk

2. Bow Valley Credit Union

What they’re doing: Launched Canada’s first “Bitcoin Gateway,” letting members buy real BTC directly through their BVCU accounts via an integration with Balance (custody) and Bull Bitcoin (liquidity).Why it matters: First traditional financial institution in Canada to offer seamless, insured Bitcoin purchases for everyday Canadians. Business Wire

3. Wealthsimple

What they’re doing: Debuted Wealthsimple Crypto in August 2020 as Canada’s first regulated crypto trading platform, offering commission-free buying and selling of Bitcoin and Ethereum.Why it matters: Lowered barriers to entry for retail investors by embedding crypto trading into their existing wealth-management and trading apps. Wealthsimple

4. Shopify

What they’re doing: Partnered with Coinbase and Stripe to roll out USDC on Shopify Payments, enabling merchants to accept the USDC stablecoin on the Base network with no extra integrations required.Why it matters: Brings fast, borderless, on-chain stablecoin payments to millions of storefronts—settled in merchants’ local currencies or in USDC if they choose. ShopifyBetaKit

5. CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)

What they’re doing: Joined RippleNet and began using XRP for cross-border commercial payments—dramatically cutting settlement times and FX costs.Why it matters: Signals Canada’s Big Five banks are piloting blockchain networks to modernize international transfers. Webopedia

6. ATB Financial

What they’re doing: Became the first Canadian financial institution to execute an overseas payment in seconds using Ripple’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) with XRP.Why it matters: Demonstrates blockchain’s real-time settlement potential in banking, compared to 2–6 day traditional wires. FinTech Futures

7. BMO Capital Markets

What they’re doing: In August 2018, piloted a blockchain-mirrored issuance of a $250 million 1-year floating-rate deposit note for Ontario Teachers’—linking a traditional CDS issuance to a parallel blockchain ledger.Why it matters: First Canadian-dollar fixed-income transaction to illustrate how smart contracts could streamline settlement and compliance. BMO Newsroom

8. RBC (Royal Bank of Canada)

What they’re doing: Through RBC Investor & Treasury Services, offers custody services for tokenized assets—including cryptocurrencies and NFTs—while preparing for OSFI’s upcoming crypto-asset capital and liquidity guidelines.Why it matters: One of the first Canadian banks to build infrastructure for institutional-grade digital-asset custody. RBCIS

9. Canadian Pacific Railway (CP)

What they’re doing: Joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) to help set interoperability standards for supply-chain blockchain applications.Why it matters: Major non-financial firm backing blockchain’s role in global logistics and traceability. PR Newswire

10. Canadian National Railway (CN)

What they’re doing: Partnered with TradeLens, IBM-Maersk’s blockchain logistics platform, to enhance shipping-chain efficiency and transparency.Why it matters: Shows how traditional industries—like rail and freight—are piloting blockchain to modernize complex supply chains. CoinDesk