8 ways to earn free crypto in Canada

Your guide to the legit ways you can earn free crypto and grow your digital wallet.

By

Tim Falk

Updated

Fact checked

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Some methods of getting free crypto in Canada require little to no effort on your part, while others require a little investment of your time — but all of the methods featured in this guide are legit.

Of course, you’ll also need to be wary of scams and offers that sound too good to be true, so keep reading to find out how to get free crypto and what risks you need to watch out for.

Can I get crypto for free?

Yes, it’s possible to earn free crypto in Canada, and it’s actually a lot easier than you might think. Legitimate and safe ways to get free crypto include getting bonus crypto when you sign up for a new exchange platform, airdrops, learn and earn programs, crypto “cash back” and more.

8 ways to get free crypto

There are eight legit ways to get free crypto in Canada:

  1. Trading platform promos
  2. Learn and earn crypto
  3. Use a crypto debit card
  4. Earn a return on your crypto holdings
  5. Play online and mobile games
  6. Use a browser extension
  7. Participate in airdrops
  8. Complete micro tasks

1. Trading platform promos and bonuses

Many crypto exchanges offer bonuses and incentives when you create a trading account. It’s free to sign up, and in return you’re rewarded with a small amount of free crypto.

In most cases, you’ll need to deposit a minimum amount or make your first trade to qualify for the offer. Other platforms offer free crypto rewards when you refer a friend, sign up for an email newsletter or engage with them on social media.

It’s worth keeping in mind that these bonus and incentive offers are generally quite small, and except for referral programs, they’re usually available one time only. They’re not going to make you filthy rich, and you’ll need to make sure you only ever sign up with reputable platforms.

Crypto exchange promotions and bonuses available now

Paybis Cryptocurrency Exchange

Use code Finder25 to get a 25% discount on all commission for 1 transaction. T&Cs apply.

Go to site

VirgoCX Cryptocurrency Exchange

Get a $20 bonus when you open a new account and deposit $100+. T&Cs apply.

Go to site

Bitget

Sign up and receive a 6,200 USDT newcomer's gift package.

Go to site

Bitbuy Digital Currency Exchange

Limited time only: Free $40* when you sign up and fund your Bitbuy account. T&Cs apply.

Coinsquare Cryptocurrency Exchange

Get a $10 bonus when you deposit at least CAD$100. T&Cs apply

2. Learn and earn crypto

Learn and earn crypto programs are offered by crypto exchanges and websites, and they offer a simple way to get free crypto in Canada.

By watching videos, reading articles, answering quizzes and completing courses about cryptocurrency in general or specific coins and tokens, you can get rewarded with small amounts of crypto.

For example, in February 2025, Coinbase users could earn $3 worth of NEAR by completing an online course about the NEAR Protocol, or $3 worth of SHPING by completing a course about shopping companion app Shping. CoinMarketCap Earn is another popular option, while BitDegree also offers learn and earn crypto rewards.

Coinbase Earn

Coinbase, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, offers Coinbase Earn which lets you earn tokens for watching educational videos on how specific cryptocurrencies work.

3. Use a crypto debit card

Crypto debit cards, which are sometimes also referred to as prepaid cards, allow you to pay for everyday purchases in-store and online. Your card is linked to your crypto wallet, and it converts your crypto into fiat currency whenever you make a purchase. However, other cards let you pay in CAD but then reward you with crypto cash back.

Popular options include the Crypto.com Visa Card, which offers CRO cash back of up to 8%, and the Netcoins Prepaid Mastercard and Shakepay Card that both offer 1% BTC cash back. It’s also worth mentioning that the Wealthsimple Cash Card allows you to earn 1% crypto back on all eligible purchases.

4. Earn a return on your crypto holdings

Holding your cryptocurrency long-term and want to earn some passive income? Rather than just leaving your crypto holdings sitting in a wallet, you can use them to earn interest and get free crypto. There are a few ways to do this.

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Crypto staking

The second option is to stake your coins or tokens. Staking involves locking your cryptocurrency in a smart contract to help validate transactions on a blockchain network. In return, you earn yield on your holdings, usually in the form of the network’s native currency.

Learn more in our full guide to staking as well as our guide to the best crypto staking platforms in Canada.

helping hand icon

Crypto lending

Crypto lending platforms allow you to lend your coins or tokens or other users. These platforms can be centralized, acting as the middleman between you and the borrower, or they can be decentralized to offer peer-to-peer lending.

The borrower will then be required to repay the tokens they borrowed plus interest, allowing you to earn free crypto.

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Crypto savings accounts

The simplest way to earn a return is with a crypto savings account. Just like a regular savings account, you deposit your crypto coins or tokens and then earn interest at a fixed or variable rate.

Many major crypto exchanges offer these accounts, but the downside is that you don’t get the safety net of CDIC protection that you get with a regular savings account.

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Yield farming

Yield farming is when you lend your cryptocurrency to decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. Your crypto assets are locked away for a fixed period of time, providing liquidity to the protocol, and in return you’re rewarded with interest earnings in the form of the protocol’s native tokens.

Yield farming is a little more complicated than the first two options, so check out our full guide for more details.

5. Play online and mobile games

No one said earning free crypto had to be hard work. A potentially enjoyable pay to get free crypto instantly is to play free online and mobile games.

There’s a huge range of play-to-earn games that reward players with crypto, including:

  • Axie Infinity
  • The Sandbox
  • Decentraland
  • Illuvium
  • Gods Unchained

You’ll typically earn the game’s native token, but some games like RollerCoin allow you to earn BTC.

Don’t expect to earn a huge amount of free crypto playing games, and you’ll need to decide whether the time, effort and enjoyment level involved make gaming worthwhile.

6. Use a browser extension

Browser extensions offer an easy way to earn crypto by browsing the web. Depending on the extension, you may be able to earn simply by surfing the web, or you may have to watch ads or complete surveys.

The Brave Browser is a popular option that rewards users with its native token, Basic Attention Token (BAT), when they watch ads and visit particular websites.

Once again, this option isn’t going to make you rich, but it is an easy way to earn free crypto.

7. Participate in airdrops

An airdrop is when a crypto platform gives away tokens for free. Yes, this really happens, particularly when a platform wants to grow its user base or a developer wants to gain a following for a new cryptocurrency.

In order to collect on this free crypto giveaway, you’ll need to have your own private wallet (not a wallet on an exchange) that is associated with the blockchain of the crypto being given away. You can follow some of the latest airdrops at airdrops.io or by researching specific cryptocurrency projects.

8. Complete micro tasks

Performing micro tasks on sites called “crypto faucets” can earn you very minimal amounts of free crypto. Tasks can include things like taking surveys, clicking on ads, playing games or watching videos, and Cointiply is one popular platform.

But a word of warning: these sites are a common target for scammers and it can take a very long time to earn a redeemable amount of points or tokens.

There are also other apps and platforms that allow you to earn crypto by sharing your computing power. One example is Uprock, which rewards you with passive income when you download and run the Uprock app to contribute to the Uprock decentralized data network.

Compare exchanges where you can buy and sell cryptocurrencies

If you’re interested in buying or selling cryptocurrencies instead, use the table below to quickly compare crypto exchange fees, fiat currencies, deposit methods and more. Once you’ve found the right fit for you, click Go to site to get started.

1 - 5 of 11
Product Finder Score Fiat currencies Cryptocurrencies Deposit methods Offer Disclaimer
Uphold
Uphold logo
8Great

20

219

Credit card, Debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Go to site

Capital at risk

View details
Paybis Cryptocurrency Exchange
Paybis logo
7.7Great

60

87

Bank transfer, Credit card, Debit card, Neteller, Skrill, Apple Pay
Use code Finder25 to get a 25% discount on all commission for 1 transaction. T&Cs apply.
Go to site

Capital at risk

View details
Kraken
Kraken logo
8.8Great

7

277

Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, Interac e-Transfer, Wire transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Certain trading features are limited or unavailable to residents of Ontario and Quebec.
Go to site

Capital at risk

View details
VirgoCX Cryptocurrency Exchange
VirgoCX logo
7.3Great

2

78

Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card, Interac e-Transfer, Wire transfer
Get a $20 bonus when you open a new account and deposit $100+. T&Cs apply.
Go to site

Capital at risk

View details
Bitget
Bitget logo
8.6Great

45

874

Bank transfer, Credit card, Cryptocurrency, Debit card
Sign up and receive a 6,200 USDT newcomer's gift package.
Go to site

Capital at risk

View details
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Finder Score for crypto exchanges

To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Supported coins, account fees and features across 28 cryptocurrency trading platforms are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the exchange - simple.

Read the full methodology

What to watch out for with free crypto

Earning free crypto sounds great in theory, but there are a few risks and drawbacks to be aware of before you get started. Here’s what you need to watch out for.

  • Scams. The crypto world is rife with scams, so you’ll need to do your research to ensure that you only ever deal with legitimate platforms and providers. Malicious smart contracts that withdraw crypto assets from your wallet are a common threat.
  • Not going to make you rich. If you earn free crypto from any method that doesn’t require any upfront investment, don’t expect it to make you a millionaire. Things like sign-up bonuses, learn to earn programs and online games only offer small crypto rewards, so don’t quit your day job.
  • Is it worth it? Several ways to earn free crypto require an investment of time and effort, so you’ll need to decide whether it’s worth it or whether the work involved outweighs the benefits.
  • Tax implications. The free cryptocurrency you earn may be taxed. Cryptocurrency tax is complex, so you’ll need to understand your reporting obligations to avoid falling foul of the CRA.

Bottom line

There are plenty of legit ways to earn free crypto in Canada, even if they’re not going to make you filthy rich. But if you keep a keen eye out for scams, it’s easy to earn a little extra crypto income without putting in too much effort.

Frequently asked questions about free crypto

Written by

Writer

Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 15-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors. See full bio

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