Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has ranked Canada as the least effective jurisdiction for assisting victims of cryptocurrency-related crimes, based on his extensive experience handling such cases.
In recent comments shared via his Telegram investigations channel and on X, he placed Canada at the top of a list of the five worst jurisdictions for crypto crime victims, ahead of the United Kingdom, India, Nigeria, and a group including Morocco, Algeria, and Bangladesh.
ZachXBT explained that he will likely automatically decline formal assistance requests from individuals in these areas going forward.
He also noted plans for an upcoming website that will restrict access to his support services for users from jurisdictions he views as low-quality in terms of case handling and law enforcement cooperation.
This shift stems from repeated difficulties in achieving meaningful outcomes despite providing detailed on-chain evidence and reports.
Focusing on Canada, the investigator described a pattern where authorities receive comprehensive information on threat actors—linked to groups involved in ransomware, organized cybercrime, or even home invasion robberies—evidence that has supported prosecutions in other countries, yet still fail to help victims.
He characterized this as inconsistent with claims of being a first-world nation with institutions.
Toronto, in particular, was singled out as one of the current global hotspots for fraudulent activities.
ZachXBT referenced prior instances to illustrate the challenges.
Earlier in 2026, he stated he had begun declining all victim requests from Canada, suggesting local agencies might show greater negligence than those in India or Nigeria in certain respects.
Examples included ignored reports about phishing operators who later escalated to multimillion-dollar ransomware schemes, and limited follow-up on leads involving the laundering of proceeds from robberies through certain over-the-counter platforms.
He also mentioned a case in which authorities seized assets belonging to innocent users of the TradeOgre exchange because they struggled to differentiate legitimate activity from illicit flows.
These observations build on earlier critiques.
ZachXBT has previously pointed to high concentrations of cyberfraud in Canada relative to other parts of North America, coupled with infrequent prosecutions, and referenced high-profile situations where victims reportedly took matters into their own hands after official processes stalled.
Similar frustrations apply to other ranked jurisdictions:
India has drawn comments about operational issues, including cases involving frozen funds tied to sophisticated actors and mistaken actions against legitimate platforms, while the UK has been described as a place where many investigations stagnate.
The ranking underscores broader difficulties in the crypto space, where the speed of fund movements across borders and through mixing services often outpaces traditional law enforcement responses.
Independent investigators like ZachXBT have filled gaps by tracing stolen assets and sharing evidence, sometimes contributing to recoveries.
However, without responsive local cooperation, progress can stall, leaving victims with limited options for restitution.
This assessment is grounded in ZachXBT’s personal case experience rather than a formal statistical study of every agency or outcome.
It has prompted discussion within the crypto ecosystem about institutional capacity, resource allocation, and the need for improved coordination on digital asset crimes. For victims in affected areas, the practical result is reduced access to one established independent resource, highlighting ongoing tensions between technological crime and slower systemic responses.