
How trading worked on QuadrigaCX
This is an example of how some users funded their accounts and traded on QuadrigaCX, as outlined by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in a court filing. There was not a uniform way of getting set up – notably, investors had sent wire transfers to a variety of companies in several countries – so details below were not relevant to all investors.
STEP 1
After setting up an account, a user would send a wire transfer to a Costodian account at CIBC. Costodian is a company whose "sole purpose," according to CIBC, was to hold funds deposited by investors.
Investor
Costodian
STEP 2
Billerfy, a payments processor, provided Quadriga with the investor's ID and deposit amount. (Billerfy and Costodian share an owner.)
Billerfy
Quadriga
STEP 3
Quadriga credited an investor's online wallet with "QuadrigaCX Bucks," which could be used to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, on the Quadriga exchange.
QuadrigaCX Bucks
Investor
Online wallet
Quadriga
STEP 4
To cash out, an investor would submit a withdrawal request to Quadriga, which forwarded the request to Billerfy.
Quadriga
Investor
Billerfy
STEP 5
Billerfy aggregated the requests and withdrew from Costodian accounts at CIBC to an account held by Billerfy at another financial institution.
STEP 6
Billerfy then transferred funds to the investor.
Investor
FINAL WORD
Long before Quadriga was granted creditor protection, investors had complained of difficulties withdrawing their funds. Today, they are collectively owed $250-million.
MURAT YUKSELIR AND MATT LUNDY /
THE GLOBE AND MAIL

How trading worked on QuadrigaCX
This is an example of how some users funded their accounts and traded on QuadrigaCX, as outlined by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in a court filing. There was not a uniform way of getting set up – notably, investors had sent wire transfers to a variety of companies in several countries – so details below were not relevant to all investors.
STEP 1
After setting up an account, a user would send a wire transfer to a Costodian account at CIBC. Costodian is a company whose "sole purpose," according to CIBC, was to hold funds deposited by investors.
Investor
Costodian
STEP 2
Billerfy, a payments processor, provided Quadriga with the investor's ID and deposit amount. (Billerfy and Costodian share an owner.)
Billerfy
Quadriga
STEP 3
Quadriga credited an investor's online wallet with "QuadrigaCX Bucks," which could be used to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, on the Quadriga exchange.
QuadrigaCX Bucks
Investor
Online wallet
Quadriga
STEP 4
To cash out, an investor would submit a withdrawal request to Quadriga, which forwarded the request to Billerfy.
Quadriga
Investor
Billerfy
STEP 5
Billerfy aggregated the requests and withdrew from Costodian accounts at CIBC to an account held by Billerfy at another financial institution.
STEP 6
Billerfy then transferred funds to the investor.
Investor
FINAL WORD
Long before Quadriga was granted creditor protection, investors had complained of difficulties withdrawing their funds. Today, they are collectively owed $250-million.
MURAT YUKSELIR AND MATT LUNDY / THE GLOBE AND MAIL

How trading worked on QuadrigaCX
This is an example of how some users funded their accounts and traded on QuadrigaCX, as outlined by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in a court filing. There was not a uniform way of getting set up – notably, investors had sent wire transfers to a variety of companies in several countries – so details below were not relevant to all investors.
STEP 1
After setting up an account, a user would send a wire transfer to a Costodian account at CIBC. Costodian is a company whose "sole purpose," according to CIBC, was to hold funds deposited by investors.
STEP 2
Billerfy, a payments processor, provided Quadriga with the investor's ID and deposit amount. (Billerfy and Costodian share an owner.)
Investor
Costodian
Billerfy
Quadriga
Online wallet
QuadrigaCX Bucks
STEP 3
Quadriga credited an investor's online wallet with "QuadrigaCX Bucks," which could be used to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, on the Quadriga exchange.
STEP 4
To cash out, an investor would submit a withdrawal request to Quadriga, which forwarded the request to Billerfy.
STEP 5
Billerfy aggregated the requests and withdrew from Costodian accounts at CIBC to an account held by Billerfy at another financial institution.
Quadriga
Investor
Billerfy
STEP 6
Billerfy then transferred funds to the investor.
FINAL WORD
Long before Quadriga was granted creditor protection, investors had complained of difficulties withdrawing their funds. Today, they are collectively owed $250-million.
MURAT YUKSELIR AND MATT LUNDY / THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said about $25-million is held in Costodian accounts frozen by CIBC. In fact, those funds were eventually released to Costodian by court order. This story has been updated to remove that reference.