Canadian Tor markets, WeTheNorth included, shifted from Bitcoin-default to Monero-default over the two years spanning 2023-2025. This reading covers what the shift looked like from the reader side.
Bitcoin-default launch
WeTheNorth launched with Bitcoin as the primary supported coin. Most Canadian buyers already held Bitcoin from clearnet exchanges, and Monero was less well known outside a small group of privacy-focused users.
Reader mail shift
Through 2024, reader mail to community forums about WeTheNorth increasingly asked about Monero: how to source it without KYC, which wallet to use, how to swap Bitcoin into Monero without an exchange. The demand for Monero-related coverage grew before the operator moved the default.
UI change
The operator eventually reworked the wallet panel to default new accounts to Monero. Bitcoin remained available but required an explicit switch. This is a small UI change with a big behavioural effect: most new buyers now deposit Monero without thinking about it.
Cake Wallet as onboarding path
Cake Wallet's built-in Bitcoin-to-Monero swap became the standard onboarding path for Canadians who held Bitcoin from before and wanted to shift to Monero without an exchange in the middle. The swap provider sees the incoming BTC address and outgoing XMR address but not user identity.
Present state
Most new deposits are now Monero. Bitcoin usage has concentrated in specific vendor categories where the vendor prices in BTC, and in existing balances held by long-term users. The shift is roughly complete.