When Dean Skurka joined Bitbuy in 2018, the platform had only four employees, a few thousand users and around $ 25 million in commercial volume. Quick advance until today, Skurka now Supervisa Wonderfi: a company that consolidates multiple Canadian exchanges, has 1.7 million accounts and saves $ 2 billion in customer assets.
But Skurka is not only sitting in a domestic empire: he is building out.
In a conversation with Coendesk, the president and CEO of Wonderfi, Dean Skurka, detailed the next chapter of his company: launching a layer of layer 2 in association with Zksync and expanding to Australia, a country that says “verifies both boxes” of regulatory clarity and a strong adoption. He also discussed the perspectives of centralized exchanges and how Canada’s cryptographic panorama is changing.
Here is an edited and shortened version of its conversation with Coindesk, before its appearance in consensus 2025 in Toronto.
Capa 2 thrust
The centralized exchange said in February that it is launching a Zksync layer 2 -based block chain to connect its users to decentralized finances (Defi).
“When we think about the long -term trend throughout the industry, we see a really strong synergy among centralized exchanges, where users originate or originate the assets, and give everything that is happening in the chain today.”
Skurka says that Wonderfi’s knowledge of executing commercial platforms, regulatory credibility and the asset base gives it an advantage over a large number of other connection defi of other layers 2.
Unlike other rival layers of layer 2 launched with spectacular token incentives or VC mortgage pumps, Skurka says that Wonderfi’s approach is more grounded and lasting. It plans to promote long -term use through builder incentives, hackatones and ecosystem support.
Centralized exchanges vs. decentralized
Instead of seeing decentralized exchanges as competitors for centralized exchanges, Skurka sees them as extensions. Centralized exchanges provide the bridge for first -time users to buy and sell cryptography on regulated and reliable platforms to chain activities that open new more innovative products that exist in the cryptographic ecosystem.
“[Centralized exchanges] They are building the components that will allow their users to interact without problems in the chain, but at the same time they build the capacities on the exchange side to be more similar to traditional financial service products, which we believe will create an incremental value on both sides in the next 5 to 10 years, “he said.
Evolution of cryptography in Canada
Wonderfi is a dominant exchange in Canada and can see how the cryptographic panorama is changing in the country.
Canada has a strong cryptographic history: Ethereum and the first Bitcoin ETF spot were born there. It was also one of the first countries to have a regulatory framework for cryptography trade platforms.
“Some of the most innovative products and services that exist within this space have moved at high seas or outside Canada due to the lack of clarity about those products and services,” he said, pointing out products such as Defi applications, layer block chains 2 and derivatives.
Wonderfi now aims to change that, after working closely with Canadian regulators to create commercial and reference guidelines.
“We are working hand in hand with regulators to comfort them in some of these more innovative and most innovative products and services, and hopefully that encourages entrepreneurs, builders, developers, to really remain in Canada and build products with confidence,” Skurka added.
And with the United States now more open to cryptography and many funds quoted in the stock market open to investors, the mentality in Canada is also beginning to change. Wonderfi, which has been a platform mainly dominated by retail trade, is now seeing the interest of Canadian institutional investors, such as family offices and private actions that wish exposure to digital assets.
“I think it has been a great change in the last year, and that is something [institutional investors’ interest] We hope to really accelerate in the coming years, “said Skurka.
Australia and beyond
Skurka does not stop in Canada; He is looking to expand the scope of his company to other regions, starting with Australia, a country that Skurka describes that it has a “clear and concise regulation” and a strong cryptography adoption rate.
“Australia was a very good market to initially sign up, and from there, we will really look for other markets,” Skurka said.
The powerful volatility
Like the nature of Crypto 24/7, the work of a CEO in this fast rhythm industry is never done.
In the case of Skurka, it is exactly what keeps it awake at night: volatility, something that shapes the perception and feelings of the industry.
“It is probably just the short -term volatility that really affects the business perspective and has an impact on the users, staff and morals of the team. Therefore, it is really something that we really seek to balance how best we can,” Skurka said.
But after having been in the industry since 2018 and navigating the extreme ups and downs, he has learned to take volatility.
“I think we have a very good management, and we have a really strong team that understands the 24 -hour nature of this business, the volatility of this business, and we are in a really good place,” Skurka added.
