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DeFi Technologies Inc. Announces Receipt of MCTO

(Neutral)
Tags
crypto

DeFi Technologies (Nasdaq: DEFT) announced the Ontario Securities Commission has granted a management cease trade order (MCTO) related to the Company's delay in filing audited annual financial statements, MD&A, and related certifications for the year ended December 31, 2025.

The MCTO prevents the CEO and CFO from trading DEFT until the filings are completed, while non‑insider shareholders may continue to trade. The Company cited a delayed SOC 2 Type 2 report from a material third‑party as the sole cause and will provide bi‑weekly status reports under National Policy 12‑203.

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Positive

  • Non‑insider shareholders may continue trading DEFT
  • Company will follow bi‑weekly alternative disclosure under National Policy 12‑203
  • Company cites a single third‑party SOC 2 delay as sole filing cause

Negative

  • OSC granted an MCTO restricting CEO/CFO trading until filings are complete
  • Annual financial statements and MD&A for year ended Dec 31, 2025 remain unfiled
  • Company cannot issue or acquire securities from insiders except existing obligations

News Market Reaction – DEFT

+3.37% 3.1x vol
30 alerts
+3.37% Session close to close
+12.6% Peak Tracked
-20.1% Trough Tracked
$295.76M Market Cap
3.1x Rel. Volume

In the Apr 2 session, DEFT gained 3.37%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +12.6% during that session. Argus tracked a trough of -20.1% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 30 alerts that day, indicating elevated trading interest and price volatility. Trading volume was very high at 3.1x the daily average, suggesting strong buying interest.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement confirms that the OSC granted a management cease trade order after DeFi Technologi...
Analysis

This announcement confirms that the OSC granted a management cease trade order after DeFi Technologies delayed its 2025 Annual Filings due to a pending third-party SOC 2 Type 2 report. Trading for non-insider shareholders remains unaffected, while the CEO and CFO face restrictions until filings are completed. This follows earlier warnings about timing risk and Nasdaq’s minimum bid notice. Investors may monitor progress on the audit, future disclosure under NP 12‑203, and any further listing or governance updates.

Key Figures

Year-end: December 31, 2025 Application date: March 23, 2026 MCTO grant date: April 1, 2026 +5 more
8 metrics
Year-end December 31, 2025 Period covered by delayed audited Annual Filings
Application date March 23, 2026 Date of original MCTO application referenced in this notice
MCTO grant date April 1, 2026 Date OSC granted the management cease trade order
SOC 2 Type 2 Type 2 report Third-party report delaying completion of 2025 audit procedures
Share price 0.6892 Pre-announcement price from market context
24h change 24.72% Pre-announcement 24h move from market context
52-week high 4.95 Highest price in the last 52 weeks
52-week low 0.47 Lowest price in the last 52 weeks

Previous Crypto Reports

5 past events · Latest: Mar 30 (Positive)
Same Type Pattern 5 events
Date Event Sentiment 24h Move Catalyst
Mar 30 Executive appointment Positive +7.1% Named Jacob Lindberg CRO of Valour to drive Nordic and European growth.
Mar 23 Filing delay warning Negative -7.5% Warned 2025 Annual Filings may be delayed; applied for temporary MCTO.
Mar 09 Conference participation Neutral +1.3% Announced presentation at Canaccord Digital Assets Virtual Symposium.
Mar 06 Nasdaq bid deficiency Negative +1.3% Disclosed Nasdaq notice for sub-$1.00 bid price and 180-day cure window.
Feb 27 Executive appointment Positive -6.4% Appointed Philippe Lucet as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Crypto-tagged news has produced mixed reactions: governance or listing-risk items sometimes drew negative moves, while management and event updates saw modest gains, with two recent governance headlines showing price divergence.

Recent Company History

Over recent months, DeFi Technologies’ crypto-tagged news blended operational updates with listing and filing risks. Appointments such as Philippe Lucet as General Counsel (Feb 27) and Jacob Lindberg as CRO (Mar 30) framed efforts to strengthen leadership. In contrast, a Nasdaq minimum bid price deficiency notice on Mar 6 and potential Annual Filings delays on Mar 23 highlighted compliance pressure. Today’s MCTO for delayed 2025 Annual Filings follows that earlier warning, reinforcing the same audit-timing theme rather than a new business issue.

Key Terms

management cease trade order, SOC 2 Type 2, Cease Trade Orders, SEDAR+
4 terms
management cease trade order regulatory
"application to the Ontario Securities Commission ("OSC") for a management cease trade order ("MCTO")"
A management cease trade order is a temporary restriction that prevents a company’s directors and senior officers from buying or selling the company’s securities while important, undisclosed information is being handled or examined. It matters to investors because it signals potential material developments or regulatory reviews—think of it like a temporary lock on a building while inspectors investigate; the restriction reduces insider activity and can affect share liquidity and investor confidence until the issue is resolved.
SOC 2 Type 2 technical
"delay in receiving a SOC 2 Type 2 report from a material third-party counterparty"
SOC 2 Type 2 is an independent audit that verifies a service provider’s operational controls for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy over a sustained period. Think of it as a multi-week inspection that checks not just that security measures exist but that they actually work day to day; for investors, a clean SOC 2 Type 2 report lowers the risk of data breaches, downtime and regulatory problems and signals stronger operational reliability.
Cease Trade Orders regulatory
"National Policy 12-203 – Cease Trade Orders for Continuous Disclosure Defaults"
A cease trade order is an official halt placed by a regulator or exchange that temporarily prevents buying or selling of a company’s securities, typically while important information is missing or an investigation is underway. Think of it as a pause button that protects ordinary investors from trading on incomplete or suspicious information; it matters because it stops price discovery, locks up liquidity and can signal heightened regulatory or financial risk.
SEDAR+ regulatory
"bi-weekly default status reports by way of news releases, which will be filed on SEDAR+."
SEDAR+ is Canada’s centralized online system where publicly traded companies submit required regulatory documents such as financial reports, prospectuses and disclosure statements. It gives investors a single, searchable place — like a public library or online filing cabinet — to check a company’s official records for transparency, compare performance, and verify material information before making investment decisions.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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TORONTO, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - DeFi Technologies Inc. (the "Company" or "DeFi Technologies") (Nasdaq: DEFT) (CBOE CA: DEFI) (GR: R9B), a financial technology company bridging the gap between traditional capital markets and decentralized finance ("DeFi"), today announced that further to its news release dated March 23, 2026, and March 31, 2026, regarding the Company's application to the Ontario Securities Commission ("OSC") for a management cease trade order ("MCTO") to be imposed in respect of its delay in filing its audited annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis, and related certifications, all for the year ended December 31, 2025 (collectively, the "Annual Filings"), the OSC has today granted the MCTO.

The MCTO does not affect the ability of shareholders who are not employees or insiders of the Company to trade their securities of the Company. The MCTO prohibits the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer of the Company from trading in securities of the Company for so long as the Annual Filings are not filed, including the disposition or acquisition of securities of the Company under any automatic plan. Additionally, for so long as the Annual Filings are not filed, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, issue securities or acquire securities from an insider or employee of the Company except in accordance with legally binding obligations to do so existing as of March 23, 2026.

Until the Company files the Annual Filings, it will comply with the alternative information guidelines set out in under National Policy 12-203 – Cease Trade Orders for Continuous Disclosure Defaults, including issuing bi-weekly default status reports by way of news releases, which will be filed on SEDAR+.

The Company confirms that, other than as disclosed in prior press releases, including with respect to the application for the MCTO on March 23, 2026, and material change reports, there have been no material business developments since the filing on November 14, 2025, of the Company's latest interim financial reports for the period ended September 30, 2025.

The Company's failure to file the Annual Filings relates solely to the delay in receiving a SOC 2 Type 2 report from a material third-party counterparty that is relevant to the Company's audit procedures. The Company remains in constant communications with the third-party counterpart as it relates to such third-party counterpart's progress towards receipt of its SOC 2 Type 2 report.

About DeFi Technologies

DeFi Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: DEFT) (CBOE CA: DEFI) (GR: R9B) is a financial technology company bridging the gap between traditional capital markets and decentralized finance ("DeFi"). As the first Nasdaq-listed digital asset manager of its kind, DeFi Technologies offers equity investors diversified exposure to the broader decentralized economy through its integrated and scalable business model. This includes Valour, which offers access to over one hundred of the world's most innovative digital assets via regulated ETPs; Stillman Digital, a digital asset prime brokerage focused on institutional-grade execution and liquidity; Reflexivity Research, which provides leading research into the digital asset space; and DeFi Alpha, the Company's internal arbitrage and trading business line. With deep expertise across capital markets and emerging technologies, DeFi Technologies is building the institutional gateway to the future of finance. Follow DeFi Technologies on LinkedIn and X/Twitter, and for more details, visit https://defi.tech/.

DeFi Technologies Subsidiaries

About Valour

Valour Inc. and Valour Digital Securities Limited (together, "Valour") issues exchange traded products ("ETPs") that enable retail and institutional investors to access digital assets in a simple and secure way via their traditional bank account. Valour is part of the asset management business line of DeFi Technologies. For more information about Valour, to subscribe, or to receive updates, visit valour.com.

About Stillman Digital

Stillman Digital is a leading digital asset liquidity provider that offers limitless liquidity solutions for businesses, focusing on industry-leading trade execution, settlement, and technology. For more information, please visit https://www.stillmandigital.com.

About Reflexivity Research

Reflexivity Research LLC is a leading research firm specializing in the creation of high-quality, in-depth research reports for the bitcoin and digital asset industry, empowering investors with valuable insights. For more information please visit https://www.reflexivityresearch.com/.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking information:

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes the timing of filing of the Company's Annual Filings, and the Company's compliance with the MCTO and NP 12-203. Forward-looking information is based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates, and forecasts about the Company and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to the timely receipt of such third-party counterpart's receipt of its SOC 2 Type 2 report; the timely filing of the Company's Annual Filings; and the Company complying with the MCTO and NP 12-203. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

THE CBOE CANADA EXCHANGE DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

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SOURCE DeFi Technologies Inc.

FAQ

What did DeFi Technologies (DEFT) announce on April 1, 2026 about the MCTO?

The company announced the OSC granted a MCTO restricting CEO and CFO trading of DEFT. According to the company, the order applies until its audited annual financial statements and related filings for the year ended Dec 31, 2025 are filed.

Why is DeFi Technologies (DEFT) delayed in filing its 2025 annual statements?

The delay is due to a third‑party SOC 2 Type 2 report not yet received. According to the company, this SOC 2 report is material to its audit procedures and is the sole cause of the filing delay.

Can shareholders trade DEFT while the MCTO is in effect on April 1, 2026?

Yes, shareholders who are not employees or insiders may trade DEFT during the MCTO. According to the company, the MCTO specifically prohibits only the CEO and CFO from trading until filings are complete.

What interim disclosure obligations does DeFi Technologies (DEFT) have while the filings are delayed?

The company will issue bi‑weekly default status reports under National Policy 12‑203. According to the company, these reports will be filed on SEDAR+ until the annual filings are completed.

Does the MCTO affect the company issuing securities to insiders as of March 23, 2026?

The MCTO blocks issuing or acquiring securities from insiders except for legally binding obligations existing as of March 23, 2026. According to the company, only pre‑existing binding obligations are permitted while filings remain outstanding.