Netcoins Appoints Andrew Leigh as Chief Compliance Officer
Leigh's registration has regulatory approval, while Netcoins' application for CIRO membership remains pending.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
Surge Digital (SRGDF) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Netcoins has appointed Andrew Leigh as Chief Compliance Officer.
His registration was approved by the British Columbia Securities Commission and Ontario Securities Commission on November 4, 2026. Leigh will also serve as Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer and lead securities compliance, including work supporting Netcoins' pending Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) membership application. He brings 20 years of Canadian securities compliance experience. Anna Maison remains with Netcoins, focusing on anti-money laundering, money services business and FINTRAC programs, with continued advisory support on financial crime matters.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Positive
- Minor pointLeigh's Chief Compliance Officer registration received BCSC and OSC approval on November 4, 2026.
Negative
- Moderate pointNetcoins' application for CIRO membership remains pending.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 10, 2026) - Surge Digital Inc. (TSXV: SRGE) (OTCQB: SRGDF) (WKN: A42HT2) ("Surge Digital" or the "Company") today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Netcoins Inc. ("Netcoins"), has appointed Andrew Leigh as Chief Compliance Officer. Mr. Leigh's registration in the role was approved by the British Columbia Securities Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission on November 4, 2026. Andrew Leigh will also serve as Netcoins' CAMLO (Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer).
Mr. Leigh will lead Netcoins' securities compliance program, including its obligations as a Restricted Dealer under the Canadian Securities Administrators' framework for crypto asset trading platforms and the compliance workstreams supporting Netcoins' pending application for membership in the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). He reports to Fraser Matthews, Chief Executive Officer and Ultimate Designated Person (UDP) of Netcoins.
Mr. Leigh brings 20 years of Canadian securities compliance experience across investment dealers, a global bank and the industry's self-regulatory organization. He joins Netcoins from Shakepay, where he served as Chief Compliance Officer and led the compliance function through Shakepay's admission as a CIRO Investment Dealer Member in January 2025. Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Compliance Officer of The August Group Capital and of Hampton Securities Limited, as Co-Chief Compliance Officer of Bloomberg Tradebook Canada, and in senior compliance and business risk roles at HSBC InvestDirect and HSBC. He also spent five years at the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (now CIRO) as a Business Conduct Compliance Examiner.
"Andrew has done this before. He has sat on the regulator's side of the table at IIROC, run compliance at investment dealers and a global bank, and most recently led a Canadian crypto platform through CIRO membership. That is exactly the experience Netcoins needs as we advance our own CIRO application and build out the regulated crypto trading and crypto-as-a-service capabilities at the core of Surge Digital's strategy," said Fraser Matthews, Chief Executive Officer of Surge Digital and Netcoins. "Regulation is our moat. Pairing Andrew's securities compliance leadership with Anna's deep AML and FINTRAC expertise gives Netcoins a compliance bench built for where this industry is going."
Anna Maison continues with Netcoins and will focus on the company's anti-money laundering (AML), money services business (MSB) and FINTRAC programs. Anna Maison will continue to provide advisory support on anti-money laundering and financial crime matters.
Netcoins is registered with FINTRAC as a money services business in addition to its securities registration, and Ms. Maison's continued leadership of those programs, alongside Mr. Leigh's securities compliance mandate, deepens compliance expertise across the platform as Netcoins expands its product set.
On Behalf of the Board
Fraser Matthews
CEO
ir@surgedigital.com
www.surgedigital.com
778.819.3890
About Surge Digital
Surge Digital Inc. (TSXV: SRGE) (OTCQB: SRGDF) (WKN: A42HT2) is the bridge between traditional finance and the on-chain economy. Surge owns and operates Netcoins, a regulated Canadian crypto trading platform serving retail, corporate and institutional clients; Blockchain Intelligence Group, a provider of blockchain analytics, investigation and compliance tools to law enforcement, government agencies and financial institutions; and TerraZero Technologies. Surge is building a regulated digital asset platform across four pillars: the Netcoins digital asset app, Crypto as a Service infrastructure for fintechs and enterprises, blockchain intelligence, and stablecoin payments.
For more information, visit www.surgedigital.com or visit SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
- Netcoins - A North American Centralized Exchange (CEX) offering trading, staking, swaps, custody and borrowing.
- Blockchain Intelligence Group - Blockchain analytics and forensics solutions.
- TerraZero Technologies - Immersive Media, Metaverse and Web3 development.
Netcoins is a crypto trading platform providing secure, regulated access to a growing range of digital assets. With a commitment to transparency and compliance, Netcoins serves both retail and institutional investors, offering a trusted way to buy, sell, stake, borrow and custody crypto in Canada and the USA. Learn more at www.netcoins.com.
Blockchain Intelligence Group provides digital asset forensics and blockchain analytics solutions supporting AML, investigations, and risk management for cryptocurrency activity. For more information, please visit www.blockchaingroup.io.
TerraZero is an immersive media and Web3 development company focused on creating next-generation virtual experiences for brands. Through its Intraverse platform, TerraZero offers immersive experience creation, advertising, data analytics, and digital events. For more information, please visit https://terrazero.com.
Signalset Communications
Charlie Aikenhead, Founder and Managing Partner, charlie@signalsetcommunications.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding Netcoins' application for membership in the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and the timing or outcome of that application; the expected contributions of Mr. Leigh and Ms. Maison; the development of Netcoins' compliance program; and the Company's strategy, product plans and expansion of its product set. Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions, including assumptions regarding the regulatory environment and the Company's ability to retain key personnel, and is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the risk that CIRO membership is not granted or is granted on terms or timelines that differ from expectations, changes in laws or regulatory requirements applicable to crypto asset trading platforms, volatility in crypto asset markets, and the other risks described in the Company's continuous disclosure filings available under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/323224
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Who is Netcoins' new Chief Compliance Officer?
Andrew Leigh has been appointed Chief Compliance Officer of Netcoins, Surge Digital's wholly owned subsidiary. He will also serve as Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer. His registration in the compliance role was approved by the British Columbia Securities Commission and Ontario Securities Commission on November 4, 2026.
What CIRO membership experience does Netcoins' Andrew Leigh bring?
Leigh previously served as Shakepay's Chief Compliance Officer and led its compliance function through admission as a CIRO Investment Dealer Member in January 2025. He also spent five years as a Business Conduct Compliance Examiner at the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, now CIRO.