Title: FINTRAC-Registered MSB Explained | Sentvia Source: https://www.sentvia.com/blog/fintrac-registered-msb-explained Description: What a FINTRAC-registered money services business is, and how to check a stablecoin provider's registration yourself. --- [← Insights](https://www.sentvia.com/blog) - Finance # What Is a FINTRAC-Registered MSB, and Why Should It Matter to You? What a FINTRAC-registered money services business is, why it matters when choosing a stablecoin settlement provider, and how to check a provider's registration for yourself. Sentvia 21 August 2026 · 3 min read ![Sentvia provides a global payment platform for global businesses](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/00uqjdp8/production/ceb6362d823909311c8639ec05e94b8f13f56f3a-3508x2481.png?rect=0,255,3508,1973&w=1600&h=900&fit=crop&auto=format) A money services business, or MSB, registered with FINTRAC is a company that Canada's financial intelligence agency recognises as meeting its anti-money-laundering registration requirements. Sentvia Services Ltd is registered with FINTRAC as an MSB, registration number C100000474, and is separately regulated by the Bank of Canada under the Retail Payment Activities Act. Both registrations are checkable on public registries. ## What FINTRAC registration actually means FINTRAC is Canada's financial intelligence agency. A business handling money transfers or foreign exchange, including stablecoin settlement, is required to register with FINTRAC as a money services business and follow its rules on identity checks and reporting. Registration doesn't mean a regulator has approved every part of the business. It means the company is on record, has committed to those obligations, and can be checked. Sentvia is also regulated by the Bank of Canada under the Retail Payment Activities Act, a separate framework covering payment service providers. The registration is listed publicly on the Bank of Canada's payment service provider registry. ## Why this matters when you're choosing a provider A provider handling your business's money should be checkable against a primary source, not just its own website. Ask any stablecoin settlement provider for its registration number and the regulator it's registered with, then look it up yourself rather than taking the claim on trust. - **Registration number:** a specific number, not a general claim of being licensed. - **Named regulator:** FINTRAC, a national banking regulator, or an equivalent, not a general reference to being compliant. - **A public registry entry:** one you can search yourself, not a certificate the provider shows you. ## Terms used on this page - **FINTRAC:** the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, the country's financial intelligence agency. - **Money services business (MSB):** a company registered to provide services such as money transfer or currency exchange, subject to anti-money-laundering rules. - **Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA):** a Canadian law under which the Bank of Canada regulates payment service providers. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is FINTRAC registration the same as a banking licence? No. It is a registration requirement for businesses handling money transfers and currency exchange, focused on anti-money-laundering obligations. It's a meaningful check, but a different thing from a banking licence. ### How do I check a provider's FINTRAC registration myself? FINTRAC maintains a public list of registered money services businesses. Ask the provider for its exact registered legal name and registration number, then search for it directly rather than relying on a screenshot or a badge on their website. ### What's the difference between FINTRAC registration and RPAA regulation? FINTRAC registration covers anti-money-laundering requirements. RPAA regulation, overseen by the Bank of Canada, is a separate framework specifically for payment service providers. A company can hold one, both, or neither, so it's worth checking each separately. ### Does this apply to businesses outside Canada? A Canadian registration is relevant wherever your provider is based, since it tells you which regulator oversees the entity handling your payment. If your business is elsewhere, it's still worth asking which regulator applies to your provider in its home jurisdiction. ## Related reading - How businesses convert stablecoins to fiat, currency by currency: /blog/stablecoin-to-fiat-settlement - How a supercar dealership accepts USDT for a car: /blog/supercar-dealership-accept-usdt - Why won't my stablecoin settlement provider pay a third party? /blog/named-iban-third-party-payments - Will my bank close my account if I receive money from crypto? /blog/will-my-bank-close-my-account-for-crypto-payments ## Sources - Bank of Canada, retail payments supervision registry: Sentvia's registered entry. bankofcanada.ca/regulatory-oversight/retail-payments/psp-registry/psp-registry-details/?account\_id=1f6205ff-d4f5-f011-8407-7ced8da586db - Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, public MSB registry search. https://fintrac-canafe.canada.ca/msb-esm/reg-eng ## Talk to us about your payment flows Named IBAN accounts, spot-rate FX, and same-day settlement for global businesses. [Get started](https://www.sentvia.com/enquire) ## More insights [ ![Sentvia provides a stablecoin payments platform for global businesses](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/00uqjdp8/production/ceb6362d823909311c8639ec05e94b8f13f56f3a-3508x2481.png?rect=0,255,3508,1973&w=800&h=450&fit=crop&auto=format) - Finance ## Why Won't My Stablecoin Settlement Provider Pay a Third Party? Why a compliant stablecoin settlement provider only pays your own company's named account, never a third party, and what that protects you from. Sentvia · 23 August 2026 ](https://www.sentvia.com/blog/named-iban-third-party-payments) [ ![Sentvia provides a stablecoin payments platform for global businesses](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/00uqjdp8/production/ceb6362d823909311c8639ec05e94b8f13f56f3a-3508x2481.png?rect=0,255,3508,1973&w=800&h=450&fit=crop&auto=format) - Cross-Border Payments ## How Do I Convert USDT to AED for My UAE Company? How a UAE business converts USDT to AED and receives it in its own company account, under the CBUAE's payment token rules. Sentvia · 22 August 2026 ](https://www.sentvia.com/blog/convert-usdt-to-aed-uae-business) [ ![Sentvia provides a global payment platform for global businesses](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/00uqjdp8/production/ceb6362d823909311c8639ec05e94b8f13f56f3a-3508x2481.png?rect=0,255,3508,1973&w=800&h=450&fit=crop&auto=format) - Stablecoins ## Can I Buy a Car With USDT? Here's What the Dealership Needs Paying for a car in USDT is possible if the dealership can accept it. Here's how the payment works and what to send your dealership if they haven't done this before. Sentvia · 20 August 2026 ](https://www.sentvia.com/blog/buy-car-with-usdt)