What Account Types Does Kraken Offer in 2026?

Account Types at Kraken

Key Takeaways:

• Kraken offers a limited set of account registrations, mainly personal and business accounts.

• Institutional clients can also use Kraken through its business-account and institutional offerings.

• Kraken does not support regular joint accounts or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

If you’re considering opening a brokerage account with Kraken, here’s what you should know first:

Overview of Trading at Kraken

Kraken offers access to cryptocurrency trading, futures products, equities, and xStocks, depending on a customer’s country of residence and product eligibility. Most countries can access cryptocurrency services, although a limited number of regions are restricted.

Crypto Accounts

For cryptocurrency trading, Kraken offers personal accounts and business accounts. There is also an institutional channel, although this is handled through Kraken’s business-account and institutional structure. Kraken does not directly offer other account types such as IRAs, regular joint accounts, or custodial accounts.

Some third-party providers, such as Rocket Dollar, offer Checkbook IRAs and Solo 401(k) plans that can be linked to business accounts at Kraken, though not to personal accounts. This setup creates an indirect way to hold Kraken assets inside a tax-advantaged account that is maintained at another firm.

Securities Accounts

In addition to digital assets, Kraken also allows trading in stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for eligible U.S. residents. At this time, customers outside the United States are not eligible for stock or ETF trading.

Securities trading in the U.S. is currently available only for verified individual accounts. Other common registration types available at traditional brokers, such as IRAs, custodial accounts, trusts, and regular joint accounts, are not part of Kraken’s stock offering.

Kraken Promotion

Futures Accounts

U.S.-based clients can trade crypto futures from CME through Kraken Derivatives US. Customers outside the U.S. may be eligible to trade crypto perpetual futures. In both cases, futures access depends on verification status and geographic eligibility, and futures trading can be available to either personal or business clients when they qualify.

Opening a Kraken account

xStocks at Kraken

xStocks, which are available in select jurisdictions, are blockchain-based assets tied to traditional U.S. stocks and ETFs. Because of this structure, xStocks are traded through a verified Kraken account rather than a separate securities or futures account.

Margin Accounts

Certain crypto accounts at Kraken may be upgraded from cash trading to margin trading. However, margin trading is generally available to many verified clients outside the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, while clients in the United States and Australia must meet additional eligibility requirements. Margin-enabled crypto accounts are subject to jurisdictional limits and other eligibility standards.

Verification Levels

Every Kraken account, whether crypto or securities, business or individual, follows one of Kraken’s current verification paths or higher-limit options. The available paths and tiers are:

Verified individual
Verified individual with higher limits
Business account
Additional customized limit increases for some clients

Higher verification paths or higher-limit arrangements can unlock additional features, including margin access, higher deposit and withdrawal limits, and expanded API limits. The standard verified-individual path is enough for most clients, while business verification is required for businesses and institutions.

Eligible Countries

While Kraken offers a limited number of account structures, it supports users from a wide range of countries. Residents of many jurisdictions can open cryptocurrency accounts, and most nationalities are accepted. Examples of supported jurisdictions include:

Argentina
Australia
Canada
Ireland
United States
And many more...

Given the size of the supported list, it may be easier to focus on countries and regions that Kraken does not support:

Russia
Parts of Ukraine
Cuba
Japan
North Korea
And a few others...

These restrictions are generally based on verified country of residence rather than citizenship. For example, a Japanese citizen living in Slovakia may still be eligible to open an account. to bypass regional restrictions may violate Kraken’s policies or local regulations and could result in penalties.

Opening an Account

If Kraken’s offerings meet your needs, opening an account is a straightforward process. Visit the website or mobile app and click the purple sign-up button. You’ll be prompted to choose either a personal or business account and then guided through the remaining steps to submit the required information. Kraken’s platform supports many languages, including Dutch, Turkish, and Chinese.

Kraken Bonus

Kraken Review

Updated on 4/8/2026.

About the Author

Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.