Trading and Investing
Kraken operates as both a brokerage firm and a cryptocurrency exchange, giving customers access to much more than digital currencies. Traditional stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are available to eligible U.S. and EEA customers. Kraken also provides tokenized versions of stocks and ETFs, known as xStocks, to eligible customers outside the U.S. Its cryptocurrency platform operates across most of the world, with restrictions in certain locations, and offers hundreds of different coins.
Kraken also gives customers access to futures. Its derivatives selection includes more than 300 perpetual markets, as well as other futures contracts covering several asset categories, including commodities, equity indexes, and cryptocurrencies. Spot forex pairs, including AUD/USD and EUR/CHF, are available as well.
Kraken offers perpetual futures, usually shortened to perps, as another trading choice. Unlike conventional futures contracts, these instruments have no expiration date, allowing positions to remain open indefinitely.
Kraken once operated its own NFT marketplace, but that platform has been discontinued, so NFTs can no longer be purchased directly through Kraken. Customers can still purchase NFTs through third-party marketplaces and keep them in a compatible wallet (discussed later).
In addition to its trading products, Kraken provides several supplementary services. Certain cryptocurrencies can be staked to generate rewards paid in the same asset. Institutional customers have access to additional products and tools, including OTC services, custody, financing solutions, and other features.
Kraken also provides access to its Breakout prop-trading program, which allows qualifying traders to use capital supplied by the firm. Funded accounts can provide up to $200,000 in trading funds, and successful participants can retain as much as 90% of their profits.
Kraken+ is the company’s premium membership program and provides additional benefits beyond those included with a regular account. Some of these features include:
- Kraken Drops, the company’s launchpad and airdrop program
- Faster customer support
- A free Koinly tax report covering up to 800 Kraken transactions and 50% off the first paid Koinly plan
- Boosted yields on select stablecoins
- Early access to certain new tools and beta features
To use Kraken’s complete lineup of products and services, you’ll first need to establish an account. Both individual and business accounts are available, although access to specific features varies by country.
Banking Tools
Kraken has expanded its lineup with several payment and cash-management services. One example is Krak, its peer-to-peer money-transfer app. Krak can send money to people in more than 160 markets, hold more than 600 currencies and crypto assets, and automatically generate rewards on qualifying balances.
Kraken’s debit-card lineup includes a Mastercard for eligible UK and EEA customers and a Visa Krak Card for eligible U.S. customers. These cards can spend from more than 600 supported cash and crypto assets, automatically converting funds when necessary to complete a purchase. Eligible cardholders can receive up to 2% cashback.
Certain stablecoins deposited at Kraken can earn rewards, with rates varying by asset and program. USDC can earn up to 3.75% APR through Flexible Opt-In Rewards, while existing 60-day Bonded Opt-In Rewards allocations can earn up to 4.25%. Eligible fixed-rate USDC reward terms can offer returns as high as 7%.
Several methods are available for moving money into and out of a Kraken account, including ACH, bank wires, PayPal, debit cards, and Google/Apple Pay. Customers in some countries can also purchase crypto with a credit card, although Kraken does not offer a credit card of its own.
Customer Support
Kraken maintains a large help center at support.kraken.com where customers can find answers to many frequently encountered issues. An AI assistant is available on the site for automated assistance, while customers can also reach human support when necessary.
Comparable help options can be accessed through the standard Kraken mobile app. Open the account settings and choose the Support option.
Kraken does not provide a public direct-dial customer-service telephone number. Instead, voice support is available through Kraken’s mobile apps for situations in which the Call us feature appears. Kraken+ subscribers also receive faster support, which can reduce response times.
Website
Kraken’s main website is a basic platform that can be used to research assets and place orders. It includes light and dark themes and provides some helpful research tools. Click Explore in the left-side menu to view different categories, such as:
- Most popular
- Highest APR
- Newly listed
Selecting an asset opens its profile, and the order ticket appears on the right side of the screen.
Mobile App
Kraken’s regular mobile app is designed for straightforward buying, selling, and converting of assets, and recurring purchases are supported as well. Eligible customers can also trade stocks and ETFs through the app. Charting on the standard app is fairly basic and lacks many advanced features, although more powerful charts are available through Kraken’s higher-level trading platforms.
High-End Software
Traders looking for more advanced capabilities can use the Kraken Pro mobile app. This platform adds futures trading and landscape-oriented charts with numerous additional tools. An order book and time & sales information are available as well. More sophisticated order types, including trailing stop limit and iceberg orders, are supported through the Pro order ticket. A Pro trading interface is also available on the website.
For desktop traders, Kraken’s most sophisticated platform is Kraken Desktop. The downloadable program comes with 20 preloaded color themes and allows users to create or import custom themes. It retains the advanced Pro-style order ticket while adding a large collection of drawing tools for technical chart analysis.
Wallet
Kraken offers a digital wallet in addition to its exchange services. Kraken Wallet is a self-custody hot wallet capable of holding cryptocurrencies, DeFi assets, and NFTs. Crypto can be sent and received with wallet addresses or by scanning QR codes with a mobile device’s camera.
Tap the middle icon in the bottom menu to open the Explore page. This section includes useful links, including connections to NFT marketplaces where NFTs can still be purchased.
Margin
Kraken provides leveraged trading through several different products. One option is cryptocurrency margin trading. Maximum leverage depends on the trading pair, and eligible customers in certain markets can receive up to 20x leverage on BTC/USD through Kraken Pro. In our testing we saw up to 10x buying power for BTC/USD. Margin positions can be traded through Kraken Pro and Kraken Desktop, but not through the standard website interface or regular Kraken app. The Pro and Desktop order tickets display the leverage available for each supported market.
Futures contracts provide another way to trade with leverage. Maximum leverage on certain perpetual-futures contracts can reach 100x. Kraken uses automated equity-protection and liquidation controls on eligible derivatives products to help keep applicable accounts from falling below zero.
Pricing
Kraken accounts used for crypto, futures, or securities generally have no recurring account charges, such as annual maintenance or low-balance fees. Kraken also does not impose a general minimum account-balance requirement.
Trading charges do apply to certain transactions at Kraken. Instant and recurring crypto or fiat transactions generally carry a 1% trading fee, while custom orders carry a 1.5% trading fee. Some payment methods can add another charge on top of the trading fee. These expenses are separate from any spread incorporated into the transaction price.
Traditional stocks and ETFs available through Kraken securities accounts can be traded without commissions. With xStocks (Kraken’s tokenized stocks), purchases funded with USD or USDG do not have an additional trading fee, although the transaction price can include a spread; standard Instant Buy fees apply when other assets are used. Kraken Pro xStocks follow a separate maker-taker pricing schedule. Futures also use a maker-taker fee schedule, with standard lowest-tier rates of 0.02% for makers and 0.05% for takers.
Customers who want to reduce trading expenses can consider Kraken Pro or Kraken+. Kraken+ provides zero transaction fees on eligible trades made through the regular website or mobile app on up to $10,000 of monthly trading volume. Kraken Pro uses tiered maker-taker pricing, and eligible cross-platform fee tiers can be determined by the most favorable of three measures: spot trading volume, futures trading volume, or assets held on the platform.
Kraken+ costs $4.99 per month, and an annual subscription costs $49.99.
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Additional Features
Individual Retirement Accounts: Kraken permits qualifying retirement entities to establish Self-Directed IRA business accounts.
Coin Launches: Kraken regularly lists new cryptocurrencies, sometimes providing access from the first day of trading. The company also has IPO Access, which can provide traditional IPO shares to eligible U.S. customers and tokenized IPO exposure through xStocks to qualifying customers outside the U.S.
Fractional-Share Trading: Kraken supports fractional investing in securities and xStocks, with xStocks available in amounts starting at $1. Cryptocurrency trading minimums vary according to the asset and market.
Recommendations
Beginners: New investors may find Kraken’s standard website or regular mobile app easier to start with than its more advanced trading platforms.
Small Accounts: Kraken can be more cost-effective with higher monthly trading volume and a Kraken+ membership, although customers with smaller balances can still use the platform without recurring account charges.
Frequent Trading: Active traders should consider Kraken Pro and Kraken Desktop because they provide more sophisticated trading and charting capabilities.
Long-Term Investing & Retirement Planning: Kraken does not provide retirement planning tools,
but Webull does, and it also provides access to a selection of cryptocurrencies.
Securities Trading: Kraken can be a useful option for U.S. and EEA investors interested in stocks, although its selection of dedicated equity-research tools remains fairly limited.
Kraken Review Judgment
Kraken provides an extensive collection of trading products and financial services while maintaining low minimums and competitive pricing. Because availability differs substantially by country and region, however, some investors may find that another provider better fits the products they need.
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Updated on 8/24/2026.
Chad Morris has been analyzing investment firms for Brokerage-Review.com since 2015. Backed by FINRA Series 65, 66, and SIE credentials, his work reflects a deep knowledge of the retail brokerage industry and digital trading tools.
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