Stock Investing at Kraken in 2026

Item: Kraken Stocks
Rating: 4
Author: Chad Morris

Stock Trading at Kraken

Main Points:

• In addition to cryptocurrencies, Kraken now offers stock and ETF trading.

• Equities can be traded commission-free at Kraken.

• Kraken offers stock and ETF trading through the Kraken app and Kraken Pro.

If you've been using Kraken for crypto trading, you may want to look at the broker for its stock and ETF service. Here's the rundown:

Securities at Kraken

Kraken has expanded beyond the cryptocurrency industry. It now operates Kraken Securities LLC, a licensed broker-dealer in securities. This subsidiary of the parent company offers self-directed trading in stocks and exchange-traded funds. At this point, there are no other securities available (such as mutual funds or bonds). In its securities program, Kraken does not currently offer any type of investment advice or portfolio management.

Kraken is an introducing broker; it uses Alpaca Securities LLC as its clearing firm. Today, Kraken opens brokerage accounts for clients in most U.S. states. Stock trading is currently unavailable to residents of:

Maine
New York

Kraken has already expanded its stock-trading service far beyond the small group of states where it first launched.

Regulations and Insurance

Kraken is registered with America's major securities watchdogs: FINRA and the SEC. Kraken's FINRA registration number is 324343; its SEC ID # is 8-71030. It has only been registered since 2024, and BrokerCheck currently shows no disclosed events for the firm. It is registered in 53 states and territories, so the list noted in the previous section has already grown substantially.

Kraken is also a member of SIPC, the major protection provider on America's securities accounts. A Kraken securities account is protected up to $500,000, including $250,000 for cash claims.

Alpaca clears and settles trades for Kraken Securities accounts.

kraken stocks review

Opening a Stock Account

To trade securities at Kraken, you do need a separate securities account; securities cannot be traded in a crypto account. To open the stock and ETF account, log into the Kraken app or Kraken Pro and complete the equities setup. It took us just a few minutes to open an account and then fund it.

Kraken Stocks Fees and Minimums

With a stock/ETF account open, trades will cost $0 in commissions. There are no account fees, either, such as low-balance or annual charges. Kraken has no account minimum.

Kraken+ is an add-on program that comes with some extra perks that regular members don't get. These are mostly for crypto trading. The cost of Kraken+ is $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.

Kraken Website

Visit Kraken Website

Software

Kraken has five trading platforms:

Mobile app
Pro mobile app
Website
Pro website
Desktop platform

Stocks and ETFs can be traded on three of the five. These three are the regular mobile app, Pro mobile app, and the Pro website. The regular website and desktop program do not offer securities trading, which is a real shame because the desktop system has many advanced order tools.

The regular mobile app has stock profiles with basic details. During our investigation, we found key stats like market cap and the day's volume. There is a simple chart at the top with no tools at all and only one plot style (line). There is a purple buy button at the bottom. The order process is built for simple market-style trades.

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Moving to the Pro app improves the situation a little. This time, there are two order types: market and limit. Also, charts are more advanced this time. There are several plot styles, drawing gadgets, and technical studies. A graph can be rotated horizontally this time. The Pro app has an order book (Level II quotes) and time & sales data.

On the Pro website (pro.kraken.com), Kraken delivers a long list of stocks and ETFs (a kind of watchlist) that can be sorted by all sorts of criteria. These include:

Stock or ETF
52-week high
Industry
% change

It's possible to create a custom watchlist, too. The same two order types (limit and market) show up on the Pro website along with the other features the Pro app has.

Margin

Kraken does not offer margin accounts for stock and ETF trading. All brokerage accounts are cash accounts, which means trades must be fully paid for, and shorting is off limits.

Extra Features

Initial Public Offerings: There are no IPOs at Kraken (yet).

Dividend Reinvestment Plan: Kraken does not have a DRIP at this time.

Fractional Shares: A trade for a stock or ETF can be placed in dollar amounts, and Kraken's stock pages advertise purchases starting at $10.

Individual Retirement Accounts: Kraken only has individual taxable accounts.

Fully-paid Securities Lending Program: Kraken customers can earn extra income in their self-directed securities accounts by loaning out their shares. To sign up, go to the Pro website and open the account settings area for Stock Lending.

Automatic Purchases: Kraken's regular and pro platforms do not offer the ability to set up recurring purchases of stocks and ETFs.

Extended-hours Trading: Kraken customers can trade eligible stocks and ETFs beyond the regular session on Kraken Pro.

Our Recommendations

Long-Term Investing & Retirement Planning: Without IRAs, Kraken is a no go. can work as a substitute.

Beginners: Although Kraken's self-directed software is easy to use, a better idea is a managed account at a firm like .

Small Accounts: With a $10 starting purchase amount on stock pages and no account minimum, Kraken's equity service is a good program for small investors.

Frequent Stock Trading: Without advanced stock order tools, we can't defend Kraken for sophisticated equity trading. Charles Schwab will work.

Mutual Funds: Charles Schwab is a good idea.

Final Judgment

Crypto traders at Kraken now have access to stocks and ETFs. The broker's stock service, however, has lots of weaknesses, so many in fact that Kraken clients may be better off with a more thorough service elsewhere for now.

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