# Kraken

> Kraken is one of the oldest and largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, founded in 2011 and launched in 2013 by Jesse Powell after the Mt. Gox security failures convinced him crypto needed an exchange built on trust. Operated by parent company Payward, Inc., Kraken lets retail and institutional clients buy, sell, trade, stake, and self-custody dozens of digital assets, alongside crypto futures, margin, and index products. By late 2025 it served over 5 million funded accounts, held tens of billions in client assets, and was preparing for a public listing.

- **Founded:** 2011
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, California, United States (registered in Cheyenne, Wyoming)
- **Founders:** Jesse Powell (Co-founder, former CEO, Chairman), Thanh Luu (Co-founder), Michael Gronager (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~2,600 employees
- **Products:** Kraken Exchange, Kraken Pro, Kraken Staking, Kraken Futures & Derivatives, Kraken Wallet
- **Notable:** One of the longest-running crypto exchanges, operating since 2013 without a major loss of customer funds., Ranked #1 global crypto exchange for Q3 2025 by Kaiko., Pioneered regular Proof of Reserves attestations in the industry.

## Products & services

- **Kraken Exchange** — A spot trading platform to buy, sell, and trade dozens of cryptocurrencies against fiat and crypto pairs.
- **Kraken Pro** — An advanced trading interface for active and professional traders with competitive maker/taker fees, deep order types, and API access.
- **Kraken Staking** — On-platform staking for 20+ assets including ETH, SOL, DOT and ADA, with flexible and bonded options. Returned to US users in 2025.
- **Kraken Futures & Derivatives** — Leveraged crypto futures (up to 50x), CME-listed futures, and CFTC-regulated perpetual futures and spot margin for eligible US traders.
- **Kraken Wallet** — A free, fully open-source self-custody mobile wallet with biometric sign-in, DEX/bridge swaps, WalletConnect, and multi-chain support.
- **CF Benchmarks** — An FCA-regulated digital asset index provider acquired by Kraken in 2019, supplying benchmark rates used across the industry.
- **Kraken Institutional** — OTC trading, custody, and liquidity services tailored to institutions, funds, and high-volume clients.

## Achievements

- One of the longest-running crypto exchanges, operating since 2013 without a major loss of customer funds.
- Ranked #1 global crypto exchange for Q3 2025 by Kaiko.
- Pioneered regular Proof of Reserves attestations in the industry.
- Acquired CF Benchmarks (2019), NinjaTrader (2025), Bitnomial, Reap, and Magna (2026).
- Had the SEC's lawsuit against it dropped in March 2025.
- Confidentially filed for an IPO in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Payward reported raising fresh capital at a ~$20 billion valuation while acquiring Reap ($600M) and Bitnomial ($550M).
- **2026-05** — Kraken announced the first CFTC-regulated perpetual futures for US traders.
- **2026-04** — Kraken confirmed it confidentially filed for an IPO.
- **2026-02** — Acquired token management platform Magna, serving 160+ clients.
- **2025-11** — Raised $800 million at a $20 billion valuation to strengthen its balance sheet.
- **2025-03** — SEC dropped its lawsuit against Kraken; Kraken acquired NinjaTrader for ~$1.5 billion.

## Links

- Website: https://kraken.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/krakenfx
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/krakenfx
- GitHub: https://github.com/krakenfx
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@krakencryptoexchange
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krakenfx/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/krakenfx

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kraken
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-02