Kraken, a technology platform built on crypto, has launched Kraken Derivatives US, a regulated derivatives offering in the United States. This new service initially provides direct access to crypto futures listed on the CME, integrated within the Kraken Pro trading experience.
Kraken Derivatives US allows clients to trade a comprehensive suite of crypto futures alongside Kraken’s existing spot market offerings. The integration facilitates instant funding for seamless collateral transfers, providing clients with a unified interface to execute advanced strategies and manage risk efficiently within a regulated environment supported by Kraken’s infrastructure. Shannon Kurtas, Head of Exchange at Kraken, stated, “With this launch, Kraken clients in the US can now trade futures alongside one of the world’s most liquid cryptocurrency spot markets. It’s a meaningful step in giving traders broad market access and increased capital efficiency within a regulated and high performance environment.” Kurtas added that Kraken Derivatives US further enriches their unified trading experience, enabling access to digital and traditional assets without compromising features, performance, or liquidity.
This launch marks a significant achievement for Kraken following its acquisition of NinjaTrader, a leading U.S. retail futures platform, earlier this year. Through NinjaTrader, Kraken plans to expand its derivatives offering to include a broader range of asset classes, with intentions to introduce commodity, fixed income, FX, and equity futures later in 2024. This expansion aligns with Kraken’s strategy to develop a comprehensive, multi-asset trading platform, reinforcing its role as a unified venue for both digital and traditional asset classes.
Martin Franchi, CEO of NinjaTrader, commented, “NinjaTrader is proud to power Kraken’s push into US exchange-based derivatives, democratizing sophisticated trading products and connecting more participants to the world’s leading trading venues.” He emphasized that this collaboration is a pivotal initial step in accelerating their combined mission to expand global access to these essential products and markets.
In April, Kraken introduced commission-free equities trading in the US, offering access to over 11,000 stocks and ETFs with 24/5 availability. Kraken also recently launched trading for tokenized equities, powered by Backed’s xStocks, with phased rollouts commencing last week for eligible non-US clients.
Futures products and services on Kraken are provided by NinjaTrader Clearing LLC dba Kraken Derivatives US, a regulated Futures Commission Merchant that is a member of the National Futures Association (NFA ID 0309379) and registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The NFA does not have regulatory oversight over underlying or spot virtual currency products, transactions, exchanges, custodians, or markets. Spot accounts are maintained by Payward Interactive Inc., which is not CFTC registered and is not a member of the NFA. Futures and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Investors should understand the risks involved in trading and carefully consider suitability based on financial circumstances and resources. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
