Kraken Exchange Review
Best For
Great Security
Kraken is one of the oldest and most trusted crypto exchanges — regulated, secure, and great for buying Bitcoin.
Pros
- Stable regulatory compliance
- Margin and futures
- Well established and trustworthy
- Great security
Cons
- Verification can take some time
Disclosure: We earn affiliate commissions on some products linked here. This never affects our rankings.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Kraken Exchange Review: The Trusted US Crypto Exchange
Kraken is one of the oldest, most reputable cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Founded in 2011 and launched publicly in 2013, Kraken has built a strong reputation for security, regulatory compliance, and deep liquidity — particularly for Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Background
Kraken was founded by Jesse Powell in San Francisco and is operated by Payward, Inc. The exchange is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with FinCEN in the USA and holds licences in multiple jurisdictions. Kraken survived the early years of crypto volatility without any major security breach and has been consistently audited for its proof-of-reserves.
Supported Assets
Kraken supports 200+ cryptocurrencies, including:
- Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Polkadot, Chainlink
- Dozens of DeFi tokens and Layer 2 assets
- USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, CHF, JPY fiat pairs
Key Features
Kraken Pro: Advanced trading interface with real-time charts (TradingView integration), spot and margin trading, and order types (limit, stop-loss, take-profit, trailing stop).
Futures Trading: Kraken offers perpetual and fixed-term futures contracts via Kraken Futures.
Staking: Earn staking rewards on ETH, SOL, ADA, DOT, ATOM, and others — both on-chain and off-chain options available.
Kraken NFT: NFT marketplace launched in 2023, with zero gas fees for eligible transactions.
OTC Desk: For trades over $100,000, Kraken offers an OTC desk with dedicated support.
Fees
| Trade Size | Maker Fee | Taker Fee |
|---|---|---|
| < $50K/mo | 0.16% | 0.26% |
| $50K–$100K | 0.14% | 0.24% |
| High volume | Down to 0% | Down to 0.10% |
Security
Kraken stores 95%+ of assets in cold storage. Security features:
- Two-factor authentication (TOTP or hardware key)
- Global settings lock (locks account changes for 24 hours)
- IP address whitelisting
- Withdrawal address whitelisting
- Regular third-party security audits
Kraken publishes proof-of-reserves audits allowing users to verify their balance is held 1:1.
Verdict
Kraken is one of the best exchanges for users who prioritise security, regulatory compliance, and deep liquidity. It is particularly strong for European users (EUR pairs, SEPA transfers) and US users seeking a trustworthy, regulated platform.
- Strong security track record
- Regulated and licensed globally
- Deep liquidity for major pairs
- Staking and advanced trading
- Not as many altcoins as Binance
- UI can be complex for beginners
Maja & Leo
Reviewed by practitioners who actually use these products.
Related
FTX vs Coinbase: Which Trading Platform Is Right for You?
FTX collapsed in 2022 and no longer exists — so of this old matchup, only Coinbase remains. Here's what happened to FTX and why Coinbase is the safe, live choice.
Best for: FTX collapsed in 2022 — Coinbase is the safe, live choice
Uphold vs Coinbase: Which Is Better?
A detailed comparison of Uphold and Coinbase to help you choose the right crypto platform.
Best for: Best overall
Binance.com Cryptocurrency Exchange
Binance is the world's largest crypto exchange by volume — offering the most coins, lowest fees, and comprehensive trading features.
Best for: Biggest Exchange.
Related Posts
Best Crypto Airdrops 2023
This article is about rumors and speculations about some of the most profitable Crypto Airdrops 2022. Airdrops are a great way to get started to build an initial capital in Cryptos or also to get some free money.
Cold Staking - How to stake with Ledger Hardware Wallet
Step-by-step guide to staking crypto in Ledger Live. Earn passive rewards on proof-of-stake coins while keeping your assets in cold storage.
Cold Staking - How to stake your crypto coins with BitBox02 Hardware Wallet
Learn how to stake your crypto coins with the BitBox02 Hardware Wallet. Staking is a process which rewards holders of Proof-of-Stake (PoS) coins for keeping their wallets open and connected to the network. Find out more in this article.
Get notified when we update this review
No spam. Just a heads-up when something changes.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.