KRAKEN | Crypto

[PRESS RELEASE – San Francisco, CA, USA, February 26th, 2026] PACT, the leading on-chain credit and payments infrastructure protocol and #1 RWA protocol on Aptos, today announced that its native token, $PACT, is now supported on the world’s most trusted cryptocurrency exchanges, including Kraken, MEXC, and Gate. PACT Expands Access as It Builds the Future […]

The crypto exchange’s new Flexline product lets Pro users borrow against digital assets at fixed rates of 10%–25% APR for terms of up to two years. Crypto exchange Kraken has launched Flexline, a crypto-backed loan product that allows Kraken Pro users to borrow against their digital asset holdings without selling them. According to Wednesday’s announcement, the fixed-rate loans carry terms ranging from two days to two years, with proceeds issued in crypto or stablecoins that can be traded on the platform or withdrawn, depending on regional eligibility. The company describes its eponymous product as “geared toward beginners and individual investors, while Kraken Pro is for advanced and institutional traders.” Read more

Kraken’s new contracts, built on the xStocks framework, offer up to 20x leverage on tokenized benchmarks tied to US equities and gold. Crypto exchange Kraken has launched trading of tokenized equity perpetual futures on its regulated derivatives platforms, allowing eligible non-US clients to trade 24/7 leveraged exposure to major US stock indexes, gold and individual companies including Nvidia, Apple and Tesla. According to Tuesday’s announcement, the contracts are structured as perpetual futures, derivatives that trade without expiry, and are offered to eligible clients outside the United States. Kraken described the products as the first regulated tokenized equity perpetual futures to be listed on a derivatives venue. The products are built using the xStocks framework, which issues blockchain-based representations of publicly traded stocks and exchange-traded funds. Kraken said the contracts reference tokenized equity benchmarks rather than directly holding the underlying shares. Read more

At NEARCON 2026, Dragonfly’s Haseeb Qureshi and Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi delivered a sharp debate over how soon those agents can be trusted with real money.

Blockchain-based versions of US stocks are drawing growing investor activity, with onchain wallets and cross-venue trading expanding rapidly. Kraken’s tokenized equities platform, xStocks, has surpassed $25 billion in total transaction volume less than eight months after launch, underscoring accelerating adoption as tokenization gains traction among mainstream investors. Kraken disclosed Thursday that the $25 billion figure includes trading across centralized exchanges and decentralized exchanges, as well as minting and redemption activity. The milestone represents a 150% increase since November, when xStocks first crossed $10 billion in cumulative transaction volume. The xStocks tokens are issued by Backed Finance, a regulated asset provider that creates 1:1 backed tokenized representations of publicly traded equities and exchange-traded funds. Kraken serves as a primary distribution and trading venue, while Backed is responsible for structuring and issuing the tokenized instruments. Read more

The crypto exchange's parent company acquired several platforms in 2025 while confidentially filing for an initial public offering with the SEC. Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has acquired tokenization platform Magna, expanding the company’s infrastructure. Kraken said Wednesday the acquisition would allow Magna to operate “as a standalone platform, powered by” the crypto exchange. The company’s announcement said Kraken would use the platform for “onchain and offchain vesting, white-label token claims, custody and escrow workflows, specialized staking functionality” and other functions. “Joining Kraken gives us the resources to support existing and new clients with institutional-grade infrastructure, deeper liquidity, and global distribution,” said Magna CEO Bruno Faviero. Read more

The deal adds token lifecycle infrastructure to Kraken’s growing product suite.

The integration gives ICE Chat users direct access to the exchange's OTC crypto liquidity, embedding digital asset trading within established institutional workflows. US-based crypto exchange Kraken has integrated its over-the-counter desk with Intercontinental Exchange’s ICE Chat, enabling institutional traders to access Kraken’s crypto liquidity directly through a messaging platform widely used across global financial markets. ICE Chat connects more than 120,000 market participants, including banks, brokers and trading desks that use the system for real-time deal negotiation and execution. The integration allows those clients to communicate directly with Kraken’s OTC desk within their existing trading workflows. Kraken said it is the first cryptocurrency platform approved to connect to ICE Chat, placing its crypto liquidity alongside traditional asset classes within established institutional communications infrastructure. Read more

Kraken has moved chief financial officer Stephanie Lemmerman to a strategic advisory role, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Blockchain tokenization is radically expanding the definition of money, enabling anyone to trade, save and spend in virtually any asset they like, says Kraken’s Mark Greenberg. Blockchain tokenization is transforming money beyond fiat currencies such as the US dollar by allowing users to save and instantly move virtually any asset across platforms, said a Kraken executive. “I think we’re past the point where money only means fiat or your local currency,” Kraken head of consumer Mark Greenberg told CNBC on Wednesday, adding that “anything can be money” with tokenization. Kraken’s xStocks is one of several tokenized stock offerings to hit the market this year as crypto exchanges look to expand beyond offering crypto trading. Coinbase and Gemini have also begun to offer tokenized stocks and have pushed betting via prediction markets as another offering to hook users. Read more

Kraken’s pending IPO and the wave of crypto companies seeking public listings may help the industry attract more TradFi capital. A potential initial public offering (IPO) next year by cryptocurrency exchange Kraken may attract fresh capital from traditional finance (TradFi) investors. Bitcoin recorded an all-time high price above $126,000 on Oct. 6, but hasn’t recovered from a $19 billion liquidation event that hit the industry a few days later. At the time of writing, the world’s largest cryptocurrency was trading at $87,015 per coin, down 6% in two weeks, according to CoinGecko. Still, Dan Tapiero, founder and CEO of 50T Funds, claimed that the Bitcoin (BTC) bull market is "still mid-stage.” He added that Kraken’s IPO and an increasing number of (M&As) may provide the necessary tailwinds to bring new capital from TradFi. Read more

Kraken and Deutsche Börse plan to connect foreign exchange, tokenized stocks and Eurex derivatives in a phased rollout targeting institutional clients. Deutsche Börse Group, a global exchange organization, has entered into a strategic partnership with the US crypto exchange Kraken with a mission of bridging traditional and digital markets. Kraken and Deutsche Börse are joining forces to create unified access across traditional and digital asset markets, according to a joint announcement on Thursday. The companies plan to improve institutional access to regulated crypto products, including spot trading, tokenized markets and derivatives, as well as enhanced liquidity for institutions across multiple jurisdictions. Read more

The acquisition will give Kraken full control of the xStocks tokenized-equity platform, strengthening the exchange’s push into regulated real-world assets. US-based crypto exchange Kraken has agreed to acquire Backed Finance AG, the company behind the issuance of xStocks, adding to a string of acquisitions the exchange has made this year while bringing the tokenized-equities platform under its roof. According to Tuesday’s announcement, Kraken plans to integrate xStocks’ issuance, trading and settlement more tightly into its products, including its global money app, while expanding support to additional blockchains and markets.  XStocks is a platform that issues tokenized versions of publicly traded equities, such as stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It currently offers over 60 tokenized products and has recorded more than $10 billion in combined exchange and onchain volume since launching earlier this year. Read more

The most significant shift in crypto finance this year isn’t a token launch, a price breakout, or a new blockchain upgrade. Instead, it is the quiet return of the public listing for crypto-focused entities. Kraken’s Nov. 19 confidential filing for a proposed initial public offering marks the latest step in what is rapidly becoming the […] The post Huge $100 billion crypto listing stampede started by Kraken’s stealth IPO filing appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Crypto majors were slightly green ahead of tonight’s major NVDA earnings call, with BTC hovering around $91,300, ETH up 2% at $3,090, BNB up 1% at $922, and SOL also up 1% at $139. Among top movers, MYX (+38%), STRK (+30%), and ZEC (+10%) led the pack. Bitcoin’s latest 30% drawdown unfolded far more rapidly—over 42 days—compared with the previous two drawdowns in Summer 2024 (147 days) and April 2025 (77 days). Kraken raised $800M at a $20B valuation in a round led by Jane Street, DRW, Oppenheimer, and a $200M stake from Citadel. The Ethereum Foundation outlined new goals for its upcoming Interop Layer, designed to unify all EVM L2s and make them function as “one chain.” In regulatory news, the OCC said national banks may hold and spend crypto in certain cases, such as paying for gas or testing applications. New Hampshire launched the first Bitcoin-backed municipal bond, while Mt. Gox moved 10,608 BTC—nearly $1B—from a cold wallet to new addresses, renewing expectations of imminent creditor repayments. Meanwh...

The confidential filing with the SEC for a US initial public offering came less than a week after Grayscale Investments announced a similar move. Kraken, the US cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Wyoming, announced the confidential filing of a draft registration statement for a proposed initial public offering, following months of speculation among many in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. In a Wednesday notice, Kraken said it had confidentially submitted a Form S-1 with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed IPO of its common stock, setting the groundwork for the company to go public. The potential IPO is subject to review by the SEC, which recently returned to full operations and staffing after a 43-day government shutdown.  The filing came less than a week after Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi gave an interview in which he said the exchange wasn’t “rac[ing] to the door as quickly as possible” to go public. Reports had been circulating since 2024 suggesting that Kraken was planni...

Arjun Sethi criticized the UK’s crypto regulations for burdening users with excessive disclaimers, saying they worsen customer experience. Arjun Sethi, the co-CEO of major crypto exchange Kraken, criticized the United Kingdom’s crypto regulations, which he said hinder services for their customers. In an interview with the Financial Times, Sethi said that “in the UK today, if you go to any crypto website, including Kraken’s, you see the equivalent to a cigarette box.” He suggested that the disclaimers have a significant impact on customer experience. Sethi suggested that disclosures slow users down and that, because of the importance of speed in crypto trading, “it’s worse for customers.” He concluded that “disclosures are important [...] but if there are 14 steps, it’s worse.” Read more

The exchange reported $648 million in quarterly revenue as trading activity, user growth, and new acquisitions boosted performance. Kraken reported $648 million in revenue for the third quarter of 2025, up 114% from a year earlier, which the company described as its strongest financial performance to date. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose to $178.6 million as profit margins widened nine percentage points to 27.6%, Kraken said Wednesday. Total trading volume increased 106% year over year to $561.9 billion, while assets on the platform grew 89% to $59.3 billion. Kraken’s user base also expanded, reaching 5.2 million funded accounts by the end of the quarter. Read more

Kraken’s latest data shows Australians are diversifying beyond Bitcoin, favoring Ethereum, Solana, and meme coins such as WIF, PEPE and BONK.

After acquiring NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion, Kraken expands its derivatives offerings in the US with a $100 million acquisition of Small Exchange. Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has expanded its derivatives trading offering in its home jurisdiction through a new acquisition. Kraken acquired Small Exchange, a designated contract market maker (DCM), from the trading company IG Group for $100 million, the company announced on Thursday. With the DCM licensed by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Small Exchange acquisition authorizes Kraken to build markets for exchange-listed derivatives in the US. Read more