As Kraken eyes a $15 billion valuation and potential IPO, its Q2 report reveals growth and a shift toward TradFi products. Kraken reported $411.6 million in revenue for the second quarter of 2025, an 18% increase compared to the same period last year, according to its earnings release. However, the exchange’s adjusted earnings declined 7% year-over-year to $79.7 million, down from $85.5 million in Q2 2024. According to figures released on Wednesday, trading volume on the crypto exchange jumped by 19% over the past year, to $186.8 billion during Q2 2025. In other areas, Kraken also posted positive results, with assets jumping 47% to $43.2 billion, while funded accounts rose 37% to $4.4 million. The exchange’s stablecoin-to-fiat market share also grew, up from 43% to 68%. Read more
A Kraken executive told Cointelegraph that tokenized equities shouldn’t just copy Wall Street onto the blockchain but reinvent how users access financial assets. As traditional finance becomes more intertwined with blockchain technology, a Kraken executive said simply bringing traditional financial products onto a blockchain won’t cut it and is not the end goal for tokenization. Mark Greenberg, the global head of Kraken’s Consumer Business Unit, told Cointelegraph that tokenized equities must go beyond replicating Wall Street systems onchain. Instead, he said they should unlock new levels of accessibility, programmability and global reach. He argued that it’s an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how global markets function when it comes to accessibility, programmability and user access to legacy tools. Read more
Ji Hun Kim became acting CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation in December 2024 after the departure of Sheila Warren. Ji Hun Kim, a lawyer who previously worked at cryptocurrency exchanges Gemini and Kraken, has been appointed permanent CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI), after serving in the role in an interim capacity. In a Thursday notice, the CCI said its board of directors had appointed Kim as CEO after serving as president and acting CEO since January. He previously worked as the organization’s chief legal and policy officer after three years at Gemini and less than a year at Kraken. “This is a pivotal moment of evolution for our industry, one that requires serious, informed engagement,” said Kim. “I look forward to continuing to build an institution that serves as a bridge between technology and public policy, grounded in facts, trust, and respect around the world.” Read more
The investigation was reportedly not connected to Jesse Powell’s activities within the crypto industry. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reportedly ended its investigation of Kraken co-founder Jesse Powell and returned property belonging to him that was seized in a 2023 search of his home. According to a Tuesday Fortune report, the FBI had returned devices to Powell and ended its probe over allegations he had hacked and cyberstalked the Verge Center for the Arts, a nonprofit he helped found in 2008. The investigation, reportedly not connected to Powell’s association with Kraken, the cryptocurrency exchange he co-founded, or the crypto industry, resulted in the FBI searching his home and seizing electronic devices that could have contained digital assets. Read more
Aave’s community overwhelmingly approved a proposal to license a centralized version of its lending protocol for deployment on Kraken’s Ink blockchain. A proposal for the decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocol Aave to launch a centralized version of its service on the crypto exchange Kraken’s Ink blockchain has received widespread approval among the community. An Aave request for comment (ARFC) for the deployment of a whitelabel version of Aave v3 for the Ink Foundation, the organization behind the Ink blockchain, was approved with 99.8% of the votes cast in favor. An ARFC acts as a preliminary offchain vote before proceeding with a full decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) vote. The next phase involves drafting an Aave improvement proposal (AIP) that will be voted onchain. Read more
DeFi Development, a Nasdaq-listed Solana treasury company, has launched the DFDV Treasury Accelerator to expand globally via a franchise model, partnering with Kraken and top crypto VCs. Nasdaq-listed corporate Solana treasury company DeFi Development Corp. announced the launch of its SOL treasury accelerator. According to a Thursday announcement shared with Cointelegraph, DeFi Development launched the DFDV Treasury Accelerator, the firm’s international expansion initiative, which utilizes a franchise model to support regional Solana treasuries worldwide. The DFDV Treasury Accelerator is launching in partnership with crypto exchange Kraken and crypto venture firms Pantera Capital, RK Capital and Borderless Capital. They are expected to support the launches of new regional SOL treasuries, providing potential investment, strategic guidance and infrastructure. Read more
Kraken Derivatives US launched after the exchange’s acquisition of futures platform NinjaTrader earlier this year. Crypto exchange Kraken has launched a derivatives platform for US traders, offering access to CME-listed cryptocurrency futures and expanding the availability of institutional-grade trading tools. On Tuesday, the exchange announced the launch of Kraken Derivatives US, providing access to futures contracts via the Kraken Pro platform. The move expands Kraken’s product suite by expanding futures trading alongside its existing spot market offerings. According to Kraken Pro, access to Kraken Derivatives US has been rolled out initially in Vermont, West Virginia, North Dakota, Mississippi and Washington, D.C. Read more
Paxos launched the Global Dollar stablecoin in the EU, claiming MiCA compliance and support from Kraken, Robinhood and Mastercard under the GDN initiative. The Global Dollar (USDG) stablecoin has launched in the European Union, with issuer Paxos claiming compliance with the region’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), as well as oversight from the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority and Singapore’s central bank. According to a Tuesday announcement, the Paxos-issued USDG is now available in the EU through partners including major crypto exchanges Kraken and Gate. Other platforms that offer the stablecoin include Coinmetro, SwissBorg, Zodia Custody, Orbital, Hercle, CoinsPaid, Bitwyrem, Bitnet and HiFi. Paxos issues USDG in Europe through Paxos Issuance Europe OY, a Finland-based entity overseen by the country’s Financial Supervisory Authority. The stablecoin is structured to align with MiCA regulations, with a portion of its cash reserves held in European banks. Paxos said it guarantees one-to-one ...
More than 60 tokenized stocks are now live on Kraken, Bybit and Solana DeFi via Backed Finance’s xStocks. More than 60 tokenized stocks are now available on crypto exchanges Kraken and Bybit, as well as on Solana-based decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. In a Monday announcement from Backed Finance, the company said its tokenized stocks product, xStocks, had launched with over 60 stocks becoming available on Bybit, Kraken and several Solana DeFi protocols, offering users exposure to traditional stocks via blockchain infrastructure. The stock selection is focused on blue-chip giants and crypto firms, emerging and established alike. Supported stocks include Netflix, Meta, Robinhood, Coinbase, Amazon, Nvidia, McDonald’s, Apple, Tesla and Microsoft, among others. Read more
Kraken’s new "Krak" system will compete against other money-transmitting apps such as Cash App and Venmo. Crypto exchange Kraken has debuted a peer-to-peer (P2P) payments app that allows users to send fiat and cryptocurrency, regardless of country borders. The move is part of the exchange's effort to expand its financial services offerings beyond cryptocurrencies. According to Kraken on Thursday, the “Krak” app will offer users a spend and earnings account, promising yield generation on more than 20 digital assets along with cross-border transactions, a market forecast to surpass $8 billion in the United States this year. “[…] the financial system has been stuck in the past, and we think it's time to do something about it,” Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi said in a statement. “We believe that basic financial services should be universally accessible, and that money should move as easily as information does.” Read more
Several exchanges have announced MiCA licenses this year, following requirements being enforced in 2024 to offer digital asset services in the EU. Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken announced that it can now expand its offerings and across European Union’s member states after securing a license under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. In a Wednesday notice, Kraken said it had received the MiCA license from the Central Bank of Ireland, allowing the exchange to offer regulated services to residents in the 30 European Economic Area member states. The approval followed Kraken securing a Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) license in February and an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license in 2023. “We believe trust is the most valuable currency in crypto, and it’s something you earn. Over the past several years, our team has worked tirelessly to meet the [Central Bank of Ireland]’s gold standard regulatory expectations,” said Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi. Read more
The company’s CEO described the stock tokenization as a “DeFi Lego block,” suggesting it serves as a foundational piece for decentralized finance adoption. Update (June 23, 2025 at 10:02 PM UTC): This article has been updated to state that Backed created the xStocks platform. DeFi Development Corp., a Solana treasury company formerly known as Janover, announced plans to tokenize its shares through a partnership with crypto exchange Kraken. According to a Monday announcement, the company will use xStocks, a tokenization platform created by Backed, to bring its shares onchain. Kraken announced a partnership with xStocks in May, promising to offer investors tokenized shares of US-listed companies such as Apple, Tesla and Nvidia to users in other regions. The platform is built on the Solana blockchain. Read more
The crypto exchange is setting up a new headquarters for the first time since shuttering its San Francisco office in 2022, following reports of employees being attacked. Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has moved its global headquarters to Cheyenne, Wyoming, more than three years after shuttering operations in San Francisco. In a Friday blog post, Kraken said it was “recognition of the pro-crypto policymakers and constructive regulations” that contributed to its move to Wyoming. The company cited Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis’ crypto advocacy in the US state and Congress impacting its decision to move its headquarters. “Wyoming has been at the forefront of digital asset policy for nearly a decade and has created the perfect environment for digital asset companies to thrive,” said Lummis. “Kraken’s decision to relocate to the Equality State is a testament to Wyoming’s forward-thinking approach and reinforces Wyoming’s position as America’s premier crypto hub.” Read more