Kraken has launched Kraken Derivatives US, a regulated crypto derivatives platform, offering U.S. traders access to CME-listed crypto futures through its Kraken Pro interface.
The move expands Kraken’s U.S. product offering and brings futures trading into the same environment as its existing spot markets.
According to Kraken, users can now manage both spot and futures positions without switching between separate systems.
This unified approach allows traders to transfer collateral instantly between accounts, enabling rapid adjustments to their positions and improving capital efficiency.
The integration is aimed at reducing operational friction and providing a smoother user experience, particularly for traders who operate across multiple markets and time zones.
“There’s a clear and growing shift toward unified platforms that offer broad asset-class exposure from a single interface. That trend reflects the practical needs of today’s traders, who increasingly demand round-the-clock access, capital efficiency, sophisticated risk management and trading opportunities,” commented Shannon Kurtas, Head of Exchange at Kraken.
“By integrating derivatives into a unified platform alongside spot and tokenized assets, Kraken eliminates unnecessary fragmentation and enables smoother execution,” he told Traders Magazine.
“Our deep, real-time liquidity across product lines empowers traders to scale strategies with precision, while instant funding and transfers of collateral let them manage positions and risk seamlessly without juggling multiple platforms or counterparties. Institutional clients therefore benefit from continuity and infrastructure that mirrors the workflows of traditional finance,” he explained.
Kraken’s expansion into regulated U.S. crypto derivatives reflects broader industry trends toward convergence between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi).
Kurtas pointed to the introduction of spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024 as a “starting gun” signaling the growing convergence between TradFi and crypto.
Over the past 18 months, institutional interest in digital assets has accelerated well beyond earlier expectations, driving capital toward venues that meet institutional-grade compliance, regulatory, and operational standards.
“Kraken’s launch of a U.S.-regulated crypto derivatives offering is another meaningful milestone in that trajectory,” Kurtas said.
The growing demand for capital efficiency and 24/7 market access is reshaping expectations for both active traders and institutions.
Kurtas explained that the industry is moving toward unified platforms that provide broad exposure across asset classes from a single interface. This eliminates fragmentation and supports more sophisticated trading strategies.
According to Kurtas, Kraken’s acquisition of NinjaTrader plays a key role in this expansion, bringing experience in U.S. retail futures markets and allowing Kraken to offer more traditional asset futures alongside crypto products.
“We’re rolling out the infrastructure that is seamlessly connecting clients to deep, global and cross-asset liquidity, and helping define the next chapter of digital asset markets,” he said.
In addition to derivatives, Kraken recently added commission-free trading for more than 11,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs. It also began rolling out tokenized equity trading for eligible clients outside the U.S., combining blockchain settlement benefits with exposure to traditional equities.
Kurtas said that the company plans to expand into further into equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, and commodities under regulatory oversight.
“This progression supports our broader vision: to become a truly comprehensive, multi-asset trading platform that serves the needs of institutions and active traders alike, regardless of the underlying market,” he said.
