kraken review
Updated September 28, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Our verdict
Kraken suits buyers who put safety of the money and a wide coin list ahead of trading cost. It publishes proof of reserves, offers derivatives, and lists 728 coins, but the taker fee of 0.8% sits well above the site median of 0.2%, so regular traders pay more per trade.
Key facts
- Best for
- Safety of the money and a wide coin list over the lowest trading cost.
- Taker fee
- 0.8%↗
- Coins listed
- 728↗
- Regulators
- Central Bank of Ireland, CySEC, FCA, FINTRAC, FinCEN, SEC and FINRA, CFTC and NFA, AUSTRAC, Bermuda Monetary Authority, Comision Nacional de Valores (CNV), Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), Central Bank of Ireland (CBI)↗
- Fiat deposit methods
- Card, Bank, SEPA, ACH, Apple-pay↗
- Maker fee
- 0.4%↗
- Proof of reserves
- Yes↗
- Withdrawal fee
- Variable per asset and method; static or dynamic funding fees↗
- Derivatives
- Yes↗
- Exchange type
- Cex↗
- Legal entity
- Payward Europe Solutions Limited↗
- Headquarters
- Ireland↗
- Founded
- 2011↗
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre, Community↗
- Features
- Custodial, Self-custody, Staking
- Official website
- kraken.com
Debit cards
Crypto earn
- Yield
- 0.1% to 21%↗
- Supported assets
- ATOM, SCRT, KSM, DYM, FLOW, MON, KAVA, XTZ, INJ, GRT, AVAX, TIA, NEAR, SOL, SEI, TRX, POL, DOT, ETH, HYPE, SUI, BNB, BTC, ADA, MINA, TAO, FLOWH, AKT, ALGO, APT, CELO, CSPR, CTC, CTSI, DASH, DCR↗
- Lock-up terms
- None for flexible (unstake any time); bonded has a lock-in period (e.g. 21D for ATOM)↗
Crypto wallets
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 11 sources
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
- Elsewhere
- WikidataLinkedInXyoutube.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Proof of reserves is published and derivatives are offered on the same platform.
- Coins listed reach 728, above the site median of 62.
- Fiat deposits run through card, bank and sepa, covering card, bank transfer, SEPA and ACH.
- Staking rewards run 0.1% to 21% across a long asset list, and flexible staking allows unstaking at any time.
Cons
- Fees are heavy for frequent trading: 0.8% to take and 0.4% to make, against a site median of 0.2%.
- Withdrawal fees vary by asset and method, with static or dynamic funding fees on top of the trade cost.
- Staked balances sit in custodial custody, and bonded staking carries a lock-in period.
Who it suits
- Readers who want a regulated exchange with proof of reserves and derivatives in the same account.
- Anyone funding an account by card, bank transfer, SEPA or ACH.
- Card users, since the card carries a €0 monthly fee and cashback of 2%.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not ActivTrades if trading cost is the only thing that matters, since its taker fee is 0%.
- Not bunq, whose taker fee runs 0.25% to 1.99% against the fee here.
- Not Bitpanda for a longer coin list, as Bitpanda lists from 650 coins.
How kraken compares
9.2 vs 9.5- kraken vs Binance Australia9.2 vs 9.3
kraken vs Binance P2P9.2 vs 9.2
kraken vs ActivTrades9.2 vs 9.7Charges a taker fee of 0% for readers who only weigh trading cost.
9.2 vs 9.5
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.6
kraken vs eToro9.2 vs 9.0
kraken vs Gemini9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0Its taker fee runs 0.25% to 1.99%, cheaper per trade than 0.8% here.
kraken vs coinhouse9.2 vs 8.9
kraken vs Trezor9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.2
9.2 vs 8.2
9.2 vs 9.7
kraken vs Robinhood9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.4
kraken vs Independent Reserve9.2 vs 9.3
9.2 vs 9.2- 9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.1
kraken vs Bitget (Trading Bots)9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.7
kraken vs MEXC9.2 vs 8.6
Where kraken is available
- Available
- Everywhere except Afghanistan, Belarus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Japan, North Korea, Libya, Russia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine
- Licence in Ireland
- Central Bank of Ireland (C453020), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Cyprus
- CySEC (342/17), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United Kingdom
- FCA (757895), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Canada
- FINTRAC (M19343731), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- FinCEN (31000270997766), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- SEC and FINRA, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- CFTC and NFA (NFA ID #0309379), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Australia
- AUSTRAC (ACN 163 237 634), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Bermuda
- Bermuda Monetary Authority (202403268), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Argentina
- Comision Nacional de Valores (CNV), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Austria
- Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) (MiCA CASP 5299005V5GBSN2A4C303), checked September 26, 2026, also valid in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia
- Licence in Ireland
- Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) (MiCA CASP 9845003D98SCC2851458), checked September 26, 2026, also valid in Cyprus, Ireland
Frequently asked questions
What does Kraken charge to trade?+
Trading costs 0.8% for taker orders and 0.4% for maker orders. The taker fee sits above the site median of 0.2%, so cost-minded traders may prefer a cheaper venue. Withdrawal fees are separate and vary by asset and method, charged as static or dynamic funding fees.
Which regulators and licences cover Kraken?+
Kraken is listed with Central Bank of Ireland, CySEC and FCA. The European entity behind it is Payward Europe Solutions Limited, based in Ireland, with its own Central Bank of Ireland registration. Proof of reserves is also published, so stated holdings can be compared with the proof.
How do I fund an account?+
Fiat deposits run through card, bank and sepa, covering card, bank transfer, SEPA and ACH depending on the account and country. Coins bought this way sit in a custodial exchange balance, and a mobile wallet is available at $0 as a separate option.
Does Kraken offer derivatives and staking?+
Derivatives are offered, and staking is one of the custodial, self custody and staking options. Staking rewards run 0.1% to 21%, flexible staking allows unstaking at any time, and bonded staking carries a lock-in period. Staked balances sit in custodial custody.
What does the Kraken card cost?+
The card is a debit card on the mastercard network, with a €0 monthly fee, a 0% currency conversion fee and cashback of 2%. It covers 600 currencies, so conversion cost is worth checking against your own spending.
Who does Kraken suit?+
Kraken suits readers who want an exchange founded in 2011, with 728 coins listed, proof of reserves and derivatives, and who trade often enough to accept a taker fee of 0.8%.
What support can I reach?+
Support runs on email, chat and phone, so email, chat, phone, a help centre and community boards are all listed. That mix covers quick questions on chat as well as anything that needs a phone call.
Can I hold coins outside the exchange?+
The exchange balance is custodial, while self-custody is one of the custodial, self custody and staking options. The mobile wallet costs $0 and backs up with seed, so holdings can sit outside the exchange balance if you prefer.
Sources
- coingecko.com/en/exchanges/kraken checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Coins listed, Founded
“id=kraken; coins=728; pairs=1441”
- esma.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2024-12/CASPS.csv checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Licences
“ae_homeMemberState=IE”
- krak.app/card checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Cashback rate, Currencies, Currency conversion fee, Monthly fee, Card network
“Get your Krak Card - The debit card with no monthly fees”
- support.kraken.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000381846 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Fiat deposit methods
“ACH (Plaid), Debit card, Apple Pay / Google Pay, SEPA / SEPA Instant (Plaid), SWIFT and bank transfer; the most common method is bank transfer”
- support.kraken.com/hc/en-us/articles/where-is-kraken-lice... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Regulators
- kraken.com/features/24-7-support checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Send us a message 24/7; voice support is now available on our mobile apps; submit a request through one of our support forms and our team will get back to you by email; our Support Center is loaded...”
- kraken.com/features/fee-schedule checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Derivatives, Features, Maker fee, Taker fee, Withdrawal fee
“Perps: A 0.25% fee is applied to the notional value of the trade to open the position”
- kraken.com/features/staking checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Supported assets, Yield
“Explore staking assets”
- kraken.com/features/staking/cosmos checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Custody, Lock-up terms
“Your funds remain safe with Kraken, the secure digital asset exchange”
- kraken.com/proof-of-reserves checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Exchange type, Proof of reserves
“Your BTC asset balance held under Kraken custody will include your BTC balance at the time”
- kraken.com/wallet checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Backup options, Price, Wallet type
“How do I back up my Kraken Wallet? Write down your Secret Recovery Phrase and store it in a secure location.”
Compiled from 11 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.