Kraken Review 2025 Fees, Pros, Cons Buy & Sell Bitcoin

Kraken Review 2025 Fees, Pros, Cons Buy & Sell Bitcoin

kraken trading review

Kraken payment methods include bank wires, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and cryptocurrencies. Localized payment processors also exist, like ACH in the kraken trading review US, SEPA in the EU, and BACS in the UK. Account verification at Kraken depends on the desired verification level.

Transparent Fee Structure

For traders who are looking to diversify their portfolios, Kraken provides access to a wide array of coins, including Ripple (XRP), Polkadot (DOT), Cardano (ADA), and many more. Kraken is a secure cryptocurrency exchange that supports 50+ cryptocurrencies and offers advanced trading tools. Trying to find a reliable cryptocurrency exchange can be a challenge.

  • Kraken’s interface strikes a balance between beginner-friendly simplicity and advanced trading power.
  • Kraken is on par with exchanges like Coinbase but offers fewer coins than places like Binance or Gate.io.
  • We also considered if the exchange is regulated by a proper agency or entirely decentralized.
  • Kraken offers two trading platforms to users, Kraken and Kraken Pro.
  • Depending on your cryptocurrency and active market trading experience, you may prefer Kraken or Kraken Pro.

Cryptocurrencies Available on Kraken

Kraken is a US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2011 by Jesse Powell and launched its services two years later in September 2013. The security measures at Kraken remain industry-leading, and it was the first to pass a cryptographically verifiable proof-of-reserves audit. Kraken is also the court-appointed trustee of the Tokyo government and a partner in the first cryptocurrency bank, Fidor Bank, based in Germany and regulated by BaFin. Automated trading is a given these days, and all leading trading platforms support this feature.

User Interface

Kraken takes its commitment to security seriously, ranking second on the crypto exchange security review site CER. That said, there are user complaints about Kraken on online forums about hacked individual accounts. For users who opt for Kraken Pro, fees are considerably lower. It charges a 0.16% maker fee and a 0.26% taker fees for trades of $50,000 or less based on activity within the last 30 days. Beginners are best off starting with the central Kraken platform.

It can drop to 0.00%, which depends on the running 30-day trading volume. Taker fees commence from 0.26% on standard trading pairs and 0.20% on stablecoins and Forex pairs. Kraken has a tiered fee schedule based on 30-day trading volume. Fees range from 0.16% maker/0.26% taker at the lowest tier to 0% maker/0.10% taker at the highest VIP tier.

All these trading options have diversified the strategies for experienced traders beyond just buy and sell orders. Kraken is one of the few exchanges to undergo regular third-party security audits, which helps maintain a high level of trust among its users. The platform has also never been hacked, making it one of the most secure exchanges in the industry. We have been writing and researching cryptocurrency since 2016.

Mobile apps (Invest / Pro / Futures)

  • The Kraken Pro version also has deep liquidity and supports over 170+ trading pairs which means you’ll have pretty fast and efficient trades for large volumes.
  • The fee rates for futures trading start at 0.02% for makers and 0.05% for takers.
  • It allows you to trade across multiple crypto trading exchanges and markets from a single platform.
  • If you have programming knowledge, this will allow you to interact with Kraken’s platform in a more customizable way.
  • Kraken offers beginner cryptocurrency traders a user-friendly on-ramp to the sector.
  • It accommodates a wide range of traders from beginners to professionals.

Kraken emphasizes the importance of strong individual security measures like 2FA to prevent such incidents. Kraken is the most preferred option among traders for futures trading and is also witnessing a surge in volume in recent months. Also, the Kraken futures is licensed by the UK’s financial regulator  Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Not all coins are traded against each other on the platform, and only those trading pairs are listed, which attracts healthy volume.

Trading with a regulated exchange will limit the potential for fraud and malpractice. I always recommend traders check for regulation and verify it with the regulator by checking the provided license with their database. Kraken, like all cryptocurrency exchanges, is unregulated but duly registered with the necessary authorization to offer its services. Kraken is one of the most popular and oldest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, having been around since 2011.

kraken trading review

Overview of Kraken’s History and Background

Kraken offers several resources to its users to support them on their journey through the crypto world. While security is a concern with any crypto exchange, Kraken is one of the best options that anyone in the US can choose. As such, it is a for-profit platform that makes money by charging fees when performing certain transactions on it. Kraken also allows for trading between cryptos, not just trading cryptos for fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar. There are crypto-to-crypto pairs, stablecoin trading, and more. Keeping in mind that the US has struggled to create a comprehensive body of regulations for cryptos is worth remembering.