Kraken has launched Kraken Derivatives US, a new regulated offering that gives American clients access to crypto futures through an integrated experience on Kraken Pro. The service begins with support for CME-listed futures contracts and expands Kraken’s efforts to provide unified access to both digital and traditional markets.
The new product allows clients to trade futures alongside Kraken’s existing spot market. With instant funding and collateral transfer, users can manage risk and deploy advanced strategies within a single trading environment. The derivatives offering is backed by Kraken’s infrastructure and regulatory compliance framework.
“Kraken clients in the US can now trade futures alongside one of the world’s most liquid cryptocurrency spot markets”
Shannon Kurtas, Head of Exchange at Kraken, commented, “With this launch, Kraken clients in the US can now trade futures alongside one of the world’s most liquid cryptocurrency spot markets. It’s a meaningful step in giving traders broad market access and increased capital efficiency within a regulated and high performance environment.”
Kurtas added, “Kraken Derivatives US further enriches our unified trading experience, where digital and traditional assets can be accessed side-by-side without compromising on features, performance or liquidity.”
The launch follows Kraken’s acquisition of NinjaTrader earlier this year. The US-based retail futures platform will enable Kraken to expand into other derivatives products, with plans to introduce futures for commodities, fixed income, FX, and equities later in 2025.
Martin Franchi, CEO of NinjaTrader, said, “NinjaTrader is proud to power Kraken’s push into US exchange-based derivatives, democratizing sophisticated trading products and connecting more participants to the world’s leading trading venues. This collaboration marks a pivotal first step in accelerating our combined mission to expand global access to these essential products and markets.”
The new derivatives launch comes after Kraken’s April entry into US equities trading. The firm now offers commission-free access to over 11,000 stocks and ETFs, available 24 hours a day during the work week. In addition, Kraken has begun rolling out tokenized equity trading for non-US clients, supported by Backed’s xStocks platform.
Kraken’s latest expansion reinforces its goal of becoming a multi-asset platform that unifies digital assets with traditional financial products, offering a broad spectrum of regulated trading opportunities through a single account.
Kraken tokenizing US stocks
Kraken also partnered with Backed and BNB Chain to expand access to tokenized U.S. equities globally. The move brings BNB Chain into the xStocks Alliance and enables BEP-20 versions of tokenized stocks like AAPLx, TSLAx, SPYx, and NVDAx to be deposited and withdrawn via Kraken by eligible clients.
Backed, the Swiss-based issuer of tokenized stocks, will deploy its xStocks product line on BNB Chain. Kraken said this integration supports the goal of creating an always-on equity market that is accessible across jurisdictions and compatible with decentralized finance.
BNB Chain is one of the largest blockchain ecosystems by user activity and total value locked, with roughly $10 billion in TVL and a broad base of developers and applications. The network was selected for its low fees, high performance, and compatibility with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) infrastructure.
Kraken recently launched over 60 tokenized U.S. equities on Solana as SPL tokens. These products, created by Backed, are available in over 140 countries but are not offered in the U.S. or to U.S. persons due to regulatory constraints.
The addition of BNB Chain follows a broader trend of integrating tokenized real-world assets across multiple blockchains. By making xStocks available in BEP-20 format, the alliance seeks to reach users in regions with limited access to U.S. equity markets. The initiative aligns with ongoing efforts to improve global market participation by offering 24/7 access to compliant, tradable financial products through blockchain infrastructure.
xStocks remain off-limits to U.S. residents due to regulatory limitations. Kraken, Backed, and BNB Chain will continue to expand this product line across additional networks in the coming months.
