Kraken Review
Not yet editorially reviewed — factual data below is sourced; scores pending.
Scorecard
Scores are entered by our editors after a hands-on review — never auto-generated. This exchange hasn't been scored yet.
Key Facts
| Founded | 2011[src] |
| Headquarters | — |
| Listed assets | — |
| KYC | Required — All clients must complete a KYC questionnaire and identity verification per global AML requirements; generally a government ID and proof of address are required.[src] |
| Payment methods | Visa/Mastercard debit and credit cards (US customers: debit cards only), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Plaid ACH (USD), PayPal[src] |
Fees
Spot maker (base tier)
0.4%
Spot taker (base tier)
0.8%
Kraken Pro spot base tier ($0+ 30-day volume), tiering down to 0%/0.05% at high volume. Fees differ per sub-platform: simple/recurring trades in the Kraken app carry a 1% trading fee.
Deposits & withdrawals: Withdrawals to payment cards are not supported via the Buy Crypto widget or app.[src]
Full fee schedule (retrieved 2026-08-10)Availability
Available in most regions worldwide; app excluded from sanctioned regions, and some US states restrict features (e.g. crypto transfers unavailable in Indiana, Maine and New York).[src]
Notably unavailable: Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria
Security Incident History
2024-06 — ~$3,000,000[src]
Security researchers affiliated with CertiK exploited a balance-inflation bug reported via Kraken's bug bounty program and withdrew nearly $3M from Kraken's treasury, then demanded a reward before returning funds.
Resolution: Kraken patched the vulnerability within about an hour of the report; CertiK subsequently returned the funds (minus transaction fees). Funds came from Kraken's treasury, not client wallets.
Licenses & Registrations
- MiCA CASP authorisation (Payward Europe Solutions Ltd, reg. C468360) — Ireland (Central Bank of Ireland), passported across the EEA[src]
- FinCEN Money Services Business registration (Payward Interactive, Inc., MSB reg. 31000270997766) — United States[src]
- Registered cryptoasset firm (Payward Limited, FRN 928768) — United Kingdom (FCA)[src]
- Special Purpose Depository Institution (Kraken Financial) — Wyoming, United States[src]
API & Bot Trading
Offers REST, WebSocket and FIX APIs covering spot, derivatives, OTC, custody and payments, for both retail and institutional clients.[src]