Kraken Launches US Crypto Futures Trading on CME Group Platform

Kraken, a prominent crypto exchange, has launched Kraken Derivatives US, a regulated platform that offers US clients access to crypto futures trading. This development signifies a significant advancement in Kraken’s mission to provide a comprehensive trading experience. Through this initiative, clients can trade cryptocurrency futures directly on CME Group’s platform via Kraken Pro, benefiting from seamless collateral transfers, enhanced capital efficiency, and a user-friendly interface that integrates spot and derivatives trading.

With this launch, Kraken’s clients in the US can now trade various crypto futures, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum contracts, alongside traditional spot markets within the Kraken Pro interface. This integration allows for instantaneous collateral transfers and enables trading strategies to be executed more swiftly. Shannon Kurtas, Head of Exchange at Kraken, emphasized the importance of providing traders with broad market access and increased capital efficiency within a regulated, high-performance environment.

By offering crypto futures in a compliant and regulated setting, Kraken addresses the growing demand from both institutional and retail investors for advanced trading instruments in the US. This move is particularly relevant as US regulators intensify their focus on regulating the cryptocurrency market, emphasizing regulatory clarity and investor protection.

Kraken’s introduction of Kraken Derivatives US is part of a broader strategy to develop a unified platform where users can trade both digital and traditional assets seamlessly. In April 2025, Kraken launched its traditional finance offering, providing commission-free trading in over 11,000 US stocks and ETFs, accessible 24 hours a day. This initiative aimed to bridge the gap between crypto and traditional investing. Additionally, Kraken introduced tokenized equities, allowing customers to purchase fractionalized shares of publicly traded stocks on a blockchain, thereby enabling a diverse investment portfolio that includes both crypto coins and blue-chip stocks.

Kurtas highlighted Kraken’s commitment to building a holistic trading experience that facilitates seamless trading across digital and traditional assets on a single platform. The company aims to create an ecosystem that serves traders in decentralized finance (DeFi), traditional finance, and the spectrum in between, ensuring high performance, functionality, and liquidity. The acquisition of NinjaTrader, a renowned retail futures trading platform, has been instrumental in this endeavor, providing Kraken with the necessary regulatory infrastructure, technology, and expertise to expand into older derivatives markets.

The debut of Kraken Derivatives US is just the beginning of Kraken’s plans to extend its derivatives offering. Later in the year, Kraken intends to include more futures, such as commodities, foreign exchange (FX), stocks, and bonds. This expansion positions Kraken in direct competition with established financial institutions, offering traders a single platform for managing risk and trading across all major asset classes. As institutional interest in crypto and digital assets continues to grow, Kraken’s comprehensive offering aims to attract hedge funds, family offices, and asset managers seeking compliant entry into digital markets.