Kraken has launched crypto perpetual futures trading for customers in the European Union within its mobile app, offering leverage of up to 10x on over 150 markets.
The derivatives, which function similarly to CFDs, allow traders to speculate on crypto prices without an expiration date. Positions roll automatically every hour, with funding rates calculated and settled on the same schedule.
Regulatory framework
The launch comes through Kraken’s Cyprus-based subsidiary, Payward Europe Digital Solutions, which holds a CySEC licence under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II). The exchange acquired the investment firm in February 2025 to establish a regulated foothold in European derivatives markets.
Shannon Kurtas, Kraken’s Head of Exchange, said in May that the company was responding to shifting client preferences. “Clients and partners increasingly seek comprehensive offerings within a regulated framework,” Kurtas noted.
One feature of Kraken’s offering, compared with traditional derivatives platforms, is that traders can use cryptocurrency holdings as margin for their USD-settled positions.
Supported collateral includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, euros, pounds sterling and certain stablecoins such as Tether. Asset values are subject to volatility haircuts that discount their worth to account for potential market swings.
The setup allows traders to maintain crypto exposure while opening leveraged positions. A user holding ETH, for instance, could secure a short ETH/USD perpetual without selling their underlying tokens to hedge downside risk.
