Crypto exchange Kraken has expanded margin leverage across 44 trading pairs on Kraken Pro, effective Wednesday, in what the company said is its largest single leverage expansion to date.
The update raises 17 stablecoin pairs to 10x leverage while lifting BTC and ETH regional fiat pairs, tokenized gold, mid-cap assets, and DeFi blue-chips to 5x, according to the official announcement.
Stablecoins lead the expansion
The 10x tier for stablecoin pairs is the largest change. Kraken Pro previously advertised 10x leverage only on selected assets, with most markets capped at 5x. The 17 stablecoin pairs now at 10x give arbitrage and basis-trade operators more capital efficiency on dollar-pegged positions.
The remaining pairs sit at 5x and span four asset groups. BTC and ETH pairs against regional fiat currencies make up one bucket. Tokenized gold products, PAXG and XAUT, form another, giving traders a leveraged route into commodity-backed hedging within the same interface. Mid-cap tokens and established DeFi names round out the list.
Tokenized gold now has the same leverage limits as BTC, ETH, and selected DeFi names. Geographic restrictions apply
The margin expansion is subject to regional availability. Kraken Pro offers perpetual futures with up to 10x buying power for most retail clients outside the US and UK, but derivatives and high-leverage products are often restricted or modified for users in those jurisdictions. U.S. clients access futures through Kraken Derivatives US, which launched in July 2025 and provides regulated access to CME-listed crypto futures.
The leverage update follows a stretch of product buildout that has expanded Kraken beyond a pure crypto exchange. The company launched commission-free trading across more than 11,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs in April 2025, introduced Kraken Derivatives US in July, and agreed to acquire CFTC-regulated futures venue Small Exchange for $100 million in October.
Kraken is co-led by CEOs Arjun Sethi and Dave Ripley, with founder Jesse Powell serving as chairman.
