Kraken Secures EU License to Bring Crypto Futures to 27 Member States

Key Points

• Kraken secured its EU expansion after acquiring a Cyprus-based firm with a MiFID II license.
• The exchange’s futures contracts will be available to all EU member states.
• Kraken recently launched the Embed app, allowing banks and fintechs to provide crypto to clients.

Kraken crypto exchange is expanding its derivatives services to the EU following its latest Cyprus deal. With this new move, the platform will bring its derivatives services to all 27 member states of the EU.

Kraken Secures MiFID License in EU

Retail and institutional customers of the 27 member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) will receive access to Kraken’s perpetual and fixed maturity futures contracts.

Kraken is rolling out its services to Europe after becoming compliant with the EU’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II).

This is a directive of the EU that offers a legal framework for securities markets, investment intermediaries, trading venues, and more. MiFID II empowers the Commission to adopt delegated and implementing acts to specify how competent authorities and market participants comply with the obligations laid down in the directive.

Kraken Pro Futures – Regulated in Europe

In an official message via X, the crypto exchange revealed that Kraken Pro Futures is now regulated across Europe, offering the following benefits:

• Over 100 crypto assets
• The ability to go long or short with up to 10x leverage
• Deep liquidity and low fees (0.01% for takers)

📣 Kraken Pro FUTURES trading is now regulated across Europe!

✅ 100+ crypto assets
✅ Go long or short with up to 10x leverage
✅ Deep liquidity and low fees (0.01% taker)

In Europe? Get started now 👇 https://t.co/wdGjczTvUC

*Geo restrictions apply pic.twitter.com/2VYlc7dlBE

— Kraken Pro (@krakenpro) May 20, 2025

Permission to trade crypto derivatives came following Kraken’s acquisition of a Cypriot investment firm, Greenfield Wealth. The exchange announced buying the firm in February of this year and secured an official license from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).

» TRADE FUTURES ON KRAKEN «

European Clients to Get Access to Kraken’s Derivatives

Kraken’s head of exchange, Shannon Kurtas, said that the contracts that the European users will gain access to already have a high volume between $1 billion and $2 billion per day.

In an interview, she highlighted that this doesn’t offer access to a new trading venue or new contracts, as these are already existing contracts that have a material volume trading on them. This will bring:

• Established liquidity
• Better execution
• Fiat rails for getting collateral in and out effectively and less expensively

It’s also worth noting that Europe’s neobanks and fintechs can offer derivatives and spot to clients via Kraken’s Embed crypto connectivity app, launched at the end of April 2025.

Other crypto exchanges such as Bitstamp and Gemini also entered the derivatives market in Europe.

Other Kraken Acquisitions

Kraken also bought Ninja Trader for $1.5 billion to boost derivatives trading in the US. Ninja Trader delivers integrated multi-device trading via a cloud-based technology created for futures traders.

The exchange has also acquired Crypto Facilities, a UK FCA-regulated crypto futures platform, back in 2019.