Key facts
- Kraken has launched CFTC-regulated perpetual futures trading for eligible U.S. users.
- The trading is available on Kraken Pro and utilizes the acquired Bitnomial platform.
- Contracts are available for Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Dogecoin, Litecoin, and Avalanche.
- This launch follows Kraken's acquisition of Bitnomial and expands its derivatives offerings in the U.S. market.
- The move is part of a broader trend of U.S. exchanges seeking to offer regulated crypto derivatives domestically.
Kraken has launched CFTC-regulated perpetual futures trading for eligible U.S. users through its newly acquired Bitnomial platform. This move brings a significant crypto derivatives product under U.S. regulatory oversight, allowing trading of contracts tied to major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Dogecoin, Litecoin, and Avalanche. The contracts share a futures wallet with Kraken's existing CME-listed crypto futures, enabling traders to manage both positions from a single account. Perpetual futures, which have no expiration date, generated over $60 trillion in global trading volume in 2025 and have largely been traded on offshore platforms. Kraken has been expanding its U.S. offerings, adding CME-listed futures in July 2025 and margin trading earlier this month. The launch follows Kraken's announcement in late May of its plan to introduce CFTC-regulated perpetual futures via Bitnomial, which its parent company Payward acquired in April. This development occurs amid a broader push by U.S. exchanges to bring crypto derivatives trading onshore, with the CFTC approving Kalshi's Bitcoin perpetual futures contract and issuing a no-action position for Coinbase on May 29. On the same day, Coinbase announced its financial markets unit would provide U.S. institutional clients access to global crypto perpetual futures and options markets, which account for approximately 80% of global crypto trading volume. Kalshi also launched its own perpetual futures contracts on May 29, marking a significant expansion beyond prediction markets. These regulatory approvals follow discussions about bringing crypto perpetual futures to the United States, with CFTC Chair Michael Selig having previously stated the agency's intent to use its existing authority to support such products.