Our Review
Kraken offers 190+ coins, 0.16/0.26% Maker Taker fees and industry-leading security. Overall, it's a great platform for professional trading, low spreads, and secure staking. The downsides are it's not beginner-friendly and there is limited altcoins compared to other places.
Where It Shines:
Where It Falls Short:
Overview
Total Fees & Spreads: Coming Soon
Coins Offered | 190+ |
Total BTC Purchase Fee | ? |
Total BTC Selling Fee | ? |
BTC Spread | 0.00% |
Trading Fee | 0.16% Maker 0.26% Taker |
Fiat Wallets | 7 (USD, EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, CHF, AUD) |
BTC Withdrawal Fee | 0.00002 BTC |
Notable Features | Advanced trading Staking, Margin 24/7 Support Great reputation |
Supported Countries | 190+ (Official Link) |
What Is Kraken?
Kraken is one of the world's oldest and safest cryptocurrency exchanges founded in 2011. They are based in San Francisco and have become one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world with over 1800 employees.
When using Kraken, you can expect to find industry-leading security, intermediate and advanced trading tools, staking features, and more.
Background Info
- Founded in 2011
- 1800+ employees
- Available in 100+ countries
- Based in San Francisco, USA
Compared
Compare the world's most popular cryptocurrency exchanges:
Name | Coins | # of Features | Standard Trading Fee | Supported Countries | Fiat Wallets? | BTC Withdrawal Fee | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
240+ | 15+ | 0.10% | 190+ | No | 0.0005 BTC | ||
Binance 🏆(#1 overall) | 600+ | 30+ | 0.10% | 100+ | Yes | 0.0005 BTC | |
150+ | 15+ | 0.20% | ? | Yes | 0.0004 BTC | ||
750+ | 10+ | 0.25% | 180+ | No | 0.0005 BTC | ||
50+ | 5+ | 0.50% | ? | Yes | 0.0005 BTC | ||
300+ | 5+ | 0.75% | 100+ | Yes | 0.0003 BTC | ||
140+ | 15+ | 0.10% | 180+ | No | 0.0005 BTC | ||
170+ | 10+ | 3.99% | 100+ | Yes | Dynamic | ||
110+ | 5+ | 0.60% | 100+ | Yes | Dynamic | ||
30+ | 10+ | 0.10% | 150+ | Yes | 0.15% | ||
250+ | 20+ | 0.40% | 90+ | Yes | 0.0006 BTC | ||
40+ | 10+ | 0% | 50+ | Yes | 0.50% | ||
1400+ | 30+ | 0.195% | 190+ | No | 0.001 BTC | ||
60+ | 15+ | 1.49%+ | 60+ | Yes | 0.001 BTC | ||
60+ | 10+ | 0% | 100+ | Yes | 0.0005 BTC | ||
500+ | 20+ | 0.20% | 130+ | Yes | 0.0005 BTC | ||
190+ | 10+ | 0.26% | 190+ | 0.00002 BTC | |||
700+ | 20+ | 0.10% | 190+ | No | 0.0005 BTC | ||
350+ | 25+ | 0.10% | 100+ | No | 0.0002 BTC* | ||
300+ | 10+ | 0.155% | 100+ | No | 0.0005 BTC | ||
130+ | 10+ | 0% | 180+ | Yes | 0.0003 BTC + $2.99 |
Fees & Spread
Price Test & Spread
Price Test (On Apr x, 2022) | Prices |
---|---|
Total BTC Purchase Fee | 0.00% |
Total BTC Selling Fee | 0.00% |
Trading Fee | 0.16% Maker 0.26% Taker |
BTC Spread | 0.00% |
BTC Buy Price | $00,000 |
BTC Sell Price | $00,000 |
Ref. Price Difference | Buy: Sell: |
Reference Price (Google) | $00,000 |
We tested 20 cryptocurrency exchanges at the same time to compare the true fees. This data was collected on Mar 2, 2022 at 4:41pm and is subject to change since spreads and prices change daily.
- *Total BTC Purchase Fee = Trading Fee + Buy Reference Price Difference
- *Total BTC Selling Fee = Trading Fee + Sell Reference Price Difference
Keep in mind, there could be additional fees for depositing/withdrawing fiat. Check fees for your local fiat currency if it is supported on this exchange.
You can compare all platforms tested on this page.
Trading Fee Discounts
Deposit & Withdrawals
Kraken offers 7 fiat wallets which you can deposit, hold and withdraw in your account. However, most of the fiat-crypto trading pairs are in USD and EUR which is something to keep in mind. We recommend checking the deposit/withdrawal options and fees for your local currency to see if Kraken is worth it.
Fiat Currencies
Fiat Wallets (Deposit/Withdrawals supported) | USD - United States Dollar EUR - Euro CAD - Canadian Dollar GBP - Pound Sterling JPY - Japanese Yen CHF - Swiss Franc AUD - Australian Dollar |
Credit/Debit Card | Yes (5.25% fee) |
P2P Exchange | No |
Crypto Withdrawal Fees
Type | Fee | Minimum Withdrawal |
---|---|---|
Bitcoin | 0.00002 BTC | 0.0005 BTC |
Ethereum | 0.0035 ETH | 0.005 ETH |
USDT | 20 USDT | 40 USDT |
XLM | 0.001 XLM | 25 XLM |
Platform & Features
List of Features:
- iOS, Android and Web app
- 90+ Cryptocurrencies
- Simple & Advanced Orders
- Kraken Pro Terminal
- Margin
- Futures
- Staking
- Kraken Earn (Staking)
- 24/7 Customer Support
- OTC & Institutional accounts
1. iOS, Android and Web App
Kraken can be accessed on all of your devices and they have three mobile apps, Kraken, Kraken Pro and Kraken Futures.
2. Simple & Advanced Orders
Simple Orders
Advanced Orders
3. Kraken Pro (Advanced Trading)
Kraken's professional trading terminal provides many customizable charts, live trade views, an order book and depth chart. It also lets you apply overlays and indicators and switch between a wide of variety of themes.
Advanced traders can also try CryptoWat.ch which is Kraken's paid trading terminal with more premium features.
4. Margin
5. Futures
Advanced traders can access Kraken Futures on the browser. There is also a dedicated Kraken Futures mobile app.
6. Kraken Earn (Staking)
- Stake 10+ cryptocurrencies
- Rewards ranging from 1%-23% APY
- Fixed and flexible staking options
- Rewards paid out weekly
- On one of the most secure and trusted crypto exchanges in the world
7. Other Features
- API Keys Management
- Kraken Learn
- Bug Bounty Program
- Affiliate Program
- Cryptowat.ch (premium trading terminal)
🔒 Security
Company Security Features
- Founded in 2011 (never had any hacks)
- Holds 95% of crypto in offline cold storage that's geo-distributed
- Kraken claims to hold full reserves and has a proof of reserves page
- Regulated and licensed in multiple markets
- All servers are in cages and monitored 24/7 by cameras and armed guards
- KYC required (must prove identity to make trades)
- All personal information is encrypted on multiple levels
- They hire multiple security teams to test their systems
- 24/7 automatic monitoring for suspicious activity
- Bug bounty program - get paid to find vulnerabilities and security flaws
- See the rest here
User Security Features
Kraken has lots of security features you can toggle on and off to keep your account safe:
- Multiple 2FA options and settings (Google Authenticator, Yubikey, 2FA for trades etc)
- 2FA and email confirmations for withdrawals
- Configurable account timeout
- View Account Login Activity (see login locations, IP addresses, devices, etc)
- Add Trusted Devices
- View live website status for real-time updates
- Global Settings Lock (disables making changes to your account for a period of time)
- PGP codes to verify legitimate emails
- Dedicated 24/7 support for urgent issues
Can You Trust Kraken?
Yes, Kraken is one of the oldest and safest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. They hold 95% of crypto in cold storage, have never had any hacks (founded in 2011), and offer many security features like 2FA and more.
⚠️ Although Kraken is safe, over 50% of platforms we tested have had hacks or incidents in the past. We strongly recommend storing and protecting your crypto on a non-custodial wallet where you own the private keys. Preferably, a reputable hardware wallet like the Ledger Nano X.
Customer Support
Kraken has good support overall that you can contact 24/7 via live chat on their website. They also offer phone support during business hours, an extensive help section with FAQs and articles and a live website status. There is also a live chat dedicated for urgent issues such as account security where you can speak to someone quicker.