Kraken launches its perpetual contracts

Kraken has just reached another major milestone with the launch of Kraken Perps (Kraken perpetual contracts), available since September 11, 2025 in certain regions to eligible customers around the world. This initiative marks an unprecedented democratization of crypto derivatives trading, until now reserved for experienced traders.

What is Kraken Perps?

Kraken Perps offers a simple and flexible way to bet on future price movements, without owning the underlying asset, directly from the Kraken app. Unlike the existing offer via Kraken Pro, this new solution is intended to be more accessible and intuitive for individual investors, like the other campaigns on the platform.

The simplified concept

Kraken compares its perpetual contracts to a sports bet between friends on the champion of a season, applied to crypto markets. Users can:

• Bet on the rise (“Increase”) on an asset considered undervalued
• Betting downward (“Decrease”) on a token considered overvalued
• Adjust their position in real time, according to their conviction
• Exit at any time, with no fixed expiration date

Technical operation

A $515 billion market

The launch of Kraken Perps is part of a global perpetual futures market valued at $515 billion. In 2025, the top five centralized exchanges totaled $58.5 trillion in trading volume, making 2025 the most active year in the history of crypto derivatives trading.

This explosive growth can be explained by several factors:

• a growing appetite for derivative products,
• the request for exposure without custody of assets,
• the possibility of profiting from bear markets,
• and attractive leverage to maximize gains.

Accessibility and security at the heart of the system

Simplified interface

Kraken Perps was designed to be intuitive and accessible : clear interface, refined language, practical features. The objective: to enable retail investors to trade with less complexity and more confidence.

Protective measures

Aware of the risks associated with derivatives, Kraken has integrated several safeguards:

• Customizable stop-loss to automatically limit losses
• Educational tools currently being deployed
• Transparency on risks
• Strict selection of eligible customers

Kraken Perps places security, transparency and education at the heart of its approach, recognizing that these instruments are not suitable for all investor profiles.

Impact on the crypto ecosystem

Democratization of advanced strategies

The launch of Kraken Perps makes strategies previously reserved for professionals accessible to the general public:

1. Wallet cover to protect against declines
2. Directional trading to capitalize on market trends
3. Arbitration on price differences
4. Risk management through the diversification of positions

Increased competition

Kraken enters a market dominated by Binance, OKX And Bybit. This arrival could:

• lower the trading fees,
• improve the user interfaces,
• stimulate product innovation,
• and strengthen the regulation of the sector.

Geographic and regulatory expansion

Selective availability

Kraken Perps is available in select regions to eligible customers. This cautious approach reflects the regulatory complexity specific to derivative products depending on the jurisdiction.

Compliance Issues

Compliance with local regulations remains central:

• UNITED STATES : restrictions on perpetual contracts for individual clients
• Europe : MiCA framework
• Asia : varied approaches depending on the country

Future prospects

Product expansion

Kraken plans to gradually expand access, refine the user experience and enrich the trading tools. Among the next steps:

• New collateral assets beyond USD
• Gradual geographic expansion
• Advanced features for seasoned traders
• Complete mobile optimization

Strategic positioning

This launch is part of Kraken's multi-asset strategy and supports 24/7 activity, with an IPO planned for 2026.

What this changes for users

For retail investors, Kraken Perps offers:

• simplified access to institutional strategies,
• an alternative to spot trading,
• profit opportunities in all market contexts,
• but also increased responsibility in the face of increased risks.

For the crypto ecosystem, this initiative:

• professionalizes derivative products accessible to the general public,
• increases competition between platforms,
• raises awareness of the risks associated with these instruments,
• and prepares for large-scale institutional adoption.

In short, Kraken Perps marks a major development: by making crypto derivatives accessible to daily traders, Kraken opens the doors to strategies previously reserved for institutional players.

But this accessibility comes with a requirement: understanding and controlling the risks. Kraken's cautious approach, built on transparency and user protection, illustrates the growing maturity of the industry.

This launch is expected to boost competition among exchanges and pave the way for broader institutional adoption, ultimately benefiting end users with better tools and lower fees.