Kraken offers CFTC-regulated perpetual futures to eligible US traders

2 min

Kraken opens CFTC-regulated perpetual futures to eligible US traders. Access runs via NinjaTrader Clearing as Kraken Derivatives US and listings on Bitnomial DCM.

This brings a core crypto product onshore. US traders get a regulated path to perpetual-style exposure without offshore platforms. It’s not spot. It’s not unregulated perps.

Offered through Kraken Derivatives US as a CFTC-registered FCM
Contracts listed on Bitnomial Exchange, a CFTC-regulated DCM
Regulated perps differ from offshore perps in leverage, margin, surveillance, and customer protections

Why it matters for crypto investors
- Perpetuals drive liquidity, hedging, and price discovery, especially for assets like BTC and ETH. Offshore venues dominated this flow. US access was limited or prohibited for most users. Source.

- A regulated setup can unlock participation from institutions that need custody clarity, counterparty standards, and compliance-ready venues. Source.

- Liquidity is the swing factor. CME proved regulated crypto derivatives can scale. Kraken must build depth, tight spreads, and open interest for the product to matter. Source.

What’s changing
- US market structure is absorbing crypto-native formats through compliant wrappers. That could shift more volume onshore over time if liquidity develops. Source.

What it’s not
- Not a legalization of offshore-style unregulated perps in the US. Not a new spot product. Source.

Headline
Kraken brings CFTC-regulated crypto perpetual futures to eligible US traders via Bitnomial DCM