If you have traded margin on Kraken Pro, you know the cap. You find the setup, size it correctly, and reach the leverage limit before your position reflects your conviction. That changes today.
Kraken extends margin leverage across 44 pairs: stablecoins, gold tokens, regional BTC and ETH pairs, mid-cap assets, and DeFi blue chips. It’s the largest single leverage expansion on Kraken Pro, and it’s deliberately structured: four distinct categories, each designed to unlock a different strategy class.
It’s not just a number that’s increasing. It is your exchange surface that is expanding.
Stablecoins: up to 10x (17 pairs)
This is the biggest impact bundle in the set (and probably the most underestimated).
Stablecoin pairs are not glamorous. This is where carry traders, financing arbitrageurs and tactical hedgers live. And until now, these strategies were capped between 2 and 5x depending on the pair. Moving the cap to 10x on 17 stablecoin pairs is a significant improvement in capital efficiency for anyone running these books.
| Pair | Previous leverage | New leverage |
|---|---|---|
| USDT/USD | 2x | 10x |
| USDC/EUR | 3x | 10x |
| USDC/USD | 3x | 10x |
| USDT/EUR | 3x | 10x |
| USDC/USDT | 5x | 10x |
| USDT/CHF | 4x | 10x |
| USDC/GBP | 3x | 10x |
| USDT/USD | 4x | 10x |
| USDT/GBP | 4x | 10x |
| USDC/USD | 4x | 10x |
| USDT/USD | 4x | 10x |
| USDC/CHF | 4x | 10x |
| USDC/USD | 3x | 10x |
Regional pairs BTC, ETH and gold tokens: up to 5x (8 pairs)
Your basic book takes up more space and a macro angle opens up.
BTC and ETH pairs quoted in CAD, GBP and CHF increase from 3x to 5x. If you trade European or Canadian markets, or hedge your foreign exchange exposure alongside crypto positions, these pairs now offer you much more flexibility.
But the most interesting story here is that of gold.
PAXG and XAUT go from 3x to 5x at a time when tokenized gold is among the best performing assets of the year.
If you have a macro thesis about commodities outperforming crypto under risk-averse conditions, this gives you a way to express it on the same platform where you run everything else.
| Pair | Previous leverage | New leverage |
|---|---|---|
| XBT/CAD | 3x | 5x |
| XBT/GBP | 3x | 5x |
| XBT/CHF | 3x | 5x |
| ETH/CHF | 3x | 5x |
| ETH/GBP | 3x | 5x |
| ETH/CHF | 3x | 5x |
| PAXG/USD | 3x | 5x |
| XAUT/USD | 3x | 5x |
Mid-cap and high momentum assets: up to 5x (9 pairs)
These pairs worked at 3x. This cap was a sticking point for traders with strong directional views on assets and a real community and trading depth behind them.
ZEC, XMR, BCH and DOT are average values established with constant volume. TAO and PEPE have active commercial populations. FARTCOIN and BNB complete a batch that spans from privacy-focused assets to DeFi and meme-adjacent names.
| Pair | Previous leverage | New leverage |
|---|---|---|
| ZEC/USD | 3x | 5x |
| XMR/USD | 3x | 5x |
| FARTCOIN/USD | 3x | 5x |
| TAO/USD | 3x | 5x |
| BCH/USD | 3x | 5x |
| PEPE/USD | 3x | 5x |
| BNB/USD | 3x | 5x |
| TRX/USD | 3x | 5x |
| DOT/USD | 3x | 5x |
DeFi blue chips and EUR pairs: up to 5x (10 pairs)
The final batch extends 5x leverage to the next level: DeFi-focused assets and EUR-denominated versions of the pairs already developed above.
CRV, UNI and AAVE are the main tokens of the DeFi liquidity protocol; traders with opinions on DeFi activity and protocol revenue can now take these positions with higher leverage. HYPE and HBAR bring new high-conviction names. Euro pairs give European traders direct access to the same leverage expansions that occur in USD-denominated markets.
| Pair | Previous leverage | New leverage |
|---|---|---|
| CRV/USD | 3x | 5x |
| TRX/EUR | 3x | 5x |
| HYPE/USD | 3x | 5x |
| UNI/USD | 3x | 5x |
| HBAR/USD | 3x | 5x |
| AAVE/USD | 3x | 5x |
| BCH/EUR | 3x | 5x |
| ZEC/EUR | 3x | 5x |
| DOT/EUR | 3x | 5x |
| SHIB/USD | 3x | 5x |
What this means for your book
Forty-four pairs. Four distinct categories. Each expansion is designed to unlock a different strategy class, not to increase leverage per se, but to remove caps that limited well-built positions.
Stablecoins offer carry and arbitrage traders greater capital efficiency. Gold tokens give macro-oriented traders new leverage at a relevant time. Regional BTC and ETH pairs expand on what’s already in your book. Mid-caps and DeFi assets expand your surface area.
Before you start
To trade on margin, you will need to hold at least one eligible collateral currency. Margin trading is subject to eligibility criteria and availability may vary by region.
Margin trading incurs additional fees for opening, closing, and maintaining a position. See full rates and fees.
Margin trading involves significant risks and may not be suitable for all investors. You could lose more than your initial investment. Spot margin trading products are offered by Payward Trading Ltd, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Product availability may vary by jurisdiction. Please ensure you understand the risks involved before trading. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
