TL;DR
- Kraken launched Perpetual Futures Contracts Regulated by the CFTC in the WEoffering eligible customers nationwide access to KrakenPro alongside spot, margin and CME-listed futures.
- Perpetual futures track the price of an asset with no expiration or settlement dateallowing traders to hold long or short leverage crypto exposure indefinitely; the market dominated 60 trillion dollars in volume in 2025.
- The contracts are listed on Bitnomiala CFTC-regulated exchange owned by Kraken’s parent company Paymentand cover major assets, including BTC, ETH, SOL And XRP.
We are excited to announce the launch of CFTC-regulated perpetual futures contracts in the United States.
Eligible US customers can now trade perpetual futures on Kraken Pro, giving them domestic access to the contract that generates most of the world’s crypto derivatives volumes, integrated with spot, margin and CME-listed futures on a single interface.
Perpetual futures contracts track the price of an asset like Bitcoin without an expiration or settlement date, so unlike standard futures contracts, a position can remain open indefinitely. This structure allows traders to maintain leveraged long or short exposure to an asset that they are not obligated to own or continue to advance.
Perpetuals are the most widely traded derivatives in digital asset markets, with annual trading volume reaching more than $60 trillion in 2025. Until now, U.S. traders have had limited regulated options for accessing them, with most activity taking place overseas. Today’s launch brings this activity onshore via a CFTC-regulated venue.
The contracts are listed on Bitnomial, a CFTC-regulated exchange recently acquired by Kraken’s parent company, Payward. They trade with an 8-hour funding rate, matching the conventional structure of crypto perpetuals: every 8 hours (7:00 p.m., 3:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. CT), a funding payment is exchanged between long and short position holders. If the perpetual price is higher than the spot, long positions pay short positions (and vice versa). This keeps the contract price anchored to the price of the underlying asset.
They exist in the same futures portfolio as our existing CME-listed contracts so traders can manage CME futures and crypto perpetual positions side by side.
At launch, eligible customers can trade a suite of major digital assets, including BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, ADA, LINK, DOGE, LTC and AVAX. We intend to expand the contract set and product features, including broader warranty options, over time.
“US traders have been waiting for a nationally regulated way to trade the product that defines the global crypto derivatives markets,” said Darius Tabatabai, head of Kraken Pro. “We’re giving them that access to the spot and futures markets that they already use on Kraken Pro. Perpetual, spot, margined, and CME-listed futures now sit on a single interface, changing the way U.S. clients build and manage their crypto positions.”
Tabatabai added: “Bitnomial’s regulated infrastructure is what made this launch possible in a short period of time. Their work on regulation and market structure, combined with Kraken’s distribution and technology, is what is bringing this to US traders at scale.”
Today’s launch follows a sequence of product launches in the United States over the past year. In July 2025, we launched support for CME-listed crypto futures alongside our spot markets. Earlier this month, we launched margin trading for eligible US traders.
Perpetuals are offered on Kraken Pro through NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC d/b/a Kraken Derivatives US, a CFTC-registered futures commission merchant.
These materials are intended for general information purposes only and do not constitute investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy, sell, stake or hold any crypto-asset or to engage in any specific trading strategy. Kraken makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of this information and shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this information or for any loss, injury or damage resulting from its display or use. Kraken does not and will not endeavor to increase or decrease the price of any particular crypto-asset it makes available. Some crypto products and markets are regulated and others are not; In any event, Kraken may or may not be required to be registered or otherwise authorized to provide specific products and services in each market, and you may not be protected by government compensation programs and/or regulatory protections. The unpredictable nature of cryptoasset markets can result in losses of funds. Tax may be payable on any returns and/or increases in the value of your cryptoassets and you should seek independent advice on your tax situation. Geographic restrictions may apply. See legal notices for each jurisdiction here.
Trading futures involves significant risks and is not suitable for everyone. Losses may exceed the initial investment. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Leverage amplifies gains and losses. See the Risk Disclosure Statement.
Brokerage services are provided by NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC d/b/a Kraken Derivatives US, a CFTC-registered futures commission merchant and member of the NFA (NFA ID: 0309379). View Disclosures
