Kraken Floats Perpetual Futures in Expansion Move

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has joined the likes of Hyperliquid by launching perpetual futures. This marks a notable expansion for the digital asset service provider, even as it prepares for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) for the first quarter of 2026.

Kraken Perps For Eligible Clients 

Kraken is set to roll out its new perpetual futures, marking its latest product expansion in the crypto ecosystem. Dubbed Kraken Perps, this offering seeks to help traders make “high-conviction” bets on future events. It will only be available to eligible clients in certain jurisdictions. This is a strategic move from the exchange, considering that it is planning to go public by Q1 2026.

According to the company’s published statement, “Perps are trading instruments designed to let you speculate on future price movements — up or down — without owning the asset involved.”

This type of futures contract does not expire, which is quite unlikely for other derivative products. Traders can choose to hold their positions indefinitely, so long as margin requirements are met. This type of trading instrument is often credited to the crypto industry. Kraken claims that its perp has some “built-in protections.” 

Kraken Launches xStocks For Tokenized Securities 

Meanwhile, the crypto exchange has been pursuing other forms of expansion across jurisdictions. 

On September 10, Kraken officially launched its tokenized securities platform, xStocks, for eligible investors in Europe. This was after an initial rollout in June. It is clearly another significant step in the growing adoption of blockchain-based financial products across the region. 

Going forward, Kraken’s clients in Europe can now trade tokenized stocks 24/5, with extended trading hours and no need to rely on conventional brokers or intermediaries. 

There is also the allowance for users to freely move their assets across compatible platforms. Alternatively, they could self-custody their holdings, providing more control over their investments. 

Kraken Acquires Breakout to Boost Advanced Trading 

Aside from the launch of xStocks, Kraken acquired Breakout, a young but fast-growing crypto-native proprietary trading firm. 

Launched less than two years ago, Breakout has successfully carved a niche for itself in that trading sector. It helps traders prove their strategies and gain access to capital without risking their funds. 

It requires that users complete an evaluation process after which they can receive as much as $100,000 in notional capital per account or up to $200,000 across multiple accounts. Breakout focuses more on proof of skill than the amount of funds that a user holds.