Kraken unveils phased rollout for US stocks and ETF trading, shares plans for UK and European expansion
San Francisco-based crypto exchange Kraken has added U.S. equities trading to its mobile and web platforms in a step forward for its offerings. The move will allow U.S. customers to manage crypto, stocks and Wall Street funds from a single account, similar to brokerages like Robinhood.
This expansion, executed in collaboration with licensed broker-dealer Alpaca, enables customers to trade over 11,000 U.S.-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds commission-free. More than half of the new offerings will include fractional investment, meaning buyers can purchase less than one whole share.
The program will initially be exclusive to select U.S. states with plans to expand nationwide as part of a phased rollout, according to an announcement on Monday. Additionally, Kraken has eyes on markets in the UK, Europe and Australia.
Bringing stocks onchain has been a longtime goal for the blockchain industry, although the idea has usually revolved around tokenizing investment vehicles rather than outrightly providing access. Kraken co-CEO said the move is a step towards that direction.
“Expanding into equities is a natural step for us and paves the way for the tokenization of assets,” Sethi, who joined the firm as a chief executive in October, said in a statement. “Crypto isn’t just evolving; it’s becoming the backbone for trading across asset classes, such as equities, commodities and currencies. As demand for 24/7 global access grows, clients want a seamless, all-in-one trading experience,” Sethi added.
Last month, Kraken hinted at a pivot into U.S. equities when it announced plans to acquire CFTC-registered NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion in the largest-ever crypto and tradfi deal yet. The crypto exchange also plans to go public with an initial public offering slated for early 2026.
