Kraken to Launch CFTC-Regulated Perpetual Futures for US Traders in 30 Days
Kraken says it plans to launch the first CFTC-regulated perpetual futures for eligible US traders within the next 30 days.
These CFTC-regulated perpetual futures will be available on Kraken Pro, integrated alongside spot, margin and CME-listed futures in a single interface. Perpetuals provide continuous exposure without an expiration date, removing the need to roll positions. Kraken also says the product is widely traded globally, with annual perpetual derivatives volume exceeding $60 trillion in 2025.
Per the filing submitted today, the contracts will be listed on Bitnomial, a CFTC-regulated exchange recently acquired by Kraken’s parent company, Payward. The perpetual futures include continuous pricing, no expiration, and an eight-hour funding rate—standard structural features for crypto perps. Kraken will offer these products within the same futures wallet used for its existing CME-listed contracts, enabling traders to manage CME futures and crypto perpetual positions side by side.
Initially, eligible clients can trade a suite of major assets: BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, ADA, LINK, DOGE, LTC and AVAX. Kraken also plans to expand contract options and product functionality over time, including broader collateral choices.
John Palmer, Global Head of Derivatives at Kraken, framed the move as bringing a regulated domestic route to a product that defines global crypto derivatives volumes.
The announcement follows other US launches from Kraken over the past year, including support for CME-listed crypto futures (July 2025) and CFTC-regulated spot margin trading (earlier this month). Trading is offered via Kraken Derivatives US (a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant), with spot and perpetual futures governed by Bitnomial exchange rules.
Bullish
This is likely bullish for US crypto derivatives because Kraken is bringing regulated, domestic access to perpetual futures—one of the most liquid crypto instruments—directly onto Kraken Pro. More onshore, CFTC-regulated venues typically reduce friction for institutional and active traders, improve compliance certainty, and can attract incremental order flow from offshore perps venues.
In the short term, traders may respond by reallocating margin and liquidity toward Kraken Pro to trade the new CFTC-regulated perpetual futures alongside CME futures and spot/margin in one interface. This can tighten spreads and increase activity for the covered assets (BTC/ETH and others) as market participants test the venue.
In the long term, the move could strengthen US market structure for perps, especially if Kraken expands contract listings and collateral options. Historically, similar “regulated access” announcements (e.g., exchanges adding regulated derivatives or expanding CFTC/CME-linked offerings) tend to support liquidity migration and reduce headline risk around jurisdiction. While no guaranteed price impact is implied, better access and potentially more stable trading operations can be a supportive backdrop for derivatives markets and volatility management.