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Kraken Announces First CFTC-Regulated Perpetual Futures for U.S. Traders

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Kraken’s launch of CFTC-regulated perpetual futures contracts marks a significant expansion of the US digital asset derivatives market.
The introduction of perpetual futures contracts onshore will increase access for US traders, who previously had limited options for regulated contracts.
The move is expected to increase competition in the global crypto derivatives market, which saw over $60 trillion in trading volume in 2025.

Kraken is introducing the first perpetual futures contracts for crypto traders in the U.S. that will be regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This is a major step forward for the digital asset derivatives market in the country.

Kraken Pro will soon allow eligible U.S. customers to trade perpetual futures contracts. This new offering, announced on May 29, 2026, will be available within the next 30 days and will be integrated with existing trading options like spot trading, margin trading, and CME crypto futures, all accessible from one platform.

As a crypto investor, I’m excited to hear that Kraken Pro is rolling out perpetual futures for US clients! Basically, this means I’ll be able to trade futures contracts that don’t expire, with pricing that’s constantly updated. They’re also using an eight-hour funding rate, and it’s all conveniently integrated with the existing spot and futures markets I already use on Kraken. They’re saying it’ll be available to eligible US users within the next month, which is great news!

— Kraken (@krakenfx) May 29, 2026

Bringing perpetual futures onshore

Perpetual futures are a type of trading contract that lets you invest in an asset for as long as you want, without a set end date. Traditional futures contracts require you to ‘roll over’ your investment when the contract ends, but perpetual futures don’t have this requirement.

Kraken reports that this product is the leader in global crypto derivatives trading, reaching over $60 trillion in trades in 2025. Historically, though, U.S. traders haven’t had easy access to well-regulated perpetual contracts, and most trading has happened on platforms located outside the country.

These contracts will be available on Bitnomial, a cryptocurrency exchange regulated by the CFTC and recently purchased by Payward, the company that owns Kraken. They’ll have constantly updated prices, won’t expire, and will use a standard funding rate system similar to those found on many other crypto exchanges worldwide.

Expanding U.S. derivatives offerings

Kraken will start by offering perpetual contracts for popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Dogecoin, Litecoin, and Avalanche. They plan to add more cryptocurrencies and features, including different types of collateral, in the future.

Kraken’s John Palmer, who leads their derivatives team worldwide, explained that the new launch aims to give U.S. traders a legally compliant way to trade a popular product that hasn’t been widely available in the country. According to Palmer, “U.S. traders have been looking for a regulated and domestic option to trade the leading cryptocurrency derivatives product.”

Kraken explained that these new contracts will use the same digital wallet as its current futures products listed on the CME. This will let traders manage both traditional futures and perpetual contracts from one unified account.

Part of Kraken’s broader U.S. expansion

Kraken’s new perpetual futures offering builds on recent advancements in the U.S., including the addition of CME crypto futures support in July and the launch of regulated spot margin trading earlier this month for qualified American customers.

This news follows Kraken’s recent participation in the Blockworks Transparency Alliance, alongside Coinbase and Binance.US. This group is working to increase openness from crypto projects and provide investors with clearer information.

Kraken recently launched a new product allowing customers to earn yield on their Bitcoin by using it in decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms like Aave and Morpho. This launch came with a warning from Manuel Aráoz, the founder of OpenZeppelin, who now believes all of DeFi is risky due to the growing power of AI tools to find weaknesses in smart contract code.

Kraken is growing its offerings in both traditional and cryptocurrency trading with the upcoming launch of regulated perpetual futures. This move comes as competition heats up among U.S. exchanges, especially with ongoing changes in regulations.

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2026-06-01 10:32