Kraken integrates CME futures in derivatives expansion

Kraken is enabling futures trading on CME’s top contracts, including S&P 500, gold, and oil. The integration expands its footprint beyond crypto, tapping into one of the largest derivatives ecosystems worldwide.

In an Oct. 9 announcement crypto exchange Kraken said it had added access to CME Group’s flagship futures markets through its regulated U.S. derivatives arm. The update allows users to trade traditional contracts spanning equity indices, commodities, and foreign exchange directly from the platform.

Per the statement, the rollout includes markets under the CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX banners, extending Kraken’s coverage to nearly every major asset class and bridging the gap between its user base and the heart of traditional finance.

What this unlocks for Kraken users and the market

Kraken said the new CME futures support comes with clearly defined asset coverage. The exchange’s clients can now trade equity index futures such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow, and Russell contracts, alongside contracts tied to FX majors, such as EUR, GBP, JPY, AUD, and more.

This expansion also creates a unique convergence point for crypto and traditional finance on a single platform. Alongside these new TradFi instruments, Kraken maintains its existing suite of CME-listed crypto futures for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), and will soon include Solana (SOL).

Beyond mere market access, the rollout includes enhancements intended to appeal to both retail and professional users. Verified non-professional accounts with funds receive free Level 1 market data for CME bundles each month, while professional clients can opt to purchase Level 2 (full depth) data across exchanges at a per-exchange subscription rate.

The platform has also rolled out enhanced order tools, allowing traders to modify open orders without losing their priority in the order book, a critical feature for executing complex strategies. Getting started involves a transfer of U.S. dollars from a Kraken spot wallet to the derivatives account, after which users can select their market, choose a data plan, and begin trading.

Kraken’s aggressive push into traditional derivatives can be seen as the logical culmination of a strategic roadmap that began with its $1.5 billion acquisition of the retail futures platform NinjaTrader earlier this year. That acquisition, the largest-ever tie-up between a crypto firm and a traditional finance platform, provided the essential regulatory and technological foundation for this rollout.