Kraken Makes First Move into Equities Trading, Adds Over 11,000 US Stocks and ETFs

Kraken is expanding its offerings beyond the realm of cryptocurrencies with a significant new move aimed at attracting traditional investors.

The company announced the launch of commission-free trading for over 11,000 US-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as it enters the equities market.

Kraken Steps Into Equities Market

This new service is designed to provide US-based clients, starting in select states, including New Jersey, Connecticut, and Alabama, with the ability to trade both traditional assets and digital currencies within a single platform. The rollout, starting April 14th, is part of a phased plan, Kraken announced in its official blog post.

The integration of stocks and ETFs into Kraken’s existing platform gives users the ability to manage a diversified portfolio, including digital assets like cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and now traditional equities. Key features include fractional trading, which will allow users to purchase portions of high-priced stocks, and the ability to reinvest proceeds into other stocks or crypto instantly.

This offering is powered by Kraken Securities, the company’s FINRA-regulated division dedicated to equities trading.

Arjun Sethi, Kraken’s co-CEO, weighed in on the development and explained that crypto is not only evolving but is also becoming the “backbone” for trading across asset classes, such as equities, commodities, and currencies. While highlighting the growing demand for 24/7 global access, Sethi added,

“Expanding into equities is a natural step for us, and paves the way for the tokenization of assets. The future of trading is borderless, always on and built on crypto rails – and Kraken will continue to lead this shift.”

Going forward, Kraken plans to expand stock trading to clients in more US  states shortly, followed by several important international markets, including the UK, Europe, as well as Australia.

IPO and Acquisition

As reported earlier, Kraken plans to go public via an IPO in early 2026. The exchange is also negotiating a $1 billion corporate debt deal with investment banks Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.

To top that, Kraken recently finalized a $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader, a US retail futures trading platform.