Kraken launches CFTC-regulated perpetual futures for US traders

Kraken on Monday began offering CFTC-regulated perpetual futures to eligible U.S. users through Bitnomial, its federally regulated derivatives platform. The contracts are available on Kraken Pro and cover Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), XRP, Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), Dogecoin (DOGE), Litecoin (LTC) and Avalanche (AVAX).

The new perpetuals use the same futures wallet as Kraken’s existing CME-listed crypto futures, allowing traders to hold and manage both product types from a single account. Perpetual futures are derivative contracts that have no expiration date and remain a widely traded instrument globally.

Kraken acquired Bitnomial, which is owned by parent company Payward, in April. The exchange added support for CME-listed crypto futures in July 2025 and launched margin trading for eligible U.S. customers earlier this month.

The company reported that perpetual futures generated more than $60 trillion in global trading volume in 2025 and noted that most of that volume has occurred on offshore venues rather than on regulated U.S. platforms.

Regulatory changes in the United States have enabled several domestic firms to introduce perpetual products. On May 29, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved a Bitcoin perpetual futures contract for another exchange and issued a no-action position that cleared the way for a U.S. firm to offer regulated perpetuals without triggering enforcement action. The same day, one major exchange announced its unit would provide U.S. institutional clients access to global crypto perpetual futures and options markets.

Industry participants have commented on the regulatory shift. Gontran de Quillacq, CEO and founder of Navesink International, described the CFTC approval as “not the end of the regulatory story; it is the beginning.” CFTC Chair Michael Selig has said the agency will use existing authority to support perpetual futures and is working on a framework for “true perpetual futures” in the United States.

The launch places Kraken among several U.S. exchanges offering regulated alternatives to offshore crypto derivatives venues. Kraken’s perpetual contracts add to its expanding set of domestic products, which now include CME-listed futures and exchange margin trading available through its U.S. services.