Kraken scores 8.5/10 on our security pillar. It publishes proof-of-reserves. no customer-fund hack since its 2013 launch As with any exchange, holding large amounts long-term is safer in a hardware wallet.

What are Kraken's fees?

Kraken's base spot fees are 0.25% maker / 0.4% taker. Withdrawal and fiat on-ramp costs vary — always check the live fee schedule, as fees change. Our data was last verified in August 2026.

Is Kraken available in my country?

Available in the US (most states) and across the EU under MiCA. Some products and staking availability restricted by jurisdiction. Availability and specific products change by jurisdiction — verify on the official site before signing up.

Kraken Review (August 2026) — Fees, Safety & Verdict

The verdict

Best for: Advanced traders

Choose Kraken if…

You want an exchange that publishes proof-of-reserves.
You prioritise regulation and compliance.
You trade derivatives, futures or with margin.

Skip it if…

You're fee-sensitive — its 0.4% taker fee is higher than the cheapest venues.

Proof-of-reservesSpot taker 0.4%~500 assetsKYC required

Visit KrakenNot available in your region

Crypto is volatile; you can lose some or all of your money. Not financial advice. Opening an account through this link supports our work at no cost to you. Not shown to UK visitors.

How Kraken scores

Fees (20%)6.0

Security (25%)8.5

Regulation & Trust (25%)8.0

Assets & Features (15%)9.9

UX & Support (15%)8.0

How we scored Krakenshow the math ↓

Fees — 6.0/10 × 20%

·Spot taker fee of 0.4% is mid-range (0.20–0.40%).

Security — 8.5/10 × 25%

·Publishes proof-of-reserves (+2.5).
·Majority cold storage (+2).
·2FA / hardware-key support (+1.5).
·Third-party audits / bug bounty (+1.5).
·No unresolved loss-of-funds incident (+1).

Regulation & Trust — 8.0/10 × 25%

·Licensed in multiple tier-1 jurisdictions (+4).
·Registered across multiple markets (+1.5).
·Transparent operating entity / HQ disclosed (+1.5).
·Operating 15+ years (+2).
·Past, resolved fine/settlement (−1).

Assets & Features — 9.9/10 × 15%

·~500 assets — very broad (+5).
·7 product features (spot, derivatives, staking, etc.) (+4.9).

UX & Support — 8.0/10 × 15%

·Multiple fiat on-ramps — easy funding (+2).
·Built-in earn/staking (+1).
·Full KYC — compliant onboarding (+1).

Overall = Fees×0.20 + Security×0.25 + Regulation×0.25 + Assets×0.15 + UX×0.15 = 8.0/10 (Excellent)

Scores come only from verifiable data and this published rubric — never from commissions. Full methodology →

Pros & cons

Pros

Long operating history (since 2011) with no customer-fund hack
Strong regulatory standing (MiCA + MiFID) and quarterly proof-of-reserves
Robust security reputation and high cold-storage ratio
Reliable fiat rails

Cons (the real ones)

Base spot fees (0.25%/0.40%) higher than the cheapest competitors
Instant Buy interface carries markedly higher fees than Kraken Pro
US staking product was discontinued after SEC settlement
Fewer speculative altcoins than offshore venues

Fees

Spot maker	0.25%
Spot taker	0.4%
Fiat on-ramps	bank transfer (SEPA/wire/ACH), credit/debit card, third-party providers

Fees change often — verified August 2026. Always check the live schedule.

Trading on Kraken? Every trade can be a taxable event. A crypto-tax tool like Koinly auto-imports your history and generates a compliant tax report. Disclosed affiliate link — we only point to tools we'd actually use.

Security

2FA (TOTP/hardware key)
~95% of funds in cold storage
quarterly cryptographic proof-of-reserves audits
no customer-fund hack since its 2013 launch
Global Settlement / master-key security architecture

Regulation & track record

MiCA-authorised in the EU via the Central Bank of Ireland and MiFID-licensed for derivatives via CySEC (Cyprus). Registered as an MSB in the US. In 2023 settled with the SEC for $30M over its US staking-as-a-service product and discontinued that US offering.

Who should NOT use Kraken

You're fee-sensitive — its 0.4% taker fee is higher than the cheapest venues.

Not trading today?

Whatever exchange you pick, two things matter more than its fees.

Coins you aren't trading are safer in a hardware wallet whose keys only you hold, and every trade can be a taxable event that you'll need to report. These are the two tools we point readers to.

Ledger hardware wallet Koinly crypto tax

Affiliate links · products, not financial services · disclosure

How we make money from this review

Public affiliate/referral program offering a lifetime revenue share on referred users' trading fees (advertised up to ~50% across spot, margin, futures and tokenized products); rates vary by tier and region. This never changes Kraken's score — our rubric is public and ranking follows score order, not commission. See our full disclosure.

Visit KrakenNot available in your regionCompare all exchanges

Crypto is volatile; you can lose some or all of your money. Not financial advice.

Get the Exchange Safety Checklist

Get the free exchange safety checklist (opens right away) and be first to know when our monthly fee update launches. We'll only email you about that; unsubscribe anytime.

We store only your email to tell you when our monthly fee update launches. See our privacy policy.