Kraken Launches Regulated Cryptocurrency Spot Margin Trading in the United States

BlockBeats News, May 6th, shortly after its parent company acquired Bitnomial derivatives platform, Kraken has launched CFTC-regulated cryptocurrency spot margin trading services for retail users in the United States. Such products were previously unavailable to most retail users in the U.S., forcing them to turn to offshore platforms.

Kraken stated that users can trade with up to 10x leverage using their cryptocurrency assets as collateral without having to sell them. This launch comes shortly after the announcement on Monday that Kraken's parent company, Payward, has completed the acquisition of Bitnomial. Bitnomial is a Chicago-based cryptocurrency derivatives exchange holding CFTC licenses as a matching platform, contract market, and clearinghouse. Payward mentioned that this acquisition will ultimately enable it to offer regulated spot margin, perpetual futures, and options products to U.S. users.

This move also strengthens Kraken's position in regulated derivatives infrastructure as it prepares for a potential public listing. Payward submitted a confidential S-1 registration application draft to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in November. Following the $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader in March 2025, the trading platform continues to expand its institutional and derivatives business in the UK and Europe.