TL;DR
- Kraken says it plans to launch CFTC-regulated perpetual futures for eligible US traders within 30 days.
- Contracts will be listed on Bitnomial, a CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market owned by Kraken parent Payward.
- The initial asset list includes BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, ADA, LINK, DOGE, LTC and AVAX.
Kraken Brings Perpetual Futures Closer To US Traders
Kraken is preparing to launch what it describes as the first domestic CFTC-regulated perpetual futures product for US traders, marking a potentially important shift in how American crypto users access one of the industry’s biggest derivatives markets.
The company said the contracts are expected to go live within 30 days and will be listed on Bitnomial, a CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market. Bitnomial was acquired by Payward, Kraken’s parent company, giving Kraken a domestic regulated venue for a product that has historically been associated with offshore crypto exchanges.
Perpetual futures are a core part of global crypto trading because they allow traders to hold directional exposure without a fixed expiry date. Instead of rolling dated futures contracts, traders manage positions through a funding mechanism that periodically balances the contract price against the underlying spot market.
Why The CFTC-Regulated Structure Matters
The regulatory structure is the main story here. Kraken said the new products will be offered through NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC, doing business as Kraken Derivatives US, a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant. The contracts will sit alongside spot, margin and CME-listed futures inside Kraken Pro, creating a more unified interface for eligible US clients.
John Palmer, Kraken’s Global Head of Derivatives, said US traders have been waiting for a regulated domestic route into the product that defines global crypto derivatives markets. He added that combining perpetuals, spot, margin and CME-listed futures in one interface changes how US clients can build and manage crypto positions.
That is a strong claim, but not an unreasonable one. Perpetuals are already central to offshore crypto trading, with Kraken citing more than $60 trillion in global annual trading volume in 2025. The difference is that US traders have generally faced a much narrower, more fragmented regulated product set.
Which Assets Are Included?
The initial launch suite is expected to cover nine major digital assets: BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, ADA, LINK, DOGE, LTC and AVAX. The contracts will feature continuous pricing, no expiration date and an eight-hour funding rate.
For traders, the appeal is flexibility. For regulators, the important detail is that the product is being brought into a CFTC-supervised framework rather than being offered from an offshore venue with limited US oversight.
There are still details missing. Kraken has not provided a specific launch date, and the post does not fully spell out all eligibility requirements for US clients. That means the launch may not immediately translate into universal retail access. Even so, the direction of travel is clear: regulated US crypto derivatives are moving closer to the structure traders already use globally.
This report is based on information from Kraken’s official announcement.
Read the official post on the Kraken Blog.