On April 14, the leading cryptocurrency exchange, Kraken, announced its debut into a new asset class: Equities, with the initial launch of commission-free trading for over 11,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs.
The launch will make Kraken a one-stop platform for traders, which brings equities and digital assets together in one accessible trading platform.
Kraken Enters Into Equities Amid Global Trade War
According to the official announcement, the new service will be available to select clients across 10 U.S. jurisdictions, including New Jersey, Connecticut, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Idaho, Iowa, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Alabama, and the District of Columbia.
This initial rollout is part of a phase expansion as the crypto exchange plans to bring stock trading access to more U.S. states and international markets in the near future.
“Crypto isn’t just evolving, it’s becoming the backbone for trading across asset classes, such as equities, commodities and currencies.” Arjun Sethi, Kraken’s Co-CEO, said. “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.”
Kraken Securities, a FINRA-regulated division at the crypto exchange, will be responsible for the equities offerings. One of the key features of equities offering is fractional share trading. It allows users to invest in high-priced stocks with smaller amounts.
Apart from this, it includes additional features like seamless reinvestment between stocks and crypto, and unified access across its mobile and web platforms.
The launch of new services on Kraken comes amid the biggest trade war between the U.S. and the rest of the world after President Donald Trump imposed heavy tariffs on other countries, including China. This global trade war has created high volatility in the stock and crypto markets.
Also Read: US Crypto Stocks Shows Signs of Recovery In Response To Tariff Relief
