Kraken has completed a major strategic acquisition, purchasing the CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market, Small Exchange, from IG Group for $100 million.
This deal immediately enables Kraken to establish a fully U.S.-based derivatives trading platform. Co-CEO Arjun Sethi emphasized that the acquisition integrates spot, futures, and margin products into a single, regulated liquidity system. Under the oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Kraken can now combine clearing, risk management, and order matching services, adhering to the high standards of the world’s largest exchanges.
This move follows Kraken’s earlier expansion efforts, including the acquisition of the U.S. futures platform, NinjaTrader, earlier this year. The timing aligns with significant growth in the U.S. crypto derivatives market, which has been fueled by increasing institutional participation. Data from the CME Group shows that the average daily volume for cryptocurrency derivatives rose by 136% in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period in the prior year.
October 2025, Cryptoniteuae
