Kraken cryptocurrency exchange – review

Kraken is a highly respected digital currency exchange known for providing access to the world’s leading cryptocurrencies.

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The platform also has the distinction of being the first exchange to be listed on the Bloomberg terminals.

Today, Kraken is trusted by government officials in Japan and regulated banks throughout Europe, making it one of the most respected exchanges available. Kraken is based in the US.

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What is Kraken?

Kraken is a leading digital currency exchange for “serious and professional traders”. The platform is designed with the sophisticated trader in mind, and provides access to many sought-after features such as fast execution speed, margin trading and deep liquidity.

Kraken offers comprehensive services for the crypto investor, such as the ability to buy and sell bitcoin and trade digital tokens against fiat currency.

The exchange is also transparent, offering proof of reserve audits and a high level of security.

What currencies can I buy, sell and margin trade?

Kraken allows you to trade bitcoin and altcoin against government-issued fiat currency, including the US dollar, Canadian dollar, British pound, euro and Japanese yen.

The platform offers access to a wide variety of cryptocurrencies, including:

Available countries

Kraken is available globally, with exceptions. If your country or region is not eligible for Kraken’s services, your account status will likely say “pre-verified.” There’s nothing much you can do at that point, unfortunately.

Which payment methods are accepted?

Kraken accepts payments through fiat currency and cryptocurrency. To make a deposit, log in and go to Account > Funding > Deposit. Here, you’ll be prompted to choose your deposit method.

If you are a US resident wishing to deposit US dollars, you will be given instructions for a domestic wire transfer. This must be completed at your bank.

It’s also important to note that USD deposits via wire transfer are only available for Tier 3 or Tier 4 account holders. These tiers refer to your level of account verification. A full breakdown of the tier structure is available on the Kraken site.

Credit cards, debit cards and PayPal are not currently supported.

How much does Kraken cost?

Fees start as low as 0% and depend largely on how much you trade. Fees are charged on a per-trade basis, and calculated as a percentage of the trade’s quoted currency volume.

Kraken offers one of the most comprehensive fee schedules on the market. For full disclosure on how much trading will cost you, visit Kraken’s website.

How quickly will my funds be available?

USD domestic and international wire transfers are processed in approximately 1-5 business days.

Are there any transfer limits?

You won’t be able to withdraw funds if it puts you over your current daily or monthly limit. The same rule applies for deposits, except that the window is set daily. Below are the maximum withdrawal limits by tier.

Withdrawal Limits:

Is Kraken secure?

Kraken is considered one of the safest bitcoin exchanges around. The platform provides cryptography-verified proof of reserve audits. These audits verify the total amount of cryptocurrency held by Kraken. The company appears to be well capitalized and very safe to use.

In fact, Kraken’s security features are made public on its website. All new deposits go directly to cold wallets, where the vast majority of coins are stored. All wallets are encrypted.

Users also enjoy 2-factor authentication and vast protection against malicious attempts to retrieve personal login information.

Although there has been some concern over privacy when uploading documents, Kraken maintains an isolated system for sending documents. Your account information and verification documents are also encrypted.

Customer support

Kraken is one of the world’s most popular bitcoin exchanges, which means its customer support may sometimes be overwhelmed. That’s why the platform offers a Support Center, Help Center and detailed FAQ section, which can help you troubleshoot any problems.

You can also submit a request if none of the available resources help.

Kraken pros & cons

Next steps

If you’re keen on giving Kraken a shot, simply visit the website and click “Open an account” to get started. Here, you’ll be prompted to complete a form and activate your account. Once verified, you can fund your account with cryptocurrency or cash.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I still trade, even as a Tier 1 account holder?

  Tier 1 account holders can trade digital currency and fiat currency on their accounts. However, deposits and withdrawals are only available via digital currency.

• Does Kraken offer special accounts for high volume traders?

  Kraken does offer special accounts for high volume traders and even businesses. To access those features, fill out the “General Form” category and write “Verification (Tier 4).”

• What are Kraken’s withdrawal fees for wire transfers?

  To withdraw USD funds via wire transfer, the following fees apply:

  • USD bank wire withdrawal to a domestic bank: $5
  • USD bank wire withdrawal to an international bank: $60

Image source: Kraken