Kraken targets Europe with Bitcoin and Ether options, EU rollout set for H2 2026

The exchange has launched cash-settled BTC and ETH options for eligible professional and institutional clients on Kraken Pro and plans a regulated European rollout in the second half of 2026 using its MiFID license.

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ETH

Summary

Kraken has launched European-style, cash-settled options on Bitcoin and Ether for eligible professional and institutional clients on Kraken Pro, with the first phase live for eligible clients outside Europe, North America, and Australia. The exchange said Europe is its main expansion target and plans a regulated rollout there in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, using its MiFID license as a route into the European Union’s regulated market structure. Kraken has said it has no definitive U.S. options plans for now and is focusing there on perpetual futures.

Terms & Concepts
  • MiFID license: European Union authorization for investment services and trading venues that can provide a route for regulated derivatives offerings.
  • request-for-quote: A trading workflow in which clients ask dealers for prices rather than trading immediately on a public order book.
  • perpetual futures: Crypto derivatives contracts with no expiration date.