Comparison · 2026 edition
Kraken vs Zerohash: crypto liquidity compared 2026.
Kraken and Zerohash side by side in the Crypto Exchange and Liquidity for Businesses Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
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Kraken and Zerohash side by side in the Crypto Exchange and Liquidity for Businesses Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
In the Crypto Exchange and Liquidity for Businesses Index, Kraken scores higher overall: 4.5 out of 5 (90 out of 100) against 3.3 (66), ranking 1 and 2 of 12. Kraken also scores higher in every segment.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Kraken | Zerohash |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 4.5 | 3.3 |
| Score out of 100 | 90 | 66 |
| Overall rank | 1 of 12 | 2 of 12 |
| For payment and fintech firms (out of 100) | 91, rank 1 | 66, rank 2 |
| For funds and trading firms (out of 100) | 90, rank 1 | 64, rank 4 |
| For corporate treasuries (out of 100) | 90, rank 1 | 68, rank 2 |
| Type | Exchange with OTC desk | Crypto on and off ramp and liquidity API |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Kraken | Zerohash |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory standing | 5/5 Licences and registrations in the EU, UK, US and Australia with numbers published. | 5/5 US money transmitter coverage, NYDFS licences and a Canadian registration published. |
| Published pricing | 5/5 Full maker and taker table to institutional volume tiers published; OTC spreads not published. | 1/5 Spread method published with an example only; no actual spreads. |
| Asset and currency coverage | 4/5 550+ assets and six major fiat currencies published. | 3/5 100+ assets published; fiat count not published. |
| Execution access | 5/5 OTC chat, RFQ, FIX API and 24/7 access published. | 3/5 APIs and RFQ published; FIX, chat and 24/7 hours not stated. |
| Settlement | 3/5 Settlement within 24 hours to account, bank or wallet stated; payment rails and settlement from a third-party custodian not stated. | 3/5 ACH, RTP and SEPA rails named; credit and custody settlement not stated. |
| Security assurance | 5/5 ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 2 published, with proof of reserves. | 5/5 ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 2 published. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Crypto Exchange and Liquidity for Businesses Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
| Fact | Kraken | Zerohash |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory standing | Disclosures page: Payward Europe Solutions Limited, crypto-asset service provider regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland; Payward Services Limited, authorised by the FCA as an e-money institution (FRN: 1010381); Payward Limited, registered with the FCA as a cryptoasset business; Payward Interactive, Inc., US state money transmitter licences (NMLS ID 1843762); Bit Trade Pty Ltd, registered with AUSTRAC. | zerohash llc "is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 U.S. jurisdictions"; zerohash llc and zerohash liquidity services llc "are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services"; registered with FINTRAC in Canada. EU services through zerohash europe BV. |
| Pricing | Spot maker and taker fees by 30-day volume, from Tier 1 ($0+): 0.40% maker, 0.80% taker, to Pro 5 ($500M+): 0.0% maker, 0.05% taker. Chat and RFQ trades: "the quoted price is all-inclusive and already reflects Kraken's spread and fees." | Pricing and fees page sets out how RFQ spreads are applied, with an illustrative "Spread: 200 bps" example and possible commissions; actual spreads are agreed per client. |
| Asset and currency coverage | "550+ Supported assets across trading and custody"; OTC portal: "trade 150+ pairs in seconds". Fee page names USD, GBP, CAD, AUD, EUR and CHF as major currencies. | "Support 100+ digital assets"; "20+ supported networks". |
| Execution access | OTC desk: "Chat or RFQ"; self-service RFQ portal; "Connect via API, WebSockets, REST and FIX 4.4"; "24/7 markets"; option to colocate. | "Trading, stablecoins and payouts through one set of APIs"; RFQ and a central limit order book (EU), OTC on request. FIX and chat not stated. |
| Settlement | "Settle trades within 24 hours using your Kraken account, your bank and/or an external wallet." OTC lending: "a minimum loan size of $500,000". | "Funds process via ACH, RTP, SEPA or PSP". |
| Security | Site lists ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type 2 for its qualified custody offering and SOC 2 Type 1 for custody and funding services; proof of reserves published. | "ISO/IEC 27001:2022" and "SOC2 Type 1 & 2". |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Kraken: published pricing and settlement.
Not published or not stated by Zerohash: execution access, asset and currency coverage and settlement.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: kraken.com/institutions, kraken.com/institutions/otc, kraken.com/features/fee-schedule, kraken.com/legal/disclosures; and zerohash.com/products/fiat-to-crypto-on-off-ramp, zerohash.com/security, zerohash.com/disclosures/pricing-and-fees, zerohash.com/legal/disclosures.
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Businesses wanting exchange, OTC and API access with a full published fee table.
Payment firms and fintechs embedding crypto buy, sell and payouts.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.