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A global exchange with an institutional OTC desk, self-service RFQ portal and FIX API. It is the only provider in this edition that publishes a full fee table down to institutional volumes, and it publishes licences across the EU, UK, US and Australia, ISO 27001 and SOC 2 reports and proof of reserves.
Kraken scores 4.5 out of 5 (90 out of 100) in the Buckingham Intelligence Crypto Exchange and Liquidity for Businesses Index 2026 and ranks 1 of 12. It is strongest for businesses wanting exchange, OTC and API access with a full published fee table, with 5 out of 5 for regulatory standing, published pricing, execution access and security assurance. Not published or not stated on the pages read: published pricing and settlement.
Scores from the Crypto Exchange and Liquidity for Businesses Index 2026.
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For payment and fintech firms | 91 | 1 of 12 |
| For funds and trading firms | 90 | 1 of 12 |
| For corporate treasuries | 90 | 1 of 12 |
The score out of 5 is the overall score out of 100 divided by 20. Leader goes to the top three overall, Best for to the first in each segment, and Top rated for to a score of 5 out of 5 on a criterion. Awards cannot be bought.
Where it scores best, and where to check closely, as shown in each ranking.
Businesses wanting exchange, OTC and API access with a full published fee table.
What Kraken publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
A global exchange with an institutional OTC desk, self-service RFQ portal and FIX API. It is the only provider in this edition that publishes a full fee table down to institutional volumes, and it publishes licences across the EU, UK, US and Australia, ISO 27001 and SOC 2 reports and proof of reserves. OTC spreads are not published.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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." |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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". |
| 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. |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: kraken.com/institutions, kraken.com/institutions/otc, kraken.com/features/fee-schedule, kraken.com/legal/disclosures.
Each score with the evidence behind it.
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
The other providers in the same ranking, ordered by score.
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zerohash | 3.3 | 2 of 12 | Payment firms and fintechs embedding crypto buy, sell and payouts |
| Coinbase Prime | 3.2 | 3 of 12 | Funds and corporates wanting trading, financing and custody in one account |
| FalconX | 3.1 | 4 of 12 | Funds and fintechs needing wide token and fiat coverage through one counterparty |
| OSL | 2.9 | 5 of 12 | Asian and European businesses converting between stablecoins and fiat |
| B2C2 | 2.9 | 6 of 12 | Exchanges, brokers and fintechs wanting streaming prices without pre-funding |
| Wintermute | 2.7 | 7 of 12 | Funds and token projects wanting chat and API liquidity in hundreds of tokens |
| GSR | 2.5 | 8 of 12 | Treasuries and funds trading large blocks across many fiat currencies |
| Enigma Securities | 2.5 | 9 of 12 | UK and European firms wanting voice, chat and API execution |
| Galaxy | 1.9 | 10 of 12 | US institutions wanting OTC trading alongside lending and derivatives |
| LMAX Digital | 1.8 | 11 of 12 | Banks and brokers wanting a regulated venue with a published instrument list |
| Keyrock | 0.9 | 12 of 12 | Crypto platforms and token projects wanting a single OTC counterparty |
Full Crypto Exchange and Liquidity for Businesses Index ranking
Side by side on every criterion, fact and award.
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