Kraken Review 2026: MiCA Licence, Fees and Which Entity You Actually Sign With
Kraken is one of the oldest crypto exchanges still operating — founded in 2011 and trading since 2013, when most of today’s competitors did not exist. Since 25 June 2025 it has served European Union clients under a MiCA licence issued by the Irish central bank. For anyone in the EU that single fact matters more than any fee table: Kraken is one of the exchanges that could legally stay in the Union after 1 July 2026.
This review deliberately skips the coin count, which changes weekly. Instead we cover what determines your safety and your costs for years: which legal entity you actually contract with, who supervises it, where you file a complaint, and which currencies you can realistically fund with.
Disclosure: this review contains affiliate links. If you open an account through our link, ForexRev may receive a commission. It does not shape our verdict — we state plainly that Kraken supports no local European currencies beyond the majors, even though that argues against opening an account.
In short
- MiCA licence: yes. Payward Europe Solutions Limited, supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland, authorised 25 June 2025.
- Available across the EU through passporting — no separate national authorisation is required.
- Funding: EUR via SEPA is the cheapest route. Card deposits carry a clearly higher markup.
- Two interfaces: simple Kraken and advanced Kraken Pro — one account, two very different fee structures.
- Best for: people who value a long operating record and EU supervision, and who are comfortable settling in euro.
Does Kraken have a MiCA licence?
Yes — and the detail is worth knowing, because most reviews stop at the word “regulated”.
You do not contract with “Kraken” the brand. You contract with a specific company: Payward Europe Solutions Limited, registered in Ireland. Its authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) was granted by the Central Bank of Ireland on 25 June 2025, and the entity appears in the official ESMA register.
Under the mechanism known as passporting, a licence issued in one EU member state is valid in all the others. Kraken therefore needs no separate authorisation from each national regulator — this is not a loophole but a structure written directly into the MiCA regulation.
The practical consequence, rarely spelled out: the authority that handles complaints about Kraken is the Irish central bank, not your local supervisor. Worth knowing before something goes wrong rather than after.
Kraken vs Kraken Pro — what is the difference?
This is the most common source of confusion when comparing costs. These are not two exchanges or two accounts — they are two interfaces onto the same account:
- Kraken (simple view) — buy and sell in a few clicks. Convenient, but the convenience is priced into the rate you get.
- Kraken Pro — full order book, limit and stop orders, charts. Pricing follows the maker/taker model and falls as your 30-day volume rises.
Switching to Pro is free and requires no new registration. Other licensed venues are covered in our crypto exchange section. If you are comparing Kraken against another exchange, compare Kraken Pro pricing — otherwise you are not comparing like with like.
The fee model — what stays true
Specific rates change often enough that quoting them as permanent fact misleads readers. The mechanism is what lasts:
- Maker/taker — you pay less when you add liquidity with a resting limit order, and more when you remove it with a market order.
- Volume tiers — rates fall with 30-day volume. Occasional investors will always sit in the top tier, so the advertised “from” rate does not apply to them.
- Funding method matters more than the trading fee — SEPA transfers are typically cheapest, while card deposits carry a separate and noticeably higher markup.
Verified: September 2026. Always check the current schedule on the exchange’s own site — it is the only source that is never out of date.
Kraken compared with Binance, Bybit and Coinbase
Comparisons mean something different than they did a year ago, because 1 July 2026 reshaped the European market. The first question is no longer “which is cheapest” but “which may legally serve EU clients at all”.
| Exchange | MiCA licence | Entity and supervisor |
|---|---|---|
| Kraken | yes | Payward Europe Solutions Ltd — Central Bank of Ireland |
| Bybit EU | yes | Bybit EU GmbH — FMA, Austria |
| Coinbase | yes | CSSF, Luxembourg |
| Gate | yes | Gate Technology Ltd — MFSA, Malta |
| Binance | no | withdrew its application, ended EU service |
Binance, for years the default choice across Europe, did not obtain a MiCA licence — it withdrew the application filed in Greece six days before the deadline and ceased serving EU clients on 1 July 2026. That is the single biggest change in this market in years, and the reason many people are now looking for an alternative.
Is Kraken safe?
Two layers, because “safe” means different things to different readers.
The regulatory layer: the entity is supervised by the central bank of an EU member state, and MiCA imposes obligations including segregation of client funds from the company’s own assets and formal complaint procedures. That is a real difference from platforms operating without authorisation — although a licence is not a solvency guarantee and does not work like a bank deposit protection scheme.
The operational layer: Kraken has run continuously since 2013 without a breach on the scale that destroyed many exchanges of its generation. In this industry a long record without catastrophe is rare and counts as evidence in itself.
One rule no licence replaces: do not keep on an exchange money you cannot afford to lose. Our guide on how to verify a licence explains how to check an entity’s status yourself.
Pros and cons
Strengths:
- MiCA licence with a named entity, a named regulator and a verifiable authorisation date.
- One of the longest-running exchanges on the market, with no catastrophic failure in its history.
- Kraken Pro with a full order book available at no extra cost.
- Clean transaction history export — which matters more than most people expect at tax time.
Weaknesses:
- No support for smaller local European currencies — funding means converting to euro first, and that conversion often costs more than the exchange’s own fees.
- The simple interface carries a noticeably higher markup than Kraken Pro; it is easy to overpay without realising it.
- The Pro interface can overwhelm newcomers.
- Customer support operates in English.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kraken have a MiCA licence?
Yes. The CASP authorisation is held by Payward Europe Solutions Limited, supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland since 25 June 2025. The entity is listed in the ESMA register.
Can I still use Kraken in the EU after July 2026?
Yes. Kraken holds a MiCA licence and passports it across the Union, so it may continue serving EU clients.
What is the difference between Kraken and Kraken Pro?
The same account viewed through two interfaces. Pro adds the order book and lower maker/taker pricing. Switching is free.
Is Kraken safer than Binance?
In regulatory terms, currently yes — Kraken holds a MiCA licence while Binance did not obtain one and ended EU service on 1 July 2026. This compares legal status, not a guarantee that funds are safe.
Who supervises Kraken in Europe and where do I complain?
The Central Bank of Ireland, which authorised the European entity. Complaints go there rather than to your national regulator.
Legal status and data verified in September 2026 against the ESMA register. Licensing status can change — confirm the current entry before opening an account. This article is informational and is not investment advice.
