Kraken change is near buying NinjaTrader, a U.S. retail futures buying and selling platform, in a record-breaking $1.5 billion deal.
In response to a report by The Wall Avenue Journal, which cited sources conversant in the matter, an official announcement is predicted as early as Thursday, Mar. 20.
By way of the acquisition, Kraken will have the ability to leverage NinjaTrader’s Futures Fee Service provider license to extend the vary of cryptocurrency futures and derivatives merchandise it provides in america.
NinjaTrader, which was established in 2003, serves greater than 1.8 million retail buyers. The deal would give Kraken entry to this person base whereas additionally supporting NinjaTrader’s growth into the UK, Europe, and Australia.
Kraken’s regulatory approvals, together with its Digital Cash Establishment license from the UK’s Monetary Conduct Authority and its MiFID license for the EU, might ease this course of.
Kraken’s robust monetary place backs the deal. The change reported $1.5 billion in income for 2024, greater than doubling its earnings from the earlier 12 months, in response to its monetary report launched on Jan. 31. As per the report, the corporate holds $42.8 billion in belongings and operates 2.5 million funded accounts. It additionally registered a complete commerce quantity of $665 billion for 2024.
The timing of this acquisition aligns with Kraken’s current authorized victory. On Mar. 3, the change introduced that the U.S. Securities and Trade Fee had agreed to dismiss its lawsuit towards it with no penalties or admission of wrongdoing. This authorized end result removes a significant regulatory problem as Kraken strikes ahead with its growth
In the meantime, Kraken continues to achieve trade recognition. In response to a Mar. 19 publish on its official weblog, Kraken ranked third in Kaiko’s Q1 2025 change rankings, up from seventh final 12 months. This is because of enhancements in governance, safety, and liquidity. It additionally stays the tenth largest change by buying and selling quantity, as per CoinMarketCap information.