United States
United Kingdom
Australia
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Germany
France
Singapore
activeFeaturedExchange
- HQ
- San Francisco
- Fee
- Free to hold
Kraken
The exchange that kept proving it could survive everyone else’s collapse.
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7.9Solid
AlternativesFive questions
At a glance
Is it a bank?
No. Kraken is not a licensed bank. Confirm who the money sits with before you send salary there.
If it fails?
Crypto not insured. Cash may be at partner banks.
Salary?
Not listed. An IBAN or sort code is not automatically a salary account.
Open from abroad?
Residency and KYC are gated. An App Store listing is not proof you can onboard.
Monthly fee
Maker-taker · staking extras
Account number
No IBAN-class local rail on this file.
NeoBankDB Verdict
Licence first · score second
7.9
/10 · Solid
The grown-up alternative to Coinbase. Still not a bank.
What it is
Kraken is a US-founded crypto exchange that lived through Mt. Gox, FTX, and every sequel. It is in the register as the conservative liquidity venue next to Coinbase.
Best for: Traders who want a US-rooted CEX that is not Coinbase.
Last checked 2026-08-01. Not advice.
What it does well
- +Survival record
- +Fees vs Coinbase retail
- +Culture of proof-of-reserves talk
What to watch
- −UX is less consumer
- −Support on locked accounts
- −Bank charter is a plot, not a product
Who holds the money
The account
How money actually moves
- Who holds the cash
- Exchange omnibus / customer assets
- How money moves
- ACH / USD · Faster Payments
- Built for
- Investing
- Settlement
- On-chain + withdrawal queues
- Freeze risk
- Compliance holds on fiat ramps are common
- Card
- Kraken has no card listed on this file.
Licence first
Safety
Crypto not insured. Cash may be at partner banks.
- FinCEN / stateUS MSB + exchange · United States
- VariousLocal VASP · EEA / UK / AU
Fees
- Monthly
- Maker-taker · staking extras
- FX markup
- Tight on majors vs retail Coinbase
- ATM
- N/A
Features
- –IBAN
- –Fee-free core
- ✓Multi-currency
- –Apple Pay
- –Google Pay
- –Virtual card
- –Physical card
- –Metal card
- –Crypto
- –Stocks
- –Business
- –Kids
- –Halal
- Spot and futures (entity)
- Staking
- OTC
- Kraken Bank charter pursuit (watch the news)
Score
- Safety25%
- 8.2
- Fees20%
- 8.0
- Features15%
- 8.0
- App15%
- 7.6
- Global15%
- 8.2
- Support10%
- 6.8
Change log
Full logNo dated notes yet. When the licence, fees, or status moves, it lands here.
Straight answers
FAQ
01Is Kraken a bank?
Kraken is filed as US MSB + exchange. The named regulator is FinCEN / state. Still read the entity on the statement before you send money.
02What happens to money in Kraken if it fails?
Crypto not insured. Cash may be at partner banks.
03What does Kraken charge each month?
The monthly fee on this file is Maker-taker · staking extras. Fees change — open the operator's pricing page if it is linked.
Ratings and reviews
No published user reviews yet. The NeoBankDB score still comes from licence, fees, and the product — not from an empty star average.
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