2025-03-22
Kraken, the 2nd largest U.S.-based crypto exchange, is
growing its business as it prepares to go public.
On March 20, 2025, Kraken announced that it will buy NinjaTrader, a
major U.S. futures trading platform, for $1.5 billion.
NinjaTrader, founded in 2003, serves nearly two million traders and
is officially registered to offer futures trading.
By acquiring it, Kraken wants to expand into traditional futures and
crypto futures trading in the U.S., using NinjaTrader’s licenses and tools.
This deal supports Kraken’s bigger plans to offer trading in other
assets like stocks and to build out its payments services.
Kraken will combine its crypto trading strength with NinjaTrader’s
advanced tools and data to create a platform where users can trade different
types of assets in one place.
NinjaTrader will still run as its own platform but will now be part
of Kraken’s larger group of products. Its users will have access to more
trading options in the future.
The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025, depending on standard approvals.
Earlier this month, Kraken said it plans to go public through an IPO
next year. Now, it’s also making what it calls the biggest deal yet between the
traditional finance world and the crypto industry.
Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi said this deal marks the start of breaking
down the walls between old-school finance and crypto. He noted that traditional
markets still rely on outdated systems, while crypto runs on fast, modern tech.
NinjaTrader CEO Marty Franchi said the company’s goal has always
been to make futures trading easier and cheaper for retail traders. Partnering
with Kraken, he said, will help bring that vision to a global level and allow
users to trade across multiple asset classes with powerful tools.
