Kraken
Crypto fintechNo DGS (EMI)Best for: Crypto tradingBest for: StakingBest for: Pro tools
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Deep crypto exchange
- staking
- EUR SEPA funding
- pro trading tools
Cons
- Not a bank — no €100k deposit guarantee (funds safeguarded)
Rating breakdown
Foreigner onboarding67
USD handling60
Transfers75
Value & fees30
Licence & deposit protection
No DGS (EMI)No DGS — crypto custody; EUR via partner safeguarding
This is an electronic money institution (EMI), not a bank. Funds are safeguarded, but NOT covered by the €100,000 deposit guarantee. Convenient, but legally it isn't a bank deposit.
- Licence
- CASP · Central Bank of Ireland
- IBAN
- Multi-currency details
- SEPA Instant
- Receive only
- Verification of Payee (VoP)
- No
Editorial review
Kraken runs on an CASP licence: convenient, but your money is safeguarded rather than covered by the €100k deposit guarantee.
It is a crypto fintech licensed in IE supporting EUR, USD, BTC etc. FX model: Spread + trading fee on crypto.
It tends to suit crypto trading, staking, pro tools.
Fees & terms
- Exchange rate
- Spread + trading fee on crypto
- Card cost
- Card in selected markets / waitlist
- Currencies
- EUR, USD, BTC etc
- Cards
- Global Waitlist
- Transfers
- SEPA in/out, SWIFT in/out, Crypto in/out
- Payments
- Apple Pay, Google Pay
- Licence
- CASP — Central Bank of Ireland
- IBAN
- Multi-currency details
- SEPA Instant
- Receive only
- Verification of Payee (VoP)
- No
- FX model
- Spread + trading fee on crypto
- Opening requirements
- No local address needed
- English support
- Yes
- Remote opening
- Yes
- MiCA status
- MiCA CASP
- Headquarters
- United States
Also consider
FAQ
- Is my money protected?
- No. Kraken operates under an CASP licence — funds are safeguarded but NOT covered by a €100k Deposit Guarantee Scheme. It is not a bank in the deposit-protection sense.
- What IBAN and transfers?
- Kraken issues local receiving details in several currencies. SEPA Instant: receive.
- Can I open remotely, in English?
- Opening is remote. English support is available. Requirements: No local address needed.
Data provenance & verification
Every fact is checked against an official source and stamped with a date. We re-check fees quarterly and document requirements twice a year. Fields not yet independently verified are labelled honestly.
Updated: Dataset compiled: