On Thursday, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken announced a $1.5 billion agreement to acquire NinjaTrader, a leading U.S. retail futures trading platform.
Kraken to Acquire NinjaTrader in $1.5 Billion Deal
The deal marks the largest-ever merger between traditional finance and crypto. Kraken added that the move also strengthens its position as a 24/7 multi-asset trading platform.
Founded in 2003, NinjaTrader serves nearly two million traders and operates as a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant (FCM).
The acquisition provides Kraken with a direct pathway into the U.S. regulated futures market, allowing it to offer crypto futures and derivatives to American clients.
Additionally, Kraken’s existing MiFID licenses in the U.K. and EU, along with its Australian securities license, will accelerate NinjaTrader’s international expansion into these regions.
For clients of both platforms, Kraken said the merger promises access to a broader range of assets, combining crypto, futures, and traditional financial products under a single trading ecosystem.
NinjaTrader’s advanced analytics and execution tools will be integrated with Kraken’s crypto trading infrastructure.
Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi highlighted the transformational nature of the acquisition, stating: “Traditional markets run on post-WWII, 1950s banking systems, exchanges that close at 4 p.m. ET and settlement delays that take days to resolve. Crypto rails fixed these issues, operating with efficient and real-time infrastructure.”
He added: “This transaction is the first step in our vision of an institutional-grade trading platform where any asset can be traded, anytime.”
