Kraken closed a self-led funding round, the first since 2022. The exchange raised $500M in a self-led financing round, the largest so far in its history.
Kraken completed the largest funding round in its history, building a $500M facility. The fundraising is part of the IPO plans for 2026, chasing a $15B valuation. As Cryptopolitan reported, Kraken started planning the funding round in the summer of 2025, finally achieving its goal some time in September.
The funding round was entirely led by Kraken, which set up the valuation of $15B, without appointing an external round leader.
The recent round was completed with the participation of investment and VC firms, along with a direct participation from the exchange’s ICO Arjun Sethi and his fund Tribe Capital. The funding round aims to smooth over the period ahead of the eventual ICO, extending the goals of Kraken for innovation and influence.
Kraken expanded on growing demand for crypto infrastructure
Kraken, which launched in 2011, was key to growing the crypto infrastructure, with significant penetration for EU markets. The exchange was one of the key fiat ramps for many years, though it remained overshadowed by its bigger competitors.
So far, Kraken has raised $122.5M in funding, with three late-stage undisclosed rounds. The recent $500M investment was closed in the past month, but was not announced widely. The exchange has also relied on its earnings, getting a boost from the 2024 bull market and additional product fees.
Ahead of the funding round, Kraken published positive results for Q2, with improved performance on all metrics. Kraken achieved $411M in revenues and $80M in earnings for the second quarter, making itself a target for late-stage investments in an already thriving platform.
The exchange also became more influential, taking up 68% of the fiat to crypto market, up from a previous level of 43%.
Can Kraken thrive in another bear market?
Kraken’s fundraising happened during a period of positive performance for the crypto market. Kraken is positioned for both centralized services and DeFi, as it carries 5.8% of staked ETH.
Kraken’s IPO bid in 2026 may depend on the overall demand for crypto trading. However, during the 2024 and 2025 market, Kraken joined the trend of well-developed products, despite the relatively lower hype.
Besides being a regulated platform with fiat access, Kraken has been quick to adopt and test new trends from crypto bull cycles. Currently, the exchange offers multiple services, including perpetual futures, stock trading, as well as a payment app.
Kraken is already well-established with whales and institutional traders. Growth may also come from expanding retail services, including XStocks and other features.
The exchange has been repositioning since its reshuffling of leadership, with Sethi currently the main decision person in the CEO role. Kraken’s IPO was expected earlier, but was delayed as the platform changed its CTO, COO, and senior staff.
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Source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/kraken-completes-500m-funding-round/