Catenaa, Sunday, March 30, 2025- Crypto exchange Kraken has agreed to acquire US retail futures platform NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion, marking the largest-ever merger between the cryptocurrency and traditional finance sectors.
The acquisition, expected to close in the first half of 2025, will position Kraken as a 24/7 trading platform for crypto and traditional futures, alongside its existing spot trading services.
The deal also advances Kraken’s plans to expand into equities trading and payments.
Founded in 2003, NinjaTrader provides futures trading tools to nearly two million users and operates as a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant.
Post-acquisition, Kraken will gain direct access to U.S. crypto derivatives while helping NinjaTrader expand globally using Kraken’s regulatory licenses in the UK, EU, and Australia.
NinjaTrader will continue operating as a standalone platform under Kraken, building on its existing integrations with analytics provider Cryptowatch, CF Benchmarks, and staking operator Staked.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that the deal was nearing completion on Wednesday. It surpasses Stripe’s $1.1 billion acquisition of stablecoin platform Bridge in October 2024, previously the largest crypto merger.
