Is Kraken Legal in UK? Is Kraken Safe?
Choosing a trustworthy cryptocurrency exchange is crucial as it directly impacts the safety and security of your digital assets. The high risk of scams in this area necessitates extreme caution from users.
Our analysts have noticed a growing interest in Kraken services among users in the UK. However, questions remain regarding its safety and legal status within the UK. Traders Union experts have addressed this concern by crafting a detailed review that explores both the pros and cons of using Kraken.
So, let us tell you if Kraken is allowed in the UK and if it's safe to use for trading.
Is Kraken legal in UK? Does it have a license?
Kraken is a regulated exchange that provides services in most countries worldwide, except for those under international sanctions, such as North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and regions like Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk. Restrictions may also apply based on requests from local regulators. We compared Kraken's level of regulation with the top two global competitors and the top two competitors available in your country. Exchanges with Tier-1 regulation are generally considered the safest. However, Kraken's safety level is also influenced by other factors outlined below.
| Kraken | Bybit | MEXC | |
|---|---|---|---|
Government-regulated |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Tier-1 regulation |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
U.S regulation |
Yes |
No |
No |
FCA U.K |
Yes |
No |
No |
AUSTRAC in Australia |
Yes |
No |
No |
DFSA in UAE |
No |
No |
No |
AMF in France |
Yes |
No |
No |
Spain |
Yes |
No |
No |
Germany |
Yes |
No |
No |
Singapore |
No |
No |
No |
MFSA in Malta |
No |
No |
No |
Seychelles |
No |
Yes |
No |
Other countries |
Belgium, Cyprus, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Canada, Bermuda |
Austria’s Financial Market Authority (FMA), Georgia, Kazakhstan |
|
Open an account |
|
|
|
Other Kraken Security Factors to Consider
| Kraken | Bybit | MEXC | |
|---|---|---|---|
2FA |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Verification (KYC) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Successful hacks |
No |
Yes |
No |
Cold wallet storage |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Investor protection fund |
No |
Yes |
No |
Open an account |
|
|
|
Short summary about the Kraken exchange
The Kraken exchange is a trading platform for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, Cardano, XRP, other cryptocurrencies, and stablecoins. Fiats are represented by EUR, USD, CAD, CHF, AUD, GBP, and JPY. In addition to margin trading, Kraken has indices and futures trading. The exchange provides traders with x5 leverage for margin trading and x50 for futures. Commission fees are among the lowest on the market - up to 0.26%. The crypto exchange has a proprietary trading terminal for an internet browser, as well as mobile applications for iOS and Android devices. The platform offers an extensive knowledge base, tutorials, and video podcasts with news and analytics. The referral program is the standard single-level model with a yield of 20% of the referral’s commission fees.
| 💰 Account currency: | Cryptocurrencies, currencies |
| 🚀 Minimum deposit: | $1 |
| ⚖️ Leverage: | 1:5 for margin trading, 1:50 for futures |
| 💱 Spread: | Market |
| 🔧 Instruments: | Cryptocurrencies, currencies |
| 💹 Margin Call / Stop Out: | No |
Kraken Pros and Cons
👍 Kraken Pros:
•convenient, intuitive terminal with one-click trading;
•all major cryptocurrencies, as well as seven fiats;
•margin trading, as well as futures and indices trading ;
•large leverage (x5 for margin, x50 for futures trading);
•an extensive database of information and training materials;
•large trading volumes on the exchange provide high liquidity;
•some of the lowest fees in the cryptocurrency market.
👎 Kraken Cons:
•no investment programs;
•no call center.
Rules and Regulation
Licensing in the UK
Exchanges in the UK must be approved by the FCA and meet the requirements regarding anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). These rules came into effect in 2020. To obtain a crypto license in the UK, a company must:
- register;
- open an account with a British bank;
- open an office;
- observe AML/CFT policies;
- establish a Know Your Client (KYC) procedure;
- have an internal audit service.
Investor protection in the UK
Besides the FCA, investor protection in the UK is ensured by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), under which users get compensation in case of a company’s bankruptcy.
Taxation in the UK
In the UK, cryptocurrency is not considered to be a payment method, but is classified as an asset. It means that profits from cryptocurrency trading are subject to a 10% or 20% capital gains tax (CGT).
Do I recommend using Kraken in the UK?
The Kraken cryptocurrency exchange can be chosen by clients from UK, although there are certain nuances. The exchange does not have a financial license, but that is rather because the financial regulator of UK does not issue the licenses to crypto exchanges in general. There have been certain security-related incidents, but those very singular cases. The reputation of the exchange can be considered standard.
FAQ
Can I work with crypto exchanges considering that they don’t have a license in UK?
The fact that a crypto exchange does not have a license doesn’t mean that traders from UK will have problems while working with it. Cryptocurrency exchanges are not subject to licensing in many countries, while there are many exchanges with good reputation. Assess the available information about the exchange and check its reputation.
What security methods for account protection do crypto exchanges employ?
Cryptocurrency exchanges may offer various security methods. These include the two-factor authentication, first and foremost, and also such methods as a security question, additional passwords, etc.
Can an exchange that has had a security-related incident in the past be trusted?
You need to check whether such incidents were regular. If it was one episode several years ago, while the reputation of the exchange is good, you can work with such an exchange.
Should I work with an exchange if I have doubts about its reputation?
No. Always choose the cryptocurrency exchanges that have a good reputation.
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Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Dr. BJ Johnson is a PhD in English Language and an editor with over 15 years of experience. He earned his degree in English Language in the U.S and the UK. In 2020, Dr. Johnson joined the Traders Union team. Since then, he has created over 100 exclusive articles and edited over 300 articles of other authors.