Kraken has confidentially filed for an initial public offering, co-CEO Arjun Sethi said Tuesday at Semafor World Economy in Washington, D.C., confirming earlier reports. The disclosure marks a renewed step toward public markets after earlier plans were paused amid volatile crypto conditions.
The San Francisco-based exchange was valued at $13.3 billion in an April funding round, down from a $20 billion peak in late 2025, according to Semafor. The round included backing from major investors such as Citadel Securities and reflected shifting sentiment across digital asset markets.
Sethi said Kraken aims to bring institutional-grade trading tools to retail users. He compared the platform’s ambitions to services offered by firms like Jane Street and JPMorgan Chase, emphasizing broader access to sophisticated financial products.
Earlier reports indicated Kraken had paused IPO plans due to weaker trading volumes and falling crypto prices, though the company has not ruled out a future listing. Market conditions have weighed on recent crypto public offerings, including performance declines among newly listed firms.
Kraken also recently secured a master account with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, granting access to U.S. payment infrastructure, including Fedwire. The move allows direct dollar settlement without intermediary banks, a significant milestone for a crypto-native firm.
However, the account does not provide interest on reserves or access to Federal Reserve lending facilities.
Kraken’s recent extortion scare and Deutsche Börse investment
Earlier today, Deutsche Börse disclosed an investment of $200 million in Kraken, acquiring a 1.5% fully diluted stake in Payward Inc via secondary share purchase, pending regulatory approval and expected to close in Q2 2026.
The deal deepens an existing partnership announced in December 2025, aimed at integrating traditional financial infrastructure with digital asset markets, including regulated crypto trading, derivatives, tokenized assets, and institutional liquidity services.
Separately this week, Kraken disclosed two insider-related security incidents involving support staff who accessed limited client data through internal tools. About 2,000 accounts (0.02%) were affected, though no trading systems or client funds were compromised.
The incidents led to an extortion attempt by a criminal group claiming to possess internal videos, which Kraken refused to pay. The company revoked access, identified responsible individuals, notified users, and is cooperating with law enforcement while strengthening controls.
The episodes highlight ongoing insider threat risks across crypto firms. Galaxy Digital also reported a separate cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to a development environment, though no client data or funds were impacted.
Micah first discovered Bitcoin in 2018 but remained a skeptic on the sidelines for too long. Since 2021, he has covered crypto and business and now works as a news reporter for Bitcoin Magazine, based in North Carolina.
