Kraken
Qualified Custodian
Established Est. 2011
United States
21Rates Quality Score: 75.0/10
Kraken, founded 2011 in San Francisco, is a leading Bitcoin custody provider offering secure storage and management with institutional-grade security and regulatory compliance.
Custody Model
ModelHosted Custody
LicensesState money transmitter licenses, Wyoming SPDI charter (via subsidiary)
RegulatoryFinCEN MSB, state MTL licenses, BSA/AML compliance
JurisdictionUnited States (state-licensed)
Fees & Minimums
Fee StructureNo custody fees for exchange-held assets. Trading: 0.00-0.26% maker/taker. Institutional OTC available.
Min BalanceNone for standard, custom for institutional
WithdrawalsTier-based, up to $10M+/day for verified
Security
Cold Storage95%+ cold storage
InsuranceIndustry-leading security reserves, proof of reserves published
Proof of Reservestrue
Asset SegregationYes
AuditsRegular proof of reserves, annual SOC 2
Features
API Access Not available
Mobile App Yes
Hardware Wallet Not supported
Institutional Available
Integrated Trading Yes
AssetsBTC, ETH, SOL, DOT, ADA, XRP, 200+ digital assets
Frequently Asked Questions About Kraken
About this analysis
21Rates Editorial TeamBitcoin Financial Research Analysts
Our research team analyses Bitcoin custody providers using proprietary quality scoring, regulatory research, and user reviews. We independently verify custody terms and maintain up-to-date information to help you make informed decisions.
Last verified: July 2026