Kraken vs Bitget: How these crypto exchanges compare

Crypto exchanges power liquidity and price discovery across spot and derivatives markets, provide regulated on and off-ramps, and increasingly connect centralized and onchain finance. For these reasons and more, they are a major entry point for people interested in dipping their toes into crypto.

Where you decide to trade should take into account fees, execution, instrument access, security, customer service, asset support, and licensing across various jurisdictions.

This Kraken vs Bitget comparison article is a deep dive on both exchanges to help you decide which of the two is most suitable for you and your trading needs.

Kraken grundades 2011 i USA och är ett av de tidigaste och mest etablerade namnen inom kryptovalutaindustrin. Börsen lanserades mindre än två år efter Bitcoins debut och har fått globalt erkännande för sitt starka fokus på säkerhet, operativ transparens och en användarupplevelse av hög kvalitet.

Idag betjänar Kraken fler än 15 miljoner kunder i över 190 länder. Dess erbjudanden sträcker sig från flaggskeppsplattformen Kraken för enskilda investerare, till kraftfulla allt-i-ett-handelsplattformar för avancerade och institutionella handlare via Kraken Pro-plattformen och Kraken Desktop-appen.

Krakens institutionella svit omfattar spot-, marginal-, terminsmarknader, staking och OTC-handel för kvalificerade kunder. Kraken investerar också mycket i utbildning genom Kraken Learn, som stöder både nya och erfarna handlare.

Med huvudkontor i Wyoming understryker Kraken sitt engagemang för ansvarsskyldighet med rutinmässiga Proof of Reserves, en praxis som introducerades i branschen redan 2014. Det var också den första kryptobörsen som listades på Bloomberg Terminal, vilket hjälpte till att överbrygga klyftan mellan traditionell finans och digitala tillgångar.

Med regleringslicenser på nyckelmarknader inklusive USA, Kanada, Storbritannien, EU och en historia av att bistå i fall som Mt. Gox-fordringsägare, har Kraken byggt upp ett rykte för stabil, compliant verksamhet som gör det till en betrodd destination för dem som söker en säker och varaktig kryptobörs.

Founded in 2018, Bitget is a cryptocurrency exchange that has built its reputation on derivatives trading and social trading features. The company is headquartered in Seychelles (with a presence in Asia and Europe) and has expanded rapidly during recent market cycles.

Bitget offers spot trading, futures, copy trading, staking, and various earn products across a growing list of digital assets. Its copy trading feature, which allows users to mirror the strategies of experienced traders, has been a key driver of retail adoption. The platform targets both new traders and experienced derivatives users alike.

Its social trading and strong focus on derivatives have earned it significant market share — and its investments into ecosystem partnerships and sponsorships have been key in expanding its global presence and credibility.

With that said, Bitget operates outside of major Western regulatory frameworks, restricting access in jurisdictions like the US. And while it publishes Proof of Reserves and emphasizes its user protection measures, it does not yet have the same regulatory standing as its more established competitors.

Overall, the exchange is a fast-growing platform that caters to users that value derivatives access and social trading functionality, albeit with some regulatory/jurisdictional risk considerations.

Many clients choose Kraken for its transparency, regulatory credentials and long-standing operational record. With seven additional years of experience, Kraken has demonstrated consistent governance since Bitcoin’s early days, when the asset traded below $20.

While Bitget has made progress on transparency and user protection, it remains restricted in major markets such as the U.S. and Canada. Kraken’s globally licensed framework and proven security practices continue to attract both retail and institutional users who value oversight and trust.

Krakens produktekosystem är utformat för att stödja ett brett utbud av handelsstilar och erfarenhetsnivåer. Användare kan handla när de är på språng med dess strömlinjeformade mobilapp eller utnyttja mer avancerade verktyg via Kraken Pro, som erbjuder detaljerad diagramanalys, anpassade ordertyper och marknadsdata i realtid.

Plattformen stöder spothandel för alla användare, med marginalhandel (upp till 5x hävstång) och terminskontrakt (upp till 50x hävstång) tillgängliga i berättigade regioner. Institutionella kunder och kunder med högt nettovärde kan få tillgång till ytterligare tjänster via Krakens OTC-disk och Kraken Prime-erbjudande.

Utöver handel erbjuder Kraken kryptostaking på över 21 tillgångar, med belöningar upp till 17 % APY beroende på myntet och nätverksförhållandena. Användare kan tjäna passivt genom att staka tillgångar som Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL) och Cardano (ADA) direkt via plattformen.

Kraken stöder också globala digitala betalningar via Krak, en funktion som gör det möjligt för användare att skicka krypto eller kontanter utan transaktionsavgifter.

Under 2024 lanserade Kraken sitt Ink Layer-2-nätverk byggt på Optimisms SuperChain, vilket ger en sömlös brygga mellan centraliserade börser och populära DeFi-protokoll.

För dem som vill fördjupa sina finansiella kunskaper erbjuder Kraken Learn utbildningsresurser som täcker allt från grunderna i blockchain till avancerade handelsstrategier.

Trading flexibility: Web, iOS, and Android apps with pro charting, TradingView access, alerts, and a Unified Trading Account that shares margin and PnL across spot, margin, and futures for better capital efficiency.

Spot, margin, and futures and onchain: Deep spot markets plus perpetual (stable and coin-margined) and delivery contracts. Futures include flexible leverage and detailed margin controls with beginner and advanced guides. Clients can also trade stocks onchain and via USDT-margined stock futures.

Copy trading: One click copy trading for both spot and futures, a large roster of elite traders, and education for strategy selection and risk controls.

Trading bots and automation: Built in bots including spot grid, futures grid, position grid, DCA, martingale, CTA, signal bots, and bot copy trading with quick setup from trading pages.

Earn and savings: Flexible Savings with daily interest and instant redemption, plus Structured Earn and on chain earn products in the Earn hub.

Launch programs: Launchpool for staking to farm new listings, Launchpad for token sales, and LaunchX and PoolX under a single LaunchHub to discover early projects.

P2P and fiat access: Peer to peer marketplace with zero fee listings and a variety of local payment methods. Instant fiat onboarding via 140 currencies with Visa and Mastercard integration.

Web3 integration: In app Web3 section and Bitget Wallet integration so you can connect to dApps with WalletConnect, swap on chain, and move between centralised and decentralised experiences.

Cards and payments: Bitget Wallet Card with Mastercard connects clients to millions of merchants, adopting the ‘Digital First’ approach, allowing for immediate access via the app

Transparency and safety: Monthly proof of reserves with Merkle tree verification, plus a large on chain Protection Fund with public wallet visibility.

API and institutional tooling: Full API access, sub accounts, and a Unified Trading Account that supports multi asset collateral and PnL offsetting, with institutional setup guides.

Support and education: 24/7 help center, product tutorials, and a comprehensive Academy with beginner through advanced content, videos, and market explainers.

While Kraken may not offer the same breadth of features as Bitget, it offers something that Bitget traders may still value as a transparently regulated and highly-trusted platform. Kraken clients get access to curated listings, deep spot and futures liquidity, stocks and perpetuals (for US customers), and a path to DeFi, with no-code automation en route.

The introduction of proprietary funding via the acquisition of Breakout is novel and forward thinking - setting Kraken apart from many of its competitors.

Where perhaps Bitget focusses on quantity, Kraken focusses on quality - offering a more focused range of products and executing each of them to the very highest standards.

Kunder kan få tillgång till över 600 kryptovalutor på Kraken, inklusive stora som Bitcoin (BTC) och XRP (XRP) samt en mängd altcoins, från memecoins till liquid staking tokens.

Det finns också över 11 000 courtagefria ETF:er och aktier tillgängliga att handla direkt i Kraken-appen. Och för kunder på berättigade platser kan de investera i xStocks, som är tokeniserade versioner av dessa aktier.
Kraken stöder uttag och insättningar i tio stora fiatvalutor, vilket gör det snabbt och bekvämt för globala kunder att finansiera sina konton.

Valutor som stöds inkluderar:

• USD (amerikansk dollar)

• CAD (kanadensisk dollar)

• GBP (brittiskt pund)

• EUR (euro)

• JPY (japansk yen)

• AUD (australisk dollar)

• CHF (schweizisk franc)

• ARS (argentinsk peso)

• MXN (mexikansk peso)

• BRL (brasiliansk real)

Det finns också 15 stablecoins som stöds, inklusive Tether (USDT), USDC och USDG.

Bitget has over 1400 tradable assets listed on its site. On top of the 800+ spot trading pairs, there are 400 futures trading pairs (with additional USDC-M and Coin-M markets), and flexible leverage up to 125x on selected contracts. Bitget also has xStocks integration as well as Stock futures settled in USDT offer additional means to get exposure to trad-fi markets.

Supported fiat currencies include (availability varies by method and region): USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, PLN, CZK, HUF, DKK, SEK, NOK and CHF. Users can fund accounts via bank transfers in supported countries, card payments, or third-party partners. Bitget also provides a global P2P marketplace covering many local currencies.

Using a credit or debit card, Bitget users can buy crypto with over 140 fiat currencies.

Kraken generally matches many of the instruments available to Bitget clients. But beyond that, Kraken offers something that Bitget currently cannot - a licence to operate in the United States, providing direct access to stocks and ETFs as well as regulated derivatives via CME-listed crypto futures contracts.

Krakens volymbaserade avgiftsmodell är nivåindelad och transparent för att stödja både professionella handlare och tillfälliga investerare.

Med maker-avgifter som börjar på 0,25 % och taker-avgifter på 0,40 % finns det också rabatter tillgängliga för individer och institutioner med hög volym. Med en Kraken+-prenumeration kan dessa avgifter elimineras helt för berättigade kunder upp till vissa månatliga volymer.

De flesta krypto- och fiatinsättningar är gratis, med vissa undantag beroende på transaktionsmetod och specifik tillgång. Kraken betonar också transparens genom att visa alla avgifter innan en transaktion bekräftas, vilket säkerställer att kunderna är väl medvetna om eventuella avgifter i förväg och undviker kostsamma överraskningar.

Bitget’s headline spot fees are 0.10 percent and 0.10 percent for makers and takers. Futures start at 0.02 percent and 0.06 percent, with reductions via VIP tiers and token discounts. Deposit and withdrawal costs depend on asset and rail and are shown at checkout.

When trading derivatives, fee levels are broadly comparable. Kraken’s clarity and maker-incentive programmes on spot pairs appeal to traders who value predictable costs and improved book quality. Depending on volumes, some traders may find lower effective costs at Bitget with token or VIP discounts, but many consider Kraken’s regulatory compliance, support and security alongside fees when deciding where to take their business.

Kraken anses allmänt vara en av de säkraste kryptoplattformarna i branschen. Sedan starten har Kraken aldrig upplevt ett intrång som resulterat i förlust av kundmedel, ett påstående som få andra börser kan göra.

Kunder drar nytta av ett flerskiktat kontoskydd, inklusive 2FA med passnycklar, PGP-e-postkryptering, detaljerade API-nyckelbehörigheter med intervallgränser, konfigurerbar kontotidsgräns, realtidsövervakning för misstänkt aktivitet, vitlistning av uttag och inställningar för huvudnyckel.

Kraken var pionjär inom Proof of Reserves 2014 och fortsätter att leda branschen med regelbundna, oberoende verifierbara revisioner. Denna kryptografiska procedur gör det möjligt för kunder att personligen granska hur deras kontosaldo backas upp av verkliga tillgångar, när som helst. Kraken innehar också ISO/IEC 27001:2013-certifiering, SOC 2 Type 2-revisionsöverensstämmelse och driver ett robust offentligt bug bounty-program.

Bitget has gone to extraordinary measures to offer clients peace of mind with regards to custody, with total transparency on proof of reserves and monthly reporting on insurance funds.

Bitget security features in a nutshell:

• 2FA with authenticator apps for account logins and withdrawals
• Withdrawal address whitelisting and add-address email confirmations
• Anti-phishing code shown in official Bitget emails
• Device management and login notifications
• Separate “fund password” required for trading and withdrawals
• API keys with granular permissions and optional IP allowlisting
• Real-time risk controls and abnormal-activity detection
• SSL/TLS protection and full encryption of sensitive data at rest and in transit
• Cold-wallet majority storage and controlled hot-wallet limits
• Monthly proof-of-reserves with Merkle-tree verification
• On-chain Protection Fund with public wallet transparency
• 24/7 live chat help center and multilingual support

Bitget maintains a reserve ratio of at least 1:1 for user assets - currently 188% - , which users can independently verify, and has a $750m protection fund (figures correct at press time). The purpose of the fund is to assist clients ‘...who have their accounts compromised or assets stolen or lost due to events not attributable to their own actions or trading behavior.’

Bitget achieved ISO 27001:2022 certification in August 2024 as part of a wider and long standing commitment to platform security.

With the exception of Bitget wallet which was exploited in 2022, Bitget the exchange has not had any reported breaches that have resulted in a loss of clients' funds. Bitget also offers lengthy guides via its own educational content on how to protect your account.

Clients choose Kraken because of its reputation within the industry. Bitget clearly has taken very meaningful steps to offer its clients peace of mind (matching most, but not all of Kraken’s own security measures), but Kraken has simply been in the business longer, maintaining an excellent track record throughout this period.

Kraken är känt för sin responsiva och professionella kundtjänst, som erbjuder flera supportkanaler för att möta olika användarbehov. Kunder kan få tillgång till livechatt dygnet runt med riktiga mänskliga agenter, skicka in förfrågningar via e-post, eller (i utvalda fall) tala direkt med en supportspecialist via telefon.

Krakens flerspråkiga supportteam kan hjälpa användare på över ett dussin språk. Detta hjälper företaget att betjäna sin globala kundbas mer effektivt.

Börsen har också fått höga betyg i kundnöjdhet och erkändes som vinnare av Best Use of AI in CX (Europe) vid Customer Centricity World Series. Dess fokus på tydlighet, empati och snabbhet i att lösa problem fortsätter att utmärka Krakens kundupplevelse i en konkurrensutsatt miljö.

Bitget provides 24/7 live chat and email support, backed by a structured Help Center with step by step guides for various activities. You can open a ticket from the app or web, attach screenshots, and track case history, with an automated assistant that routes you to a human agent when needed. Support is available in multiple languages and the team posts official announcements and service updates to keep customers informed. VIP clients can request priority handling and a dedicated account manager.

Most routine issues can be solved through self service articles, while complex cases are escalated to risk or payments specialists with follow up by email.

Kraken generally matches many of the instruments available to Bitget clients. But beyond that, Kraken offers something that Bitget currently cannot - a licence to operate in the United States, providing direct access to stocks and ETFs as well as regulated derivatives via CME-listed crypto futures contracts.

Both Kraken and Bitget are leading global exchanges with a slightly different offering. Bitget excels in its extremely comprehensive range of features and products that will satisfy many clients.

Kraken is one of the longest-operating exchanges, with state of the art security, strong regulatory compliance, high-quality asset listings and integrated access to a broad range of products with forward thinking innovation.

If you prioritize regulatory clarity (notably for US clients), greater execution on a narrower range of features, long-term safety and pro-grade tooling, Kraken may be the right venue for you.

If you want a deeper selection of assets, high-leverage derivatives in non-U.S. regions, and access to a larger suite of products, Bitget may be more suitable.