How Kraken is quietly becoming the most bankable name in crypto

Kraken’s record-breaking third quarter paints a vivid picture of a maturing crypto market and a grown-up company setting its sights on a long-awaited public debut. With $648 million in revenue and $178.6 million in adjusted EBITDA, Kraken posted its highest-ever profits in Q3, up 114% year-on-year. Unlike some of its counterparts that have struggled throughout this bearish bull cycle, Kraken has shown that it’s not just surviving but thriving through it.​

Breaking records and setting standards

In Q3 2025, Kraken’s revenues surged 50% quarter-over-quarter and 114% year-over-year. That’s a result that reflects its diversified product strength and operational discipline. Adjusted EBITDA of $178.6 million marked a 124% jump from Q2, with margins widening to 27.6%.

Trading volumes reached $561.9 billion, a 23% increase from the previous quarter, while assets on the platform totaled an eyewatering $59.3 billion. The exchange’s funded accounts climbed to 5.2 million, placing Kraken firmly among the top-tier exchanges like Coinbase and Binance.​

Strategic plays and product expansion

This growth didn’t happen in isolation. 2025 has been a transformative year for Kraken’s infrastructure and product portfolio. Its acquisitions, from NinjaTrader to Small Exchange, have tightened its grip on derivatives trading. They’ve also given the exchange direct market access in the U.S. and a regulatory foothold that competitors like Binance still struggle to secure.​

Kraken’s latest innovation, xStocks, blurs the lines between Wall Street and web3. Built in partnership with Backed, this new product lets investors in more than 160 countries access tokenized versions of U.S. equities, without the middlemen or market hours.

In just a few months, xStocks has notched over $5 billion in trading volume across centralized and decentralized venues. It’s a move that feels distinctly Kraken, weaving legacy finance and the digital frontier into something bigger than both. By opening new channels of liquidity that operate without borders or closing bells, Kraken is quietly building the rails for a truly global, always‑on economy.

Laying the groundwork for a public future

For months, speculation about a Kraken IPO has hovered around industry circles. Q3’s numbers make the prospect more tangible than ever. The company raised $500 million earlier this year at a $15 billion valuation and is reportedly in advanced talks to finalize another funding round at around $20 billion. That would position it for a potential 2026 listing.​

If the trajectory continues, Kraken looks set to join Coinbase, Bullish, and Gemini in the wave of crypto exchanges going public. But Kraken’s $15 billion valuation, transparent Proof of Reserves model, and diversified revenue streams place it on a firmer regulatory and operational footing than many of its peers.

Where Kraken stands now

Kraken’s latest results speak to more than just a strong quarter; they showcase how far the crypto economy has matured. The exchange now moves more like a disciplined financial institution than a scrappy startup, while keeping the agility and openness that define web3. Its quarterly Proof-of-Reserves audits and adoption of distributed validator technology (DVT) for Ethereum staking have earned it the kind of institutional trust that few rivals can claim.

And timing may be on Kraken’s side. With the Trump administration taking a more crypto‑friendly stance, the exchange’s expansion into U.S.‑regulated derivatives and institutional services could give it a clear edge.