Kraken, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, has announced its acquisition of NinjaTrader, a prominent US retail futures trading platform, for $1.5 billion.
NinjaTrader will continue to function as an independent platform under the Kraken umbrella.
Due to NinjaTrader’s status as a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant, the acquisition will allow Kraken to offer crypto futures and derivatives in the US for the first time, while also expanding into more traditional markets.
Meanwhile, Kraken’s UK MiFID, EU MiFID, and Australian securities licenses accelerate NinjaTrader’s expansion into the UK, Europe, and Australia.
“Legacy finance and crypto have remained separate ecosystems, until today,” Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi said. “This transaction is the first step in our vision of an institutional-grade trading platform where any asset can be traded, anytime.”
Marty Franchi, NinjaTrader CEO, added: “Together, Kraken and NinjaTrader will power the integration of traditional markets with crypto by offering cutting-edge tools and the ability to rapidly move across asset classes that the most sophisticated traders demand.”