Kraken Pro: the fee schedule that pays for what you hold
For years, paying less on Kraken Pro meant trading more. Since 9 July 2026 that is no longer the only route: your tier can come from what you leave on the platform, staking included. For an investor who buys and holds, it is the first time the pricing model works in their favour. Here are the tiers, the real-time trap, and the partner offer that grants futures tiers 5 to 7 on a simple deposit, until 12 October.
Disclosure: Kraken is one of our partners and the account link is an affiliate link. The tiers quoted are those of the official 9 July 2026 announcement; the schedule shown in your own account prevails.
Three measures, the best one wins
The old logic was simple: your 30-day spot volume set your spot tier, your futures volume set your futures tier, and the two never spoke. The new rule merges everything. Kraken looks at three numbers and keeps the one that places you highest:
- Your spot volume over a rolling 30 days.
- Your futures volume over a rolling 30 days.
- Your assets on platform, measured at that moment.
The resulting tier then applies everywhere, spot and futures alike. A derivatives trader pays less on spot purchases, and a long-term holder benefits from their balances on the few orders they place. The silo effect is gone.
The first five tiers, with figures
This is what the spot schedule looks like for the tiers that matter to a retail investor. Thresholds are in US dollars, as on the official page.
| Tier | 30-day spot volume | 30-day futures volume | Assets on platform | Maker | Taker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 | < $5M | - | 0.40% | 0.80% |
| 2 | $2,500 | $5M | - | 0.30% | 0.60% |
| 3 | $10,000 | $10M | $20,000 | 0.22% | 0.38% |
| 4 | $25,000 | $15M | $50,000 | 0.20% | 0.35% |
| 5 | $50,000 | $25M | $100,000 | 0.15% | 0.30% |
In practice: with USD 20,000 of crypto left on Kraken you sit in tier 3 without placing a single order in the month. Your taker rate drops from 0.80% to 0.38%, halving the cost of every market buy. With USD 100,000 held you reach tier 5 and your maker rate falls to 0.15%.
Staking counts, and that is the real news
The assets-on-platform measure is not limited to your available balance. It includes staked crypto, Opt-In Rewards and balances placed in Dual Investment. An investor who has staked ETH or SOL on Kraken for two years without touching it finds they qualify for a schedule they had never seen.
It fits Kraken's strategy: retain assets rather than force volume. For you, it means the choice between staking on the platform and moving to a wallet now has a measurable fee cost. Our Kraken review covers where the platform stands on staking and security.
The real-time trap
Volume is computed over a rolling 30 days, so it smooths out the bumps. Assets on platform are not: they are revalued continuously, in USD. If your tier comes from your balances and the market drops 15% overnight, you can slip under a threshold before you have opened the app. A withdrawal to your wallet does the same thing, instantly.
The habit to build before a large order: check the tier displayed at that exact moment, not the one you had last week. And if you sit just above a threshold, keep a buffer rather than withdrawing right down to the line.
The partner offer: tiers 5 to 7 for 60 days, on a single deposit
Until 12 October 2026, Kraken runs an offer reserved for accounts created through a partner, on Kraken Pro Futures. The principle: a deposit replaces volume. Normally, futures tiers 5 to 7 require between USD 25 and 50 million of 30-day volume. Here a single deposit is enough, and the tier is locked for sixty days.
| Deposit | Futures tier granted | Volume normally required | Maker | Taker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | Tier 5 | $25M | 0.0100% | 0.0300% |
| $50,000 | Tier 6 | $40M | 0.0075% | 0.0275% |
| $150,000 | Tier 7 | $50M | 0.0050% | 0.0250% |
| VIP elsewhere | Match up to tier 7 | Proof required | per tier | per tier |
The terms, as Kraken sent them to us:
- New account, opened through our link, with KYC completed and a deposit made.
- Tier locked for 60 days from activation. If the balance drops below the deposit threshold, the offer ends.
- Applications accepted until 12 October 2026. Kraken reviews each file and may decline.
- Not available in jurisdictions where Kraken Futures is not offered.
- Activation within 72 hours at most, usually within a day.
There is no form: we pass your file to Kraken's partner manager. Once your account is verified and your deposit made, send us on Telegram your Kraken UID, proof of the deposit, and if you ask for the VIP match, a screenshot of your tier on the other platform. We see nothing else of your account.
Who it is for: a derivatives trader who was going to deposit those amounts anyway, or who is leaving a platform that is not authorised in Europe. For a spot investor who does not use futures, the offer changes nothing: the assets-on-platform schedule above is what counts.
Against OKX: who pays less?
At the entry tier OKX remains cheaper than Kraken Pro, by a wide margin: 0.10% taker against 0.80%. The gap narrows once your balances lift you to Kraken's tier 3 or 5, but it never flips. Kraken charges for something else, fifteen years without a compromise of its systems and an Irish MiCA authorisation, which we weigh in our head-to-head of the two platforms. Since September, OKX adds account protection of up to EUR 100,000 to the scale, something Kraken has no equivalent for today.
Sign-up and KYC take about ten minutes. Kraken Pro then activates from the same account at no cost, and your tier shows from the first deposit or the first stake.
Open a Kraken accountAffiliate link. Payward Europe Solutions is authorised under MiCA by the Central Bank of Ireland. Crypto-assets are volatile: only commit what you can afford to lose.
⚠️ Educational content, not investment advice. Fee schedules and temporary offers change: the fees page of your Kraken account prevails at the time of your order.
FAQ
What changed in Kraken Pro fees?
Since 9 July 2026 your tier is no longer set by spot volume alone. Kraken takes the best of three measures: 30-day spot volume, 30-day futures volume, or assets held on the platform. Whichever measure qualifies you highest sets your tier, and that tier applies to both spot and futures.
What are the entry-tier fees?
Tier 1: 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker on spot. Tier 2, from USD 2,500 in volume: 0.30% and 0.60%. Tier 3, from USD 10,000 in volume or USD 20,000 in assets on platform: 0.22% and 0.38%. Tier 5, from USD 50,000 in volume or USD 100,000 held: 0.15% and 0.30%.
Do staked assets count toward assets on platform?
Yes. The assets-on-platform measure includes wallet balances, staked assets, Opt-In Rewards and Dual Investment balances, valued in USD at that moment. For a long-term holder who rarely trades, this is the detail that changes everything.
Does my tier move when the market drops?
Yes, in both directions. Assets on platform are assessed in real time, not averaged over 30 days like volume. A market drop or a withdrawal can push you down a tier immediately; a rally can lift you just as fast.
Is there a temporary fee reduction right now?
Yes, through Kraken partners until 12 October 2026, on Kraken Pro Futures. A new account opened with our link, verified, that deposits USD 30,000 gets tier 5 (0.010% maker, 0.030% taker) locked for 60 days; USD 50,000 gives tier 6 (0.0075% / 0.0275%), USD 150,000 tier 7 (0.005% / 0.025%). A proven VIP status on another exchange is matched up to tier 7. Normally these tiers require USD 25 to 50 million of 30-day futures volume.
Does Kraken Pro cost a subscription?
No. Kraken Pro is an interface, not a separate account. Same login, same KYC, same balance. You switch from the simple interface and the tiered schedule applies to every order from then on.