A 2011-vintage exchange with one of the cleanest security records in the business, heading toward a US stock listing.
Swiss bitcoin-only app with SEPA instant buys, self-custody by default, and a MiCA license covering the EEA.
Kraken rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.5 for Relai.
Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.
| Fact | Kraken | Relai |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial rating | 4.7 (favoured on this row) | 4.5 |
| Published fees | From 0.25% maker, 0.40% taker | Around 1% per purchase |
| Maker fee | 0.25% on Kraken Pro below $10,000 in 30-day volume, decreasing at higher tiers | Not published |
| Taker fee | 0.40% on Kraken Pro below $10,000 in 30-day volume, decreasing at higher tiers | Not published |
| Identity verification | Required | Required |
| Bitcoin-only | No | Yes |
| Payment rails supported | 14 | 6 |
| Countries ranked in | 127 | 39 |
| Ranks first in | 10 | 11 |
| Countries shared | 39 | 39 |
| Security record | 10 dated events, 2 incidents, latest 2026-06-30 | No record on file |
| Founded | 2011 | 2020 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Last reviewed | 2026-08-23 | 2026-08-12 |
Each country guide ranks its own roster on published fees, security record and local payment support, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.
Dated events from each review, newest first: breaches, enforcement actions, licences, audits and proof-of-reserves publications. 1 of the 2 carry no dated record on our reviews yet.
Latest proof of reserves shows bitcoin backed at 102.9%
Kraken refuses extortion after two support staff misused internal systems
Kraken wins a MiCA licence from the Central Bank of Ireland
Kraken rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.5 for Relai. The rating weighs published fees, security record and local payment support; the table above sets each beside the other so you can check the score against the facts.
Kraken: From 0.25% maker, 0.40% taker. Relai: Around 1% per purchase. Those are each platform's published headline rates; card purchases and instant-buy widgets cost more than the order book on both, and each review carries the full schedule.
Both are ranked in our guides for 39 countries, including Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia. Kraken is ranked in 127 countries in all and Relai in 39; each country guide ranks its own roster, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.
Kraken carries 2 incidents among 10 dated events, the latest on 2026-04-14: Kraken refuses extortion after two support staff misused internal systems. Relai carries no dated security record on our review yet, a gap in our records rather than a clean bill. Both reviews list every event with its source.
Kraken: required; identity verification is required to deposit fiat and trade.. Relai: required; identity verification is required, in line with Relai's Swiss and EU regulatory obligations..
The full reviews: Kraken and Relai, each with its sources, and every exchange we review.
Every other head-to-head Kraken or Relai appears in.
Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
French Guiana
Germany
Greece
Guadeloupe
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Martinique
Mayotte
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Reunion
Romania
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland