A 2011-vintage exchange with one of the cleanest security records in the business, heading toward a US stock listing.
Lightning-native app for buying bitcoin and sending it anywhere instantly, with no added fee on transfers.
Kraken rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.6 for Strike.
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 | Strike |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial rating | 4.7 (favoured on this row) | 4.6 |
| Published fees | From 0.25% maker, 0.40% taker | Fee shown before you confirm |
| 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 | 4 |
| Countries ranked in | 127 | 2 |
| Ranks first in | 10 | 1 |
| Countries shared | 1 | 1 |
| Security record | 10 dated events, 2 incidents, latest 2026-06-30 | 8 dated events, 1 incident, latest 2026-06-30 |
| Founded | 2011 | Not stated |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | Chicago, Illinois, US |
| 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.
| Country | Status | Kraken ranks | Strike ranks | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Legal | #2 | #6 |
Dated events from each review, newest first: breaches, enforcement actions, licences, audits and proof-of-reserves publications. Every exchange ranked here carries one.
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
Strike Europe authorised under MiCA by the Maltese regulator
NYDFS granted Strike a BitLicense and a money transmitter licence
Withdrawals can now be locked behind passkey or hardware key 2FA
Kraken rates higher on our rubric: 4.7 against 4.6 for Strike. 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. Strike: Fee shown before you confirm. 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 United States. Kraken is ranked in 127 countries in all and Strike in 2; 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. Strike carries 1 incident among 8 dated events, the latest on 2023-10-30: Customer email list leaked, denied by Strike, then admitted. Both reviews list every event with its source.
Kraken: required; identity verification is required to deposit fiat and trade.. Strike: required; identity verification is required to use the app; requirements vary by country..
The full reviews: Kraken and Strike, each with its sources, and every exchange we review.
Every other head-to-head Kraken or Strike appears in.
United States