TechFlow news — On March 20, Kraken, the cryptocurrency exchange platform, announced it has reached an agreement to acquire U.S. retail futures trading platform NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion, a figure that may be adjusted based on specific purchase price adjustments. This marks the largest merger between traditional finance (TradFi) and the cryptocurrency sector to date.
Kraken currently serves over 15 million customers worldwide. The acquisition will strengthen its position as a 24/7 technology platform catering to professional traders, establishing its leadership in both U.S. traditional and crypto futures markets, while accelerating its multi-asset strategy including stock trading and payment services.
Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Kraken, said: "Traditional markets operate on 1950s-era banking infrastructure—exchanges close at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and settlement delays take days to resolve. Cryptocurrency infrastructure fixes these issues, enabling efficient, real-time operations. But until today, TradFi and crypto have remained separate ecosystems. This acquisition is our first step toward building an institutional-grade trading platform where any asset can be traded at any time."
