The acquisition comes at a time when the crypto industry is optimistic about lighter regulation under US President Donald Trump, who during the election attracted cryptocurrency sponsors and promised to support the sector.
According to trading data site CoinMarketCap, Kraken ranks tenth in the world in terms of traffic volume, liquidity, trading volume, and confidence in the legitimacy of combined trading volumes.
The deal also highlights the deepening ties between cryptocurrency companies and traditional financial firms as digital assets gain more acceptance.
Growing demand from retail traders for access to a wide range of assets — from stocks and bonds to cryptocurrencies and derivatives — has pushed companies to go beyond their core businesses and integrate more deeply into their clients' financial habits.
“This is a significant deal for the industry because it's a deal where a cryptocurrency company acquires a traditional financial company, and it's a large deal worth over a billion dollars,” said Oppenheimer analyst Owen Lau.
Lau expects “more deals to be made under a more pro-cryptocurrency president, Congress, and regulators,” and stated that “there will be a continued convergence of cryptocurrencies and traditional finance.”
NinjaTrader, which is backed by Long Ridge Equity Partners, will continue to operate as a standalone platform under Kraken.
Founded in 2003, NinjaTrader provides an affordable retail futures trading platform to nearly 2 million traders.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025.
Source: Reuters
