Useful Articles / Comparison
Kraken vs Bybit: reach against price
This comparison is unusual because the right answer changes completely with geography. In some countries only one of them can take you at all, which makes fee tables beside the point.
Start with where you live
| Where you are | Kraken | Bybit |
|---|---|---|
| EU / EEA | Spot, margin and derivatives | Bybit EU: spot and margin only, no perpetuals |
| United Kingdom | Spot — derivatives closed to UK retail by FCA rules | Limited availability through a separate arrangement |
| United States | Spot, margin, and perpetuals via a CFTC-registered arm since June 2026 | Not available |
| Switzerland | Available | Global platform, full product range |
| Elsewhere | Widely available | Global platform, subject to an excluded-jurisdictions list |
If you are in the US, this is not a comparison — Kraken is the only one of the two that can serve you.
Where both are available
Fees
Bybit competes hard on taker fees, particularly on perpetuals, and it shows most at high frequency. Kraken sits mid-table: not expensive, not the cheapest. If you trade daily, that gap compounds into a real number over a year. If you trade monthly, it rounds to nothing.
Depth and product range
Bybit's perpetual books on majors are deep and its listing cadence is fast. Kraken carries a solid range without chasing the long tail. For anything outside the top fifty assets, Bybit's global platform is more likely to have it.
Regulatory standing
This is Kraken's case. It has operated since 2011 and holds authorisations across several regimes at once: MiCA for the EEA, CFTC registration and NFA membership in the US through Kraken Derivatives US, and a separate entity handling UK derivatives. Very few venues have that spread, and it is the reason Kraken shows up as the only option for entire countries.
The US case, specifically
Since June 2026, US clients can trade perpetual futures through Kraken Derivatives US, cleared through Bitnomial, a CFTC-regulated exchange. This did not exist before 2026, and it makes Kraken the practical answer for American traders who want the product without leaving the regulatory perimeter.
How to choose
- United States → Kraken. Bybit cannot serve you, and using a VPN to reach it is how people lose access to their own funds.
- EU and you want perpetuals → Kraken, or OKX. Not Bybit EU, which does not offer them.
- EU and you trade spot or margin → Bybit EU competes well on price.
- Outside the EEA, trading actively → Bybit global on fees and depth.
- You value the longest regulatory track record → Kraken, and it is a legitimate reason.
Bybit links here are referral links; there is no partnership with Kraken, so those are plain links and this site earns nothing when you use them. That asymmetry has not changed the recommendation above — Kraken is the right answer in three of the five cases.