# What's happening with Kraken? (2026) - Verdict

**Kraken is still live** - but our sensors flagged 2 dated, sourced signals. Status: Degrading. There is no official sunset announcement. We do not predict deaths; a "dead" status is set by a human.

Category: Crypto Exchanges

## Timeline of facts

- **Jul 9, 2026 - Official statement.** Kraken's announcement states the update is "a change to how tiers are calculated, not a blanket reduction in fees" and "does not mean every account's rate is going down"; tiers earned via assets on platform move with the balance in either direction. SOURCE: Kraken Blog: Kraken Pro fee tiers now reward what you hold - https://blog.kraken.com/product/pro/new-kraken-pro-fee-tiers
- **Jul 9, 2026 - Fee schedule change (price hike).** Kraken replaced per-product fee tiers with unified cross-platform tiers effective July 9, 2026. Level 1 spot fees are 0.40% maker / 0.80% taker, above the prior Kraken Pro base tier of 0.25% / 0.40%, so the lowest-volume trader segment pays more unless volume or assets on platform qualify them for a higher tier. SOURCE: Kraken Support: Cross-platform fee tier changes (July 2026) - https://support.kraken.com/articles/cross-platform-fee-tier-changes

## What you can do now

Kraken is live, so there is no need to rush. If it powers a critical workflow, export a recent backup, note your renewal date, and shortlist a live alternative below.

## If you need to move (live alternatives)

- **Coinbase** - US-regulated public company with published Coinbase Advanced maker/taker tiers → https://verdict.tools/go/coinbase (rel="sponsored nofollow")
- **Binance** - largest spot exchange by volume with 0.10% base spot fees → https://verdict.tools/go/binance (rel="sponsored nofollow")
- **OKX** - large derivatives and spot venue with lower base maker/taker rates → https://verdict.tools/go/okx (rel="sponsored nofollow")
- **Bybit** - derivatives-focused exchange with 0.10% base spot fees → https://verdict.tools/go/bybit (rel="sponsored nofollow")
- **Gemini** - US-regulated exchange with ActiveTrader tiers for lower-fee spot trading → https://verdict.tools/go/gemini (rel="sponsored nofollow")

## FAQ

### Is Kraken shutting down?
There is no official sunset announcement for Kraken. What we can confirm are the dated, sourced signals above. We do not predict deaths; a "dead" status is set by a human after confirmation.

### Should I switch away from Kraken now?
Not necessarily - it is live. But if it is business-critical, keep an exportable backup and a shortlisted alternative ready.

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