Published on: December 26, 2025, 02:38h.
Updated on: December 26, 2025, 02:38h.
- The cryptocurrency brokerage is set to launch prediction markets in 2026.
- It acquired the necessary licensing through an October purchase.
- Kraken is joining multiple competitors in the prediction markets sector.
Market analysts preparing for 2026 prediction market developments should ensure Kraken is on their radar, as the cryptocurrency brokerage is poised to enter this domain in the upcoming year.
Mark Greenberg, Kraken’s global head of consumer, shared insights during a Wednesday interview with CNBC, mentioning that prediction markets had a significant year in 2025, and anticipated further growth in the coming year.
(Prediction markets allow individuals to translate information and insights into speculation about future events and validate those thoughts),” Greenberg explained to CNBC.
He emphasized Kraken’s enthusiasm for introducing prediction markets to its clientele in the new year, describing it as a “tremendous opportunity” for clients to trade more and gain access to innovative trading options.
Kraken’s Entry into Prediction Markets Forecasted
It’s no surprise that Kraken has set its sights on prediction markets. In October, the brokerage acquired Small Exchange from IG Group for $100 million, securing the required licensing to offer event contracts in the United States.
Numerous Kraken competitors have leveraged similar acquisitions to break into the prediction markets sector, as these transactions often prove more efficient than waiting for regulatory approval for necessary permits. Small Exchange possesses a designated contract market (DCM) license from the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), an essential requirement for companies wishing to provide exchange-listed derivatives, including yes/no event contracts, in the U.S.
Greenberg expressed to CNBC that Kraken is optimistic about the “interconnections between prediction markets and traditional financial markets in the forthcoming year.”
The executive did not specify whether Kraken will collaborate with an already established event contracts platform, as rival Coinbase is doing with Kalshi, or if it plans to launch an in-house prediction market like Crypto.com.
Fusion of Crypto and Prediction Markets Continues
With Kraken entering the scene in 2026, it will join the ranks of other cryptocurrency brokers like Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Gemini Space Station in the prediction markets landscape. Additionally, Robinhood Markets stands out as a traditional brokerage with considerable exposure to digital currencies.
The convergence of cryptocurrency and prediction markets, regarded by many experts as just beginning to expand, is perceived as a natural and logical progression. The rise of blockchain technology and the proliferation of stablecoins are key contributors to the emerging on-chain utility of the crypto/prediction markets alliance.
In another light, prediction markets present a fresh use case for cryptocurrency, potentially offering significant validation to an asset class that, like prediction markets, is still in its infancy.