Kraken this week opened up trading for more than 2,500 Solana-based tokens directly in its main app, giving eligible users in the US and over 100 other countries the ability to buy and sell DEX tokens that have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the exchange. The tokens are pulled from Solana's decentralized exchange ecosystem, and Kraken is explicit that the listings sit outside its normal token-review process.
How it works
The feature relies on Privy-powered embedded wallets to hold the tokens, Jupiter for pricing and routing, and a 3% slippage cap. Kraken charges a 1% technology fee on each trade. Users can pay with USD or USDC, and on-chain holdings appear directly in the Kraken portfolio view. Settlement typically takes under a minute, the company said.
The 'Verified' tag some tokens carry comes from Jupiter's VRFD token list — not from any Kraken review. That distinction matters: a token with a checkmark simply passed Jupiter's own vetting, not Kraken's.
Why it's a shift
Most centralized exchanges list tokens only after due diligence, often taking weeks or months. By offering a pipe straight into Solana DEX liquidity, Kraken is effectively turning its app into a hybrid — part custodial exchange, part DeFi aggregator. The move signals growing willingness among major platforms to let users access tokens without the usual gatekeeping, though it also pushes the risk assessment onto the user.
xStocks and Ink
Alongside the token expansion, Kraken announced 24/7 trading for tokenized US stocks on Solana under the name xStocks. That product lets users trade fractionalized equities around the clock, a feature that competes directly with similar offerings from other exchanges and DeFi protocols.
Separately, Kraken is developing Ink, its own Ethereum layer-2 network aimed at DeFi expansion. The L2 is still in the works, but it points to where the exchange sees growth — not just listing tokens, but building the rails for on-chain activity.
For now, the 2,500+ token batch is live. Users who want to trade them should know: Kraken hasn't vetted a single one. The exchange is betting that its users can handle that.
