Inside Kraken VIP: behind the curtain

Welcome to the first edition of a monthly look at what sets the Kraken VIP experience apart.

What’s new

Security analyst sessions

The people targeting crypto accounts aren’t opportunists. They operate like businesses: organized, data-driven, and persistent. A high-value account is a high-value target, and generic security advice doesn’t cut it.

That’s why we’ve introduced Security Analyst Sessions for VIP clients: a private, one-to-one review with a member of Kraken’s security team, built around your specific setup and not a checklist.

These sessions cover account security settings (Master Key, Funding 2FA, Global Settings Lock), authentication methods from SMS through to hardware keys, email and device security, and a plain-English walk-through of how modern attacks actually work. Phishing. Malware. Social engineering. Account takeover. The kind of stuff that’s easier to defend against once you understand how it operates.

This is one of the most practical things we can offer a VIP client, and we’re glad it’s now a formal part of the program.

VIP referrals

VIP clients have always been some of Kraken’s most trusted advocates. Now, trusted introductions come with a formal structure and a meaningful reward.

Once enrolled, VIP clients receive a personal referral link. When someone they introduce starts trading, the referrer earns revenue share on eligible activity across spot, futures, margin, staking, and xStocks.

There’s no cap; each referral is independent and ongoing. It’s designed to reward the kind of relationships that are already being built, not to cast a wide net.

A record month for private sessions

This period also saw a record number of private sessions booked with Kraken experts. VIP clients have access to three types:

1. Sessions with Kraken Chief Economist Thomas Perfumo covering macro trends and market conditions
2. Product Leader Sessions with senior members of Kraken’s product teams across OTC, Margin, Custody, Futures, and Kraken Pro
3. The newly launched Security Analyst Sessions. Demand has been strong. If you haven’t booked one yet, speak to your Relationship Manager.

From Melbourne to Amsterdam: the human side of VIP

The past few months took our team and our clients to three very different corners of the world.

Australian Open: Melbourne

We hosted a group of VIP clients at the men’s final, starting with dinner at a waterfront restaurant on the Yarra River before heading to the arena. What struck us most wasn’t the match; it was the conversation at the table. Clients got onto the subject of funding challenges with Australian banks (a real frustration, and a shared one), and what started as a commiseration turned into a practical, honest discussion about how Kraken could help. One client who was introduced to our OTC desk during event planning later shared extremely positive feedback and plans to bring their full FX business to Kraken. Their guests left inspired to reach VIP-level activity themselves.

That’s the thing about getting people around a table: the conversations that matter tend to happen naturally.

Super Bowl: San Francisco

Ten VIP clients and four guests joined us for a full weekend. The Saturday arrival dinner was at a Chinese restaurant, chosen by one of our VIPs. Sunday was breakfast at the hotel, organic introductions, and clients finding their own rhythm before we’d even made it to the stadium.

The pre-game tent became a hub for the kind of conversations you don’t schedule: margin, OTC, prediction markets, referrals, and a fair amount of genuine excitement about the game itself. Inside the stadium, the standing-room area next to the bar turned into a natural gathering point, and clients bonded over the halftime show as much as anything else. By the post-game burger run, the group had stopped feeling like a hosted event and started feeling like a community.

That peer-to-peer connection is something we can’t manufacture. We can only create the conditions for it.

GLORY Kickboxing: Amsterdam

Our first VIP event in the region: a two-day experience built around a Michelin-star Chef’s Table dinner at The Duchess on Friday and a full GLORY SuperFights and Main Card experience on Saturday, with a private transfer to Arnhem and VIP lounge access.

The small group format (three clients) meant the Friday dinner conversations went deep, and the atmosphere on Saturday was genuinely electric. We also heard honest feedback: some clients expressed a preference for one-to-one meetups, and a few raised concerns around anonymity at group events. We’re taking that seriously. The best thing about a small program is that feedback loops are short, and we’re already thinking about how the format evolves from here.

What clients are telling us

We ran our Q1 2026 NPS survey across VIP clients in dozens of countries. Responses came in across five languages, with 97% of respondents saying they want to stay in the program.

But the numbers aren’t the story. The story is in the comments. Clients mention their Relationship Managers by name – not their role, their name. Several described their Relationship Manager as the reason they moved to Kraken from another exchange, or the reason they felt safe on an exchange after a difficult experience elsewhere. One client put it simply: ‘Personal contact in an age of digital bots.’

What’s coming

The pipeline for the rest of the year is substantial. A VIP wine retreat for select clients. F1 hospitality throughout the season. Wimbledon Tennis. A behind-the-scenes day with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team, designed specifically for VIPs who want to bring their children. Regional community dinners closer to home for clients who haven’t been able to join us at major events yet. Conferences and industry events. And loads more. 

On the product side: VIP yield opportunities with better rates and more flexibility are in development, and the VIP Portal in Kraken Pro is getting meaningful upgrades, including Relationship Manager verification in-app. We’re also building a private VIP community space where clients can connect with each other and with the Kraken team directly.

More on all of this in the next edition.

Want to know more?

If you’re not yet part of Kraken VIP and want to understand what the program involves, or whether you might qualify, reach out. We’re always happy to have the conversation.

And if you’re already a VIP client: thank you. Every piece of feedback, every event, every session you book helps us build something better. This digest exists because you asked for more transparency about the program. We hope it delivers.

Trading derivatives and other financial instruments, including leveraged financial instruments, involves significant risks and is not appropriate for all investors. See our Risk Disclosure to learn more.

Trading on margin involves significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. You could lose more than your initial investment. Spot margin trading products are offered by Payward Trading Ltd, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Product availability may vary by jurisdiction. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved before trading. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

xStocks are issued by Backed Assets (JE) Limited (a Jersey private limited company) and offered to eligible Kraken customers via Payward Digital Solutions Ltd. (“PDSL”), a company licensed to conduct digital asset business by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. xStocks are not nor will be registered with any local securities regulators. PDSL (Kraken) does not provide investment advice and/or recommendations, and, no communication, through any Kraken App or website or otherwise, should be construed as such. Individual investors should make their own decisions or seek professional independent advice if they are unsure as to the suitability / appropriateness of any investment for their circumstances or needs, including potential tax treatment. Investing in xStocks involves an element of risk. The value of an investment may go down as well as up, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Not available in the U.S. or to U.S. persons. Geo restrictions apply. Read Kraken’s xStocks Risk Disclosure at kraken.com/legal/xstocks as well as the Base Prospectus and related Final Terms for xStocks at https://assets.backed.fi/legal-documentation to learn more.