TL;DR
- Kraken is running the Bitcoin Trading Challenge, a one-month BTC perp trading competition with a prize pool of 1 BTC, paid in Bitcoin rather than a fiat equivalent.
- The competition runs from August 19 to September 19, 2026 and is open to eligible clients outside the EEA, US, UK, Australia and Canada.
- Traders are ranked by realized PnL on closed BTC perp positions, so placement reflects trading performance rather than account size.
- Up to 600 places share the pool, with 0.15 BTC going to first place and a $25 realized PnL minimum to qualify.
Most Bitcoin trading competitions pay out in something other than Bitcoin. You trade the asset, and the prize arrives as a stablecoin balance, a voucher or a piece of hardware.
We wanted to run it the other way around. From August 19 to September 19, 2026, the Bitcoin Trading Challenge puts 1 BTC on the table across a single BTC perp leaderboard, and every payout is settled in the asset you traded to earn it. You must enroll in the challenge first for your BTC perp trading to be included in the contest.
How does the Bitcoin Trading Challenge work?
One asset. One leaderboard. One month.
The competition covers BTC perp only, our perpetual futures contract on Bitcoin, with no basket of pairs to spread your attention across and no separate tracks to keep score of. You go long or short, you close positions, and where you land depends on what those closed trades actually returned.
The full pool is fixed at 1 BTC and locked at launch. It does not scale up or down with participation, and it is settled in BTC.
How are participants ranked?
Ranking is decided by realized PnL, calculated on closed positions only. Open positions do not count toward your standing, so an unclosed paper gain will not move you up the board.
The board stays live. Bitcoin moves, and rankings move with it. A position closed in the final week counts exactly as much as one closed on day one.
To qualify for a payout, a trader needs a minimum of $25 in realized PnL over the competition window.
How is the prize pool split?
| Rank | Winners | Payout each (BTC) |
| 1st | 1 | 0.15 |
| 2nd | 1 | 0.08 |
| 3rd | 1 | 0.05 |
| 4th to 10th | 7 | 0.025 |
| 11th to 25th | 15 | 0.01 |
| 26th to 50th | 25 | 0.004 |
| 51st to 600th | up to 550 | 0.295 shared portion |
| Total | up to 600 | 1 BTC |
The tail matters here. Ranks 51 to 600 share 29.5% of the pool between them, which means a top-600 finish is a real payout rather than a participation badge.
To be clear on the headline: the pool is 1 BTC in total, shared across up to 600 places. First place takes 0.15 BTC.
How do I take part?
- First, enroll in the Bitcoin Trading Challenge
- Already trading Kraken Futures? Your account is ready. Trade BTC perp during the competition window and you are on the board.
- Trading spot or margin on Kraken today? Same account, same wallet. Enabling futures takes one step, and from there you can go long or short BTC perp.
- New to Kraken? Create an account, complete verification, fund it and enable futures trading.
Eligibility and terms
The Bitcoin Trading Challenge is open to eligible clients in supported jurisdictions outside the EEA, US, UK, Australia and Canada. Eligibility, qualifying trade requirements and payout timing are set out in the full competition terms.
Trading with leverage carries risk, including the risk of losing more than your initial margin. Only trade with funds you can afford to lose, and size positions with that in mind.
Terms and conditions apply
Payward Digital Solutions Ltd. is licensed to conduct digital asset business by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Trading futures, derivatives and other instruments using leverage involves an element of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. Read Kraken Derivatives’ risk disclosure to learn more.