Compare
DY dYdX VS KR Kraken
These two exchanges don't share an obvious product overlap. Differences below come from our individual reviews of dYdX and Kraken.
| dYdX | Kraken | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 (dYdX Chain v4 launched October 2023) | 2011 |
| Regions | Blocked for US, Canadian, UK, and sanctioned-territory persons at the protocol's terms-of-use level on the main front end; open-source front ends and direct chain access mean geographic enforcement is a terms-of-use matter rather than a technical one: read the restrictions before connecting a wallet. | Available in most regions; futures product restricted in some jurisdictions including parts of the US: verify local availability before signing up. |
| Products | Perpetual futures (primary product), Spot (newer, limited rollout) | Spot, Margin, Perpetual futures, Dated futures |
| Maker fee | Not yet verified | Verify current tier: Kraken uses a volume-based maker/taker schedule |
| Taker fee | Not yet verified | Verify current tier: Kraken uses a volume-based maker/taker schedule |
dYdX pros
- Fully non-custodial: funds sit in your own wallet and on-chain margin account, never in a company-controlled hot or cold wallet
- Fully open source, including the validator software, indexer, and web/iOS/Android front ends, so no single company operates the exchange once it's running
- Deep specialization in perpetual futures with an order book and matching engine built specifically for that product, rather than derivatives bolted onto a spot exchange
- Governance and fee schedule are transparent and on-chain, set by DYDX token-holder votes rather than a private company's internal decisions
Kraken pros
- Long operating history and a conservative security/regulatory posture relative to peers
- Separate, purpose-built futures product rather than a bolted-on feature
- Wide fiat on-ramp support in supported regions
This table is generated from the same data behind our individual exchange reviews. See methodology for how it's put together. Fee figures marked "not yet verified" need confirming against live terms before this page is treated as launch-ready.