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Kraken API

by Payward, Inc. (Kraken) · API service · also known as Kraken REST API, Kraken WebSocket API, Kraken Pro API

REST, WebSocket and FIX interfaces to the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange for market data, spot and derivatives trading and account management

ProprietaryFreeUsage-basedCloud
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Link verified Nov 2, 2026

Overview

The Kraken API is the developer interface of the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange operated by Payward. It provides public endpoints for order books, trades, OHLC candles and asset pairs, and authenticated endpoints for balances, order placement, ledgers, funding and staking. Spot trading is served over REST and WebSocket, derivatives through a separate futures API, and FIX is offered for institutional connectivity. Private calls are signed with an API key and HMAC signature over a nonce, and permissions are scoped per key. Kraken publishes an open-source command-line client and lists community libraries for Python and Node.js. Market-data endpoints are free to call within rate limits; trading incurs exchange fees. Rate limits are tiered by account, and the API's crypto-only scope means equities or traditional assets need another venue.

Capabilities

  • Public market data: order book, trades, OHLC and ticker
  • Authenticated spot order management and account ledgers
  • WebSocket streams for real-time quotes and private order updates
  • Futures API for derivatives trading
  • FIX connectivity for institutions
  • Kraken CLI with paper trading against live data

Typical workflows

  1. Stream order-book updates over WebSocket into a research database
  2. Automate spot orders from a signed REST client

Strengths

  • Public market data without an account
  • Multiple transports: REST, WebSocket, FIX
  • Official CLI and documented signing scheme

Limitations

  • Crypto assets only
  • Tiered rate limits require careful client design
  • Regional availability of products varies

Prerequisites

  • Kraken account and API key for private endpoints

Who it is for

  • Crypto traders and market makers
  • Researchers collecting crypto microstructure data

Alternatives & comparison

Alpaca and Interactive Brokers are regulated securities brokers whose APIs cover equities and options (and, for Alpaca, crypto); Kraken is a crypto exchange with exchange-native market data rather than consolidated securities feeds.

  • Alpaca

    API-first US brokerage offering a Trading API, Market Data API and Broker API for stocks, ETFs, options and crypto, with paper trading

    MixedFreemium
  • Etherscan

    Ethereum block explorer and multichain REST API exposing balances, transactions, token transfers, verified contract source, logs and gas data

    ProprietaryFreemium
  • Interactive Brokers API

    Programmatic trading and market-data access to Interactive Brokers accounts through the TWS API, the REST-based Web API and FIX

    ProprietaryUsage-based
Compare Kraken API with its alternatives →

Sources & verification

Primary sources consulted for this record. Claims are tied to the fields each source supports; the automated link checker re-verifies every URL on a schedule.

  • Official documentation
    Kraken developer documentation

    https://docs.kraken.com/

    Supports: capabilities, interfaces, integrations

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Official site
    Kraken Pro Trading API

    https://www.kraken.com/pro/trading-api

    Supports: name, summary

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Pricing page
    Kraken fee schedule

    https://www.kraken.com/features/fee-schedule

    Supports: pricing_model

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Repository
    krakenfx/kraken-cli

    https://github.com/krakenfx/kraken-cli

    Supports: capabilities

    checked Nov 1, 2026
Confidence
High
Reviewed
Nov 1, 2026
Links
Verified · Nov 2, 2026

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