Kraken Targets $500M Mega-Raise at $15B Valuation – IPO Rumors Intensify
Crypto heavyweight Kraken is reportedly gearing up for a blockbuster $500 million funding round—pegging its valuation at a staggering $15 billion. The move signals serious IPO ambitions as the exchange positions itself as Wall Street's next crypto darling.
Market movers take note: This isn't just another funding round. That $15 billion tag would make Kraken one of the most valuable private crypto firms globally—if they can convince investors to ignore the sector's notorious volatility.
Behind the numbers: The raise comes as exchanges face mounting regulatory scrutiny. Kraken's playing the long game—bulking up its war chest before either going public or acquiring smaller rivals. Because in crypto, it's always eat or be eaten.
Wall Street's watching: Traditional finance still can't decide if crypto exchanges are revolutionary platforms or overgrown gambling dens. But $15 billion valuations have a way of making skeptics suddenly 'see the potential.'
Crypto heads to Wall Street
Rajiv Sawhney, Head of International Portfolio Management at Wave Digital Assets International, believes that 2025’s much more pro-crypto regulatory environment in the U.S. is prompting established names like Kraken to pursue public listings.
The analyst pointed out that many of the companies now seeking IPOs were originally funded between 2016 and 2018, but faced limited exit opportunities during the tenure of former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler, when numerous top crypto firms were entangled in regulatory lawsuits.
“Now, under the new TRUMP administration, these OG companies—which are generally profitable and have found product-market fit—are looking to access public markets to fuel their next phase of growth and finally allow early investors to exit,” said Sawhney.
