News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
Kraken rolls out Mastercard crypto debit card in UK and Europe
The exchange's new card lets users spend from over 600 crypto and cash balances at 150 million merchants, with up to 2% cash back in Bitcoin. Kraken just made it possible to buy your morning coffee with Dogecoin. Whether that's progress or a sign of the end times depends on your perspective, but the exchange officially launched the Kraken Card on July 13, a Mastercard-enabled debit card available to verified users across the UK and European Economic Area. The card supports spending from more than 600 crypto and cash balances held on Kraken's platform, with near real-time conversion at the point of sale. It works at over 150 million merchants worldwide. No monthly fees, no forex fees, and cash-back rewards of up to 2% paid in Bitcoin, euros, or pounds sterling. From exchange to neobank This launch has been a slow build. Kraken first announced its partnership with Mastercard back in April 2025, laying the groundwork for crypto-linked payment products. The initial rollout came in November 2025 with a more modest 1% cash-back structure tied to Kraken's peer-to-peer payment features. The July 2026 version is the full package. Both physical and virtual card options are available, issued through Monavate, an FCA-authorized provider. In English: instead of selling your Bitcoin on an exchange, withdrawing to a bank account, waiting two days, and then spending those funds, you just tap the card and Kraken handles the conversion instantly. The bigger picture: crypto meets traditional finance Competitors have been circling this space too. Coinbase has had its own Visa-linked card for years. Crypto.com built an entire brand identity around its metal cards. But Kraken's version stands out in a couple of ways: the sheer breadth of supported assets (600-plus is significantly more than most competitors offer) and the 2% cash-back tier, which is competitive with many traditional rewards cards, not just crypto ones. The geographic focus is also notable. By targeting the UK and EEA specifically, Kraken is leaning into markets where crypto regulation has become increasingly clear under frameworks like MiCA in the EU. What this means for investors The cash-back structure is worth watching closely. Offering up to 2% back in Bitcoin creates a passive accumulation mechanism for users who might not otherwise buy Bitcoin directly. The risk side is straightforward. Tax reporting on crypto-to-fiat conversions at point of sale remains a headache in many jurisdictions, and users will need to understand that every coffee purchase could technically be a taxable event depending on local rules. Kraken's partnership with FCA-authorized Monavate helps on the compliance front, but tax treatment ultimately sits with the user.
Kraken leads with $400M in spot liquidity across MiCA exchanges
DefiLlama's new compliance dashboard shows Kraken pulling ahead of Coinbase and rivals as Europe's crypto regulation fully kicks in Kraken is sitting on roughly $400 million in spot liquidity across MiCA-licensed exchanges, making it the clear frontrunner in Europe's newly regulated crypto marketplace. The exchange also holds about $207 million in perpetual liquidity, putting meaningful distance between itself and every other compliant competitor on the continent. The numbers come from DefiLlama's freshly launched MiCA compliance dashboard, which went live on July 1, 2026. That date coincides with the full enforcement of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation for crypto asset service providers across the European Union. The liquidity leaderboard takes shape The exchange's $399.71 million in spot liquidity dwarfs its nearest competitor. Coinbase, the second-place finisher, reports approximately $305 million in spot liquidity and $167 million in perpetuals. That's a roughly $95 million gap in spot alone. From there, the drop-off gets steep. Crypto.com trails with around $131 million in spot liquidity. Bitstamp, one of Europe's legacy exchanges, comes in at roughly $55 million. And OKX sits near the bottom with about $12 million in spot liquidity and lower or no perpetual liquidity to speak of. Kraken's platform currently supports trading across 1,704 markets, covering both spot and perpetual products. Why MiCA changes the game The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation represents the EU's attempt to build a single, unified licensing framework for crypto service providers. One license, one set of rules, access to all 27 member states. Kraken moved early. The exchange secured its MiCA authorization from the Central Bank of Ireland back in June 2025, a full year before the regulation's enforcement deadline for crypto asset service providers. That head start gave Kraken time to build out its European operations, including spot, futures, and derivatives offerings, while competitors were still working through the licensing process. DefiLlama's MiCA compliance dashboard lets users compare exchanges on liquidity, compliance status, and transaction fees, all in one place. What this means for investors Coinbase, sitting in second place with $305 million in spot liquidity, remains a formidable competitor. But the $95 million gap to Kraken is significant enough to influence where large orders get routed. Smaller MiCA-licensed platforms like OKX, with just $12 million in spot liquidity, face a difficult question: can they grow fast enough to remain viable, or will they become acquisition targets for larger players looking to expand their European footprint?
