Kraken or Lightyear – which is better for UK traders 2024? Compare Kraken and Lightyear in this detailed breakdown of their platforms, features and fees.
Kraken is a leading cryptocurrency exchange with a proprietary trading terminal and a list of 220+ tradeable crypto tokens. Up to 1:5 leverage is available with stable rollover fees on spot crypto trading and up to 1:50 on futures. The exchange also supports crypto staking and has an interactive NFT marketplace.
Lightyear is a trading app that offers multi-currency investing with low-commission US, EU and UK stocks, no commission on ETF trades, and the chance to earn high interest on uninvested USD, GBP and EUR. The firm launched in 2015 and UK retail traders will be registered under the Lightyear Financial Ltd entity. This company is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), license number 955739. Capital at risk
Capital at risk
Pros
Very good security track record with no hacks in a decade since launch
Excellent range of 220+ more established cryptocurrencies
NFT marketplace and crypto staking available
Great trading platform and mobile app
Low exchange fees on Kraken Pro
50x leverage on futures trading
Low minimum deposit of $10
3D secure required
Mobile investing
Crypto staking
Lightyear offers a user-friendly trading app with thousands of global equities
The investing app has been featured in the Financial Times & CNBC
Low-cost trading with no hidden fees or inactivity penalties
Traders can earn interest on uninvested cash
Low starting deposit of just $1 for new investors
Cons
Slow verification process on Pro account
Does not support many newer altcoins
Low leverage on spot trading
Does not accept fiat deposits
Slow verification times
Platform features are basic and won't meet the needs of seasoned traders
Limited range of instruments with no forex trading
Kraken Futures is integrated in other platforms which have bots: Bookmap, Caspian, FMZ Quant, Gunbot, HaasOnline, Hyndor, Margin
Copy Trading
No
No
Social Trading
No
No
VPS Hosting
No
No
Tournaments
No
No
Demo Competitions
No
No
Ethical Investing
No
No
Custodial Account
No
No
Guaranteed Stop Loss
No
No
Islamic Account
No
No
Account Currencies
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
JPY
CHF
USD
EUR
GBP
Cryptocurrency
Kraken is a specialized crypto exchange and supports more than 220 cryptocurrencies. These include all of the established tokens like Bitcoin as well as some altcoins. Traders can make trades on spot crypto markets with up to 1:5 leverage or on futures with up to 1:50. Fees are low and the platform is super easy to pick up.