Kraken has launched BTC and ETH options for eligible traders in the European Economic Area, with a margin setup that differs from paying an option's premium upfront.
In today's announcement, Kraken says the contracts use futures-style margining: the premium isn't paid upfront, and profit or loss is marked to market against collateral. Options share that collateral with futures in the same Derivatives account. Portfolio margin is on by default, so offsetting positions can reduce the margin required.
That makes the combined portfolio important. An option can change the margin needed for other exposure, while its losses can draw on the shared collateral. A lower margin requirement isn't a cap on losses; Kraken warns that losses on sold options can exceed posted margin and may be unlimited.
The BTC and ETH contracts are European-style and cash-settled in USD. Trading uses a request for quote: submit a trade of up to five legs, review the time-limited quotes, then accept or pass. Acceptance is binding. Access requires an appropriateness assessment and is limited to eligible EEA clients.
One distinction survives the shared account: the options have no funding payments, but perpetual futures held alongside them still do.
Source: Kraken, October 26, 2026.
https://blog.kraken.com/product/kraken-derivatives/options-now-available-in-the-eea
#BTC #ETH #Options
In today's announcement, Kraken says the contracts use futures-style margining: the premium isn't paid upfront, and profit or loss is marked to market against collateral. Options share that collateral with futures in the same Derivatives account. Portfolio margin is on by default, so offsetting positions can reduce the margin required.
That makes the combined portfolio important. An option can change the margin needed for other exposure, while its losses can draw on the shared collateral. A lower margin requirement isn't a cap on losses; Kraken warns that losses on sold options can exceed posted margin and may be unlimited.
The BTC and ETH contracts are European-style and cash-settled in USD. Trading uses a request for quote: submit a trade of up to five legs, review the time-limited quotes, then accept or pass. Acceptance is binding. Access requires an appropriateness assessment and is limited to eligible EEA clients.
One distinction survives the shared account: the options have no funding payments, but perpetual futures held alongside them still do.
Source: Kraken, October 26, 2026.
https://blog.kraken.com/product/kraken-derivatives/options-now-available-in-the-eea
#BTC #ETH #Options
