Kraken is one of the OG cryptocurrency exchanges, founded in 2011 by Jesse Powell in San Francisco after he got inspired by the Mt. Gox hack and decided to build a more secure alternative. It officially launched trading in 2013, becoming a go-to spot for buying, selling, and trading over 200 cryptos with features like spot trading, futures, margin, staking rewards up to 22% APR, and even tokenized stocks for non-US users. Today, under CEO David Ripley, it serves millions in 190+ countries with top-tier security, proof of reserves audits, and tools for beginners to pros, all while boasting over $550 billion in transaction volume without the usual crypto drama.
Kraken made waves in 2022 when founder Jesse Powell called out the woke workplace nonsense, debating pronouns and offering generous buyouts to employees who couldn't handle the company's libertarian vibe, basically saying "if not having diversity training triggers you, here's the door." No DEI mandates, no Pride parades on their feeds, no BLM donations or racial equity rants spotted, just a focus on crypto freedom over corporate guilt trips.
