SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 12, 2026, 14:14 PST
- Kraken is matching 3% on fresh cash or crypto deposits until March 9, 2026, but the total reward tops out at $30,000.
- The bonus hinges on “net deposits”—that’s deposits less withdrawals—and you’ll need to keep the funds in place for 18 months if you want to sidestep any clawbacks.
- Some regions—like the UK and Australia—aren’t part of the promotion.
Kraken is rolling out a “February Deposit Match” promo, giving users a 3% match on fresh cash and crypto deposits until March 9, 2026. The bonus tops out at $30,000 per account. Benzinga
Exchanges are turning up the heat on incentives, aiming to draw in deposits and hold onto assets on their platforms—assets they can later route into reward products or trading.
Kraken’s sales push is no longer just about crypto. The company’s website touts that eligible U.S. clients now have access to over 11,000 stocks and ETFs—those trades are commission-free on the Kraken app, and can be made right next to digital asset purchases.
Kraken’s support page spells out the rules: “net deposits” means deposits less withdrawals between Feb. 2 and March 9, with a limit—only the first $1 million in net deposits will be matched. The exchange plans to credit the reward within 14 days after the promo wraps up, paying in USDG (or USDC for Canadian users). There’s a catch, though: to hang onto the bonus, users have to maintain their qualifying net deposits until Sept. 9, 2027. Kraken Support
Kraken, in a blog post, states users need to enroll through the Kraken app prior to making deposits—deposits sent in before that step aren’t eligible. Users also have to switch on Auto Earn during the enrollment process, the post says.
According to a Kraken support page, Auto Earn lets users have eligible assets in their account moved straight into Kraken’s rewards programs—staking or other yield products—without extra steps. Kraken notes users can still trade or pull out those assets while they’re in Auto Earn.
But there’s a catch: according to Kraken’s terms, users could lose the reward if their net deposits slip under the threshold at any point in the 18-month hold period. That bonus? Not withdrawable for 18 months, either. Kraken also reserves the right to tweak or cancel the promo, and can claw back rewards without advance warning.
Crypto news outlet 99Bitcoins framed the move as a way to encourage app users to leave their money sitting on the platform, not just shifting it around.
Kraken pays out rewards in most regions using USDG, an Ethereum-based stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, according to the company. Like other stablecoins, USDG isn’t immune to depegging risk, Kraken cautions.
Kraken is in the mix with Coinbase, Binance, and Robinhood, all touting rewards and sign-up perks to attract retail users. The company hasn’t disclosed projected costs for its promotion, nor has it said how many people it expects to sign up.
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