Coinbase vs Kraken: what their terms and the registers say
Coinbase vs Kraken: what differs?
From their own documents and the registers, Coinbase and Kraken differ on licences found in a register (1 against 2), proof of reserves and the contracting company and its law. No winner is declared: which difference counts depends on how you use the exchange. 3 differences are explained below with who each one matters to.
Documents last checked Reviewed by CryptoGuardz Register Desk, editorial desk
Disclosure: CryptoGuardz has no commercial relationship with Coinbase or Kraken and earns nothing if you open an account at either. Every cell below is a field from one of the two register records, each built from documents the company publishes and the registers that should list it, dated when read. Corrections go to the corrections page.
Coinbase and Kraken side by side
| Field | Coinbase | Kraken |
|---|---|---|
| Company in the terms | Coinbase, Inc.Jurisdiction: not disclosed | Payward Trading LtdBritish Virgin Islands |
| Licences found in a register | 1 found in a register (CSSF)Held by Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. | 2 found in a register (CBI)Held by Payward Europe Solutions Limited; Payward Global Solutions Limited |
| Licences claimed, not confirmed | 0 | 0 |
| Freeze clause | Discretionary freeze, no notice required | Discretionary freeze, no notice required |
| Withdrawal suspension clause | Quoted on the entry | Quoted on the entry |
| Insolvency clause | Present | Present |
| Proof of reserves | No data: page could not be loaded | Published, signer not named |
| Gambling clause | Restricts some gambling | Restricts some gambling |
| Incidents on record | 0None found in primary sources; not proof of none | 0None found in primary sources; not proof of none |
| Points not verified | 3 | 3 |
| Terms read | coinbase.comRetrieved 2026-09-28 | kraken.comRetrieved 2026-09-28 |
What differs, and who it matters to
This comparison reads two records and declares no winner. Both were last reviewed on 2026-09-28. On licences, Coinbase: 1 found in a register (CSSF); Kraken: 2 found in a register (CBI). That matters to anyone who may need a regulator to complain to, and only if the licence covers the company they contract with. On proof of reserves, Coinbase: no data: page could not be loaded; Kraken: published, signer not named. Coinbase contracts through Coinbase, Inc. and Kraken through Payward Trading Ltd, under different law, which matters to anyone who may need to bring a claim. The two records agree on freeze clause scope, gambling clause, insolvency clause and incident count. 3 points could not be verified for Coinbase and 3 for Kraken. No account was funded and no withdrawal was run on either, so none of this speaks to how the platforms perform. Each field links back to the full entry, where the clause behind it is quoted with its date.