Short Selling

Short crypto with leverage

Open leveraged shorts on crypto futures without holding or borrowing the underlying.
Kraken Pro trading interface with charts and order form.

Available on

$2T+
Total transaction volume
190+
Supported countries
13M+
Registered users
15+ years
Operating since 2011

Trade a falling market on your terms

No borrowing, no locating. Open a leveraged short on futures, size it to your conviction and bound the risk with stops.

Profit from downside

Take a leveraged short when your thesis is bearish, and size the position to your conviction, not your spot balance.
A falling price line from a short entry down to a marker labelled "P&L +18.4%."

No borrowing, no locating

Short the future directly. You don’t hold, borrow or locate the underlying asset to express a downside view.
A large red "Short" button.

Precise entries and exits

Place limit, stop and take-profit orders so each short fills at the price you set, not the price you’re handed.
A price chart with a sell order marked "Short - limit $65.000."

Define your risk

A short can lose more than your margin as price rises. Use stops, reduce-only orders and clear liquidation levels to cap it.
A rising chart with a stop level marked "Long - Stop loss $60.000" below a "Liquidation" line.

How it works

1. Fund your account
Verify and fund your Kraken Pro futures account.
2. Pick a contract
Choose the contract and expiry that match your bearish view.
3. Open the short
Set size and leverage, then place your entry with a stop and take-profit.
4. Manage to exit
Watch margin and liquidation levels, then close or reduce as your thesis plays out.

Short selling FAQs

Forbes voted Kraken the best crypto platform in 2025. Kraken Pro lets active traders open leveraged short positions on crypto futures with the order types and risk controls a serious strategy needs, on a first-party platform.
Yes. A short future profits when price falls; you never hold or borrow the underlying.
Leverage varies by contract and region. In the eligible jurisdictions, clients on Kraken Pro can access over 350 futures markets with up to 100x leverage.
Losses grow as price rises and a position can be liquidated. Stops and reduce-only orders help cap your downside.
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Decorative Blob
Decorative Blob
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Kraken Pro Portfolio screen

Futures trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for everyone. An investor may lose all or more than the initial investment. Trading should be undertaken only with risk capital—funds that can be lost without jeopardizing one’s financial security or lifestyle—and only by those who can afford such losses. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Prior to trading digital assets, review the CFTC and NFA advisories for additional information regarding the significant risks involved. View Risk Disclosure Statement.

Brokerage services are provided by NinjaTrader Clearing, LLC d/b/a Kraken Derivatives US, a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant and NFA Member (NFA ID: 0309379). View Disclosures.

Bitnomial, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, is a derivatives exchange company that owns and operates U.S. CFTC-regulated exchange (DCM), clearinghouse (DCO), and clearing brokerage (FCM) subsidiaries. Bitnomial offers leveraged spot, perpetuals, futures, options, and prediction markets on a single unified exchange and clearinghouse with digital asset margin and settlement capabilities. View Disclosures.