Deutsche Börse Group and Kraken have announced a strategic partnership to boost institutional cryptocurrency adoption in Europe. The collaboration combines regulated infrastructure with crypto expertise to bridge traditional and digital markets. This move signals Europe's intent to rival Wall Street in digital assets.
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, Deutsche Börse Group (DBG) and the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken revealed a partnership aimed at accelerating institutional crypto adoption across the Eurozone. The alliance leverages DBG's established regulated infrastructure, including its derivatives clearing arm Eurex and custody service Clearstream—which manages over $23 trillion in assets—with Kraken's cryptocurrency expertise and U.S. market access. Together, they plan to build a full-stack bridge to handle institutional flows between traditional finance and digital assets.
Gurpreet Oberoi, Kraken's Head of Institutional, emphasized the significance of the deal. “This partnership is the clearest signal yet that institutional adoption is accelerating, and that Europe intends to compete on equal footing with Wall Street as this transformation moves from millions to billions,” he told CoinDesk. Oberoi added, “Institutions across Europe aren’t just experimenting with digital assets anymore, they’re building real strategies, and they need infrastructure that matches the scale of their ambitions.”
The partnership comes amid rapid developments in the U.S., where the Trump Administration's GENIUS Act has provided a federal framework for stablecoins, prompting firms like BlackRock, Bank of America, JPMorgan, and Fidelity to launch Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as key revenue sources.
Europe is responding aggressively. DBG, a cornerstone of the region's financial infrastructure, signed a memorandum of understanding with Circle Internet Group in September 2025 to integrate regulated stablecoins. More recently, on November 18, 2025, it partnered with Societe Generale-FORGE to incorporate euro and dollar stablecoins into major European market systems. This latest tie-up with Kraken underscores Europe's commitment to challenging U.S. dominance in digital capital markets, fostering growth in regulated crypto services for institutions.