Kraken announced the closing of the Coin Meester B.V. (BCM) acquisition, which is said to be a key element in their European growth strategy.
With the acquisition of BCM, one of the Netherlands’ oldest registered crypto brokers, Kraken have expanded their Dutch footprint and enhanced their business with a registered Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in France as well as Poland.
Over the past two years, Kraken have accelerated their “expansion in Europe ahead of the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).”
They are now able to offer VASP services “directly or through a partnership in Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, France and Poland.”
The European market is highly fragmented and :rising costs combined with growing competition are expected to drive consolidation in the years ahead.”
Kraken plan to grow their market share “by leveraging its global scale and best-in-class product suite.”
Brian Gahan, Kraken Managing Director Europe:
“The completion of the BCM acquisition is a key milestone in our European expansion, allowing us to leverage our strong footprint and market-leading position in euro volume and liquidity to significantly grow our market share in the years ahead.”
As noted in the update:
“We are one of the very few in Europe that can combine global scale with a compliant offering and a superior client experience. Our clients stand to benefit as we empower them with the premium trading and investing experiences needed to unlock crypto’s full potential.”
Over the next few months, BCM clients will start to “benefit from our extensive product offering, with clients gaining access to more than 200 digital assets, liquidity, superior security standards and 24/7/365 live, local-language client support.”
In recent years, Kraken has “strengthened its core product offering and expanded its product suite, in line with its strategy to become the bridge to the most exciting areas of crypto. Kraken clients benefit from the Kraken Pro trading interface for advanced traders and a new consumer web user experience.”
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BCM is registered as “a Virtual Asset Service Provider in the Netherlands, France and Poland.”
Kraken offers services into Belgium from its “registered Virtual Asset Service Provider in Ireland.”