How to trade on Kraken Futures
Use this guide to connect your Kraken Futures account to Cryptowatch. Learn how to connect, find markets, and trade on Kraken Futures via Cryptowatch.
If you have accounts on multiple exchanges, you can connect and manage them all on Cryptowatch.
You can connect your exchange accounts by generating API keys on the exchange site, then plugging those keys into Cryptowatch’s Exchange Keys page. See this article for some tips on API key security, if you haven’t already.
Cryptowatch offers a variety of tools that can enhance your trading on Kraken Futures:
To use Kraken Futures, you must have a Kraken account that is verified to the Intermediate or Pro level. Kraken Futures is also unavailable in some countries (including the USA), so make sure to check your eligibility first.
In Cryptowatch, click the profile icon in the top-right corner, then select Exchange Keys from the menu:
Find the Exchange Keys link in your Account menu, in the top-right of any Cryptowatch page
The Exchange Keys page is where you can plug in API keys from trading- and portfolio-enabled exchanges into Cryptowatch:
The Exchange Keys page is used to connect your exchange accounts to Cryptowatch.
Cryptowatch connects to your exchange accounts using the public and private keys generated by the exchange. API keys generally come in pairs — one public key, and one private (like a crypto wallet). As you will see soon, these keys can be set up to allow or disallow different actions.
You can click on the Generate Key Here button in the Kraken Futures box to open the Kraken Futures API Keys page automatically in a new tab. Enter your Kraken Futures credentials on the login screen to begin creating a new API key.
Alternatively, open Kraken Futures in a new tab, then click the gear icon in the navigation bar on the left side of the screen to open the Settings page. Next, Click API Keys from the sub menu. This will open the API management page:
This is the page where we can generate API keys, which we’ll use to connect a Kraken Futures account to Cryptowatch. This area is also where we choose what our new API key is allowed to access. To be able to trade on Kraken Futures through the Cryptowatch terminal, select the following options:
- General API: Full Access
- Withdrawal API: No Access
We strongly recommend against permitting deposit and withdrawal actions to the API key. These actions cannot be performed on Cryptowatch and expose you to unnecessary risk.
Click Create Key.
A window containing your new public and private API keys will pop up.
Do not save or “back up” your API keys. If you need to reconnect Cryptowatch to an exchange for any reason, delete the old key and generate a new one from the exchange.
If the key generates successfully you will see a page like the one below. If there was an issue, you will need to start over by generating a new key. The strings of letters, numbers and symbols are your Public and Private keys.
Copy the Public key (the first key) by clicking the
Copy to Clipboard icon to the right of its field. A popup in the bottom right of the screen will confirm a successful copy. Go back to your Cryptowat.ch tab, which should be opened to the Exchange Keys page.Paste your Public key into the top field of the Kraken Futures box on the Exchange Keys page. The field is labeled “API Key”.
Return to your Kraken Futures tab and copy the Private key (the second key) by clicking the next
Copy to Clipboard icon. Paste the Private key in the second field back on the Cryptowat.ch Exchange Keys page labeled “API Secret”. Cryptowatch will automatically connect to your Kraken Futures account once the second key is entered.A successful connection will change the box’s color and hide the key information, like below.
If you received an Invalid Key, Unprivileged Key, Key Not Exclusive, or Unhandled error, visit the How to connect exchange accounts article for troubleshooting tips.
Success! Now you can place and cancel orders and manage your Kraken Futures portfolio on Cryptowatch. If you’re new to Cryptowatch, try following the Onboarding guide to get acquainted with the interface.
Now you can use Cryptowatch to trade on Kraken Futures markets!
A good way to get started is to visit the Markets page, then filter the list by exchange. Click the Exchanges drop-down list on the left and select Kraken Futures. Alternatively, type “Kraken Futures” in the search bar to narrow the exchange list down.
Now you will only see Kraken Futures markets listed. If you want to view markets for a specific asset, use the Asset’s drop-down list to filter the results even further. Clicking any market here will open that market in the trading terminal.
You can select multiple assets on the Markets page to quickly compare markets.
Kraken traders can use Cryptowatch’s advanced charts to trade and perform technical analysis as well as track their funds alongside any other exchange accounts on the Portfolio page.
Check out these articles to learn more about trading and analysis on the Charts page:
These articles demonstrate the Portfolio page:
Cryptowatch’s alerts function is a favorite among traders as well. Check out these articles to learn how to set alerts for price, volume, and order fills: