Kraken launches AI investing app as crypto platforms automate

Kraken is redesigning its mobile app to include an AI-driven financial assistant that recommends trades and builds portfolios based on users' specific financial goals. The platform will allow customers to input objectives like saving for a home or retirement, generating tailored investment strategies rather than requiring them to navigate complex trading interfaces.

The exchange's new "financial intelligence" system continuously monitors markets to identify opportunities and suggest specific trades. However, the technology stops short of autonomous execution. Every recommendation requires explicit user approval before a transaction is placed, framing the tool as a decision-support mechanism rather than a hands-off trading bot.

This shift lowers the barrier to entry for sophisticated market participation, attempting to capture retail wealth that has previously avoided cryptocurrency due to steep learning curves. Kraken chief data officer Kamo Asatryan noted that "[t]here's an opportunity for everyday people to become high-frequency traders and do so using plain English." The system relies on a user's risk tolerance, funding preferences and financial profile to generate a suggested portfolio, providing personalized updates once invested.

Kraken's rollout is part of a rapid industry-wide integration of AI agents into digital asset infrastructure. Rival exchange OKX launched a beta marketplace in June where AI agents transact autonomously and build blockchain-based reputations. These platforms are betting that conversational interfaces will drive higher trading volumes, with Coinbase introducing a protocol the same month allowing AI agents to execute trades on users' behalf.

This pivot is already showing signs of commercial traction. Chainalysis reported last month that agentic payment activity on Coinbase's Base network exceeded 100 million transactions. While overall transaction growth has stabilized, the data firm found that higher-value transfers are becoming more frequent, indicating that AI-driven crypto payments are maturing beyond early-stage micropayments.

Traditional fintech firms are adopting a similar approach to capture this momentum. Revolut upgraded its Revolut X exchange on Friday to let customers connect external AI assistants—such as Claude, Gemini, Cursor and OpenClaw—to analyze markets and backtest strategies via natural language. Like Kraken, Revolut requires manual approval for all AI-generated orders, suggesting the industry is standardizing around a human-in-the-loop model to mitigate risk while leveraging artificial intelligence.