Sliced market orders explained

Last updated: July 13, 2026

Sliced market orders are a built-in slippage protection for eligible US margin markets (BTNL pairs). They help large market orders get a better average price by breaking them into smaller pieces instead of filling everything at once.

There is nothing to turn on or set up. This behavior applies automatically to eligible market orders.

What is slippage?

Slippage is the difference between the price you expect when you place a market order and the price you actually pay or receive. On a large order, the first part may fill at an expected price, but subsequent parts can fill at worse prices as your order moves through the order book.

How do sliced market orders work?

When you place a market order that would fill more than 3% away from the best available price, Kraken automatically protects the order from excessive slippage:

  • The order is filled in smaller slices over a short period of time, rather than sweeping the whole order book at once.

  • If the order is not fully filled after the cycles complete, the remaining amount is executed as a regular market order to complete your trade.

This helps you avoid an unnecessarily poor average fill price while still ensuring your order is filled. There is no guarantee that your order will receive a better price.

Can I see the order while it is working?

Yes. While a sliced market order is being filled, it appears in your Open orders tab. You can cancel the order before it completes if you wish to end it.

Do I need to do anything differently?

No. You place a market order exactly as you normally would. If your order qualifies for slippage protection, the slicing happens automatically in the background.

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