Why is my account restricted?

Last updated: Dec 17, 2025

To ensure the security of your Kraken account, and remain compliant with regulatory requirements, we may determine that it’s necessary to restrict certain account services and features.

By using Kraken’s services, you agree that you will maintain the security of your account and notify us immediately of any suspected security issues, you will not share your password or login information with anyone else, and that you take full responsibility for all activities that occur on your account (refer to Section 1 in our Terms of Service).

Kraken reserves the right to restrict account access or disable funding abilities for reasons including, but not limited to:

  1. 1

    Detection of a potential security issue,

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    Suspected malicious activity targeting your account,

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    Withdrawals to crypto wallets associated with prohibited, illegal, or scam-related activity,

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    A reversal of one of your recent transactions by your bank or card issuer,

  5. 5

    Failure to maintain accurate, truthful, and up-to-date information regarding your identity and contact information,

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    Failure to respond to a request for additional information, as required by regulations in the jurisdiction where you reside,

  7. 7

     A violation of our Terms of Service.

Please keep in mind that due to the irreversible nature of cryptocurrency transactions, we are unable to refund or reverse the purchase of digital assets. If we have received notice of a payment reversal from your bank or card issuer, this may impact your ability to complete future orders.

If you’re experiencing issues with signing in to your account, please refer to our Sign-in troubleshooting page. Please refer to our Account Closures page for questions regarding account closure.

If funding has been temporarily suspended for your account, you will be unable to deposit or withdraw assets in either fiat or cryptocurrency until a member of our team has completed a review of your account. During the review process, we may reach out to you via email requesting additional information or documents. We strive to complete all account reviews in a timely manner, so please monitor your inbox and respond to all requests as quickly as possible to help us expedite the review process.

If you’ve received a notice that funding privileges have been suspended for your Kraken account, please take the following actions:

  1. 1

    Ensure that your account is fully verified and meets our eligibility criteria, that you reside in a supported country, and that your transactions do not involve illegal activity or prohibited use of Kraken’s services (as described here).

  2. 2

    Ensure that your 2-factor authentication setup is secure. You may follow the instructions here to set up 2-factor authentication if you have not already done so.

  3. 3

    Check your email inbox and respond to any requests for additional documentation from our support team. Kraken will never call or email you to ask for your login credentials or provide remote access to your devices.

    You can confirm whether an email was sent by us using this guide. but if you’re ever in doubt about whether a particular contact originated from Kraken, it is always best to get in touch with our support team to confirm.

  4. 4

    Reset your password for your Kraken account, review your transaction history, and remove any unrecognized or unused devices associated with your account. Familiarize yourself with common phishing attack indicators and immediately report any suspicious activity on your account using our webform.

  5. 5

    Familiarize yourself with common scams and learn to spot warning signs by reading our guide here. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam or financial crime, please report it to our team here and to relevant authorities.

If you are aware of a chargeback or payment reversal on a recent transaction, please include this information when getting in touch with our Support team. In the case of a negative balance or payment reversal on your account, some funding methods may be temporarily unavailable. You will need to deposit funds via bank wire or crypto to cover the balance of the unpaid purchase, or you may sell crypto assets and convert them to fiat currency. If we receive notice of a returned deposit, our team will be in touch with you via email. We will provide specific instructions to bring your account back into good standing.

Please take the following actions

In order to keep your Kraken account secure, we may ask you to provide additional information to verify your identity. This is in line with our security and compliance standards as a regulated exchange. Verifying your identity helps Kraken prevent account takeovers, impersonation attempts, unauthorized transactions, and fraudulent activity targeting your account. Biometric verification (such as a live face photo) adds an additional layer of protection to ensure that you, and only you, can access your account.

If you receive a notification or email to verify more information about your identity, please take action immediately and follow all in-app prompts to minimize any disruption of account access. In the vast majority of cases, we complete all verification checks within a few minutes. If we do need additional information, we’ll be in touch via email. For instructions and support with verifying your Face Photo, please visit this page.

If you still have questions or need additional support in troubleshooting an account suspension, you may get in touch with our Support team here.

At Kraken, your security is our top priority. To protect your assets and maintain the integrity of our platform, we may apply temporary restrictions on your account or hold withdrawals for review. These measures are designed to prevent irreversible financial loss, as scams are becoming increasingly common in the crypto industry.

Because crypto transactions are irreversible, once assets are withdrawn from our platform, they cannot be recovered or reimbursed. That’s why our systems monitor for suspicious activity, and we may hold transactions for review or apply temporary restrictions to keep your funds safe.

We understand this can feel concerning, so we want to clarify what these protective measures mean for you and why they are necessary.

Key things to know:

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    Crypto transactions are final: Withdrawn funds cannot be reversed or recovered.

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    Restrictions are a protective measure: These temporary limitations help prevent financial loss and keep your account secure, while still allowing you to access and manage your funds.

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    Restrictions are temporary: In some cases, restrictions can be lifted after a period of 90 days. This 90-day period allows us to protect you from further potential harm, and as part of our security policy, restrictions cannot be lifted earlier. In other cases, restrictions can me lifted immediately after your account is reviewed by our team.

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    Our team will contact you: If restrictions are applied to your account, a Kraken team member will reach out to your registered email with more details. Please monitor your inbox closely.

Temporary measures we may apply:

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    Disabled crypto withdrawals: This is intended to prevent funds from being sent to wallets outside of your control. You may continue buying, selling, and trading crypto. You can still withdraw cash to a bank account in your name, but crypto assets must first be converted to fiat currency.

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    Reduced funding options or deposit limits: You can check your current limits in the Limits tab in your account settings. Some funding methods may be restricted; available deposit methods are shown when you initiate a deposit.

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    Withdrawal reviews or rejections: We may hold withdrawals for internal review or reject transfers to wallets linked to prohibited activity. If we hold a withdrawal for internal review, our team will be in touch via email within 24 hours. Please monitor your email inbox and respond promptly to any requests for additional information.

Scams are common and ever-evolving in crypto, and scammers may pose as investment advisors, customer service specialists, employers, or tax officials. Scammers are sophisticated–they’ll work to earn your trust and create a sense of urgency to try to get you to act quickly. Kraken may hold transactions or place temporary restrictions on your account if we suspect you are at risk of falling victim to a scam, but it’s important for you to stay vigilant and learn to recognize risks and red flags yourself.

Here are some tips for protecting your crypto from scammers:

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    Avoid engaging with unsolicited investment or employment opportunities via social media, dating apps, or messaging platforms, and be wary of any offer that sounds too good to be true. Scammers often build trust with their victims before convincing them to invest in fake crypto opportunities, promising guaranteed returns. This scheme, known as a pig butchering scam, refers to the way scammers will “fatten up” their victim with attention and persuasion before “butchering” them by stealing their crypto–once crypto has been sent to a scammer, it cannot be recovered.

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    Always treat transactions with new people or organizations with caution. If you’re in doubt, it’s always better to slow down, consider the situation, and consult a second opinion from a trusted friend or family member. For maximum security and safety, only withdraw crypto assets to addresses that you control and manage.

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    Never share your personal banking details, 2FA codes, or passwords with anyone. Familiarize yourself with common phishing attack indicators and immediately report suspicious activity or unauthorized access to your account using our webform.

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    Further familiarize yourself with common crypto scams and learn to spot warning signs by reading our guide to recognizing scams. If you believe you have been the victim of a scam or financial crime, please report it to our team and to relevant authorities.

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    Visit our Support Center for more tips on avoiding scams.

Important: Kraken will never call or email you to ask for your login credentials or provide remote access to your devices. You can confirm whether an email was sent by us using this guide. If you’re ever in doubt, it is always best to get in touch with our support team.

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