March 20 (Reuters) - Kraken said on Thursday it would

buy retail futures trading platform NinjaTrader for $1.5

billion, in a deal that would allow one of the world's largest

cryptocurrency exchanges to expand into multiple asset classes

and grow its user base.

The acquisition comes at a time when the crypto industry is

optimistic about more relaxed regulation under U.S. President

Donald Trump, who courted crypto donors during the election and

promised to support the sector.

Industry leaders hope for policy shifts that roll back

enforcement actions, encourage institutional adoption and create

clearer rules for digital asset trading.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Securities and Exchange

Commission dismissed a civil lawsuit accusing Kraken of

operating illegally as an unregistered securities exchange.

Kraken is the world's tenth-ranked cryptocurrency spot

exchange based on traffic, liquidity, trading volumes and

confidence in the legitimacy of reported trading volumes,

according to trading data website CoinMarketCap.

The deal also highlights the deepening ties between crypto

companies and traditional financial firms as digital assets gain

wider acceptance.

Growing demand from retail traders to access a wide range of

assets - from stocks and bonds to crypto and derivatives - has

pushed companies to expand beyond their roots and integrate more

deeply into their customers' financial habits.

Long Ridge Equity Partners-backed NinjaTrader will continue

to operate as a standalone platform under Kraken.

Founded in 2003, NinjaTrader provides affordable retail

future trading platform to nearly 2 million traders on desktop

and mobile.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025.