Nils Silinevics
Partner · AML & Crypto Compliance · Former FIU Investigator
Kraken's Ongoing Monitoring system suspended your account — flagging your activity through their AML-CFT Program. As the exchange with the most transparent compliance documentation, Kraken publishes their CIP/CDD/EDD framework openly. But transparency in policy doesn't mean transparency in individual cases. Your suspension message gives you nothing actionable. We leverage Kraken's own published standards to build a case for reinstatement — referencing their documented process back at them.
Kraken's three-tier compliance: Kraken operates Customer Identification Program (CIP), Customer Due Diligence (CDD), and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD). Suspensions happen when their Ongoing Monitoring system escalates your account beyond CDD to EDD — or when their transaction monitoring detects patterns matching their documented money laundering typologies (placement, layering, integration).
Central Bank of Ireland oversight: Kraken is regulated by the CBI through Payward Europe and Payward Global. This means EU consumer protection rules apply, and regulatory complaints carry real weight. Unlike unregulated exchanges where you have no recourse, Kraken's CBI license gives us formal escalation paths.
Kraken publishes their AML framework: Kraken's Compliance Hub openly describes their CDD/EDD process, SAR filing obligations, and what triggers review. We use this documentation to hold Kraken to their own published standards — demonstrating that your account doesn't meet the criteria for the restriction they applied.
When Kraken suspends your account, you will encounter specific messages through the Kraken interface, email, and the support.kraken.com ticket system. The type of notification indicates which compliance program triggered the suspension:
Kraken is unique among major exchanges in publishing specific hold periods for security-related restrictions. However, compliance suspensions do not have a published timeline:
If Kraken's compliance review significantly exceeds these timeframes, we escalate through the Central Bank of Ireland (for EU users) or FinCEN (for US users), referencing Kraken's own published AML-CFT program standards.
Kraken's three-component system (CIP for identity, CDD for risk assessment, Ongoing Monitoring for transactions) escalates accounts automatically when risk indicators exceed thresholds. CDD flags lead to enhanced monitoring. If enhanced monitoring identifies concerns, the account is escalated to EDD with full suspension. The triggers include: suspicious transaction patterns matching their documented typologies, sanctions screening matches, PEP associations, and high-risk jurisdiction indicators.
Kraken publishes their compliance framework openly (CIP/CDD/EDD, AML-CFT program, SAR procedures). But individual case details are subject to tipping-off prohibitions — if a SAR has been filed, they cannot tell you. Even without a SAR, compliance decisions are treated as confidential. The published framework tells us HOW they make decisions, even when they can't tell you WHY they made yours.
Yes. Kraken operates through Payward Europe Solutions Limited and Payward Global Solutions Limited, both regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. EU users can file complaints with the CBI, which gives us regulatory leverage that doesn't exist with unregulated exchanges. We advise on whether regulatory complaint is appropriate for your specific case.
Yes — Kraken's support chatbot responds to the phrase "I can't withdraw" with information about any active holds on your account. This can tell you if you have a security-based hold (time-limited, with a specific expiry) or a compliance-triggered hold (requires action). Try this first — but if the chatbot confirms a compliance hold, you'll need professional help to resolve it.
Kraken publishes hold periods for security restrictions (72h for card purchases, 7 days for ACH, 24h for new withdrawal addresses after password change), but not for compliance suspensions. CDD reviews take 5-10 business days after document submission. EDD reviews take 2-4 weeks. If a SAR has been filed, the suspension may persist indefinitely. We escalate through the Central Bank of Ireland when Kraken exceeds reasonable timeframes.
It depends on the suspension scope. Kraken's compliance suspensions often target withdrawals specifically — trading and deposits may still function. However, this is not guaranteed, and some suspensions restrict all functions. Even if trading is available, we advise against active trading during a compliance review, as each new transaction creates additional data that the compliance team must review, potentially extending the suspension.
False positives are common — your name may match an entry on the OFAC SDN list, EU sanctions list, or a PEP watchlist even though you are not the sanctioned individual. Kraken's sanctions screening system flags matches for compliance review. To resolve a false positive, we provide additional government ID, proof of residence in a non-sanctioned jurisdiction, proof of employment history, and a sworn declaration of identity. False positive sanctions matches generally resolve faster than genuine compliance reviews, but they still require formal documentation.
For EU users, Kraken operates through Payward Europe Solutions Limited, registered with the Central Bank of Ireland as a VASP. Your account is subject to EU AMLD6, MiCA, GDPR, and Central Bank of Ireland VASP regulations. You have rights under GDPR Article 15 to request access to your compliance case file, you can file complaints with the Central Bank of Ireland, and Kraken must comply with EU consumer protection standards. These EU regulatory rights provide escalation channels not available to non-EU users.
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Tell us when the suspension started, whether you have open derivatives positions at risk, and any messages you received from Kraken. We respond within 6 hours.