Kraken Account Restricted, Suspended, or Locked? Why and How to Fix It

Kraken restricts an account when it spots a possible security issue, suspects you’re being scammed, receives a chargeback on one of your payments, or is waiting on documents or updated details it has asked you for. It also restricts accounts for Terms of Service violations. What gets blocked depends on the type: some restrictions stop every deposit and withdrawal, while others only stop crypto withdrawals. Most can be lifted as soon as Kraken finishes its review, but a scam-prevention restriction lasts at least 90 days.

This guide explains each type of restriction, what it blocks, how to get it lifted, what to do if you’re locked out, and what happens to your money if Kraken closes your account. It’s based on Kraken’s own support documentation and terms, checked on October 2, 2026.

What each type of Kraken restriction blocks

If Kraken restricts your account, a team member emails your registered address with details, so check your inbox and spam folder first.

Why Kraken restricts accounts

Kraken says it may restrict access or disable funding “for reasons including, but not limited to”:

• detection of a potential security issue
• suspected malicious activity targeting your account
• withdrawals to crypto wallets associated with prohibited, illegal, or scam-related activity
• a chargeback, meaning your bank or card issuer reversed one of your recent payments
• failure to keep your identity and contact information accurate and up to date
• failure to respond to a request for additional information
• a violation of its Terms of Service

Two of these cause most confusion. A scam-prevention restriction can happen even though you did nothing wrong: Kraken may hold transactions or restrict your account “if we suspect you are at risk of falling victim to a scam.” And a request for information is routine; Kraken says receiving one “does not mean you have done anything wrong.” Kraken also asks every client to complete a periodic KYC profile review, and gives you 90 days to do it before it may restrict some features.

Kraken’s Terms of Service go further: they let it suspend, restrict, or terminate access “at any time and without liability or prior notice,” and suspend withdrawals “for an indeterminate amount of time” to meet legal or regulatory obligations.

Things that look like a restriction but aren’t

• A timed withdrawal hold. After a card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal purchase, Kraken can hold withdrawals of that amount for 72 hours; after a Plaid ACH purchase, for 7 days; and after a password change, withdrawals to new addresses wait 24 hours. You’ll see “Balance is insufficient for a withdrawal” or funds marked Withheld. Kraken Support can’t shorten these; see Kraken withdrawal on hold.
• A negative balance in any currency, which blocks withdrawals until you cover it.
• “Permission Denied” errors, which usually mean you’ve turned on 2FA for funding or trading and entered the code wrong or not at all.
• Your own Global Settings Lock (GSL). This security setting stops changes to your account, even by Kraken Support. Without a Master Key, unlocking takes at least 24 hours and up to 30 days, depending on your setting, and Kraken can’t speed it up.
• A 2FA setup screen you can’t dismiss. Since May 6, 2025, Kraken requires some accounts to turn on 2FA. Your trades, orders, and balances aren’t affected; you just have to finish the setup.

How to get a Kraken restriction lifted

Kraken’s own checklist when funding is suspended:

If you know about a chargeback or payment reversal, mention it when you contact support. Kraken doesn’t publish a general review time; it says it “strive[s] to complete all account reviews in a timely manner.”

If the cause is a chargeback

Kraken treats a chargeback as money you owe, because it had already given you the crypto you paid for. It emails the exact amount and instructions. You can repay by:

• a bank wire from an account in your own legal name, made out to Payward Interactive Inc as the beneficiary (putting your own name as beneficiary gets the wire rejected)
• a transfer from another Kraken balance, such as Krak
• a crypto deposit

For ACH chargebacks, Kraken says the money is debited and restrictions are lifted automatically within 24 hours once your balance covers it. Don’t wait: if you haven’t repaid within 7 days of the chargeback notice, Kraken may take the amount from your cash balance or sell your crypto. If you think the chargeback was a mistake, sort it out with your bank or card issuer.

If Kraken asked for more information

Open the request in a web browser, not the app: sign in at kraken.com and click the banner at the top of the page. Common requests are proof of source of funds or source of wealth, bank statements, and proof of address. Each item shows as Submitted, then Reviewed, or Needs update with a reason. The request shows a deadline; if you’re struggling to meet it, contact Kraken before it expires. A real request always appears on your account after you sign in, so treat any email about a request you can’t see there as suspicious.

If it’s a scam-prevention restriction

You can keep trading, and you can withdraw cash to a bank account in your name after converting crypto to cash. Crypto withdrawals stay off for at least 90 days; Kraken says the restriction “cannot be lifted earlier.”

If you see “Withdrawals are currently suspended” or “Null”

Kraken shows this error when it has placed a security lock on withdrawals or trading. Add sign-in 2FA to your account, then reply to Kraken Support’s email to say you’ve done it. Kraken will confirm when the lock is removed.

Locked out of your Kraken account?

• “Error 1015: You are being rate limited.” You tried to sign in too many times. Close every Kraken tab and wait 15 minutes; Kraken Support can’t shorten the wait.
• No password reset email. Too many reset requests lock resets for a while. Wait at least 2 hours. Each reset link works once and expires after 2 hours.
• New device approval fails. Click Approve device within 20 minutes, with both devices on the same network and any VPN turned off.
• Lost your 2FA device. Use your Master Key or 2FA backup code if you set one up; otherwise, submit a sign-in support request and an agent will remove the 2FA by email. You can’t create a Master Key after you’ve lost your 2FA.
• “We have temporarily disabled access to your account, please contact Support.” Submit Kraken’s Account Security & Sign-in Issues form (opens in a new tab).
• You think someone else got in. Use the same form and choose “I’m concerned about suspicious activity related to my account.” Recovery takes several steps and can take time. Kraken may ask for an Account Recovery Photo (you holding your ID and a handwritten note) or, in some cases, a Zoom video call that only Kraken can schedule.

How long Kraken reviews take

Kraken publishes only a few time frames:

Kraken doesn’t publish a time frame for general account reviews or closure appeals.

If Kraken closes your account

Kraken says it closes accounts only after an internal review finds activity that “violates our policies or poses a serious risk.” It won’t tell you why: due to privacy and security, it says it “cannot disclose any details regarding account closures,” on any support channel.

You can still get your money out, with conditions. Withdrawals must be in cash, to a bank account you’ve already linked that’s in your name, so convert any crypto first. Each withdrawal is held for a manual review. Kraken’s terms add that it won’t return assets if you owe it fees or if it believes you committed fraud.

If you think the closure was a mistake, ask Kraken Support to escalate your case for a second review; it will email you if the decision changes. You can’t open a new account after Kraken closes one. If you closed the account yourself, you can ask Kraken to reopen it through its sign-in support form, or open a new one.

Inactive accounts and moves. Kraken’s terms say that if your account is inactive for “a protracted period” and Kraken can’t return your assets, it may have to send them to your state as unclaimed property, which can mean selling your crypto. Kraken doesn’t serve New York or Maine. When it left Maine, clients had until April 12, 2025 to withdraw, and remaining assets were sent to the state; Maine says claiming unclaimed property is free. If you move to another state, update your address and upload a proof of address for the new one.

How to complain and escalate

If support doesn’t resolve your issue, use Kraken’s Complaint Form, linked from its complaint guide (opens in a new tab). If you’re still not satisfied, Kraken says you may escalate to your state’s consumer regulator or to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint (opens in a new tab).

Nobody outside Kraken can “unlock” a Kraken account for a fee. If you’ve been targeted, see where to report a scam.

Related Kraken problems

• Only your withdrawals are on hold: Kraken withdrawal on hold
• A deposit hasn’t shown up: Kraken deposit pending or not showing
• Your verification is stuck or was rejected: Kraken verification not working