Bakkt Brokerage: Empowering Global Brokers and Exchanges to Enter the U.S. Crypto Market

The U.S. is one of the most sought-after crypto markets in the world, especially amid recent momentum – but it’s also one of the most complex. Between fragmented regulations, extensive compliance requirements, and inconsistent access to liquidity, it’s no wonder global brokers and exchanges often encounter roadblock after roadblock when trying to establish a foothold. 

Bakkt Brokerage changes that. Through a single, unified infrastructure, Bakkt delivers everything brokers and exchanges need to operate in the U.S. confidently and compliantly —all while setting a new standard in crypto trading experiences for their users. With liquidity, performance, and security at the foundation, these institutions gain everything they need to make the most of their market entry and build lasting, scalable success. 

A Streamlined Gateway to the U.S. Market 

For global firms, entering the U.S. market typically means establishing an entirely separate compliance infrastructure – securing state-by-state licenses, undergoing time-consuming audits, and navigating KYC/AML requirements that differ from home markets. Bakkt eliminates those barriers. 

As a U.S.-regulated, publicly traded company with licensing coverage across all 50 states (including an NYDFS BitLicense and Money Transmitter Licenses), Bakkt gives brokers and exchanges immediate access to a turnkey regulatory foundation. No need to build bespoke compliance apparatuses — Bakkt handles that, so you can focus on your core business. With Bakkt Brokerage, most clients can go from kickoff to market in just 30 to 45 days. 

Deep Liquidity. Tight Spreads. Seamless Execution. 

Whether you're operating a retail brokerage platform, a professional-grade exchange, or an institutional desk, liquidity is your lifeline. Built to enable low costs from high performance, Bakkt’s robust infrastructure and liquidity aggregation platform offer: 

1. Consolidated access to top global liquidity providers 

1. Low-latency, high-throughput execution 

1. Minimal slippage and customizable liquidity streams 

1. 24/7/365 uptime with real-time price discovery 

For exchanges, this means more reliable price execution and a stronger foundation for attracting institutional clients. For brokers, it means a differentiated offering with institutional-grade trade infrastructure — without needing to piece it together from multiple sources. 

Seamless, Streamlined Integration 

The backbone of Bakkt Brokerage is its API suite – purpose-built to integrate directly with existing exchange tech stacks and brokerage platforms. Key capabilities include: 

1. Streamlined KYC and onboarding flows 

1. Support for all major order types (market, limit, stop, GTC, etc.) 

1. Out-of-the-box compatibility with popular exchange and brokerage technologies 

1. Direct access to 30+ supported assets, all rigorously vetted – browse the full list 

Whether you’re white-labeling the entire experience or embedding select services into your UX, Bakkt’s infrastructure is built to reduce operational lift and accelerate time to value. 

Where Institutions Trade Crypto Responsibly 

Institutional confidence hinges on security and transparency. With deep experience in regulated markets, Bakkt brings a disciplined approach to its business. Bakkt is SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 certified, conducts regular penetration testing, and acts as the custodian of record with a network of sub-custodians to ensure assets are protected at all times. U.S.-regulated, publicly traded, and subject to regular audits and strict financial, compliance, security, and risk management policies, Bakkt is an ideal provider for crypto’s increasingly regulated future. 

The Bottom Line 

Built to deliver efficient market entry, easy liquidity access, seamless integration, and a comprehensive compliance foundation, Bakkt is more than just a trading and infrastructure provider – it’s a strategic partner that understands the high stakes of cross-border crypto market expansion. 

With Bakkt Brokerage, global brokers and exchanges can: 

1. Skip the licensing maze and launch in the U.S. market in as little as 30 days 

1. Tap into deep, aggregated liquidity for efficient, always-on trading 

1. Integrate quickly with flexible APIs that support your existing systems 

1. Streamline fiat and crypto settlement with built-in banking rails 

1. Rely on Bakkt’s secure, compliant infrastructure with institutional safeguards 

1. Scale confidently with a partner built for stability, performance, and growth 

To avoid the time, cost, and headaches of U.S. market entry – Bakkt is your answer. To take the next step, reach out to us here. To learn more, browse the resources below (and read more on our Developer Portal). 

Key Resources 

Everything you need to get started with Bakkt Brokerage. 

Account Opening 

Clients can facilitate cryptocurrency access for their customers by enabling them to open accounts with Bakkt. Bakkt must collect customer information to validate and support these accounts, using API endpoints to submit and retrieve information, upload documents, make account updates, and more. After an account is opened, it can be funded for cryptocurrency transactions. 

Read more here. 

Fiat and Trade System 

A step-by-step guide to how trades are executed on Bakkt Brokerage, from market data to order completion, as well as settlement and funding workflows. 

Trade Flow 

1. Price quote sent – A liquidity provider sends a live price quote to Bakkt’s BBO system. 
2. Create and mark up Best-Bid-Offer (BBO) – The BBO system aggregates quotes and applies any client-specific markup logic. 
3. Market prices displayed – Those BBO prices are streamed to the client’s system. 
4. Trade order initiated – The customer submits a buy or sell order via the client interface. 
5. Order sent to Bakkt OMS – The client’s system routes the trade to Bakkt’s Order Management System. 
6. Marketable orders sent; non-marketable rest – The OMS attempts to match and route executable orders to liquidity providers; resting orders are held. 
7. Order executed (if filled) and system alerted – If the trade is filled, Bakkt confirms execution and notifies the client system. 
8. Execution report sent – A formal execution report is generated and delivered to the client. 
9. Cash movement requested – A cash movement is triggered to settle the trade. 
   
   

Settlement Flow 

1. Bakkt OMS requests fiat settlement – Once a trade is filled, the OMS signals the Trade System (BTS) to begin fiat settlement.
2. Funds movement logged between accounts – Internal ledgering reflects movement between the customer and firm accounts in BTS.
3. Client revenue recorded – Bakkt captures the revenue share due to the client from the transaction.
4. Liquidity provider settlement completed – Bakkt settles with the liquidity provider based on net activity.

Funding Flow

1. Customer initiates a bank transfer – This could be an ACH, wire, or BaaS-based request to fund their trading account.
2. Client system and APIs initiate the move – Client-side systems call Bakkt’s APIs to initiate funding instructions.
3. Funds transferred to BTS – The money moves from the customer’s bank account into a Bakkt-linked customer account.
4. Funds credited to customer’s BTS account – Bakkt updates its ledger to reflect the available trading balance for the customer. 

To explore more documentation, workflow details, and FAQs, check out our Developer Portal.