Kraken Adds Editable Grid Bot with Backtesting to Desktop App

Kraken has added Smart Grid, an automated range-trading tool, to its desktop application for eligible Pro users. The exchange is entering a crowded grid-bot category by focusing on backtesting, saved configurations and parameters that can be changed after launch.

Smart Grid is available to eligible Kraken Pro users through Kraken Desktop. It runs natively in the desktop application rather than through the exchange’s web interface.

Backtesting Before Capital Goes Live

The bot places a series of buy and sell orders across a price range the trader selects. It is designed to capture price movements within that range without requiring the user to place each order manually.

Before activating the strategy, users can select an eligible trading pair, allocate an investment amount and set the upper and lower price boundaries. They can also choose the number of order levels and the spacing between them. It is also possible to save configurations for reuse or adjust them as market conditions change.

Grid strategies are generally intended for sideways or choppy markets. A sustained move in either direction can take the asset outside the configured range, leaving the strategy unable to continue buying and selling across its intended levels.

To assess that risk, Smart Grid lets traders test chosen parameters against historical price data before committing capital. Backtesting shows how the configuration would have performed previously, but does not predict future results.

Parameters Can Change While the Bot Runs

Kraken lets you edit the grid after activation. Traders can open the configuration panel, change their settings, and apply the revised parameters without stopping the bot or rebuilding the strategy.

The product includes live performance tracking, an overall grid stop-loss, and an option to enable or disable margin. Margin availability and stop-loss behaviour may vary by the user’s account type and region.

Kraken said the bot runs on the same low-latency, low-memory architecture as its native desktop application.

The company is positioning this as an alternative to grid tools running inside browser tabs. The launch follows other 2026 moves aimed at more active and systematic traders.

In April, the exchange promoted its API infrastructure for algorithmic strategies across spot and futures. It subsequently launched Kraken Funded in July, allowing eligible users who pass a trading evaluation to access capital provided by the platform.

According to Kraken's announcement, Smart Grid is not a passive-income product. Users remain responsible for selecting the price range, monitoring the strategy and adjusting its risk settings as market conditions change.