Kraken's UK managing director, Blair Halliday, discussed the cryptocurrency exchange's plans for an IPO, layoffs, and the potential of the UK's crypto opportunities in an interview with DL News. While Halliday did not provide any specific details on Kraken's IPO plans, he expressed optimism about the crypto industry's potential in the UK and praised the government's efforts to introduce new crypto laws. He also criticized UK banks' restrictions on account holders transferring fiat to crypto companies, saying that they will push UK consumers into the arms of offshore trading platforms with insufficient investor protections. Despite facing setbacks such as layoffs and regulatory crackdowns, Kraken added 42 new tokens to the exchange, grew and paid out over $500 million in its staking service, sponsored festivals, and hired over 1,100 employees in 2021.