Kraken and Nasdaq Build Tokenized Equity Gateway
Kraken's parent company Payward has partnered with Nasdaq to build an infrastructure layer connecting regulated tokenized equity markets with permissionless blockchain networks.
The partnership will use Kraken's xStocks product, which has already processed over $25 billion in total transaction volume. The new 'equities transformation gateway' is expected to go live by the first half of 2027 and will allow eligible users to move tokenized equities between regulated markets and open on-chain ecosystems.
Payward will handle KYC and AML onboarding for participants accessing the bridge through Kraken, and will serve as the primary settlement layer for transactions tied to Nasdaq's equity token design during an initial period in jurisdictions where xStocks are already available.