Nasdaq Dives Deeper into Tokenization with $100M Kraken Investment
Nasdaq has announced a major investment in Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. The venture arm of Nasdaq will invest $100 million in Payward to deepen their partnership and develop infrastructure for trading tokenized equities.
The move is part of a growing trend among established exchange operators to develop tokenized securities and related infrastructure. This allows them to capture investor interest in blockchain-based assets and compete with crypto-native platforms that are expanding into stocks and derivatives.
Nasdaq aims to build infrastructure that enables tokenized assets to trade and settle outside conventional market hours while maintaining regulatory compliance and market safeguards.
The companies expect to launch Nasdaq Equity Tokens (NETs) on Payward's xStocks platform in the second quarter of 2027. These tokens are designed to preserve the fundamental principles and benefits of regulated market infrastructure, ensuring investor transparency, market integrity, and liquidity.