Nasdaq Dumps $100M into Tokenized Stocks with Kraken Parent

Nasdaq has made a significant investment in Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. The venture arm of the stock market operator will invest $100 million to advance their partnership on tokenized stocks.

The move extends a previous agreement announced in March, which aimed to develop infrastructure for trading and settling tokenized assets outside conventional market hours while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Nasdaq Equity Tokens (NETs) are set to launch through Payward's xStocks platform in the second quarter of 2027. The tokens will preserve investor transparency, market integrity, and liquidity, according to Nasdaq.

Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Payward, stated that the next phase of collaboration aims to advance NETs onto rails that do not close, with shareholder rights intact.