Nasdaq Invests Heavily in Kraken Parent Entity for Blockchain-Based Trading

Nasdaq's venture capital division has invested $100 million in Payward, the parent entity of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. This investment establishes Payward's valuation at $21 billion.

The partnership aims to introduce blockchain-based representations of Nasdaq-listed securities on Kraken's trading infrastructure. Investors will be able to purchase and manage these digital securities while maintaining identical voting privileges as traditional shareholders.

Nasdaq's market surveillance systems will be implemented across Payward's cryptocurrency, equity, and derivatives platforms. This investment is part of Nasdaq's strategy to bridge conventional equity markets with blockchain technology and enable continuous trading operations.