Nasdaq Invests Heavily in Kraken's Parent Company Payward

Nasdaq has made a significant investment in Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken. The investment totals $100 million and values Payward at $21 billion.

The deal marks a shift from a partnership to a financial commitment between the two companies. Nasdaq will now have a direct stake in the success of tokenized stock trading through its xStocks platform.

The companies are working together on the Equities Transformation Gateway, a system that connects regulated stock markets with blockchain trading systems. This gateway is expected to launch in the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approval.