Nasdaq Pours $100M into Kraken Parent Entity Payward

Nasdaq Ventures has invested $100 million into Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken. This move is part of an expanded partnership between Nasdaq and Payward to develop tokenized stocks and continuous market infrastructure.

The investment aims to support the development of systems that enable capital and assets to move more efficiently while maintaining issuer control, regulatory compliance, and market integrity.

Nasdaq Equity Tokens (NETs) are expected to launch in the second quarter of 2027. These tokens are designed as issuer-sponsored digital representations of Nasdaq-listed equities with governance rights, regulatory framework, and market protections intact.

The partnership also includes deploying Nasdaq's surveillance technology across Payward's trading venues for enhanced market integrity and investor confidence.