Nasdaq Ventures Drops $100M on Payward in Crypto Market Push

Nasdaq Ventures has made a $100 million investment in Payward, the parent company of Kraken. This strategic move is part of an expanded relationship between Nasdaq and Payward, which includes continued development of the Nasdaq Equity Token framework.

The agreement also involves a new market surveillance agreement between the two companies. Nasdaq Ventures focuses on investing in technologies that support global capital markets. The partnership aims to launch Nasdaq Equity Tokens in the second quarter of 2027 through Payward's Digital Liquidity Networks business unit.

Nasdaq believes that tokenized market infrastructure will be a key aspect of future market evolution, enabling efficient and seamless movement of capital and assets across the financial system. Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward, pointed out that on-chain settlement can significantly reduce wait times for stock trades, releasing billions in value.