Nasdaq Ventures Invests $100 Million in Payward to Develop NET Framework
Nasdaq Ventures has agreed to invest $100 million in Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken. This investment is part of an expanded partnership between Nasdaq and Payward, which includes the continued development of the Nasdaq Equity Token (NET) framework.
Under the NET framework, blockchain records will be integrated directly into a company's official share registry, providing a regulated bridge between on-chain and off-chain identity. This design aims to use tokenization to modernize processes such as corporate actions, proxy voting, and shareholder engagement.
The next phase of the collaboration will advance the global distribution, trading, and post-trade capabilities needed to support the broader adoption of tokenized equities. Payward will also adopt Nasdaq's market surveillance technology across its portfolio of trading venues, including crypto, equities, and futures.