Nasdaq invests $100M in Kraken parent for tokenized equities
6.7 Investments Nasdaq invests $100M in Kraken parent Payward at a $21B valuation, expanding their partnership to develop tokenized equities and enable trading of tokenized Nasdaq-listed stocks.
Nasdaq has invested $100 million in Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, valuing the firm at $21 billion. The investment, made through Nasdaq’s venture arm, builds on a partnership established in March and aims to develop infrastructure for tokenized equities. This collaboration will enable Kraken to offer tokenized versions of Nasdaq-listed stocks on its platform, granting users the same voting rights as traditional shareholders. The initiative is part of a broader effort to bridge regulated stock markets with blockchain technology, with Nasdaq’s equity token design expected to launch in the first half of 2027. Payward’s xStocks product has already processed over $25 billion in transaction volume, including more than $4 billion on-chain. The $100 million investment not only provides financial backing but also strengthens the ongoing collaboration between Nasdaq and Payward, advancing innovation and integration between traditional finance and blockchain.
