WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Nasdaq's venture capital arm is investing $100 million in Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, as the companies expand their partnership to develop tokenized equities.
The firms plan to launch the products in the second quarter of 2027, building infrastructure for the distribution and trading of digital representations of publicly traded securities on blockchain networks.
As part of the agreement, Payward will adopt Nasdaq's market-surveillance technology across its trading venues, including cryptocurrency and tokenized-equity markets.
The move comes as Kraken expands beyond digital assets into stocks, derivatives and other traditional financial products as it seeks to become a broader multi-asset trading platform. The investment values Payward at $21 billion, according to Bloomberg.
The partnership builds on Nasdaq's previously announced testing of Nasdaq Equity Tokens and reflects growing interest among financial institutions in blockchain-based securities.
Nasdaq said the initiative could help create a more connected financial system while maintaining market transparency and integrity. The deal also comes as Robinhood and AMC debate the rights and economic exposure associated with tokenized versions of public stocks.
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