Nasdaq Invests $100 Million in Kraken Parent to Develop Tokenized Stock Trading by 2027
Nasdaq's venture capital arm has invested $100 million into Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken. The partnership aims to launch tokenized equities trading by early 2027 and develop supporting market infrastructure and surveillance technology. This move is part of a broader effort in Wall Street to integrate blockchain-based securities into mainstream financial markets. The investment elevates Payward's valuation to $21 billion, according to Bloomberg. Nasdaq President Tal Cohen emphasized the importance of evolving capital flow across financial systems through tokenization while maintaining trust and transparency. The collaboration also includes adopting Nasdaq’s surveillance technology for Kraken’s trading platforms as it expands into stocks and derivatives. The deal highlights ongoing debates about what constitutes a
Tickers: $NDAQ
Topics: blockchain crypto exchange expansion stock market infrastructure tokenization