Nasdaq Invests $100 Million in Payward to Advance Tokenized Stock Platform
Nasdaq has announced a significant move into the tokenized stock market by investing $100 million in Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken. The collaboration aims to develop infrastructure for high-trust and reliable trading using Nasdaq's Equity Token (NET) framework. Tokenized stocks are investments recorded on blockchain technology, differing from traditional ownership as buyers hold only a contractual claim rather than direct registration. With this new initiative, Nasdaq seeks to enable full stockholder rights such as voting through its platform. The goal is to create a more connected financial system while maintaining trust and transparency. The companies plan for the NETs launch in Q2 2027 on at least a pilot version of their platform. If successful, this could position Nasdaq and Payward strongly within an evolving market segment.
Tickers: $NDAQ
Topics: financial_innovation Kraken Nasdaq Payward tokenized_stocks