Nasdaq (NDAQ.O) announced its venture arm will invest $100 million in Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken. The strategic deal deepens their partnership to build regulated infrastructure for trading and settling tokenized equities on 24/7 blockchain rails.
📌 Key Takeaways & Important Metrics:
- $100M Strategic Investment: Nasdaq Ventures backs Payward to expand institutional-grade tokenization capabilities and stay ahead of crypto-native platforms expanding into traditional finance.
- Product Launch: The collaboration plans to roll out Nasdaq Equity Tokens (NETs) in Q2 2027 via Payward’s xStocks platform.
- 24/7 Trading & Settlement: Aims to enable continuous, round-the-clock trading and settlement for tokenized assets while keeping core shareholder rights, investor transparency, and regulatory compliance intact.
- Regulatory Milestone: Follows prior SEC approval allowing certain U.S. equities to trade and settle in tokenized form, accelerating institutional adoption.
💥 The Big Picture: As traditional exchanges adapt to blockchain technology, Nasdaq and Kraken are joining forces to build a compliant, non-stopping financial market architecture.