Nasdaq Invests $100M in Kraken Parent Company at $21B Valuation
Nasdaq Ventures has invested $100 million into Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, as part of its push into tokenized assets. The investment values Payward at $21 billion, according to Bloomberg sources. As part of the deal, Kraken will offer tokenized versions of Nasdaq-listed stocks on its own platform, building on a partnership announced between the companies in March.
Investment Details and Partnership Developments
On Thursday, Payward officially announced a $100 million investment from Nasdaq’s venture arm. Under the terms of the deal, Kraken will begin offering tokenized versions of Nasdaq-listed stocks on its platform, expanding trading options for its users.
This investment builds upon a prior partnership between Payward and Nasdaq announced in March, reinforcing Nasdaq’s strategy to enter and expand within the tokenized assets market.
Valuation and Nasdaq’s Strategic Moves
According to Bloomberg sources, Payward’s valuation reached $21 billion following the investment. Nasdaq did not provide official comments by the time of publication.
A month earlier, Nasdaq unveiled plans to acquire Level Markets to support the development of “always-on” markets — markets that operate continuously.
Additionally, a year ago Nasdaq submitted a tokenization proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, highlighting the company’s long-term commitment to the tokenization sector.
Kraken’s International Expansion and Collaborations
In early June, Kraken announced a partnership with the London Stock Exchange to launch 24/5 trading access for tokenized stocks tracking leading UK equity products, starting in 2027.
In April, Germany’s Deutsche Börse invested $200 million in Payward, reflecting strong interest from traditional major stock exchanges in blockchain-based securities and tokenized investment products.
The Tokenized Securities Market Landscape
Data from RWA.xyz indicates the distributed value of tokenized stocks currently exceeds $2.9 billion, marking a 7.4% increase over the last month.
This growth highlights rising demand for digital representations of traditional securities and their integration into the broader crypto ecosystem.
Why it matters
Nasdaq’s $100 million investment in Payward and the expansion of partnerships with Kraken highlight the increasing engagement of traditional financial institutions with tokenized assets and their integration into crypto platforms. The $21 billion valuation underlines the significant growth and importance of the tokenized securities market, evolving alongside the rise of cryptocurrencies. These developments signal a potential transformation in how assets are traded and held, bridging traditional financial markets with blockchain technologies.
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