Nasdaq partners with Kraken parent Payward to link tokenized equities with DeFi networks

Nasdaq is collaborating with Payward, the parent company of Kraken, to create an "equities transformation gateway" designed to bridge regulated capital markets and decentralized blockchain ecosystems for tokenized equities. This system will leverage Kraken's existing xStocks framework, which already handles significant transaction volume for tokenized public equities. The partnership aims to allow clients in eligible jurisdictions to seamlessly swap tokenized shares between traditional market environments and decentralized finance (DeFi) networks, enhancing interoperability. Nasdaq President Tal Cohen stated this could unlock benefits for an always-on financial ecosystem. The rollout of this framework, which supports Nasdaq's own equity token design focused on issuer control and investor protection, is expected to begin in the first half of 2027. This move aligns with growing industry interest and regulatory exploration into tokenizing traditional securities.

(Source：The Block)