Deutsche Börse Group Acquires a Stake in Kraken for $200 Million

Deutsche Börse Group is deepening its partnership with Kraken (Payward, Inc.) through a strategic investment of $200 million. The partnership encompasses regulated crypto, tokenized markets and derivatives, as well as enhanced liquidity for institutional clients across geographies.

Deutsche Börse Group today announced a strategic investment of $200 million in Payward, Inc., the unified infrastructure layer behind global cryptocurrency platform Kraken. The investment is made through the acquisition of shares in a secondary transaction, resulting in a 1.5 percent fully diluted stake in the company.
 
This investment deepens the strategic partnership between Deutsche Börse Group and Kraken. As announced in December 2025, the two firms will leverage their complementary capabilities to bridge traditional financial markets and the digital asset economy. Spanning trading, custody, settlement, collateral management, and tokenized assets, the partnership will unlock a new range of enhanced products and services that deliver frictionless access to both ecosystems, creating a holistic experience for institutional clients.
 
This investment highlights Deutsche Börse Group’s commitment to its digital asset strategy, which involves the development of a comprehensive, hybrid market infrastructure. This infrastructure will be capable of processing assets of any technical form, including traditional securities and blockchain-native tokens, within a unified liquidity pool.
 
The completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. Closing is expected in Q2.

About Deutsche Börse Group 
As an international exchange organization and innovative market infrastructure provider, Deutsche Börse Group ensures that capital markets are fair, transparent, reliable, and stable. With its wide range of products, services, and technologies, the Group organizes safe and efficient markets for sustainable economies.

Its business areas cover the entire financial market transaction process chain. This includes the provision of indices, data, software, SaaS, and analytical solutions, as well as admission, trading, and clearing. Additionally, it comprises services for funds, the settlement and custody of financial instruments, and the management of collateral and liquidity. As a technology company, the Group develops state-of-the-art IT solutions and offers IT systems worldwide. 

With over 16,000 employees, the Group is headquartered in the financial center of Frankfurt/Rhine-Main and has a strong global presence in locations such as Luxembourg, Prague, Cork, London, Copenhagen, New York, Chicago, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, and Sydney. 

Media contact:
Niels Tomm
Deutsche Börse Group
+49 30 59004204
niels.tomm@deutsche-boerse.com