Kraken is best known as one of the world's oldest crypto exchanges. But its parent company, Payward, is trying to become something much bigger: a full financial platform covering banking, trading, asset management and services for institutions.
And, according to CoinDesk, it's in no rush to go public while it builds it.
More than an exchange
Payward's plan is to run four business lines on one shared set of infrastructure:
Instead of four separate companies stitched together, the idea is one common ledger underneath everything. The company's approach, as described in the reporting, is to build what it can in-house, buy capabilities that would take too long to develop, and partner with established financial institutions for the rest.
Buying its way in
The acquisitions have been large. Payward bought NinjaTrader, a futures and trading platform, for about $1.5 billion, and Bitnomial, a US derivatives exchange, for around $550 million.
It also holds a Wyoming bank charter, has a pending purchase of a European bank, and has partnerships with Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange. Put together, that's a serious effort to compete not just with other crypto exchanges, but with traditional brokers and banks.
The numbers behind it
Payward says the business is profitable. For the second quarter of 2026, it reported:
Those are strong numbers for a crypto company in a year when trading activity has been uneven.
No rush for an IPO
Payward's chief executive, Arjun Sethi, has said the company is profitable and in no hurry to go public as it expands.
The company confidentially filed for an IPO in November 2025, but CoinDesk has reported it doesn't plan to list before the second quarter of 2027 at the earliest. Earlier in 2026, Payward put its IPO plans on hold, citing difficult market conditions.
Being profitable gives it that luxury. Companies that need cash often rush to list; companies that are making money can wait for better conditions, and for a bigger story to tell investors.
Why this matters
Payward's strategy reflects a wider trend: the line between crypto companies and traditional finance is fading. Exchanges want banking licences and stock trading, while banks and stock exchanges are adding crypto. Whoever builds the most complete, trusted platform could end up owning the customer relationship for both.
For Kraken users, the practical upshot over time could be more products under one account: trading, saving and investing across crypto and traditional assets.
The bottom line
Kraken's parent is no longer just running an exchange. It's spending billions to become a full-service financial company, and it's profitable enough to take its time before inviting public investors in. The question now is whether it can bring all those pieces together smoothly, and how the market will value it when it finally does list.
This article is for information only and is not financial advice.
Source: CoinDesk, September 26, 2026.