Deutsche Börse Group acquires 1.5% stake in Kraken for $200m

By Aarav Garg

Deutsche Börse Group has announced a $200 million strategic investment in Payward Inc., the infrastructure provider behind the cryptocurrency platform Kraken. The investment will be made through a secondary share purchase, giving Deutsche Börse a 1.5% fully diluted stake in the company.

The move expands an existing partnership between Deutsche Börse Group and Kraken, first outlined in December 2025. The two firms said they plan to combine their capabilities across trading, custody, settlement, collateral management and tokenised assets to connect traditional financial markets with the digital asset ecosystem.

The collaboration is intended to support the development of new products and services that enable institutional clients to access both markets through a single, integrated framework. The companies aim to create a more seamless experience across asset classes.

Deutsche Börse said the investment reflects its broader digital asset strategy, which focuses on building a hybrid market infrastructure capable of handling both conventional securities and blockchain-based assets within a unified liquidity environment.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to be completed in the second quarter.