Kraken's Parent Payward to Acquire Saldo Bank for EU Expansion
Payward's acquisition of Saldo Bank aims to expand Kraken's services beyond crypto trading into traditional banking across Europe.
Payward's acquisition of Saldo Bank aims to expand Kraken's services beyond crypto trading into traditional banking across Europe. This is an original Criptano brief synthesising 7 outlets (The Cryptonomist, The Coin Republic, Cointelegraph, and others), plus live market data, as of Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:46:23 UTC.
This acquisition marks a significant strategic shift for Kraken's parent company, positioning it to offer a broader range of financial services in the EU by leveraging a regulated banking license. It reflects the growing convergence between crypto and traditional finance.
- Kraken Owner Payward to Buy Lithuania's Saldo Bank in EU Push ↗
- Kraken parent Payward signs deal to buy European bank ↗
- Kraken parent to buy Lithuanian Saldo Bank amid TradFi expansion ↗
- Kraken parent Payward to become first crypto firm to buy a EU bank as it expands into deposits, lending ↗
- Kraken parent Payward to acquire Saldo Bank ↗
- Crypto Regulation: Kraken Parent Payward Targets Saldo Bank to Expand Into Lending and Cards ↗
- Kraken parent Payward agrees to buy Saldo Bank for an EU banking license ↗
- Payward agrees to acquire Saldo Bank to expand EU banking services.
- Deal includes access to deposits, lending, payments, and card issuance.
- Transaction needs regulatory approval, targeting 2027 completion.
- Saldo Bank holds $190M in assets and operates in multiple EU markets.
Multiple outlets, including CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, and The Coin Republic, confirm that Payward, the parent company of Kraken, has agreed to acquire Saldo Bank to expand its European banking operations. The acquisition aims to provide services such as deposits, lending, and payments, leveraging Saldo's EU banking license. The transaction is expected to close in 2027, pending regulatory approval, as reported by The Coin Republic and Cointelegraph. While most outlets agree on the core details, the number of EU markets Saldo operates in varies slightly, with Cointelegraph mentioning four markets and Crypto.news referring to five.
Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has announced an agreement to acquire Saldo Bank, a licensed financial institution based in Finland. This strategic move aims to expand Kraken's services beyond cryptocurrency trading into traditional banking services across Europe.
According to multiple outlets, including CoinDesk and The Coin Republic, the acquisition will provide Payward with access to a range of banking services, including yield-bearing deposits, lending, card issuance, and SEPA payments. These services are expected to be integrated into Kraken's existing platform, offering customers a more comprehensive financial services experience.
The acquisition of Saldo Bank, which holds $190 million in total assets according to CoinDesk, requires regulatory approval and is targeted for completion in 2027. This timeline was corroborated by The Coin Republic and Cointelegraph, which also noted that the deal would allow Payward to operate in multiple EU markets currently served by Saldo Bank.
The acquisition reflects a broader trend of convergence between the crypto and traditional finance sectors. As Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Payward, stated, customers are increasingly seeking a unified platform that offers cash, cryptocurrencies, tokenized stocks, and credit services. This acquisition is a step towards meeting that demand.
In the current market context, with the total crypto market cap at $2.79 trillion and 
Bitcoin down 2.69% in the last 24 hours, this move by Payward indicates a strategic focus on diversifying revenue streams and expanding into regulated financial services. The Fear & Greed Index stands at 53, indicating a neutral market sentiment.
The success of this acquisition could position Payward as a significant player in the European financial services landscape, combining the strengths of cryptocurrency and traditional banking. Observers will be watching for the regulatory approval process and how Payward integrates Saldo Bank's services into its existing platform.
Figures and sectors in this story, checked live against on-chain aggregators · October 15, 2026.
Criptano reads these figures directly from on-chain aggregators (DeFiLlama, mempool.space) at build time — independent of what any outlet reported. Sector totals aggregate every protocol DeFiLlama tracks in that category. Values are live and will change.
Kraken's Parent Payward to Acquire Saldo Bank for EU Exp — questions & answers
What services will Payward offer through Saldo Bank?
Payward plans to offer deposits, lending, card issuance, and SEPA payments through Saldo Bank.
When is the acquisition expected to be completed?
The acquisition is targeted for completion in 2027, pending regulatory approval.
How much in assets does Saldo Bank hold?
Saldo Bank holds $190 million in total assets.
Which outlets reported this story?
This is an original Criptano brief that synthesises reporting from The Cryptonomist, The Coin Republic, Cointelegraph, Cryptopolitan, Crypto.news, CoinDesk, Decrypt, with the key figures cross-checked for agreement across them. It is not a copy of any one article — follow the source links above for the original reporting.
Original summary — not financial advice. This is an original Criptano brief that summarises a development reported elsewhere and adds live market data for context; it is not the original article and reproduces no part of it. Follow the source link above for full details. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.