News linked to both this project and an event.
According to CoinDesk, Consensys—an Ethereum application developer—has postponed its initial public offering (IPO) plans due to the significant downturn in the cryptocurrency market in February 2026. Sources familiar with the matter said Consensys had originally planned to confidentially file its S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) around the end of February this year—a step typically marking the first formal stage of the IPO process. In response, a Consensys spokesperson stated that the company does not comment on market speculation. The report notes that although improved regulatory clarity in the U.S. has prompted several crypto firms to plan for public listings, prolonged market weakness has led companies including Kraken and Ledger to pause their IPO plans.
According to The Block, global asset management firm Franklin Templeton and Payward—the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken—have announced a partnership to jointly explore tokenization pathways for traditional investment products. The collaboration spans tokenized equities, compliant custody, actively managed yield products, and institutional crypto liquidity services. The two parties plan to launch tokenized Franklin Templeton financial products targeting institutional clients, with potential expansion to Kraken’s broader user base depending on circumstances. Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward, stated that this partnership will pioneer entirely new product categories that were not feasible just three years ago. Meanwhile, Payward has applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust company charter to further expand its access within the U.S. financial system.
Franklin Templeton, the parent company of Kraken and a global asset management giant, has announced a collaboration with Kraken to develop on-chain investment products and advance the tokenization of traditional financial assets. The two parties will combine Franklin Templeton's experience in asset tokenization and compliant fund issuance with Kraken's trading, custody, and global user infrastructure, focusing on launching compliant products such as tokenized funds and on-chain wealth management. This initiative aims to bridge the connection between traditional finance and the crypto market. (Coindesk)
Odaily Odaily News According to the latest weekly report from Gate Ventures, global markets continued to strengthen last week, driven by the technology sector. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq index hit new record highs, with the S&P 500 gaining 2.36% for the week and the Nasdaq rising 4.52%. In the crypto market, BTC rose 4.6% last week, ETH rose 2.1%, spot BTC ETFs recorded net inflows for the fifth consecutive week, and market sentiment recovered to the neutral range. Additionally, the total market cap of cryptocurrencies excluding the top ten assets increased by 12.6% for the week.On the macroeconomic front, the ISM Services Price Index rose to 70.7, a two-year high, coupled with energy price fluctuations and the Federal Reserve's policy expectation of "keeping interest rates higher for longer," leading to increased market focus on a "stagflation" environment. On the industry level, Payward, the parent company of Kraken, has applied to the OCC for a national trust charter, highlighting the increasingly evident trend of industry compliance. In terms of investment and financing, 10 deals were completed last week totaling $34.2 million, primarily concentrated in the DeFi and infrastructure sectors. Among them, OpenTrade completed a $17 million funding round to accelerate the development of institutional-grade stablecoin yield infrastructure; OnRe secured a $5 million Series A round to advance its Solana-based tokenized reinsurance product offerings.
C1 Fund, a closed-end fund listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has released its Q4 and full-year financial reports for 2025. Its digital asset private investment strategy continues to expand, with portfolio optimization and liquidity events advancing simultaneously.As of the end of 2025, CFND's digital asset infrastructure investment portfolio includes industry-leading companies such as Alchemy, Blockchain.com, Chainalysis, Consensys, Figment, Kraken, and Ripple, covering core sectors including blockchain development, compliance analytics, trading platforms, and cross-border payments. In 2025, the fund made new investments exceeding $10.47 million in projects like BitGo, Fireblocks, and Polymarket (Blockratize Inc.), and completed additional allocations to holdings such as Ripple, further strengthening its deployment depth in the digital asset infrastructure space. (Businesswire)
According to PRNewswire, market analysis reports indicate that Coinbase and Kraken together account for 22% of all AI mentions across the cryptocurrency category—Coinbase accounts for 13%, and Kraken for 9%—holding a lead over other U.S. trading platforms by more than threefold. Gemini ranks third with 5.5%, Robinhood Crypto fourth with 5%, and BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), IBIT, fifth with 4.5%, dominating queries related to “Bitcoin ETFs.” Additionally, hardware wallets are losing influence in AI responses: while Ledger and Trezor still dominate queries related to “cryptocurrency wallets,” AI increasingly recommends custodial solutions offered by regulated trading platforms when addressing questions about the “best way to store cryptocurrency assets.” (Note: “AI mentions” refers to how frequently an AI chatbot references a particular brand, product, or company when responding to user queries.)
According to CoinDesk, Payward, Kraken’s parent company, announced on May 9 that it has submitted an application to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust company charter. If approved, Payward National Trust Company (PNTC) will be established to provide federally regulated digital asset custody and fiduciary services to institutional and individual clients.
Payward (Kraken's parent company) has applied to the OCC for a national trust company charter, planning to establish Payward National Trust Company (PNTC).The entity will offer regulated, bank-grade digital asset custody and trust services to both institutional and individual clients.Previously, Coinbase and Ripple have received conditional approval for similar charters, indicating that crypto institutions are accelerating their alignment with compliant financial systems.
major US-based crypto exchanges Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini are pushing for amendments to the Senate's crypto market structure bill, seeking to delete or relax the listing restrictions on 'digital assets susceptible to manipulation.' The original clause requires trading platforms to only list digital assets that are 'not easily manipulated.' The industry is concerned that this standard could limit the ability of small-cap tokens to be listed on exchanges, thereby impacting liquidity and market development.According to sources, the exchanges submitted revision proposals to the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this year, suggesting the removal of the relevant restrictive language and emphasizing that the current wording could create a 'listing barrier' for small-cap crypto assets. Under the bill's design, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would gain broader regulatory authority over digital commodity markets in the future, adopting a 'self-certification' mechanism used in traditional commodity markets, which requires exchanges to confirm that a product is not easily manipulated before it can be listed.However, the crypto industry believes that digital assets have structural differences from traditional commodity derivatives, making it unreasonable to simply apply existing standards, which could stifle innovation and market access. A source noted that the current direction of revisions is seen as a 'clear push for regulatory easing.' A Coinbase policy executive stated that the industry supports stronger regulatory and anti-fraud frameworks but opposes directly transplanting standards unsuitable for spot markets, as it would affect market liquidity and consumer participation. It is understood that the bill is still in the negotiation phase between two Senate committees and is expected to undergo further adjustments before being formally submitted for a full floor vote. (Politico)
According to The Block, Kraken has launched CFTC-regulated crypto spot margin trading for U.S. retail users. Users can use their held crypto assets as collateral to trade with up to 10x leverage—without needing to first sell assets to obtain liquidity. This product is the first offering launched by Kraken’s parent company, Payward, following its acquisition of crypto derivatives platform Bitnomial and leveraging Bitnomial’s regulatory license. Payward previously stated that it plans to roll out regulated perpetual contracts and options products for U.S. users in the future.
According to CoinDesk, Payward—the parent company of Kraken—filed a second amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado against its former custody partner Etana Custody and its CEO, Dion Brandon Russell, alleging misappropriation of over $25 million in customer funds and operation of a “Ponzi scheme.” Payward claims that Etana commingled custodial assets with its own funds to cover operating expenses and make high-risk investments, while using false account statements to conceal the resulting funding shortfall. In April 2025, when Kraken attempted to withdraw approximately $25 million in reserve funds, Etana delayed the withdrawal, citing fabricated reconciliation issues, and instead relied on new deposits to fill the gap. At least $16 million of the misappropriated funds was invested in promissory notes issued by Seabury Trade Capital, which later defaulted. Subsequently, Colorado state regulators issued a cease-and-desist order against Etana, which entered liquidation proceedings in November 2025 and is now under the management of a court-appointed receiver. Kraken is seeking at least $25 million in damages, plus treble civil theft penalties.
According to The Block, Payward, Kraken’s parent company, has announced the completion of its acquisition of Chicago-based crypto-native exchange Bitnomial, thereby obtaining a full suite of U.S. derivatives licenses from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), including Futures Commission Merchant (FCM), Designated Contract Market (DCM), and Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) licenses. Payward stated that it will first launch spot margin trading on Kraken, followed by perpetual contracts and options products, all available to eligible U.S. customers. This acquisition will also provide partners—including banks, brokers, and payment service providers—with a channel to offer U.S. derivatives to their end customers. Bitnomial will operate independently under Payward while retaining its existing licenses and regulatory framework. The transaction’s value is reported to be up to $550 million, comprising cash and stock, implying a valuation for Payward of approximately $20 billion; however, the final terms have not been disclosed.
Payward (Kraken’s parent company) has announced the completion of its acquisition of Bitnomial, marking its official entry into the U.S. crypto derivatives market with full regulatory credentials. Following the transaction, Payward now holds a comprehensive set of U.S. CFTC licenses, including Futures Commission Merchant (FCM), Designated Contract Market (DCM), and Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) status, enabling it to launch compliant derivatives services in the U.S. market.Payward stated that it will gradually roll out spot margin trading under the Kraken brand, followed by plans to launch perpetual contracts and options products, while expanding institutional-grade derivatives capabilities through the Bitnomial framework. It is reported that Bitnomial, as a Chicago-based native crypto derivatives trading platform, has long held the three core CFTC licenses and has been relatively aggressive in listing new assets. After the transaction, it will retain its existing licenses and regulatory framework, continuing operations within the Payward system.Additionally, this acquisition continues Payward’s recent expansion moves: the company had previously secured a $200 million investment from Deutsche Börse Group and filed IPO-related documents with the U.S. SEC, signaling its accelerated push into globally compliant derivatives and capital market pathways. (The Block)
Bitcoin remained near $76,000 on Thursday. After the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, market attention quickly shifted to internal policy divergence and macroeconomic uncertainty. Analysts noted that Bitcoin remains suppressed below the key resistance range of $78,000 to $79,000, lacking short-term breakout momentum.Thomas Perfumo, Chief Economist at Kraken, stated that the market is currently more focused on policy uncertainty stemming from internal "divisions" within the Federal Reserve rather than the inaction itself. This is particularly true against the backdrop of Chairman Jerome Powell's continued tenure and the potential expectation of Kevin Warsh succeeding him, creating a lack of clear policy transition.Glassnode data shows that Bitcoin remains "trapped" below the True Market Mean, with resistance concentrated in the $78,000 to $79,000 range and support lying between $65,000 and $70,000. While selling pressure has eased, demand remains insufficient to support a sustained upward breakout.On the macro front, the Fed has shown rare, severe internal disagreements, interpreted by the market as rising uncertainty over the inflation path. Analysts from institutions like Bitget Wallet and 21Shares point out that the expectation of "higher rates for longer" is suppressing risk asset performance, pushing the crypto market into a wait-and-see phase.Regarding capital flows, U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs have recorded net outflows for three consecutive days, with a single-day outflow of approximately $138 million on April 29. Ethereum ETFs saw outflows of about $87.7 million over the same period. Although individual products still saw inflows, the overall trend indicates cooling institutional demand.Meanwhile, CME open interest and ETF assets under management have stabilized but have yet to show strong signals of capital return. In the derivatives market, short positions in perpetual contracts have reached an all-time high, suggesting a potential squeeze if sentiment improves. However, the current market remains dominated by a low-volatility, low-confidence consolidation structure.Overall, Bitcoin is caught in a tug-of-war between an improving support structure and weak demand. Sustained ETF outflows, policy uncertainty, and macroeconomic risks collectively suppress its ability to break through the key resistance range. (The Block)
According to The Block, Gemini’s Olympus division has officially received a Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) license from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), enabling it to serve as an internal clearing house for settlement, risk management, and collateral management—eliminating reliance on third-party clearing and potentially reducing operational costs. Combined with its previously obtained Designated Contract Market (DCM) license, Gemini now possesses full-stack, compliant capabilities across futures, options, perpetual contracts, and prediction markets. Gemini is currently pursuing a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) license to complete its full suite of CFTC authorizations, positioning itself for direct competition with Kraken and Coinbase.
PrimePiper has launched an enterprise-grade prime broker platform for AI agents, designed to address challenges including fragmented account management, inadequate risk control, inability to reconcile across venues, and insufficient compliance auditing in AI-driven automated trading. According to the company, its infrastructure supports unified connectivity to multiple trading venues—including Hyperliquid, OKX, Tiger Brokers, and Interactive Brokers (IBKR). For risk control, PrimePiper offers enterprise-grade API key management, spending limits, and circuit-breaker mechanisms to constrain AI agent trading behavior. At the execution layer, it enables automated strategy execution via SDK or the Model Context Protocol (MCP). For compliance and auditing, it provides audit-grade reporting capabilities tailored for funds and traders. PrimePiper has been selected for the latest cohort of Founders Inc’s accelerator program; its product is currently in the Alpha stage. Team members hail from Galois Capital, Kraken, DRW, and AWS.
the crypto advocacy groups Blockchain Association and CCI, together with over 120 industry institutions including Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, and Circle, have sent a joint letter to the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, urging an accelerated review process for the CLARITY Act. The industry parties stated that the United States needs to establish a unified regulatory framework for digital asset markets, clarify regulatory responsibilities, and strengthen investor protection. They emphasized that relying solely on enforcement-based regulation cannot create a long-term stable environment. The institutions warned that prolonged policy ambiguity will lead to an outflow of capital, talent, and technology, weakening America's strategic advantages. They also called for the development of tailored federal unified regulatory rules for stablecoins, tokenized assets, and decentralized technologies.
According to CoinDesk, over 100 U.S. crypto companies and industry organizations sent a letter to the Senate Banking Committee urging advancement of the Clarity Act’s consideration to establish a federal regulatory framework for digital asset markets. Signatories include Coinbase, Ripple, Kraken, Andreessen Horowitz, Paradigm, and Consensys. Their core demands include clarifying the regulatory division of responsibilities between the SEC and the CFTC, protecting developers of non-custodial tools, simplifying disclosure requirements, and preventing fragmentation across state-level regulatory standards. The signatories warn that without a comprehensive crypto regulatory framework in the U.S., investment, jobs, and development activity may shift overseas.
TechFlow News, April 22: According to CoinDesk, Kraken stated that it has filed 56 million cryptocurrency transaction tax forms with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the 2025 tax year. Of these, approximately 18.5 million forms report transactions under $1, 74% report amounts under $50, and only 8.5% exceed $600. Kraken noted that the absence of a de minimis exemption threshold for cryptocurrency payments—and the current treatment of staking rewards as ordinary income upon receipt—are imposing a significant reporting burden on investors. Kraken is urging the U.S. Congress to enact broader, inflation-indexed de minimis exemption rules and to allow taxpayers to elect whether staking rewards are taxed upon receipt or upon sale.
On-chain investigator ZachXBT questioned Kraken’s due diligence process for listing $M (Memecore) spot trading on July 3, 2025, noting that approximately 7.9 million $M were withdrawn from Kraken to 18 newly created addresses; these addresses collectively now hold roughly 11.7 million $M—valued at approximately $39.8 million at current prices. He also stated that addresses suspected to belong to the Memecore team received 200 million $M during the token generation event (TGE) and transferred 5.3 million $M to Kraken’s deposit address on July 3, 2025.