Payward Acquires Bitnomial for $550 Million, Expanding Its US Crypto Derivatives Presence

Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has entered into an agreement to acquire digital asset derivatives platform Bitnomial for a sum of up to $550 million in a cash-and-stock deal, valuing the company at $20 billion. This move, as announced in a press release shared exclusively with CoinDesk, marks a significant step in Payward's strategic expansion into the US derivatives market. Bitnomial, founded over a decade ago, holds the distinction of being the first crypto-native platform to secure all three necessary licenses to operate a full-stack derivatives business in the US, including approvals for a designated contract market, a derivatives clearing organization, and a futures commission merchant. This acquisition effectively bypasses years of regulatory development for Payward, expediting its US footprint expansion. Kraken, while trailing behind platforms like OKX, Bybit, and Coinbase in terms of spot trading volumes, maintains a significant presence in the crypto derivatives market. The exchange allows users to buy, sell, and trade digital assets such as bitcoin and ether using either fiat or crypto and has diversified its services to include derivatives, staking, and custody, positioning itself as a comprehensive trading platform beyond a basic retail application. According to Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi, the acquisition of Bitnomial, with its crypto-native settlement, collateral, and 24/7 trading capabilities, is central to the company's strategy, highlighting that the shape of a market is determined by its clearing infrastructure rather than its front end. The deal comes at a time when activity in the crypto sector is picking up after a prolonged downturn, with firms focusing on consolidating capabilities and strengthening infrastructure following years of market volatility and regulatory scrutiny. Larger, well-capitalized players are increasingly targeting acquisitions that fill strategic gaps, such as custody, derivatives, or compliance, rather than pursuing growth at any cost. Meanwhile, depressed valuations have created opportunities for buyers, and smaller startups facing funding constraints are more open to acquisitions, setting the stage for a more pragmatic phase of industry consolidation. Kraken has been scaling up ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO), having confidentially submitted a draft S-1 to the US Securities and Exchange Commission in November last year. However, due to challenging market conditions, the firm has reportedly put its IPO plans on hold, with sources indicating that the company is still considering an initial public offering but likely not until market conditions improve. In recent years, Kraken has pursued a targeted yet increasingly strategic M&A strategy aimed at expanding beyond pure crypto trading into multi-asset and derivatives infrastructure. Notably, its $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader in 2025 marked the largest-ever deal between traditional finance and crypto, giving Kraken a direct foothold in US derivatives markets and a large base of futures traders. Prior to this, Kraken executed smaller acquisitions, including BCM in 2023 and other platform purchases, such as the acquisition of Small Exchange, aimed at building out its derivatives and institutional capabilities. Overall, Kraken's deal activity signals a clear strategy of using M&A to acquire regulatory licenses, trading infrastructure, and user bases that help it evolve into a broader, institutional-grade, multi-asset trading platform spanning both crypto and traditional markets. The combined platform will integrate Bitnomial's regulated infrastructure with Payward's global distribution and liquidity across brands, including Kraken and NinjaTrader, with initial offerings expected to include spot margin, perpetual futures, and options for US clients under the oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Payward has been building out its derivatives business globally, including the acquisition of a UK crypto futures platform in 2019 and the launch of an EU offering in 2025, and with Bitnomial, it now adds a fully regulated US stack. The deal also expands Payward Services, the firm's B2B infrastructure arm, allowing banks, fintechs, and brokerages to access regulated US derivatives through a single API integration. The transaction, covering 100% of Bitnomial's equity, is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending customary conditions and regulatory filings. As stated by Sethi, 'We are not acquiring a company. We are adding the infrastructure layer that makes the next generation of US derivatives possible.'