Payward to Acquire Derivatives Exchange Bitnomial for Up to $550M, Gaining Full U.S. Regulatory Licenses

Gate News message, April 17 — Payward, the parent company of Kraken, announced the acquisition of Bitnomial, a U.S. digital asset derivatives platform, for up to $550 million in cash and stock. The transaction values Payward at approximately $20 billion. Bitnomial holds three critical regulatory licenses in the United States: designated contract market, derivatives clearing organization, and futures commission merchant—a unique combination among crypto-native platforms.

Upon completion, Payward will gain immediate access to all regulatory authorizations required to operate a full derivatives business in the U.S., significantly accelerating its compliance timeline. The combined entity will launch spot margin trading, perpetual futures, and options products for U.S. customers. Payward will also offer regulated U.S. derivatives access to banks, fintech companies, and brokers through a single API via its B2B infrastructure division.

This acquisition follows Payward's $1.5 billion purchase of NinjaTrader in 2025. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026.