Payward, the parent company of Kraken, agreed to acquire Bitnomial, the first US crypto derivatives platform to hold all three CFTC licenses simultaneously, for up to $550 million in cash and stock, in a deal that values Payward at $20 billion and is expected to close in the first half of 2026. Summary Bitnomial is the first crypto-native US firm to hold all three CFTC licenses required for a full-stack derivatives business — a designated contract market, a derivatives clearing organization, and a futures commission merchant — giving Payward the infrastructure to run an exchange, clear trades, and offer brokerage services inside one regulated framework. The deal follows Deutsche Börse’s $200 million investment for a 1.5% stake in Payward and builds on Payward’s $1.5 billion NinjaTrader acquisition in 2025, completing regulated derivatives coverage across the US, UK, and EU. Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi said the company is “adding the infrastructure layer that makes the next generation of US derivatives possible,” framing the acquisition as foundational infrastructure rather than a traditional company purchase. The deal covers 100% of Bitnomial’s equity. The Chicago-based firm spent over a decade securing three separate CFTC approvals — a designated contract market, a derivatives clearing organization, and a futures commission merchant registration — the combination that allows a single entity to run an exchange, clear trades, and offer brokerage services under one CFTC-regulated roof. No other crypto-native US firm holds all three simultaneously. What Payward Gets From the Deal Payward will integrate Bitnomial’s infrastructure across Kraken, NinjaTrader, and Payward Services, its business-to-business platform. Banks, fintechs, and brokerages will access regulated US crypto derivatives through a single API covering futures, options, and leveraged products inside a CFTC-regulated framework. Co-CEO Arjun Sethi described the acquisition as foundational rather than transactional. “We are not acquiring a company,” he said. “We are adding the infrastructure layer that makes the next generation of US derivatives possible.” Building a CFTC-regulated clearinghouse independently requires years of regulatory engagement and capital commitment. Bitnomial collapses that timeline to the length of a deal close. Payward generated $2.2 billion in revenue in 2025, up 33%, with its platforms processing roughly $2 trillion in transactions and holding over $48 billion in customer assets at year-end. How This Fits Payward’s Broader Strategy The Bitnomial deal completes Payward’s global derivatives build. The company acquired a UK crypto futures platform in 2019, launched EU regulated derivatives in 2025, and purchased NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion the same year, giving it retail futures access and a first CFTC registration. Bitnomial adds exchange, clearing, and brokerage licenses on top, creating a vertically integrated US derivatives business. The announcement follows Deutsche Börse’s $200 million investment for a 1.5% stake, a transaction that valued Payward at approximately $13.3 billion. The $20 billion valuation embedded in the Bitnomial deal reflects the strategic premium the market is placing on regulated crypto derivatives infrastructure heading into an environment where the CLARITY Act would formally establish CFTC authority over non-securities digital asset trading. The IPO Context Payward’s IPO filing remains active. Co-CEO Sethi confirmed on April 14 that a public offering is “still on the table” despite pausing formal preparations in March due to difficult market conditions. A full-stack CFTC-licensed derivatives business strengthens both the institutional narrative and the revenue diversification story that supports a premium IPO valuation ahead of any eventual listing.
