Wells Fargo reportedly in talks with Kraken parent Payward over crypto trading liquidity

Wells Fargo is reportedly in talks with Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, about supplying crypto trading liquidity to the bank, according to CoinDesk. Neither company has officially confirmed the discussions. What Payward is actually selling That is the pitch behind Payward Services, the company’s business-to-business arm. It offers financial institutions, exchanges and asset managers access to crypto trading liquidity, custody, payments and settlement infrastructure. A busy autumn of bank courtship On September 3, 2026, Payward and SoFi announced an agreement giving SoFi users access to Kraken Prime liquidity. The deal also features 24/7 dollar settlement within SoFi’s network, and SoFiUSD was listed on Kraken. Then came BNY Mellon. As of October 2, 2026, the bank was in discussions with Payward over a potential partnership spanning custody, trading and wealth management services. Wells Fargo is not a stranger to the Payward story either. The bank advised Nasdaq on its $100 million investment in Payward in September 2026, a deal that valued the crypto company at $21 billion. From exchange to infrastructure provider Payward has been reshaping itself from a cryp...