Payward, Kraken’s Parent, Plans to Acquire Lithuania’s Saldo Bank to Enter EU Banking
Current overview (not historical)
Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, announced plans to acquire Lithuanian bank Saldo Bank. The acquisition would grant Payward an EU banking licence, allowing its subsidiary Kraken to offer deposit accounts, loans, and bank‑as‑a‑service across key European markets such as Lithuania, Finland and Germany. Payward said that obtaining the licence would enable Kraken to provide a full suite of banking services within the EU by 2027, marking the firm’s first foray into traditional finance. The deal is expected to close in 2027, after regulatory approval, and would position Kraken as a pioneer among crypto firms to own an EU‑licensed bank.
Written with AI from the reporting · updated 10/15/2026
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- 1Unclassified fact stationOct 14, 00:00recorded Oct 14, 22:22single sourcerevised
Kraken parent to buy Lithuanian Saldo Bank
Read original source ↗ CointelegraphReplay this moment in the explorerEvidence & revisions · 1 source records
- Subject：
- payward
- Action：
- announced plans to buy a bank in Lithuania
- Object：
- Saldo Bank
- Occurred (fact side)：
- Oct 14, 00:00
- Published (valid side)：
- Oct 14, 21:36
- First seen (known side)：
- Oct 14, 22:22
Fact stationSingle source · one-sided claimRevisedCopy may have been revised later; time replay is bounded. Layer labels group reading only, not causation between layers.
- 2Unclassified fact stationOct 14, 22:22report-time onlyrevised
Kraken parent to buy Lithuanian Saldo Bank
Read original source ↗ CointelegraphReplay this moment in the explorerEvidence & revisions · 3 source records
- Subject：
- kraken
- Action：
- acquire
- Object：
- Saldo Bank
- Occurred (fact side)：
- not recorded
- Published (valid side)：
- Oct 14, 20:26
- First seen (known side)：
- Oct 14, 22:22
- Published (valid side)：
- Oct 15, 00:30
- First seen (known side)：
- Oct 15, 02:23
- Published (valid side)：
- Oct 14, 21:07
- First seen (known side)：
- Oct 15, 23:27
Fact stationRevisedReport-time onlyCopy may have been revised later; time replay is bounded. Layer labels group reading only, not causation between layers.
Uncertainty marks flag where to check the sources; they are not proven causation.
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Explore every side through dated source reports.
- Bitcoin MagazineFact occurrence time unverifiedKraken's parent company Payward to acquire Saldo Bank for European expansion
Report first recorded Oct 15, 02:23
Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, signed an agreement to acquire Saldo Finance Oy, gaining an EU banking license and a presence across five European markets: Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Germany, and a passport into the Netherlands. The deal is expected to close in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals. Post-acquisition, Payward Banking aims to offer services including interest on deposits, SME and consumer loans, credit cards, and banking-as-a-service tools. This move supports Kraken's push into traditional finance, allowing it to serve European clients as a primary financial institution.
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- CointelegraphRelated fact: single sourceSource report revisedKraken parent Payward to acquire Lithuanian bank, Ledger halts Southeast Asian sales amid tampering reports
Report first recorded Oct 14, 22:22
Payward, the parent company of Kraken, announced plans to acquire Lithuania-based Saldo Bank to expand into traditional financial services across four markets including Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, and Germany, with the acquisition expected to close in 2027. Meanwhile, Ledger has asked resellers in six Southeast Asian countries and Hong Kong to suspend hardware wallet sales as it investigates reports of tampered devices, while rival Trezor is preemptively cutting its authorized reseller network due to these tampering reports.
Read original source ↗ - CoinDeskFact occurrence time unverifiedSource report revisedKraken's parent Payward acquires Lithuania-based Saldo Bank to gain EU banking license
Report first recorded Oct 15, 23:27
Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, agreed to acquire Lithuania-based Saldo Bank for an undisclosed amount, granting it a European Union (EU) banking license. This acquisition enables Payward to offer European customers interest-bearing deposits, loans, card services, and euro payments, expanding beyond cryptocurrency trading. Saldo Bank had 163.9 million euros ($180 million) in total assets at the end of 2025, a 22.7% increase from the previous year. The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in 2027.
Read original source ↗ - CointelegraphFact occurrence time unverifiedSource report revisedKraken's parent Payward to acquire Lithuanian Saldo Bank for TradFi expansion
Report first recorded Oct 14, 22:22
Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, signed an agreement to acquire Saldo Finance Oy, which operates Saldo Bank UAB, a digital bank licensed in Lithuania. This acquisition is part of Payward's infrastructure strategy to expand into traditional financial services across four markets: Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The bank's EU banking license is also passported into the Netherlands. The deal is expected to close in 2027, pending regulatory approvals, and will enable Payward Banking to offer services like interest on deposits, lending products, and banking-as-a-service to SMEs. Payward co-CEO Arjun Sethi said a regulated EU bank allows them to serve European clients as a primary financial institution by enabling asset holding, free movement, and utilization.
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