Kraken’s parent company Payward has teamed up with Singapore Gulf Bank to offer 24/7 settlement services for institutional clients. The partnership gives large-scale crypto market participants continuous access to settlement, removing the delays tied to traditional banking hours.
Payward and Singapore Gulf Bank announce 24/7 settlement
Payward, the company that owns and operates the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange, partnered with Singapore Gulf Bank to launch the settlement offering. The service is designed specifically for institutional clients, meaning banks, funds, and large trading firms rather than everyday retail users.
The defining feature of the arrangement is round-the-clock availability. Traditional settlement between financial institutions typically follows business hours and banking windows. A 24/7 model means institutional clients can settle transactions on weekends, public holidays, and outside standard market hours. For related coverage, see Fed Bank Reserves Drop $88.236B as Weekly Average Rises.
What the settlement service means for institutional clients
Settlement is the final step in a trade: the moment when assets and funds actually change hands. Delays in settlement create risk because prices can move between the time a trade is agreed and the time it clears. Always-on settlement reduces that exposure window for large market participants. For related coverage, see IMF Unlocks $138M for El Salvador After Bitcoin Waivers.
Institutional clients operating across multiple time zones stand to benefit most. A fund based in Europe trading with a counterpart in Asia no longer needs to wait for overlapping business hours to complete a transaction. This mirrors a broader push by major crypto firms to meet institutional finance standards, similar to moves by major banks exploring stablecoin-based settlement rails.
Why the Payward-bank partnership matters for crypto market infrastructure
Payward’s involvement signals that Kraken, one of the longer-standing crypto exchanges, is deepening its institutional-grade financial infrastructure. Pairing with a licensed bank rather than a crypto-native firm adds a layer of regulated financial credibility to the settlement offering.
Singapore Gulf Bank’s participation places the launch within the Gulf and Southeast Asian institutional finance corridor, regions where regulated crypto infrastructure has been expanding. The bank-exchange partnership model echoes a wider trend of traditional and crypto financial institutions building shared rails, as seen when exchanges like OKX have pursued institutional partnerships with established market operators. Asset managers have also accelerated their engagement, with BlackRock deepening its Bitcoin exposure as institutional appetite for crypto infrastructure grows.
For anyone holding crypto through a retail platform, this announcement does not directly change day-to-day experience. Its significance is at the infrastructure layer, making the plumbing of large crypto trades faster, more reliable, and available at any hour.
Key takeaways:
- Partners: Payward (Kraken’s parent company) and Singapore Gulf Bank
- Service: 24/7 settlement, meaning transactions can clear at any hour, any day
- Target users: Institutional clients such as funds, banks, and large trading firms
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always conduct your own research before making decisions.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
