Kraken Parent Payward Links With Singapore Gulf Bank for Round-the-Clock Settlement
Payward integrates SGB Net to offer 24/7 instant settlement for institutional clients across Asia and the Gulf.
Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, has partnered with Singapore Gulf Bank to bring continuous, real-time settlement capabilities to institutional digital asset markets in Asia and the Gulf region. The integration centers on SGB Net, Singapore Gulf Bank's proprietary real-time clearing network, which eliminates the time-zone gaps that have historically complicated cross-border digital asset transactions.
Under the arrangement, institutional clients served by both firms gain access to settlement at any hour, a capability that traditional financial infrastructure rarely offers and that digital asset markets — which operate continuously — have long demanded. The move reflects growing pressure on institutional-grade crypto platforms to match the always-on nature of decentralized markets with equally responsive back-end clearing systems.
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The partnership carries an additional commercial dimension: Singapore Gulf Bank will onboard Kraken Prime, Payward's institutional trading arm, as a source of digital asset liquidity. That step positions Kraken Prime deeper within the regional banking infrastructure of two strategically significant financial corridors — Southeast Asia and the Gulf Cooperation Council states — where demand for regulated digital asset services has accelerated in recent years.
Analysts have noted that 24/7 settlement infrastructure is increasingly viewed as a baseline requirement for institutional adoption of digital assets, as counterparty risk accumulates during settlement delays. By embedding real-time clearing directly into a licensed banking partner's network, Payward is signaling a strategy of integrating with regulated financial entities rather than building parallel rails. The arrangement could also smooth regulatory relationships in jurisdictions where banking partnerships lend credibility to crypto operations.
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