New Partnership Connects Real-Time Clearing to Digital Asset Trading

Payward, the parent company of the Kraken exchange, has partnered with Singapore Gulf Bank to integrate the bank’s SGB Net real-time multi-currency clearing network. This development allows institutional clients of both firms to settle transactions immediately, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, rather than waiting for traditional banking cut-off times.

Settlement will begin with U.S. dollar transactions for a select group of clients in supported jurisdictions. Payward and SGB plan to expand the service to additional clients and currencies in coming phases. Through the integration, an SGB client can deposit funds with Payward and have them available for trading without delay, even during weekends or overnight hours.

Historically, bank-to-venue settlement has taken days because of fixed business-hour cut-offs. Digital asset markets, by contrast, operate continuously. The new arrangement aligns the two timelines for the participating institutions.

SGB Net Processes Over $20 Billion in Fiat Monthly

Singapore Gulf Bank launched SGB Net in 2025 specifically for digital-asset businesses that require continuous operational support. The network has since scaled to handle more than $20 billion in fiat transactions each month. The bank is fully licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain, and it is backed by Mumtalakat, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, as well as Singapore’s Whampoa Group.

SGB Net supports corporate clients with multi-currency accounts, international payments and remote account opening while providing a clearing layer that works alongside digital asset services. The platform has already added links with established banks, including Standard Chartered and J.P. Morgan’s correspondent network.

Kraken Prime Adds Liquidity Access for SGB Clients

Under the agreement, Singapore Gulf Bank will connect to Kraken Prime, Payward’s full-service prime brokerage platform, as an additional source of digital asset liquidity. Over the coming months, SGB clients will be able to price trades for their own customers directly through Payward’s markets.

Chief Executive Officer Shawn Chan of SGB noted that the connection brings settlement and liquidity closer together, giving clients the flexibility to fund and manage digital asset activity at any time.

Payward Builds Banking Infrastructure for Global Clients

This partnership forms part of Payward’s broader Payward Banking initiative, which modernizes cash movement across deposits, payments, cards, custody and lending. The company has previously connected with other regulated banks to extend 24/7 dollar settlement, including a recent arrangement with SoFi Technologies that also enabled routing of digital asset liquidity.

Mark Greenberg, Chief Commercial Officer of Payward, explained that exchanges, payment providers and fintechs face the same constraint: trading continues around the clock while settlement has historically stopped at the end of the business day.

Expansion Expected to Support More Currencies and Clients

The initial phase covers U.S. dollar transactions for eligible institutional clients in Asia and the Gulf region. Payward will continue adding regulated banking partners to offer a wider range of services worldwide. Both companies described the arrangement as a step toward seamless cross-border flows between traditional banking rails and digital asset markets.

SGB provides corporate and personal banking accounts to businesses and individuals globally, combining these capabilities with digital asset services. The partnership is expected to strengthen liquidity and operational efficiency for participating institutions in the coming months.