Payward, the parent company of Kraken, announced on October 4, 2026 a partnership with Singapore Gulf Bank to bring 24/7 settlement to institutional digital asset clients The partnership inte
Payward announced in a press release distributed October 4, 2026 that it has partnered with Singapore Gulf Bank, a digital bank regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain, to deliver round-the-clock settlement for institutional digital asset clients across Asia and the Gulf region.
The partnership integrates SGB Net, Singapore Gulf Bank’s settlement infrastructure that processes more than $20 billion in monthly fiat transactions, with Payward’s institutional trading and custody operations. The arrangement allows institutional clients to deposit funds and execute transactions at any hour, eliminating the fixed cut-off times that have traditionally constrained settlement between banks and trading venues to standard business hours in each jurisdiction. The initial scope covers US dollar transactions for select clients, with both companies describing plans to expand the arrangement over time.
As part of the same partnership, Kraken Prime, Payward’s prime brokerage division, will provide liquidity to Singapore Gulf Bank’s own customers, creating a reciprocal arrangement in which each party’s institutional client base gains access to the other’s infrastructure. Payward Chief Commercial Officer Mark Greenberg said the integration means “settlement and cross-border payments happen in real time, wherever our clients are,” while Singapore Gulf Bank CEO Shawn Chan said the partnership is about “bringing settlement and liquidity closer together” by connecting SGB Net directly with Payward’s systems.
Round-the-clock settlement has become an increasingly important differentiator for institutional crypto infrastructure providers, since digital asset markets trade continuously while traditional banking settlement has historically operated on fixed schedules tied to regional business hours. Institutions trading across multiple time zones have long cited this mismatch as a source of operational friction and counterparty risk, particularly during periods of high volatility when delayed settlement can leave positions exposed for longer than desired.
The partnership extends Payward’s push into institutional infrastructure beyond its core exchange business, following a string of moves this year including prime brokerage expansion and partnerships with traditional financial institutions. By pairing with a regulated digital bank active in both the Gulf and Asian markets, Payward is positioning Kraken’s institutional arm to capture settlement and liquidity business in regions where demand for always-on digital asset infrastructure has grown quickly alongside expanding institutional trading activity.
This post first appeared in Payward and Singapore Gulf Bank Partner on 24/7 Institutional Settlement
