Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, plans to acquire Saldo Bank, a bank based in Lithuania. Cointelegraph reported the deal on October 14, 2026, and described it as part of Payward's move into traditional finance.
Saldo Bank already operates in four EU markets. Payward says the purchase would let it offer traditional banking services in those four markets. Payward expects the deal to close in 2027.
The report does not give a purchase price. It also does not name the four markets or say what banking services Payward will offer. Until the deal closes, Saldo Bank stays under its current owner.
For someone already holding a perpetual position on Bitget, Bybit, MEXC or OKX, this changes nothing directly. Kraken is not one of the exchanges this site tracks, and the deal has not closed. The report gives no reason to expect any change to funding rates, trading fees or liquidity on those four venues.
Source: cointelegraph — Kraken parent to buy Lithuanian Saldo Bank amid TradFi expansion