Kraken Parent Payward Gets Initial Nod to Enter Kazakhstan’s Tightened Crypto Market

Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has secured initial approval to operate in Kazakhstan. The development was reported by Bitcoin.com News and Fintech News Singapore on October 23, 2026. Both outlets described the approval as an early step rather than a finished license to operate fully in the country. The approval arrives shortly after Kazakhstan moved to tighten its regulatory framework for digital assets. Authorities in the country have been working to bring crypto trading and custody under closer supervision. Exact details of the new rules were not specified in the available reporting.