Kraken wants to be your bank, but who will protect your money?

On Oct. 14, Payward, the parent company of Kraken, agreed to acquire Saldo Finance Oy, a Finnish company that owns Lithuania's Saldo Bank, in a transaction expected to close in 2027 if regulators approve. The proposed purchase would add deposit accounts to Payward's own business operations. The Kraken parent company is seeking a place in its customers' personal finances well before they buy Bitcoin and well after they sell it.