Payward, parent company of Kraken, has received in-principle approval from Kazakhstan’s AFSA to offer digital asset trading and custody in the AIFC.

Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, has received in-principle approval from the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) to license Payward Kazakhstan within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). Once licensed, the entity would be able to operate a digital asset trading facility, deal in investments as both principal and agent, and provide custody of digital assets. As an in-principle approval, it is a step towards the licence itself, which has yet to be granted.

Access to global order books

Traders in Kazakhstan will gain access to Payward’s global…