MEXC and Payward explore collaboration to link crypto and TradFi trading

October 9, 2026 – Executives from MEXC and Payward, the parent of Kraken, outlined how crypto and traditional finance are converging at TOKEN2049 Singapore. MEXC CEO Vugar Usi Zade and Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi focused on always-on markets, unified collateral, and cross-platform collaboration to expand market access and scale global trading.

Always-on markets and unified collateral

Vugar stated that blockchain infrastructure is pressuring fixed-hours market structures. He projected a five-year path toward a single platform where multiple asset classes move with low friction, driven by retail participation.

Arjun framed 24/7 trading as an infrastructure and collateral problem: assets and collateral need to be concentrated and interoperable to enable continuous trading across instruments and venues.

Collaboration to scale global reach

Both leaders emphasized partnerships to serve a larger global user base. Arjun cited collaboration with platforms like MEXC to execute in core markets. Vugar described exchanges leveraging each other’s strengths instead of defaulting to competition.

Stated capabilities: MEXC focuses on retail onboarding, deep liquidity, and perpetual markets across crypto and TradFi-linked assets. Payward contributes global financial infrastructure, professional trading tooling, and U.S. market experience. Areas flagged for joint value creation: infrastructure, market access, and distribution.

Trust, access, and transparency

Vugar identified trust and access as foundational to future financial platforms. Arjun highlighted transparency as connectivity increases across platforms and asset classes.

Company background

MEXC, founded in 2018, operates a multi-asset trading platform with zero trading fees, offering crypto, stocks, tokenized assets, derivatives, and TradFi-linked products through a single account. It reports service coverage across more than 170 markets, deep liquidity, broad asset lists, and a high-performance trading experience oriented toward retail users.

Risk Disclaimer: This content does not constitute investment advice. Financial markets, including digital assets, tokenized assets, and traditional financial products, are volatile. Assess market conditions, asset fundamentals, and risks before making investment or trading decisions.