Payward Integrates Singapore Gulf Bank Network for 24/7 Institutional Crypto Settlement

What to Know

• Payward, the financial infrastructure company behind Kraken, has integrated Singapore Gulf Bank’s real-time clearing network for institutional digital-asset settlement.
• The service is designed to let select institutional clients settle eligible digital-asset transactions and fund trading around the clock.
• The initial rollout supports U.S. dollar transactions for clients in eligible jurisdictions across Asia and the Gulf region.
• Funds deposited through SGB Net can be made immediately available with Payward, helping institutions avoid traditional bank cut-off windows.
• The partnership targets a long-running mismatch between nonstop crypto trading and banking systems that still operate around business-day schedules.
• SGB Net was launched in 2025 and processes more than $20 billion in fiat transactions each month, according to Singapore Gulf Bank.
• Payward and Singapore Gulf Bank plan to expand the service to more clients and currencies over time, though they did not disclose initial client numbers or transaction volumes.

Payward Pushes Deeper Into Crypto Market Infrastructure

Payward has moved to strengthen institutional access to digital-asset markets by integrating Singapore Gulf Bank’s real-time clearing network, creating a pathway for select clients to settle eligible crypto-related transactions and fund trading activity around the clock. The arrangement is aimed at institutional users that need cash mobility to match the operating rhythm of crypto markets, where trading does not pause for weekends, holidays, or conventional bank processing schedules.

The service begins with U.S. dollar settlement for a select group of clients in eligible Asian and Gulf region jurisdictions. Payward and Singapore Gulf Bank said the rollout will expand over time, with additional clients and currencies planned. The firms have not disclosed how many institutions are included in the first phase, nor have they released transaction volume expectations for the service.

For institutional traders, the change is significant because fiat settlement remains one of the most persistent operational frictions in digital assets. Crypto venues may offer continuous markets, but the cash rails used to support trading have often remained tied to banking hours. That gap can limit the ability of firms to respond to sudden price movements, manage collateral, replenish balances, or deploy capital when volatility rises outside the traditional banking day.

Why Round-the-Clock Fiat Settlement Matters

Digital assets trade continuously, but fiat currency does not always move with the same speed. In many cases, institutions seeking to fund accounts or settle transactions face bank cut-off times, weekend delays, and multi-day settlement cycles. These constraints can create a liquidity mismatch, particularly for professional trading firms, over-the-counter desks, payment providers, exchanges, and fintech companies that operate across multiple time zones.

By connecting Payward’s institutional infrastructure with SGB Net, eligible clients can deposit funds and use them immediately with Payward. That can help reduce reliance on delayed settlement windows and allow trading desks to manage liquidity more directly when market conditions change. The goal is not simply convenience; for institutions, settlement speed can influence capital efficiency, risk management, and execution quality.

Payward’s chief commercial officer, Mark Greenberg, framed the partnership around a core issue in crypto market structure: markets remain open after the business day ends, while settlement systems often do not. His comments point to a practical problem faced by firms that need to move between fiat and digital assets quickly but are constrained by legacy payment rails. SGB Net is intended to narrow that gap by giving qualified clients a real-time route into Payward’s digital-asset ecosystem.

Initial Focus on Asia and the Gulf

The first phase of the service targets eligible clients in Asia and the Gulf region, two areas that have attracted increasing institutional interest in digital assets and financial infrastructure. The regional focus also reflects the role of Singapore Gulf Bank as the banking network provider and the relevance of cross-border capital flows among institutions operating in those markets.

The service initially supports U.S. dollar transactions. That focus is notable because the U.S. dollar remains a dominant funding and settlement currency in global markets, including crypto. For institutional participants, dollar access can be essential for managing trading balances, settling obligations, and moving liquidity between venues. Payward and Singapore Gulf Bank have said they plan to add more currencies later, though they have not provided a timeline or named which currencies could be included.

The use of SGB Net also gives the partnership a bank-led settlement layer rather than relying solely on internal exchange balances. SGB Net was launched in 2025 and processes more than $20 billion in fiat transactions each month, according to the bank. That scale suggests the network is already handling substantial fiat activity, though the firms have not disclosed how much volume the Payward integration may generate.

Institutional Crypto Trading Meets Banking Rails

The Payward and Singapore Gulf Bank integration highlights a broader shift in digital assets: institutional adoption increasingly depends on the quality of the infrastructure surrounding trading venues. Liquidity, custody, compliance, payment access, and settlement speed all affect whether large clients can operate efficiently. An exchange can offer deep markets, but institutions still need reliable ways to move cash in and out without unnecessary delays.

Kraken Prime’s liquidity is a key part of the arrangement for Singapore Gulf Bank clients. By connecting settlement with access to institutional trading liquidity, the firms are seeking to make the movement from cash deposit to market participation more direct. For trading desks, that can matter during fast-moving market conditions, when delayed fiat settlement may force firms to hold larger idle balances or miss opportunities.

The service also reflects Payward’s expansion beyond the core exchange business associated with Kraken. Payward has been building a broader financial infrastructure profile that spans trading, custody, payments, and banking connectivity. This direction places the company in competition not only with crypto-native platforms, but also with traditional financial institutions attempting to develop digital-asset services for professional clients.

Banking Constraints Remain a Major Crypto Market Issue

Despite the growth of institutional crypto trading, fiat rails remain one of the sector’s most important bottlenecks. Traditional banks often process transfers according to business-day schedules, and that can leave market participants exposed when they need to react outside those windows. Weekend volatility, sudden liquidity demands, or changes in collateral requirements can all create pressure on firms that are unable to move cash quickly.

Round-the-clock settlement can reduce some of those operational frictions, but it does not remove all risks. Institutions still need to consider eligibility rules, jurisdictional access, counterparty exposure, compliance requirements, and the specific digital-asset transactions supported by the service. Payward has described the settlement capability as applying to qualifying or eligible digital-asset transactions, meaning it is not necessarily a universal settlement channel for every client or every activity.

The lack of disclosed initial client numbers also means the market will need time to assess adoption. Early rollouts of institutional infrastructure are often selective, allowing firms to test operations, manage compliance, and scale gradually. If the service expands as planned, it could become part of a wider industry push toward real-time or near-real-time fiat settlement for crypto businesses and institutional investors.

Broader Strategic Context for Payward

Payward’s latest move comes as the company continues to position itself as a broader infrastructure provider in digital assets. The integration with Singapore Gulf Bank follows market attention on discussions involving BNY and Payward over a potential tie-up spanning digital assets, custody, trading, and payments. Those discussions have not been presented as a completed transaction, but they fit a wider pattern in which crypto-native companies and established financial institutions explore ways to connect traditional banking services with digital-asset market infrastructure.

For Payward, the ability to offer more robust fiat settlement can strengthen its institutional proposition. Professional clients often require more than access to spot or derivatives markets. They also need secure custody, operational reliability, payment connectivity, and the ability to manage fiat liquidity across different market conditions. By adding a real-time clearing connection through Singapore Gulf Bank, Payward is addressing one of the more practical concerns in institutional crypto operations.

For Singapore Gulf Bank, the integration links its SGB Net clearing network with crypto market liquidity and institutional trading flows. That connection may help the bank serve clients that operate across digital assets and traditional finance, particularly in regions where eligible participants need faster movement between cash and trading venues. The partnership also underscores how banks are increasingly becoming service providers to the digital-asset economy rather than remaining separate from it.

What Comes Next

The near-term focus will be on the initial group of eligible institutional clients and U.S. dollar transactions across Asia and the Gulf region. Market participants will watch whether the service expands to additional users, whether more currencies are added, and whether similar bank-integrated settlement models become more common across crypto venues.

The firms have not provided a detailed expansion schedule, so the pace of rollout remains uncertain. Still, the direction is clear: institutional crypto markets are seeking settlement systems that better match continuous trading. If more banks and crypto infrastructure providers move in this direction, the industry could gradually reduce one of its most visible operational mismatches.

For now, Payward’s integration with Singapore Gulf Bank gives select institutions a new route to fund trading and settle eligible digital-asset transactions outside normal banking hours. In a market where speed, liquidity, and access can shape outcomes, around-the-clock fiat settlement is becoming an increasingly important part of the institutional crypto toolkit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What did Payward announce with Singapore Gulf Bank?

Payward integrated Singapore Gulf Bank’s real-time clearing network to support around-the-clock settlement for eligible institutional digital-asset transactions and trading funding.

Who can use the new settlement service?

The initial rollout is limited to select institutional clients in eligible jurisdictions across Asia and the Gulf region.

Which currency is supported at launch?

The service initially supports U.S. dollar transactions, with Payward and Singapore Gulf Bank planning to add more currencies over time.

Why is 24/7 fiat settlement important for crypto markets?

Crypto markets operate around the clock, while traditional banking systems often stop at business-day cut-off times. Faster fiat settlement can help institutions fund accounts and respond to market conditions without waiting for the next banking day.

What is SGB Net?

SGB Net is Singapore Gulf Bank’s real-time clearing network. It was launched in 2025 and processes more than $20 billion in fiat transactions each month, according to the bank.

Does the service cover all digital-asset transactions?

The service applies to eligible or qualifying digital-asset transactions, so access and usage may depend on client status, jurisdiction, and transaction type.

Did Payward and Singapore Gulf Bank disclose rollout volumes?

No. The firms did not disclose the number of clients in the initial rollout or the transaction volumes involved.

How does this fit Payward’s broader strategy?

The integration supports Payward’s expansion beyond exchange operations into institutional infrastructure that connects trading, custody, payments, and banking services.