Payward is buying Saldo Bank, according to the Financial Times. The deal would give Kraken's parent its own EU bank licence and is expected to close in 2027 after regulatory approval.

Saldo started as a Finnish fintech and got a specialised bank licence from the European Central Bank in October 2021. Run from Vilnius, it offers consumer and SME loans, term deposits and credit cards in Lithuania, Finland and Sweden. Deal terms were not disclosed.

It follows July reports that Kraken wanted a full banking licence in Lithuania, the same route Revolut took in 2018.

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