TL;DR
- Kraken was named Fintech Company of the Year – Established at the Business Post’s National Fintech Awards 2026 in Dublin.
- The Fintech Company of the Year award recognizes innovation, progress, and market influence, judged on product advances, measurable results, and impact on the wider Irish fintech industry.
- We were shortlisted alongside some of the biggest names in Irish fintech.
- Ireland remains central to how we serve clients across the EEA.
On October 15, Kraken was named Fintech Company of the Year – Established at the fourth annual National Fintech Awards, held at the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin.
We were up against a strong shortlist of established fintech companies, and we’re proud to bring the award home for the work we’ve put into building and scaling in Ireland.
What the National Fintech Awards recognize
Organized by the Business Post in association with GRID Finance, the National Fintech Awards celebrate achievement across the Irish fintech industry, from early-stage start-ups to the most established names. The 2026 awards spanned 17 categories, each judged against its own criteria.
The Fintech Company of the Year awards look for companies that show real innovation, progress, and market influence. Entrants set out their mission and market focus, the products and strategic advances they delivered over the past year, and the measurable results behind them, including growth, users, revenue, and impact. Winners have to show strong momentum, clear value for customers, and a visible effect on the wider industry.
Why Ireland
Ireland is a core part of how we serve clients across Europe. Our Irish entities are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and provide crypto brokerage and MiCA custody to clients in the EEA, and operate our MiCA-authorized trading platform. Payward also holds an EMI license from the Central Bank of Ireland, which sits alongside our other regulated infrastructure as part of Payward Banking.
We didn’t build here to tick a box. We built here because Ireland offers the talent, the regulatory clarity, and the fintech ecosystem you need to build a global financial services company that clients can trust.
Building on a regulated foundation
We think about growth in Ireland the same way we think about growth everywhere: one license, one market, one layer of infrastructure at a time. A clear regulatory framework lets us build the products clients actually use and stand behind them with confidence. Those products need to be secure, transparent, and ready to scale.
That approach is also why Europe features so prominently in our wider roadmap. Earlier this month, Payward signed a definitive agreement to acquire Saldo Bank, a digital-first, EU-licensed bank, as the next step in building out the EU layer of Payward Banking.
Built for clients across Europe
The foundation we’ve built in Ireland supports the products we bring to clients across the EEA. This week, we made Unified Wallet available to EEA clients on Kraken Pro, so clients can use their existing spot, margin, and earn balances as futures collateral without moving funds between wallets. We’ve also brought US-listed stocks to European clients, bridging traditional markets and crypto in one place.
The goal is the same every time: give clients one place to hold, trade, and put their assets to work, backed by the regulatory standards they should expect from a financial institution.
What’s next
We’re proud of this recognition, but we’re even more motivated by what’s ahead. We’ll keep investing in Ireland, keep expanding what we offer to clients across Europe, and keep building the regulated infrastructure that makes it possible. This award is a great milestone, and we’re just getting started.
Not investment advice. Crypto trading involves risk of loss. Payward Ireland Limited (PIL) and Payward Europe Solutions Limited (PESL), trading as Kraken, are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. E-money services are provided by PIL and spot trading services are provided by PESL. Staking is not a regulated financial product and may not benefit from regulatory protections.
Investment services, ancillary services and investment activities (the “Services”) in relation to financial instruments, such as Equities and Derivatives, are provided and carried out by Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited (ex I.F. Greenfields Wealth Ltd) (“PEDSL-CY”). PEDSL-CY is authorised and approved by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) for the provision of the Services with licence number 342/17. PEDSL-CY is registered in Cyprus with registered number HE 356603 and registered office at Athalassas, 62, MEZZANINE, Strovolos 2012, Nicosia, Cyprus. See Risk Disclosures here.
These materials are for general information purposes only and are not investment or financial product advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell financial instruments or to engage in any specific trading strategy. Trading Equities and Derivatives involves significant risks and is not appropriate for all investors. The value of your investment may go down or up. See Risk Disclosure Statement to learn about the risks. Tax may be payable on any return and/or on any increase in the value of your investment and you should seek independent advice on your taxation position. Geographic restrictions may apply.
Digital assets are held in custody by Payward Europe Solutions Limited (PESL), your MiCA custodian, while financial instruments are provided by PEDSL-CY, your MiFID broker. Each entity acts solely within its own regulatory permissions, and no joint service or cross-entity responsibility is implied.
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