HR M&A Lead - People
About the job
- At least 8 years of experience across M&A people or human resources diligence, integration, total rewards, or corporate development, including hands-on ownership of the people workstream on completed deals.
- A track record of running multiple diligence processes in tandem to hard timelines, prioritizing or deferring work appropriately.
- Strong analytical ability to model compensation, equity, dilution, retention costs, and integration spend directly.
- Global or cross-border deal experience involving multiple jurisdictions and/or regulatory change-of-control employment considerations.
- Demonstrated use of artificial intelligence and automation to review large document volumes, with judgment about where model outputs can and cannot be trusted.
- Ability to make and communicate risk decisions based on incomplete information and state a clear position to executive stakeholders.
- Credibility in founder-facing negotiations concerning compensation, equity, and retention structures.
- Rigorous confidentiality practices and comfort operating on live, undisclosed transactions.
- Ability to operate with high agency amid ambiguity, shifting deals, and changing scope.
- Own the people workstream for Payward's M&A activity from initial diligence through close and integration.
- Build and own the People due diligence questionnaire, including data requests and questions to the target, follow-ups, and deeper-dive workshops.
- Review high-volume, low-structure data rooms containing employment contracts, organizational data, compensation and equity files, policies, and claims history, using artificial intelligence and automation to shorten review cycles.
- Distill findings into a concise list of flags scored against Payward's risk tolerance, with a clear recommendation for each.
- Lead drafting of people-side deal mechanics, including compensation modeling, equity treatment, retention and earn-out structures, and deal-specific considerations for negotiation with founders.
- Work with corporate development, legal, finance, and People leadership; leverage subject-matter experts, make recommendations, and defend them with data.
- Act as the People M&A program manager during post-signing integration, supporting organizational design, leveling and compensation harmonization, retention execution, and Day 1 people readiness.
- Convert deal learnings into reusable infrastructure, including playbooks, due diligence questionnaire templates, risk scoring, and automation.
- Experience with acquisitions in crypto, fintech, or regulated financial services.
- Experience integrating founder-led or early-stage teams into a larger platform.
- Prior experience building a diligence or integration playbook from scratch.
About the company
Kraken is a cryptocurrency exchange that lets people buy, sell, and trade digital assets. It runs a global market where users can place orders to trade various crypto pairs, and the platform matches buyers and sellers to complete transactions. Transactions are processed with high liquidity for fast execution, and users can use advanced charting tools and indicators to analyze prices. Fees are competitive and can be very low, which helps traders keep more of their returns. Kraken emphasizes security with multiple protections to safeguard funds, and it offers around-the-clock support for users worldwide. The company serves individuals as well as institutional traders, and it continually adds new trading pairs to expand its offerings. Its goal is to provide a reliable, low-cost, high-liquidity market where people can access a wide range of digital assets securely and with helpful support.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Private
Total Funding
$1.4B
Headquarters
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Founded
2011
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 2026: X Cashtags should funnel social-trading demand directly into Kraken accounts.
- September 2026: Kraken Borrow US expands leverage revenue across 48 states.
- Nasdaq, Ledger, and LSEG partnerships position Kraken for tokenized equities leadership.
What critics are saying
- May 15, 2026: Payward cut 150 jobs, signaling execution pressure before a delayed IPO.
- September 8, 2026: withdrawal and deposit outages damaged trust in Kraken's core infrastructure.
- 2026 SEC and Mazars disputes show regulatory scrutiny and audit fragility still threaten listing plans.
What makes Kraken unique
- September 16, 2026: X chose Kraken as a launch Cashtag partner.
- September 10, 2026: Nasdaq invested $100 million in Payward for tokenized equities.
- September 2026: Kraken bundled spot, futures, custody, and DeFi across nearly 2,500 assets.
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Benefits
Competitive salary and equity plan
401k contribution plan
Vacation & Generous PTO
Paid Tranings
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
1%1 year growth
2%2 year growth
2%USBC, Inc. (NYSE American: USBC) has raised its Bitcoin-backed credit limit from $25 million to $40 million. The increase comes through a second addendum, dated October 12, 2026, to its Master Loan Agreement with Payward Interactive, Inc. As of the addendum's effective date, $21 million is outstanding, leaving $19 million available to borrow. Payward Financial, Inc., an affiliate of the lender, holds the Bitcoin collateral. An amended account control agreement now lets the collateral also cover certain digital asset derivative transactions. Existing loans keep their original terms. USBC will hold its 2026 Annual Meeting virtually on December 17, 2026.
Backpack appoints Daisuke Nakagawa to lead Japan Strategy. 2026-10-12 11:12:39 Key takeaways. * Backpack appointed Daisuke Nakagawa as Head of Strategy and Corporate Development at Backpack Japan. * Nakagawa previously served as COO at both Kraken Japan and Binance Japan, leading licensing efforts. * Backpack is currently not reporting any trading volume amid the appointment announcement. Backpack has appointed Daisuke Nakagawa as Head of Strategy and Corporate Development at Backpack Japan to leverage his extensive experience navigating Japan's complex crypto regulatory environment. Nakagawa previously served as COO at both Kraken Japan and Binance Japan, leading licensing efforts in the region. Japan's crypto regulatory landscape is notably stringent, making compliance a critical factor for platform success in the market. Nakagawa brings regulatory expertise from Kraken and Binance Japan. Daisuke Nakagawa's appointment positions Backpack to strengthen its compliance strategies in Japan's competitive crypto market. Nakagawa's experience in leading licensing efforts at Kraken Japan and Binance Japan provides the platform with expertise in navigating the country's rigorous regulatory requirements. The company's focus on compliance aims to foster a more secure trading environment for users and regulators. Backpack reports zero trading volume amid appointment. Backpack is currently not reporting any trading volume, indicating thin trading activity at this moment. The appointment has garnered attention on social media, with a notable amount of likes and retweets reflecting community interest. Backpack is a cryptocurrency platform focused on providing trading solutions and services tailored to the Japanese market. Faq. What position did Daisuke Nakagawa accept at Backpack Japan? Daisuke Nakagawa was appointed as Head of Strategy and Corporate Development at Backpack Japan. What previous roles did Nakagawa hold in Japan's crypto industry? Nakagawa previously served as COO at both Kraken Japan and Binance Japan, where he led licensing efforts. What is Backpack's current trading volume? Backpack is currently not reporting any trading volume. Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third-party sources and is for reference only. It does not represent the views or opinions of Gate and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Virtual asset trading involves high risk. Please do not rely solely on the information on this page when making decisions. For details, see the Disclaimer.
Kraken secures full UAE Crypto license through Payward under VARA. Updated 2026/10/12 at 5:56 PM Kraken has secured regulatory approval to expand its cryptocurrency services across the United Arab Emirates. The development marks a new phase in the exchange's efforts to establish a regional presence. The license opens access to digital asset services for individual and institutional investors. It also strengthens Kraken's plans to introduce more trading and investment products in the UAE. Kraken's parent company, Payward, obtained a full crypto brokerage, management, and investment license from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). The approval follows preliminary authorization granted several months earlier. The license allows Kraken to onboard retail and institutional clients under Dubai's virtual asset regulatory framework. It also supports the exchange's return to a market where its earlier expansion efforts faced setbacks. Kraken first entered the UAE market through Abu Dhabi in 2022. However, the company later withdrew from that operation and reduced its regional presence. The latest authorization marks a renewed expansion effort, with Kraken preparing services tailored to UAE investors. Kraken expands UAE trading services with AED fiat pairs. Kraken plans to offer spot and margin trading products with trading pairs denominated in UAE dirhams. Customers will also be able to deposit and withdraw funds directly in AED. These services will allow local investors to access cryptocurrency markets without relying exclusively on foreign currency funding. Beyond trading, Kraken will introduce on-chain staking services, giving eligible customers access to supported blockchain staking opportunities. The exchange will also provide access to xStocks, its tokenized stock offering, alongside Krak, its cryptocurrency transfer platform. Meanwhile, institutional investors will gain access to additional services through Kraken's over-the-counter trading desk and Kraken Prime. These offerings will serve clients seeking institutional trading, liquidity access, and digital asset management services. Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Payward and Kraken, said UAE customers would access the exchange's existing global trading infrastructure. "From launch, clients in the UAE get the same order book and multi-asset coverage we run in every other market," Sethi said. He also highlighted Dubai's regulatory framework as an important component of the company's regional expansion strategy. According to Sethi, Payward's regulatory infrastructure connects UAE clients directly with Kraken's liquidity and expanding digital asset offerings. Kraken targets Crypto derivatives and yield products in the UAE. Kraken plans to expand its UAE product range beyond the services covered by its initial launch. The company expects to introduce cryptocurrency derivatives and additional yield-generating products in late 2026 or early 2027. However, Kraken said these future offerings will require approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority before their introduction. The planned expansion follows Kraken's earlier attempt to establish a lasting presence in the Emirates. Its 2022 Abu Dhabi entry ended with a withdrawal and a reduction in local operations. Through Payward's latest authorization, Kraken can now serve both retail and institutional customers within Dubai's regulatory framework. For now, the company will focus on spot trading, margin products, staking, tokenized stocks, and institutional services. Kraken has not announced specific launch dates for its planned derivatives and additional yield products. Their availability will depend on subsequent regulatory approvals.
Kraken receives full VARA greenlight to offer spot and margin product trading in the UAE. News Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:09:29 UTC 1 hour ago Kraken, through its parent entity Payward, has officially expanded into the UAE with a full crypto brokerage, management and investment license from Dubai's Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), just months after it received its preliminary approval. The approval now allows Kraken to onboard both retail and institutional investors. Kraken had for years tried to enter the UAE market, when it launched in Abu Dhabi in 2022, but later had to withdraw and downsize. Now, it is returning bigger and stronger than ever. Kraken to roll out AED fiat pairs on spot and margin products. Users in the UAE will now be able to trade spot and margin products using AED fiat pairs, while funding and withdrawing directly in UAE dirhams. Additionally, clients can stake, access xstocks, and Krak, which is the company's crypto transfer platform. While institutional clients will be able to access OTC trading services and Kraken Prime. "From launch, clients in the UAE get the same order book and multi-asset coverage we run in every other market, under one of the clearest regulatory frameworks in the world," said Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward and Kraken. ... Continue reading the full article at the original source below. This content is automatically aggregated. Full credit goes to the original publisher (cryptopolitan.com).
Arbitrum joins Paxos-led Global Dollar Network as USDG lands on Ethereum L2. CryptoWorld October 6, 2026 Crypto News Arbitrum is joining the Global Dollar Network, the Paxos-led stablecoin consortium behind USDG, as the Ethereum layer-2 network looks to capture a slice of the economics from the stablecoins already circulating on its rails. USDG has launched on Arbitrum on Tuesday with integrations spanning trading, lending and payments, including Fluid, Morpho, GMX, Maple, Li.Fi, Gauntlet, Steakhouse, LayerZero and Kraken. Uniswap and Fhenix are set to follow. The stablecoin is issued by Paxos, backed one-for-one by dollar reserves and has more than $3 billion in circulation across networks. Global Dollar Network has more than 150 partners, including Robinhood, Kraken, Mastercard, and OKX. Its model distributes rewards generated by USDG reserves among partners that help drive adoption, rather than leaving those economics solely with the issuer. That model gives Arbitrum a new way to make money from the stablecoin activity happening on its network. There is currently about $3.8 billion of stablecoins on the network, with Circle's USDC accounting for roughly 60%, DefiLlama data shows. Arbitrum doesn't get a share directly in the reserve income generated by those tokens.