Magic Labs Sells Its Electronic Wallet Business to Payward

cryptonews.ruPublished on 2026-07-28Last updated on 2026-07-28

Abstract

Magic Labs has agreed to sell its embedded crypto wallet business to Payward, the parent company of Kraken, in an asset sale deal expected to close in the coming weeks. The financial terms were not disclosed. Magic Labs, whose wallet technology is used by brands like Polymarket and has been deployed over 60 million times, will now focus exclusively on developing its Newton protocol, an authorization layer for blockchain finance. The company will be renamed Newton Labs. Following the sale, client support for the wallet business will be handled by Payward from August 1st, as Payward plans to integrate the wallet tech to expand its product suite. This acquisition continues Payward's 2026 buying spree, which includes the recent purchases of payment company Reap for $600 million and derivatives platform Bitnomial for up to $550 million. Despite this aggressive expansion, Kraken's planned IPO in the U.S. remains on hold due to unfavorable market conditions.

Magic Labs has agreed to sell its embedded wallet business to Payward, the parent company of Kraken.

The deal is set to close in the coming weeks, subject to standard closing conditions. The financial terms were not disclosed; however, Magic Labs CEO Sean Li stated that the acquisition will be completed via an asset sale.

Magic Labs, whose electronic wallet business has been a point of contention, has released over 60 million such wallets, used by notable brands like Polymarket and WalletConnect.

According to Li, the company will operate independently from Payward, although customer service will be handled through Payward starting August 1.

Payward plans to integrate the electronic wallet technology to expand its Payward Services product line.

Magic Labs stated it is exiting the wallet development business to focus on the Newton protocol, its authorization layer for blockchain financial operations.

"This transition allows us to fully focus our efforts on Newton, the authorization layer for blockchain financial operations, while the wallet development business moves to a team committed to serving our customers," Li said.

As part of the transition, the company will be renamed Newton Labs.

Today we announced two decisions: 1) we sold our electronic wallet business to Payward, the developer behind Kraken. And 2) Magic Labs becomes Newton Labs.

Bringing customers from around the world was the first part of our mission. Bringing capital is the second.

Here's a video explaining why. 👇 https://t.co/UhU7GLErKC pic.twitter.com/4ezZfcoVkX

— Sean Li (@seanli) July 27, 2026

Payward's Acquisitions Continue

The Magic Labs deal extends the series of acquisitions made by Kraken's parent company in 2026.

Payward completed the acquisition of Reap Technologies Holdings Limited ("Reap"), a Hong Kong-based stablecoin payments and card issuance company, as first announced on May 7.

That deal was structured as a cash and stock sale valued at $600 million.

In April, Payward also agreed to pay up to $550 million in cash and stock for Bitnomial, a U.S. derivatives platform that holds all three licenses required to operate a full-fledged derivatives business, as Cryptopolitan reported.

The deal reportedly valued Payward at $20 billion.

While Payward continues to seek acquisition opportunities for crypto companies, Kraken's previously planned public listing remains on hold.

In November, the company filed a draft S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a potential listing on a U.S. market. However, in March, this move was paused as Kraken cited challenging market conditions.

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Related Questions

QWhat is the main announcement in the article regarding Magic Labs?

AMagic Labs has sold its embedded wallet business to Payward, the parent company of Kraken.

QWhat will Magic Labs focus on after selling its wallet business?

AMagic Labs will focus on its Newton protocol, an authorization layer for blockchain financial operations, and will be renamed Newton Labs.

QWhich company did Payward acquire earlier in 2026, and for how much?

APayward acquired Reap Technologies Holdings Limited for a deal structured as $600 million in cash and stock.

QAccording to the article, why has Kraken's planned U.S. stock market listing been paused?

AKraken's planned U.S. stock market listing has been paused, with the company citing difficult market conditions.

QWhat was the reported valuation of Payward following one of its 2026 acquisition deals?

AFollowing its acquisition deal, Payward was reportedly valued at $20 billion.

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