Payward, the parent company of leading crypto exchange Kraken, has acquired AAVE tokens on the secondary market, highlighting a growing institutional interest in decentralized finance (DeFi). The transaction was executed through Payward’s investment vehicle, Digital Asset Special Investments I, LP. This entity pools investments from both Payward and its asset management clients to gain exposure to digital assets. Officials have not disclosed how many AAVE tokens were purchased or the dollar amount of the investment.