Bakkt Announces Partnership with Nexo
Rhea-AI Summary
Bakkt (NYSE:BKKT) announced a partnership with Nexo on February 17, 2026, under Bakkt Markets to support Nexo's return to the U.S. market.
Nexo will use Bakkt’s U.S. trading infrastructure and benefit from Bakkt’s broad U.S. money transmitter license coverage and New York BitLicense to enable compliant access to digital asset trading services.
Positive
- Nexo to use Bakkt U.S. trading infrastructure to re-enter U.S. market
- Bakkt Markets gains a global digital-asset client in Nexo
- Regulatory coverage via Bakkt's U.S. money transmitter licenses and New York BitLicense
Negative
- None.
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
BKKT is up 7.06% while key peers show mixed to negative moves (e.g., AISP -0.81%, ARBE -2.7%, HPAI -3.33%, SANG +1.66%), indicating a stock-specific reaction to the partnership news.
Previous Partnership Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19 | Leadership & partnership | Positive | +13.0% | Co-CEO appointment and DTR partnership to expand stablecoin payments and trading. |
Limited partnership history shows a prior partnership/collaboration headline coinciding with a positive price reaction.
Over the last few quarters, Bakkt has focused on restructuring and growth initiatives, including capital structure simplification, an ATM program of up to $300M, and the proposed acquisition of Distributed Technologies Research. A prior March 19, 2025 partnership announcement with DTR and leadership changes led to a +13% reaction. Today’s Nexo partnership fits this trajectory of expanding regulated digital-asset infrastructure and payments capabilities.
Historical Comparison
In the past year, BKKT’s only recorded partnership headline saw a +13% move. Today’s +7.06% gain is positive but more muted versus that prior reaction.
Earlier partnership work with Distributed Technologies Research on stablecoin infrastructure has progressed into an all‑stock acquisition process, while today’s Nexo deal further broadens Bakkt’s institutional-focused digital asset trading footprint in the U.S.
Regulatory & Risk Context
Bakkt has an active, effective Form S-3/A shelf registration filed on 2025-07-07, with at least 2 documented 424B5 usages, including on 2026-01-20. This provides the company with flexibility to issue additional securities in the future, which can impact existing shareholders through potential dilution depending on how much of the shelf is utilized.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights Bakkt’s push to deepen its institutional crypto infrastructure footprint by powering Nexo’s return to the U.S. via regulated trading rails, leveraging broad money transmitter coverage and a New York BitLicense. In context with prior partnerships and the proposed DTR acquisition, it underscores a strategy focused on stablecoin payments and compliant digital-asset markets. Investors may watch for transaction volumes, new client wins, and any related capital-raising activity under the existing S-3 shelf to gauge long-term impact.
Key Terms
digital assets financial
money transmitter license regulatory
bitlicense regulatory
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bakkt, Inc. (“Bakkt” or the “Company”) (NYSE:BKKT) today announced a new partnership with Nexo, a global digital assets wealth platform, as part of its Bakkt Markets initiative. Through the partnership, Nexo will leverage Bakkt’s U.S. trading infrastructure to support its return to the United States market and enable compliant access to digital asset trading services for its clients.
This partnership reflects continued momentum within Bakkt Markets, which leverages Bakkt’s broad US money transmitter license coverage and New York BitLicense to provide regulated, scalable trading infrastructure for financial institutions, fintech platforms, and global digital asset companies operating and looking to operate in the United States.
Nexo recently announced its re-entry into the U.S. market. Additional details regarding Nexo’s announcement are available here: Nexo Returns to the U.S.
About Nexo
Nexo is a premier digital assets wealth platform designed to empower clients to grow, manage, and preserve their crypto holdings. Our mission is to lead the next generation of wealth creation by focusing on customer success and delivering tailored solutions that build enduring value, supported by 24/7 client care.
Since 2018, Nexo has provided unmatched opportunities to forward-thinking clients in over 150 jurisdictions. With over
Official website: nexo.com/en-us
About Bakkt
Founded in 2018, Bakkt is building the backbone of next-generation financial infrastructure. The Company provides solutions that enable institutional participation in the digital asset economy — spanning Bitcoin, tokenization, stablecoin payments, and AI-driven finance. With the scale, security, and regulatory compliance demanded by global institutions, Bakkt is positioned at the center of a generational transformation in what money is, how it moves, and how markets operate.
Bakkt is headquartered in New York, NY. For more information, visit: https://www.bakkt.com/ | X | LinkedIn | Instagram
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Investor Relations
Yujia Zhai
Orange Group
yujia@orangegroupadvisors.com
Media
Luna PR
bakkt@lunapr.io
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “will,” “likely,” “expect,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “outlook,” “grow,” “progress,” “potential” or the negative of such terms or other variations thereof and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and beyond the Company’s control.
Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of the following factors, among others: the Company’s ability to grow and manage growth profitably; whether the Company will be able to successfully integrate its operations with those of Distributed Technologies Research Ltd. (“DTR”), including its infrastructure, and achieve the expected benefits therefrom; the regulatory environment for digital assets and digital stablecoin payments; changes in the Company’s business strategy, including its adoption of a digital asset treasury strategy; the price of digital assets; risks associated with owning digital assets, including price volatility, limited liquidity and trading volumes, relative anonymity, potential widespread susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, compliance and internal control failures at exchanges and other risks inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual, form and decentralized network; the fluctuation of the Company’s operating results, including because the Company may be required to account for its digital assets at fair value; the Company’s ability to time the price of its purchase of digital assets pursuant to its strategy; the impact of the market value of digital assets on the Company’s ability to satisfy its financial obligations, including any debt financings; unrealized fair value gains on its digital asset holdings subjecting the Company to the corporate alternative minimum tax; legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding digital assets and enhanced regulatory oversight of companies holding digital assets including the possibility that regulators reclassify any digital assets the Company holds as a security causing the Company to be in violation of securities laws and be classified as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940; competition by other Bitcoin treasury companies and the availability of spot-traded products for Bitcoin; enhanced regulatory oversight as a result of the Company’s treasury strategy; the possibility of experiencing greater fraud, security failures or operational problems on digital asset trading venues compared to trading venues for more established asset classes, and any malfunction, breakdown or abandonment of the underlying blockchain protocols, or other technological difficulties, may prevent access to or use of such digital assets; the concentration of the Company’s expected digital asset holdings relative to non-digital assets; the inability to use the Company’s digital asset holdings as a source of liquidity to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents, due to, for example, risks associated with digital assets and other risks inherent to its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network; the Company or a third-party service provider experiencing a security breach or cyber-attack where unauthorized parties obtain access to its digital assets; the loss of access to or theft or data loss of the Company’s digital assets, which could be unrecoverable due to the immutable nature of blockchain transactions; if the Company elects to hold its digital assets through a third-party custodian, the loss of direct control over its digital assets and dependence on the custodian’s security practices and operational integrity which may lead to the loss of its digital assets as a result of the insolvency of the custodian, theft by employees or insiders of the custodian or if the custodian’s security measures are comprised, including as a result of a cyber-attack; the Company not being subject to the legal and regulatory protections applicable to investment companies such as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, or to obligations applicable to investment advisers; the non-performance, breach of contract or other violations by counterparties assisting the Company in effecting its treasury strategy; the Company’s future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash, including funds to satisfy its liquidity needs; changes in the market in which the Company competes, including with respect to its competitive landscape, technology evolution or changes in applicable laws or regulations; changes in the markets that the Company targets; volatility and disruptions in the digital asset, digital payments and stablecoin markets that subject the Company to additional risks, including the risk that banks may not provide banking services to the Company and market sentiments regarding digital assets, digital payments and stablecoins; the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other macroeconomic, geopolitical, business, and/or competitive factors; the Company’s ability to launch new services and products, including with its expected commercial partners, or to profitably expand into new markets and services; the Company’s ability to execute its growth strategies, including identifying and executing acquisitions and divestitures and the Company’s initiatives to add new clients; the Company’s ability to reach definitive agreements with its expected commercial counterparties; the Company’s failure to comply with extensive government regulations, oversight, licensure and appraisals; uncertain and evolving regulatory regime governing blockchain technologies, stablecoins, digital payments and digital assets; the Company’s ability to establish and maintain effective internal controls and procedures; the exposure to any liability, protracted and costly litigation or reputational damage relating to the Company’s data security; the impact of any goodwill or other intangible assets impairments on the Company’s operating results; the Company’s ability to maintain the listing of its securities on the New York Stock Exchange; and other risks and uncertainties indicated in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, and the risks regarding the Company’s adoption of its Treasury Strategy set forth on in Exhibit 99.1 to its Current Report on Form 8-K, dated as of the date hereof.
You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements relate only to events as of the date on which such statements are made and are based on information available to us as of the date of this release.
FAQ
What did Bakkt (BKKT) announce about its partnership with Nexo on February 17, 2026?
How will Nexo’s use of Bakkt infrastructure affect Nexo’s U.S. market re-entry (BKKT/Nexo)?
What regulatory coverage does Bakkt (BKKT) provide for partners like Nexo?
Does the Bakkt and Nexo partnership involve custody or trading services for U.S. clients (BKKT)?
What does the partnership mean for Bakkt Markets’ business development (BKKT) in 2026?
