Forward Industries to Tokenize NASDAQ Shares on Solana Blockchain

Forward Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: FORD) announced a partnership with fintech firm Superstate to tokenize its common shares on the Solana blockchain through the Opening Bell platform. This strategic move will enable shareholders to move FORD stock on-chain for continuous 24/7 trading, real-time settlement, and enhanced global liquidity access beyond traditional market hours.

The initiative represents a significant step in the company's transformation into an on-chain-first organization. Forward Industries will take an equity stake in Superstate and collaborate on future product development, reinforcing its commitment to building on-chain capital markets infrastructure. The company is working with Solana-based protocols Drift, Kamino, and Jupiter Lend to establish tokenized FORD equity as eligible collateral across their platforms, expanding the utility of traditional equity in decentralized finance ecosystems.

Kyle Samani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Forward Industries, stated that this partnership reflects the continued execution of the company's vision to make Forward Industries an on-chain-first company, including tokenizing equity directly on the Solana mainnet. Samani emphasized that by bringing public shares of FORD onto the Opening Bell platform and taking an equity stake in Superstate, the company is reinforcing its conviction that Solana will sit at the core of capital markets while giving shareholders direct participation in the future tokenized economy.

The tokenization initiative builds on Forward Industries' existing Solana treasury strategy, which the company initiated in September 2025. This strategy is dedicated to acquiring SOL and increasing SOL-per-share through bespoke strategies and active management of the company's treasury. The company's Solana treasury approach is supported by industry-leading investors and operating partners, including Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital, as detailed on their treasury strategy website at https://sol.forwardindustries.com.

This development marks one of the first instances of a publicly traded company tokenizing its shares directly on a major blockchain network, potentially setting a precedent for other public companies considering similar moves. The ability to trade traditional equity 24/7 with real-time settlement could fundamentally change how public markets operate, bridging the gap between traditional finance and blockchain technology. The full press release detailing this partnership is available at https://ibn.fm/b8Y2t.

The implications for shareholders and the broader financial industry are substantial. Tokenized shares could provide increased liquidity, reduced settlement times from the current T+2 standard to near-instantaneous settlement, and access to global markets without traditional geographic restrictions. For the blockchain industry, the adoption by established public companies represents validation of blockchain infrastructure for mainstream financial applications and could accelerate institutional adoption of blockchain technology across capital markets.