Drift Protocol just dropped some big news that's shaking up the intersection of traditional finance and DeFi on Solana. In a recent tweet, they announced the listing of $FORD – ticker for Forward Industries on NASDAQ – as the first Solana DAT (Directly Accessible Token) equity tokenized on the blockchain. This means real-world stock shares are getting a crypto makeover, tokenized through Superstate and set to be used as collateral right on Drift.

Let's break this down. Forward Industries, or FWDind as they're tagged, isn't your typical meme token play. It's a legit NASDAQ-listed company that's pivoted hard into Solana. They're the biggest publicly traded firm with a massive Solana treasury – we're talking millions of SOL on their balance sheet, giving them billions in exposure to the ecosystem. This tokenization turns their equity into something you can trade and use in DeFi, blending Wall Street with the wild world of blockchain.

The partnership is with Superstate, a fintech outfit that's all about reshaping capital markets. Through their Opening Bell platform, launched back in May 2025, shareholders can tokenize FORD shares on Solana. This enables 24/7 trading, instant settlements, and better liquidity globally. Plus, Forward is snagging an equity stake in Superstate, aligning them for more innovations down the line.

As per the official announcement on BusinessWire, this move follows a whopping $1.65 billion PIPE (private investment in public equity) financing that closed on September 11, 2025. It was the largest Solana-focused treasury raise ever, backed by heavy hitters like Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital.

Kyle Samani, Chairman of Forward Industries, nailed it in the release: "This partnership reflects the continued execution of our vision to make Forward Industries an on-chain-first company, including tokenizing our equity directly on the Solana mainnet." And Robert Leshner from Superstate added, "This partnership marks something bigger; the origin of Solana becoming the home of capital markets for public companies."

Now, for DeFi users, this is huge. Drift isn't stopping at listing – $FORD will be collateral on their platform, and they're teaming up with Kamino and Jupiter Lend too. Imagine borrowing against tokenized stocks in a decentralized way, all on Solana's high-speed chain. It's a step toward what Drift calls "Internet Capital Markets," where traditional assets meet crypto efficiency.

One note from the thread: A user pointed out that $UPXI might have beaten them to the punch as the first tokenized Solana equity, and Drift owned up with a quick "my bad." Still, this doesn't dim the excitement – it's proof that real-world assets (RWAs) are flooding into Solana, potentially fueling more meme-like volatility in tokenized tradfi plays.

For meme token hunters, this could spark new narratives. $FORD's ticker alone has meme potential (think cars, speed, drifting – pun intended), especially with Solana's community vibe. Keep an eye on how this evolves; it might inspire more public companies to go on-chain, creating fresh opportunities for traders and builders alike.

If you're into Solana DeFi, head over to app.drift.trade to get ready for the launch. And for more on Forward's Solana strategy, check out sol.forwardindustries.com. This is just the start of tokenized equities revving up the blockchain game.