Forward Industries Launches Solana Validator with $1.7B Stake
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On October 8, 2025, publicly traded company Forward Industries (NASDAQ: FORD) announced the launch of its first institutional-grade validator on the Solana blockchain.
The firm has staked its full 6.8 million SOL holdings, valued at nearly $1.7 billion at current prices, and set a zero-commission rate, directing all staking rewards straight to delegators. Powered by DoubleZero's high-speed fiber network and Jump Crypto's Firedancer client, the validator delivers enhanced reliability and performance. It rocketed into Solana's top 10 validators by stake volume right away, surpassing heavyweights like Staking Facilities (6.7 million SOL) and Coinbase (6.2 million SOL).
What is Forward Industries?
Forward Industries is a 60-year-old NASDAQ-listed firm (ticker: FORD) that pivoted dramatically in September 2025 from medical device design and manufacturing to building the world's largest Solana treasury. Backed by crypto heavyweights like Galaxy Digital, Jump Crypto, and Multicoin Capital, it raised over $1.65 billion to acquire SOL and now prioritizes boosting SOL-per-share via staking and DeFi plays. As per its official strategy, the company manages a global Solana treasury and plans to tokenize FORD shares for on-chain trading, bridging traditional finance with blockchain.
Why is this Important?
This zero-fee validator launch isn't just infrastructure; it's a game-changer for Solana, ramping up network decentralization, resiliency, and appeal to institutions in DeFi.
As Forward Chairman Kyle Samani put it: a step to keep Solana as "the standard for institutional adoption."
Unlike rivals charging 1-8% (e.g., Binance at 1% on 13.9 million SOL), Forward's model could lure more stakers, hiking ecosystem APY and liquidity.
For the market, it's a green light: with Forward's $1.6B+ treasury, this signals big money flowing in, possibly sparking a SOL rally amid plans for deeper integrations.
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