What Is Backpack And How To Interact With Backpack Products

The Backpack ecosystem consists of the Backpack wallet, Backpack exchange, and Mad Lads NFT collection. The company is also responsible for creating and developing executable non-fungible tokens (xNFTs), a token standard on Solana that lets users interact with applications directly from the wallet.

The Backpack ecosystem consists of the Backpack wallet, Backpack exchange, and Mad Lads NFT collection. The company is also responsible for creating and developing executable non-fungible tokens (xNFTs), a token standard on Solana that lets users interact with applications directly from the wallet.

Key Takeaways

Backpack is a company founded by Solana developer, Armani Ferrante, and has created multiple products and services including the Backpack wallet, Backpack exchange, and Mad Lads NFT collection.

Backpack has successfully raised $17 million in a Series A round that concluded on February 28, 2024, which was led by Placeholder VC with participation from Hashed, Delphi Digital, and more.

Users can earn points on Backpack exchange based on their trading volume which could possibly be a criterion for a potential future token airdrop.

Backpack Introduces An Innovative Crypto Ecosystem

Backpack is a technology company that was founded in 2022 by Solana developer, Armani Ferrante, and is behind the creation of a number of products and services within the crypto space.

The company has launched three notable products which are the Backpack Wallet, Backpack Exchange, and the Mad Lads NFT collection. They are also the creator and developers of Anchor which is a development framework for building Solana programs, and executable non-fungible tokens (xNFTs), a token standard on Solana that represents ownership rights over the use of executable tokenized code.

The Backpack Wallet was incorporated in April 2022 which was the same year that the company lost 88% of its corporate treasury on FTX. Despite that, the company continued building and the Backpack Exchange was incorporated in March 2023 while the Mad Lads NFT collection launched on Solana in April the same year.

On February 28, 2024, Backpack announced that they had successfully raised $17 million in a Series A round led by Placeholder VC and with participation from investors such as Hashed, Robot Ventures, Amber Group, Delphi Digital, and more. Notable investors also included the founders of Solana, Tensor, Jito, Zeta, and others.

The Backpack Wallet

The Backpack wallet is a self-custodial crypto wallet that lets users trade, manage non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and access decentralized finance (DeFi) applications in one place. Backpack is available as both a desktop extension and mobile application on both iOS and Android.

As a multi-chain wallet, users can manage their digital assets across multiple blockchain networks like Solana, Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Optimism. This includes connecting with protocols on the various networks and performing on-chain transactions in real-time like sending and receiving crypto assets, swapping tokens, and connecting to developer testnets.

One of the key security features is Backpack’s integration of xNFTs. It allows developers to create decentralized applications (dApps) that users can launch and interact with directly from the wallet. As a result, users can reduce the number of third-party applications they need to connect with and minimize additional security risks.

The Backpack Exchange

The Backpack Exchange is a fully regulated cryptocurrency exchange that provides users with an easy-to-use trading platform. With the intention of increasing transparency, the platform incorporates cryptographic techniques like zero-knowledge proof of reserves (zk-proofs), Multi-Party Computation, and state machine replication.

On top of increasing transparency, Backpack Exchange is also focused on global expansion and compliance to better serve a global audience. It has acquired licenses in several jurisdictions worldwide including a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).

Users can take advantage of the range of tools and features offered to improve the blockchain experience. With the auto lend feature, a user's deposited assets are automatically entered into Backpack’s lending pool to generate yield. Other than that, the wallet is able to recognize any unrealized profit and loss (PnL) positions as part of the total collateral. If a user decides to turn on the auto realize PnL function, Backpack’s settlement engine will then partially realize PnL on a rolling basis.

The Mad Lads NFT Collection

Mad Lads is a collection of 10,000 NFTs that consists of 9,000 Lads and 1,000 Lassies. The NFTs were minted on the Solana blockchain with more than 8,000 participants. Within 24 hours, it reached a trading volume peak of $8.2 million, nearly triple Bored Ape Yacht Club’s corresponding 24 hour volume.

It was introduced with the mission of onboarding non-crypto natives and showcasing how NFTs can also be dApps. This is because each Mad Lads is integrated with xNFTs and serves as a clickable ticket into the Mad Lads story. As a result, holders can benefit from additional offers by the creators such as staking Mad Lads NFTs through the xNFT