Backpack named Kyle Samani to its board of directors on September 2, 20261. Samani co-founded venture firm Multicoin Capital. He had stepped back from managing Multicoin's day-to-day operations in February 2026, keeping only an advisory relationship with the firm, crypto.news reported2. The appointment followed Backpack's launch of continuous trading for tokenized shares of SpaceX, Micron, SanDisk and SK Hynix, the release said.
The second board appointment at Backpack on the record since 2026
Every move CryptoLately has verified there, by the day it became public
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 21, 2024 | Sleafer became CFO. Oliver Sleafer was named Chief Financial Officer of Backpack |
| June 9, 2026 | Piwowar joined the board. Michael Piwowar joined the board of Backpack |
| Sept. 2, 2026 | Samani joined the board. Kyle Samani joined the board of Backpack |
29 board appointments on the record in 2026, the most of any year
Board appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2026: 29
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 | 29 |
The move
Samani described his own view of where the markets he would now help govern were headed. “The future of global capital markets isn't DeFi vs. Trad-Fi, it's integrating the best of both: institutional risk-controls with on-chain efficiency and transparency,” Samani said1. Armani Ferrante, Backpack's chief executive, explained why he wanted Samani's background on the board. “Kyle's deep experience in building and shaping decentralized financial networks, paired with his longstanding advocacy for clear, workable rules for the crypto industry, makes him an ideal addition to our board,” Ferrante said.
Before and after at Backpack
Samani cofounded Multicoin Capital in 20172. He built it into an early backer of Solana, crypto.news reported. Forward Industries is the other seat on his resume, a public firm that runs a Solana treasury. Multicoin, Galaxy Digital and Jump Crypto led a $1.65 billion placement into Forward Industries in 2025. Samani's seat at Backpack followed one the exchange had filled earlier in the summer of 2026, the release said1. That seat went to Dr. Michael S. Piwowar, a former SEC acting chairman the release named directly. crypto.news reported that Backpack left Samani's term, pay and committee seats undisclosed. The outlet said the same about any plan for conflicts tied to his roles at Forward Industries and Multicoin.
What to watch
Backpack's tokenized equity lineup sits closest to Samani's board seat. Its growth past SpaceX, Micron, SanDisk and SK Hynix will show what the appointment was meant to support1. crypto.news reported that Backpack kept its schedule for U.S. equity growth undisclosed2. The outlet said Backpack also left unclear whether Samani's seat tied to a specific product launch, deal or license. A filing naming which Backpack unit holds which U.S. license would mark the next step crypto.news flagged as missing.
Sources
- "Backpack US Appoints Multicoin Capital Co-Founder Kyle Samani to Board," GlobeNewswire (Backpack), September 2, 2026, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/02/3355277/0/en/backpack-us-appoints-multicoin-capital-co-founder-kyle-samani-to-board.html
- Olivia Stephanie, "Backpack US appoints Solana investor Kyle Samani," crypto.news, September 3, 2026, https://crypto.news/backpack-us-appoints-solana-investor-kyle-samani/