Mad Lads is more than one of Solana’s most recognizable NFT collections. It is a project that arrived at a defining moment for the ecosystem, brought fresh energy back to Solana NFTs, and grew into a cultural layer around Backpack, one of the most ambitious products built in the space.
For this Rarible Passport, created in collaboration with Mad Lads, we take a closer look at the story behind the project: where it came from, why the mint mattered, how the community became one of the strongest holder bases on Solana, and what keeps the collection relevant today.
Built together with the Mad Lads team, this Passport is not just a profile of the collection, but a shared look back at one of the projects that helped shape the Solana NFT culture.
From its xNFT origins to its connection with Backpack’s broader ecosystem, Mad Lads represents the kind of project that goes beyond floor price. It is about identity, community, product, and the role NFT holders can play in shaping the future of a brand.
To celebrate the Passport, we are also bringing the community into the experience through a small Rarible Gacha Station giveaway, with 5x $25 Rarible Gacha Station packs up for grabs.
Check the Mad Lads announcement in their Discord to see how to participate.
1. Project Snapshot
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PFP / avatar collection, xNFT, culture layer, membership-style brand connected to Backpack |
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10,000-piece collection; 9,968 assets currently tracked |
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Created by Backpack. Key figures: Armani Ferrante and Tristan Yver |
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Magic Eden, Tensor, Solanart |
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Official Mad Lads website |
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Official Mad Lads X and Discord channels |
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Approx. 13.66 SOL / $1,012, checked June 22, 2026 |
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USD ATH: approx. $34,459 on March 18, 2024. SOL ATH: 229.425 SOL on December 9, 2023 |
2. Executive Summary
In one sentence:
Mad Lads is a Solana-based PFP and xNFT collection that stands out because of its strong connection to Backpack, its cult-like community, and its role as a cultural flagship for Solana, while its biggest risk is that long-term value depends heavily on Backpack’s continued execution and broader NFT/Solana market sentiment.
Why it matters:
Mad Lads is one of the most important NFT collections in the Solana ecosystem. It launched during a difficult period for Solana, after FTX had damaged confidence in the chain and major collections like DeGods and y00ts had moved away from Solana. Instead of launching as just another PFP collection, Mad Lads became a statement project: a mix of art, technology, community, and product distribution for Backpack.
The collection matters because it is not only an NFT brand, but also the cultural layer around Backpack’s wallet, exchange, token, and now broader financial infrastructure. Holders have historically been treated as early ecosystem participants, receiving access to airdrops and later being included in the Backpack token distribution. The main question for Mad Lads going forward is whether this cultural value continues to compound as Backpack expands beyond NFTs into exchange, tokenized securities, and mainstream finance.
3. Origins & History
Where did the project come from?
Mad Lads was created by Backpack, the team led by Armani Ferrante and Tristan Yver.
The original idea behind Mad Lads was to showcase what NFTs could become inside Backpack. Instead of being only static JPEGs, xNFTs could contain executable code and unlock interactive experiences directly inside the wallet. In that sense, Mad Lads was both a PFP collection and a product demonstration for Backpack.
The launch became one of the most memorable Solana NFT moments. Demand was so high that the mint infrastructure struggled under huge traffic and DDoS-style pressure. The team also famously used a fake mint / honeypot to distract bots, with more than $250,000 worth of SOL caught in the fake mint before being refunded.
The timing was important. Mad Lads launched in April 2023, during a bear market and at a moment when Solana needed a cultural win. DeGods and y00ts had recently moved away from Solana, leaving a gap in the ecosystem. Mad Lads filled that gap and quickly became one of the strongest symbols of Solana NFT culture.
At launch, the collection was seen as a turning point for Solana NFTs. It generated significant secondary market volume in its first week and helped bring attention back to Solana as an NFT chain. Since then, Mad Lads has evolved from a hyped mint into the identity layer around Backpack.
4. Recent Developments
What has the project been working on recently?
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January 30 / February 9, 2026 |
Backpack confirmed its token distribution structure, including an allocation for Mad Lads holders. Mad Lads holders were allocated 1% of total BP supply, equal to 10,000,000 BP tokens. |
This reinforced the idea that Mad Lads holders are not just NFT collectors, but early cultural contributors to the Backpack ecosystem. |
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Backpack confirmed the BP ticker and launched Backpack Token trading on Solana. |
This moved Backpack into a new phase as a tokenized ecosystem. Mad Lads became directly connected to Backpack’s token story. |
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Backpack announced Backpack Securities, described as a crypto stock broker combining traditional securities ownership, tokenization, and unified portfolio infrastructure. |
This expands Backpack beyond NFTs and crypto trading into broader financial infrastructure. For Mad Lads, it strengthens the parent ecosystem narrative. |
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Backpack introduced tokenized SpaceX, known as $SPCX. |
This shows Backpack pushing into tokenized real-world assets on Solana, giving the Mad Lads brand a larger ecosystem to be associated with. |
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Mad Lads traded around a 13.66 SOL floor, with recent market momentum visible in floor price data. |
Market interest appears active again, likely influenced by broader Backpack momentum and renewed Solana NFT attention. |
Are they still actively building?
Yes, but the building is mainly happening through Backpack rather than through a standalone Mad Lads-only product roadmap. Mad Lads functions as the cultural and community layer around the Backpack ecosystem.
Have they launched new products or partnerships?
Yes. Recent activity includes the BP token launch, Backpack tokenomics, Backpack Securities, and tokenized SpaceX. These are Backpack ecosystem developments, but they matter for Mad Lads because the collection is closely tied to Backpack’s brand identity.
Has communication become stronger or weaker?
Communication is strong on the Backpack side, especially around product launches and financial infrastructure. However, there appears to be less of a separate public “Mad Lads-only” roadmap. The project’s direction is increasingly tied to Backpack’s broader roadmap.
Are they growing beyond the existing NFT community?
Yes. Backpack is clearly expanding beyond NFTs into exchange products, tokenized securities, stock access, and broader financial infrastructure. This gives Mad Lads a stronger long-term narrative than most PFP collections, but also makes the NFT highly dependent on Backpack’s success.
Is there recent hype, or has the project gone quiet?
The project has not gone quiet, but the hype is no longer only about the NFT artwork or community memes. The current narrative is about Backpack execution, BP token utility, and Backpack’s attempt to become a crypto-native financial platform.
5. Roadmap & Future Plans
What is planned next?
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Continue building BP token utility |
BP is designed around fee discounts, platform rewards, ecosystem access, staking, and deeper alignment with Backpack. This could keep Mad Lads holders engaged if the NFT remains culturally connected to Backpack’s growth. |
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Growth-triggered BP unlocks |
Future BP unlocks are tied to platform growth milestones such as regulatory progress, product expansion, and broader market access. This keeps the ecosystem focused on measurable execution instead of fixed emissions. |
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Backpack Securities and tokenized stocks |
Backpack is expanding into tokenized securities and traditional stock access. If successful, Mad Lads could become the cultural passport to a much larger financial platform. |
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Keep Mad Lads as the cultural arm of Backpack |
The collection’s value comes from being the loudest and most recognizable community around Backpack. This can be powerful, but it also means Mad Lads needs Backpack to keep shipping meaningful products. |
Overall, the roadmap is less about a traditional NFT roadmap and more about Backpack becoming a larger financial ecosystem. Mad Lads sits at the center of that as the community, culture, and identity layer.
6. Strengths
Strong team and builder credibility: Mad Lads is backed by the same people behind Backpack Armani Ferrante and Tristan Yver have deep roots in the Solana ecosystem, and Backpack has continued shipping products beyond the NFT itself.
Clear cultural identity: Mad Lads has one of the strongest identities in Solana NFTs. The community has recognizable language, memes, and social energy, which helps the collection feel more like a movement than a simple PFP set.
More than a JPEG: Mad Lads was created as an xNFT collection, meaning it was designed to show how NFTs could become interactive, executable, and integrated into wallet experiences. This gave the project a stronger tech narrative than most PFP collections.
Deep connection to Backpack: The project benefits from being tied to a real product ecosystem: wallet, exchange, token, and now tokenized securities. This gives holders exposure to a larger story than NFT trading alone.
Proven market relevance: Mad Lads has already gone through multiple market cycles, reached major floor-price highs, generated large secondary market volume, and remained one of Solana’s most recognizable collections.