Defense Stocks, AI Stocks, and Crypto: Trading Across Asset Classes in 2026

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In early March 2026, three very different investment categories are being driven by the same macro forces: defense stocks are surging on the US-Iran conflict, AI stocks are rallying on record earnings, and crypto markets are digesting both themes simultaneously.

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Lockheed Martin (LMT) and defense sector peers have seen renewed interest as US military spending ramps up. Broadcom (AVGO) reported record fiscal Q1 results with AI revenue hitting $8.4 billion. Trade Desk (TTD) popped 19% on reports of a partnership with OpenAI. Meanwhile, Bitcoin is navigating a range between $60,000 and $72,000 as traders process geopolitical risk alongside institutional re-entry signals.

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For the first time, crypto-native platforms are building the infrastructure to let traders access all of these asset classes from a single account.

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Why Defense and AI Stocks Are Trending

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Defense stocks typically outperform during periods of active military conflict and increased government spending. The ongoing US-Iran situation has put companies like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman back in focus. Defense sector equities tend to maintain gains even after initial conflict-driven spikes, as government contracts extend for years beyond the initial escalation.

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AI stocks are in a separate but equally powerful cycle. Broadcom’s Q1 2026 earnings showed that enterprise AI infrastructure spending is accelerating. Revenue grew 29% year-over-year. Management guided Q2 revenue to $22 billion — $1.5 billion above analyst consensus. Marvell (MRVL) is positioned as a key custom silicon provider for hyperscalers. Trade Desk’s potential AI-powered ad partnership with OpenAI represents a new distribution channel for programmatic advertising.

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The Convergence: Stocks Meet Crypto

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Traditionally, if you wanted exposure to defense stocks, AI equities, and crypto, you needed separate accounts: a brokerage for stocks, a crypto exchange for digital assets, and possibly a futures platform for derivatives.

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Tokenized equities are collapsing these silos.

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In October 2025, Backpack partnered with Superstate to bring SEC-registered, natively tokenized public equities to the platform through Superstate’s Opening Bell infrastructure. Unlike synthetic products that merely track stock prices, these are real shares — issued through a registered transfer agent, recorded on an official shareholder registry, and carrying the same CUSIP identifiers as shares on Nasdaq or the NYSE.

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Galaxy Digital (GLXY) was the first company to tokenize its stock on Opening Bell. Forward Industries (FORD) and SharpLink Gaming (SBET) have announced plans to follow.

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On March 4, 2026, Backpack expanded this further with on-chain IPO access — allowing users to claim real IPO shares before they begin trading on public stock exchanges. The waitlist is live.

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What This Means for Traders

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Portfolio consolidation. Instead of managing assets across multiple platforms, traders can eventually hold tokenized stocks (defense, AI, or any sector), crypto assets (BTC, SOL, ETH), and tokenized commodities (PAXG for gold exposure) — all within one Backpack account. Every asset benefits from the cross-margined portfolio structure.

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Capital efficiency. On Backpack, all deposited assets can serve as collateral across spot, futures, and lending products simultaneously. With Auto Lend enabled, idle assets earn yield while remaining fully margin-eligible.

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24/7 access. The February 28 Iran strikes happened on a weekend. Equity markets were closed. Crypto markets stayed open. As more traditional assets get tokenized and traded on crypto infrastructure, 24/7 market access extends beyond crypto-native assets to stocks and commodities.

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On-chain composability. Tokenized equities issued through Superstate’s Opening Bell on Solana can eventually interact with DeFi protocols. Backpack Wallet integration could allow these shares to be used in lending, collateral, or other programmable financial applications beyond the exchange.

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How to Position

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1. Sign up on Backpack if you haven’t already.

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2. Join the IPO waitlist to get priority access when tokenized equities and IPO allocations launch.

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3. Explore existing markets: BTC-PERP, SOL-PERP, PAXG/USD for gold, and a range of altcoin perpetuals.

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4. Enable Auto Lend to maximize capital efficiency across your portfolio.

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5. Follow Backpack on Twitter for announcements on which tokenized stocks will be available at launch.

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For a complete overview of Backpack’s trading infrastructure, start with the Beginner’s Guide or learn about the Interest Bearing Perpetuals system.

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Learn more about Backpack

Exchange | Wallet | Twitter | Discord

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Disclaimer: This content is presented to you on an “as is” basis for general information and educational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind. It should not be construed as financial, legal or other professional advice, nor is it intended to recommend the purchase of any specific product or service. You should seek your own advice from appropriate professional advisors. Where the article is contributed by a third party contributor, please note that those views expressed belong to the third party contributor, and do not necessarily reflect those of Backpack. Please read our full disclaimer for further details. Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Backpack is not liable for any losses you may incur. This material should not be construed as financial, legal or other professional advice.

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