Powerus, a defense technology company specializing in autonomous drones, went public on Nasdaq on October 1, 2026, through a merger with a subsidiary of Aureus Greenway Holdings Inc., a company backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump through their stake in American Ventures. Within 24 hours of the listing, the company’s shares were tokenized on the Solana blockchain to enable 24/7 trading outside traditional brokerage hours.
From Pentagon Defense Contracts to Nasdaq Listing
The public debut follows a rapid expansion for Powerus since its founding in October 2025. The firm was established to bring battle-tested Ukrainian drone technologies to the United States. In a news release on Wednesday, Aureus Greenway Holdings (AGH) confirmed that Powerus would continue as the surviving entity, adopting the drone maker’s name while AGH trades under the new banner.
Powerus CEO Andrew Fox noted the strategic timing of the deal. “Completing this transaction puts Powerus in a position to build at the scale our customers are asking for,” Fox stated in a public release. He added that operational goals remained unchanged following the October 1 transition.
Since inception, the company has secured a $2.5 million purchase order from the Department of Defense for 1,500 first-person view (FPV) drones. It also holds an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Air Force for the Guardian-2 counter-drone interceptor, a vehicle with a ceiling value of up to $90 million if all options are executed. Internationally, Powerus has booked a “limited procurement order” for drones from Pakistan and is establishing a production site for its Guardian counter-drone system with a local manufacturer in the United Arab Emirates.
Blockchain Integration and Solana Tokenization
Within 24 hours of hitting Nasdaq, Powerus shares were tokenized on the Solana blockchain. This move allows investors to trade the conventional equities 24/7, bypassing traditional brokerage operating hours. The experiment highlights an ongoing shift in financial markets toward utilizing distributed ledger technology to increase the accessibility and portability of standard equities.
This digital asset integration occurs alongside broader movements in cryptocurrency markets. As of October 3, 2026, 13 of 50 major cryptocurrencies on Pluang rose while 36 fell, with tokens such as SAND posting a 38.62% increase and SXP dropping 46.27%.
Political Connections and Congressional Scrutiny
The company’s ties to the Trump family have drawn sharp attention from lawmakers. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump hold a stake in American Ventures, which backs Aureus Greenway Holdings Inc. In March, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) addressed a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, raising concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
“The involvement of the President’s children cast a cloud of corruption and conflict of interest over any DoD contracts that this company may receive,” Warren and Blumenthal wrote in their March letter. Blumenthal subsequently cited Powerus contracts as a primary catalyst for legislation introduced in September that would levy a 100 percent surtax on income earned by companies owned or controlled by the president or his family members.
Company officials have consistently rejected accusations of political favoritism. Co-founder Brett Velicovich addressed the scrutiny in March, telling The Associated Press, “Our focus at the company has nothing to do with politics.”
