NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 16, 2026 / Security Matters plc (NASDAQ: SMX), a global leader in molecular-marker technology and blockchain-backed digital product passports, today announced that it has opened a corporate account with Kraken as part of a treasury strategy authorized by the Company's Board of Directors.

The opening of the account represents a structured operational step in support of SMX's evolving treasury framework, which includes the evaluation and management of digital assets on the Company's balance sheet. This initiative reflects the Board's long-term view regarding the role of secure digital infrastructure in supporting verified, real-world asset systems.

SMX's treasury strategy is designed to align capital management with the Company's core technology platform, which focuses on material-level traceability, authentication, and lifecycle verification. The establishment of institutional-grade digital asset access is intended to support future initiatives that connect verified physical materials to digital value frameworks in a disciplined and transparent manner.

1. Engaging with Kraken

The Company's decision to engage Kraken was based on its reputation as an established digital asset platform offering institutional custody, operational controls, and compliance-oriented infrastructure. SMX does not view this step as speculative in nature, but rather as foundational infrastructure supporting long-term strategy execution.

A key consideration underlying the treasury initiative is the Company's ongoing development of its Plastic Cycle Token (PCT), a virtual credit mechanism designed to represent verified recycled plastic activity. PCT is not intended to function as a general-purpose cryptocurrency, but as a digitally represented unit of value grounded in SMX's proprietary verification technology and material tracking capabilities.

Unlike traditional environmental credit systems that rely on estimation or offset modeling, PCT is designed to be based on measured, verifiable material flows. The Company believes that digital infrastructure capable of supporting secure issuance, accounting, and settlement is a necessary prerequisite for such systems to operate efficiently and credibly at scale.

2. Market and Regulatory Context

SMX further notes that current conditions across digital asset infrastructure have improved in terms of institutional participation, operational maturity, and regulatory engagement. These developments have created more favorable conditions for companies developing asset-backed digital frameworks tied to real-world economic activity, including recycling and circular economy applications.

The Company emphasizes that its core focus remains unchanged: delivering material-level verification solutions that enable transparency, accountability, and trust across global supply chains. Treasury initiatives are being developed to support, not distract from, this mission.

SMX will continue to evaluate treasury tools and infrastructure in accordance with Board oversight, regulatory considerations, and balance sheet discipline as it advances its long-term strategy at the intersection of physical materials and digitally represented value systems.

For further information contact:

SMX GENERAL ENQUIRIES

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About SMX

As global businesses face new and complex challenges relating to carbon neutrality and meeting new governmental and regional regulations and standards, SMX is able to offer players along the value chain access to its marking, tracking, measuring and digital platform technology to transition more successfully to a low-carbon economy.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intends," "may," "will," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, for example: matters relating to the Company's fight against abusive and possibly illegal trading tactics against the Company's stock; successful launch and implementation of SMX's joint projects with manufacturers and other supply chain participants of steel, rubber and other materials; changes in SMX's strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; SMX's ability to develop and launch new products and services, including its planned Plastic Cycle Token; SMX's ability to successfully and efficiently integrate future expansion plans and opportunities; SMX's ability to grow its business in a cost-effective manner; SMX's product development timeline and estimated research and development costs; the implementation, market acceptance and success of SMX's business model; developments and projections relating to SMX's competitors and industry; and SMX's approach and goals with respect to technology. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release, and current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing views as of any subsequent date, and no obligation is undertaken to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the ability to maintain the listing of the Company's shares on Nasdaq; changes in applicable laws or regulations; any lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMX's business; the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities; the risk of downturns and the possibility of rapid change in the highly competitive industry in which SMX operates; the risk that SMX and its current and future collaborators are unable to successfully develop and commercialize SMX's products or services, or experience significant delays in doing so; the risk that the Company may never achieve or sustain profitability; the risk that the Company will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the risk that the Company experiences difficulties in managing its growth and expanding operations; the risk that third-party suppliers and manufacturers are not able to fully and timely meet their obligations; the risk that SMX is unable to secure or protect its intellectual property; the possibility that SMX may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and other risks and uncertainties described in SMX's filings from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

Jeremy Murphy/ jeremy@360bespoke.com

SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited