This article has been disseminated on behalf of  Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) and may include paid advertising.

• Minerals vital to energy and advanced manufacturing have become an energy security issue in their own right, notes “Time” report.
• The IEA has launched a Critical Minerals Security Program to promote joint action in the face of disruptions.
• Ucore’s commercial objective is to deliver the missing link in North America’s rare earth chain.

Alarm bells are ringing over a new kind of energy crisis — and it’s not oil or gas. A recent “Time” article warns that governments must act now to stave off damaging disruptions to industries from power grids to jet engines, arguing that the same international playbook forged after the 1973 oil crisis must be applied to critical minerals today (https://ibn.fm/iKc0k). In that context, Ucore Rare Metals (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) is advancing U.S.-based rare earth separation capacity with its RapidSX(TM) technology and a Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex designed to reduce dependence on overseas refining bottlenecks.

Time’s analysis makes the case that minerals vital to energy and advanced manufacturing have become an energy security issue in their own right. The report notes that these materials are essential to batteries, power equipment, artificial intelligence (“AI”) chips, jet engines, defense applications and more — and that supply interruptions can cripple manufacturing with far-reaching economic consequences. The article points to recent rare earth export turbulence as a sobering example and urges governments to prepare both for near-term shocks and to diversify structurally over the long run.

This highlights how concentrated today’s refining landscape has become. For 19 of the 20 most important strategic minerals that the International Energy Agency (“IEA”) tracks, China is the leading refiner with about a 70% average market share, a concentration that has intensified in recent years. More than half of these strategic minerals are now subject to some form of export restriction or control, including curbs on the know-how and equipment that turn raw materials into finished components. These facts help explain why a minerals shortfall, even without an oil-style shock, can ripple through factories, jobs and national security.

Just as the IEA was built to coordinate emergency oil stocks, a coordinated response is emerging for minerals. The IEA has launched a Critical Minerals Security Program to promote joint action in the face of disruptions, while governments experiment with tools such as price floors, offtake commitments and streamlined permitting to unlock new refining and processing capacity (https://ibn.fm/ktdSe). In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense is entering public-private partnerships that aim to establish a fully domestic rare earth supply chain, underscoring how industrial policy is shifting from raw extraction to midstream processing where the choke point actually lies.

That shift is where Ucore Rare Metals is positioned. The company is building a domestic separation and refining capability focused on rare earth oxides in Alexandria, Louisiana, anchored by its RapidSX technology, which Ucore describes as a faster, smaller-footprint evolution of conventional solvent extraction (https://ibn.fm/fYk3a). The Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex is an 80,800-square-foot brownfield facility at England Airpark that the company plans to commission for commercial-scale separation, providing a U.S. conduit from allied feedstock to finished oxides for high-performance magnets.

U.S. government support adds weight to this effort. In 2025, Ucore announced an initial $18.4 million agreement with the Department of Defense to advance RapidSX toward full-scale operations at the Louisiana site, later describing continued progress on system engineering, feedstock partnerships and preparation for full-scale equipment testing (https://ibn.fm/1il5q). The company subsequently detailed a groundbreaking ceremony at the SMC with U.S. and state stakeholders, signaling that the project’s path from demonstration to commercial deployment is underway.

Feedstock security is the other pillar. In August, Ucore executed a nonbinding, 10-year offtake Letteer of Intent (“LOI”) with Critical Metals Corp. to source heavy rare earth concentrate from Greenland’s Tanbreez Project for the Louisiana facility, with initial volumes to be qualified at Ucore’s Canadian demonstration plant (https://ibn.fm/y2G71). Additional updates in September outlined ongoing engineering and DPAS status progress intended to prioritize critical equipment and materials under U.S. national-defense authorities, reinforcing the project’s role in supply-chain resilience.

The need for domestic midstream capacity is not theoretical. The IEA warned in 2025 that low diversity in critical-mineral markets, particularly in refining and processing, heightens the risk of supply disruptions and price volatility as demand surges for clean-energy and defense technologies. The agency projects persistent concentration in refined material supply through 2035, and analysts have flagged copper and several battery inputs as particularly exposed (https://ibn.fm/p47Ex). Those findings mirror Time’s call for new partnerships and financing tools to rebalance market power and reduce systemic risk.

Ucore’s commercial objective is to deliver the missing link in North America’s rare earth chain: separation capacity that can accept concentrates from allied sources and output magnet-grade oxides, such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium, without relying on Chinese equipment or processing routes. By marrying government-backed industrial policy with a modular separation platform and long-term feedstock strategies, the company aligns tightly with the safeguards experts say are needed to avoid minerals-driven shocks to the energy transition and national security manufacturing base.

If the 1970s taught the world that oil security required shared rules, stocks and coordination, 2025 is teaching that mineral security requires the same, and perhaps more. Ucore Rare Metals is one example of how the United States can translate that lesson into steel, controls and chemistry on home soil, turning a global risk into a strategic capability the supply chain can depend on.

For more information, visit www.Ucore.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to UURAF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/UURAF

• The company was ranked second worldwide out of 243 companies evaluated in 12-lead ECG innovation in PatentVest’s “Total Cardiac Intelligence” report.
• HeartBeam’s ranking underscores the rapid maturation of the company’s proprietary synthesis-ECG system.
• HeartBeam’s intellectual-property foundation is a major reason for its placement.

HeartBeam (NASDAQ: BEAT), a medical-technology company developing advanced electrocardiogram solutions for remote cardiac care, has been recognized as a Global IP and Technology Leader in Portable Cardiac Diagnostics by PatentVest’s “Total Cardiac Intelligence” report (https://ibn.fm/ZuLCr). The company ranked second worldwide in 12-lead ECG innovation among 243 firms analyzed, trailing only GE Healthcare. The recognition highlights HeartBeam’s growing influence in the next generation of cardiac monitoring technology.

HeartBeam’s ranking underscores the rapid maturation of the company’s proprietary synthesis-ECG system, which captures the heart’s electrical signals in three noncoplanar dimensions and synthesizes them into a 12-lead ECG. This unique approach allows physicians to obtain cardiologist-level ECG data from compact devices that can be used by patients or clinicians far from traditional hospital settings. In doing so, HeartBeam is addressing one of modern medicine’s most persistent challenges: delivering high-quality cardiac monitoring for arrhythmia assessment wherever patients are. The company is cleared for arrhythmia today, and ischemia is a future goal.

The PatentVest study evaluated 243 companies active in cardiac-diagnostic innovation, scoring each on intellectual-property breadth, technology differentiation and potential for clinical impact. HeartBeam’s second-place ranking reflects its deep patent portfolio and the novelty of its synthesis-ECG architecture, which integrates three distinct noncoplanar dimensions into a synthesized 12-lead signal comparable to standard clinical ECGs. The report identified HeartBeam as one of only a few emerging companies capable of enabling true “total cardiac intelligence,” continuous, portable and clinically accurate cardiac monitoring outside the hospital environment.

HeartBeam’s intellectual-property foundation is a major reason for its placement. The company currently holds 82 global patent publications across 15 patent families covering its foundational technology for card-, watch- and patch-based ECG devices. These patents protect its three-dimensional capture of the heart’s electrical signals and synthesis algorithms, wearable sensor configurations and cloud-based analytics, giving the company a defensible position in the fast-growing field of remote and ambulatory cardiac monitoring. Collectively, this IP portfolio positions HeartBeam among the most comprehensively protected innovators in digital cardiology.

Recognition by PatentVest carries considerable weight because the report benchmarks both legacy and next-generation technology developers, including multinational leaders such as GE Healthcare, Philips and Medtronic. HeartBeam’s placement directly below GE Healthcare and ahead of other major device and software firms underscores its technological credibility despite being an emerging company. The report emphasizes that HeartBeam’s innovation strength lies in its combination of compact form factor, high-fidelity ECG signal synthesis and scalable data-analytics potential, all critical enablers for the shift toward decentralized cardiac care.

The significance of this ranking extends beyond technology. Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading cause of death, responsible for an estimated 17.9 million deaths annually according to the World Health Organization, with nearly 85% of those due to heart attacks and strokes. Early detection and monitoring are central to preventing such outcomes, but access to full clinical-grade ECG testing is often limited to clinical settings. HeartBeam’s technology, which is under FDA review to deliver synthesized 12-lead ECG data for arrhythmia assessment from portable devices, can directly target this access gap in the near future, potentially enabling earlier intervention and better patient outcomes.

HeartBeam’s credit-card-sized system is designed for integration into consumer-facing and professional medical devices alike. Its software uses proprietary algorithms to synthesize a full 12-lead ECG view of cardiac electrical activity, empowering physicians to detect arrhythmias once FDA clearance is obtained, as well as detect ischemia and other abnormalities in the near future remotely. By pairing these insights with cloud-based analytics and telemedicine integration, HeartBeam aims to make cardiologist-level interpretation available in primary-care settings, ambulances, and even at home, an advancement that could transform triage and long-term monitoring workflows. In the future, HeartBeam’s core technology will have the ability to be integrated into wearable patches and smartwatch-style form factors, further broadening its reach. 

The company’s recognition also comes at a pivotal time for the digital-health industry. The global ECG-monitoring market is projected to grow from $8.62 billion in 2023 to more than $13.94 billion by 2030, driven by increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disorders and rising adoption of remote patient monitoring (https://ibn.fm/rG2z3). The upswing in cardiovascular diseases worldwide, coupled with the growing geriatric population, is one of the primary factors contributing to the market growth. Within that context, HeartBeam’s IP strength and technological differentiation may offer significant competitive advantage as healthcare systems and device manufacturers seek scalable, cost-effective cardiac-monitoring solutions.

HeartBeam leadership team has emphasized that robust intellectual-property protection is core to the company’s mission of redefining cardiac health management. The PatentVest ranking validates this strategy, confirming that HeartBeam’s innovations are not only technologically advanced but also legally defensible across global jurisdictions. This recognition is expected to enhance the company’s visibility with potential partners, investors and healthcare organizations as it continues to commercialize its solutions.

In an industry where innovation can literally save lives, HeartBeam’s ascent to the number-two position worldwide in 12-lead ECG technology highlights both its scientific vision and its execution. By building a robust patent estate and advancing synthesis-ECG capabilities that capture the heart’s signals in full three-dimensional detail, HeartBeam is paving the way toward a future of ubiquitous, clinical-grade cardiac monitoring.

For more information, visit www.HeartBeam.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to BEAT are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/BEAT

Cleared Indications for Use

The HeartBeam System is a portable non-invasive recorder intended to record, store, and transfer a patient’s 3-Lead (in three-directions) electrocardiogram (“ECG”) acquired from 5 electrodes. The device is intended to be used by adult patients in either a clinical setting or at home. The device does not conduct cardiac analysis and can be used with an ECG Viewer software system for manual interpretation of non-life-threatening arrhythmias by a physician or healthcare professional. For full safety information, see the full Instructions for Use or Clinician Portal Manual.

• Japan ranks at the top of countries outside the United States, with approximately 11.4 million on-course golfers in 2023, with increasing numbers since then.
• For performance-oriented golf equipment companies, Japan represents both a mature and dynamic market.
• By launching an online direct-to-consumer platform tailored to Japanese golfers, Newton is positioning itself to access demand more efficiently and directly.

Japan has long been a powerhouse in golf culture, and now Newton Golf Company (NASDAQ: NWTG) is making a bold move in that territory with the rollout of its dedicated Japanese e-commerce platform: www.NewtonGolf.jp.The company, known for its performance-engineered shafts and putters, is positioning itself to tap into what it describes as the world’s second-largest golf market, reflecting the deep roots and continuing relevance of the sport in Japan (https://ibn.fm/7MNOn).

Golf in Japan is a success story of scale and infrastructure. Japan ranks at the top of countries outside the United States, with approximately 11.4 million on-course golfers in 2023, with increasing numbers since then. The country also registers one of the highest numbers of golf courses globally, with anywhere from 3,000 to 3,200 courses, placing it second only to the U.S. in sheer infrastructure. With the sport deeply embedded in both leisure and business culture, Japan remains a major venue for golf equipment consumption and global brand activity.

Historical context underscores how golf became such a key part of Japanese corporate and recreational life. The sport was first introduced in the country when British expat Arthur Hesketh Groom built a four-hole loop as a private course; the four holes expanded to nine holes a couple of years later (https://ibn.fm/ZDEDs). Many Japanese companies in post-war decades adopted golf as part of their corporate culture, and the sport became “baked into (Japanese) business culture” by the 1980s, supporting the growth of courses, driving ranges, equipment sales and a robust participant base. Most recently, a growing number of young people and women are picking up the sport, widening the base of the country’s avid golf players (https://ibn.fm/bN2gU).

For performance-oriented golf equipment companies, Japan represents both a mature and dynamic market. Demand for premium gear is supported by an enthusiast base, strong club culture and a willingness to invest in high-end equipment. This dynamic helps explain why Newton Golf’s Japan initiative comes at an opportune moment. By launching an online direct-to-consumer platform tailored to Japanese golfers, Newton is positioning itself to access that demand more efficiently and directly. The Japanese e-commerce site enables Japanese golfers to purchase the company’s performance-engineered products without relying on third-party import channels.

“Japan is the world’s second largest golf market and represents a major opportunity for Newton Golf,” said Newton Golf CEO and executive chair Dr. Greg Campbell. “Launching NewtonGolf.jp allows us to meet that demand directly, providing golfers in Japan with the same advanced performance technology and customer experience that have driven our growth in North America.”

This platform launch underscores several key features of Newton’s strategy. First, it brings localized access to the company’s products directly to golfers in Japan. Second, it provides a direct channel for Newton’s proprietary shaft technologies such as the Newton Motion series, incorporating the company’s DOT System(TM) for precision fitting, and its upcoming Gravity putters. These technologies are engineered through a physics-based approach, designed to deliver stability, accuracy and performance consistency at all levels of play. Third, the move fits a broader global expansion plan, leaning on Japan’s large equipment-consuming community to drive revenue growth and brand visibility in Asia.

For investors and industry watchers, the Japanese launch may mark a meaningful inflection point. While the company is still relatively small in the competitive golf equipment market, the access to a large, sophisticated audience of Japanese golfers gives Newton the potential to accelerate its direct-to-consumer growth and global footprint. Given the infrastructure and equipment culture in Japan, the dedicated platform could also serve as a model for other regional expansions.

Japan’s golf market remains a formidable landscape, with millions of on-course golfers, thousands of courses and driving ranges, and a culture that supports premium equipment consumption. Newton Golf Company’s launch of its Japanese e-commerce platform is a timely step to leverage that market, aligning its technology-forward gear with one of the world’s most established golfing audiences. For those following golf-tech brands and their growth strategies, Newton’s Japan initiative will merit watching as it unfolds.

For more information, visit www.NewtonGolfCo.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NWTG are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NWTG

• Artificial intelligence has grown from niche research projects to industry-wide deployments in only a few years.
• Central to DVLT’s offering are patented platforms such as DataScore(R), DataValue(R) and the Data Vault Bank(R) wallet infrastructure.
• Datavault AI’s emphasis on high-performance computing, tokenised data assets and enterprise Web 3-style platforms position the company as a leader.

The astonishing rise of artificial intelligence (“AI”) is reinventing nearly every industry on the planet — and Datavault AI (NASDAQ: DVLT) is moving to claim its place among top AI operators. The company, which specializes in AI-driven data monetization, valuation and tokenization across multiple sectors, is positioning itself as a leader in the AI explosion by offering platforms that transform raw data assets into actionable, monetizable insights.

Artificial intelligence has grown from niche research projects to industry-wide deployments in only a few years. One market report estimates the global artificial intelligence market at about $371.71 billion this year and projects that the industry will reach $2.407 trillion by 2032, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of approximately 30.6% from 2025 on (https://ibn.fm/B6Tok). Another industry forecast place the global AI market at $757.58 billion in 2025, with expectations that it will swell to $3.68 trillion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 19.2% (https://ibn.fm/weI0J). These numbers underscore that AI is no longer confined to tech-giant fantasies; the booming tech is rapidly becoming a foundational component of an essential part of doing work for healthcare, manufacturing, finance, retail, transportation and more.

The breadth of AI’s reach is striking. Stanford’s Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence initiative calls the AI “the most transformative technology of the 21st century” and reports that generative AI alone attracted $33.9 billion in private investment in a single year, an 18.7% increase from 2023 (https://ibn.fm/OR0dt). This highlights how capital is racing into AI firms and infrastructure. Companies in virtually every sector are deploying AI for predictive maintenance, customer service automation, supply-chain optimization, fraud detection, and more.

Amid this sweeping transformation, Datavault AI is carving out a meaningful role. The company is leading the way in visualization, valuation and monetization of assets in the Web 3.0 environment (https://ibn.fm/bdcAw). Leveraging super-computing capabilities, AI algorithms and blockchain tokenization, Datavault enables organisations across sectors including energy, healthcare, fintech, real estate and entertainment to monetize data assets previously untapped.

Central to DVLT’s offering are patented platforms such as DataScore(R), DataValue(R) and the Data Vault Bank(R) wallet infrastructure, which Datavault uses to convert raw data into tokenized, tradable assets via AI-driven scoring, governance and monetization. The company holds more than 70 issued and pending patents across AI, blockchain and tokenization technologies, including nine new allowances in 2025 alone.

By positioning itself at the intersection of AI, Web 3.0 and data monetization, Datavault is helping companies turn the deluge of digital data into a differentiated revenue stream while reducing reliance on traditional data-business models. Its approach aligns with the broader trend of AI becoming embedded across industries, not just as an automation tool but as a platform for value creation. With the AI market already expanding in staggering proportions, Datavault aims to convert that expansion into monetizable outcomes.

In an economy where operators are increasingly judged by their data-and-AI strategy rather than just their product line, companies capable of bridging raw data, AI insights and monetization frameworks are standing out. Datavault AI’s emphasis on high-performance computing, tokenised data assets and enterprise Web 3-style platforms position the company as a leader in that category. As AI continues to permeate sectors from biotech to logistics, the companies delivering the tools to monetize data, rather than simply analyze it, may well capture outsized value.

As the global AI market grows by tens or even hundreds of billions annually and organisations rush to adopt next-generation platforms, Datavault AI offers a value proposition tailored to this era: uniting data, AI and monetization under a single platform. For those watching where the AI wave will land next, the company presents a case worth tracking, both for its technological approach and its market-timing in one of the most consequential technology shifts of the era.

For more information, visit www.dvlt.ai.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to DVLT are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/DVLT

This article has been disseminated on behalf of  MAX Power Mining Corp. (CSE: MAXX) (OTC: MAXXF) and may include paid advertising.

• MAX Power has been granted a drill permit by the Saskatchewan Energy Regulator to drill for natural hydrogen at its Lawson hydrogen target along the Genesis Trend.
• Natural hydrogen is increasingly being viewed as a potential game-changer in the global clean energy transition.
• MAX Power’s decision to explore Canada’s first natural hydrogen well marks a significant milestone for the emerging sector.

In a significant move that strengthens the company’s position at the forefront of an emerging clean-energy frontier, MAX Power Mining (CSE: MAXX) (OTC: MAXXF) has secured a crucial drilling license to explore Canada’s first dedicated natural hydrogen well. This milestone could mark a turning point not just for MAX Power but for the broader adoption of hydrogen sourced from the planet rather than manufactured.

The announcement by MAX Power reports that the company has been granted a well license permit by the Saskatchewan Energy Regulator to drill for natural hydrogen at its Lawson target in Saskatchewan (https://ibn.fm/WZoCI). According to the company, the license covers a target zone where geological models project hydrogen may accumulate in porous basement rock beneath sedimentary overburden. With the permit in hand, MAX Power plans to commence the first phase of drilling and testing in the first week of November, aiming to validate whether commercially viable volumes of naturally occurring hydrogen exist at the site. 

Natural hydrogen is increasingly being viewed as a potential game-changer in the global clean-energy transition. Unlike hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water or via steam methane reforming, which require significant energy inputs and emit carbon, the so-called “white hydrogen,” or naturally occurring hydrogen, is generated by geological processes and can emerge from rocks without added energy. Proponents argue that tapping into these natural reservoirs could make hydrogen production more cost effective and lower emission. According to a recent analysis by the International Energy Agency, hydrogen demand could grow sixfold by 2050 (https://ibn.fm/j5QrY), and natural hydrogen could be one of the sources that may help meet that growth without adding burden to the electric grid. 

Beyond its role as a clean fuel for industrial decarbonization, natural hydrogen also holds potential for integration with large-scale energy storage and baseload power generation. Natural hydrogen is generated deep within the Earth through ongoing geological reactions—where water interacts with iron-rich rocks to release pure hydrogen gas. Over time, this hydrogen becomes naturally trapped in subsurface reservoirs under conditions similar to natural gas, creating an abundant, potentially continuously replenishing clean energy source that can be produced and converted into power directly at the site. In this context, MAX Power’s exploration work aligns with emerging concepts of regional hydrogen ecosystems — encompassing production, storage, transmission, and use — that could help underpin a zero-carbon energy grid.

MAX Power’s decision to explore Canada’s first natural hydrogen well marks a significant milestone for the emerging sector. Geological and geophysical information, including seismic and a plethora of other current and legacy data, has identified dozens of anomalies extending to the basement across the broader land package that may correspond to these structural zones, guiding the company’s initial drill targets. By advancing this program, MAX Power is establishing a first-mover position in a natural hydrogen industry that’s in its earliest stages of development.

The strategic significance for MAX Power lies in being among the earliest explorers of natural hydrogen in North America. If successful, the company could unlock a new energy source while establishing intellectual property leadership, field data and commercial partnerships. The licensed drill hole will also support wider ambitions: The company believes a successful result could validate the broader potential of basement-hosted hydrogen across Canada and may attract interest from offtake partners in heavy-industry, power-generation and hydrogen-refueling infrastructure.

For investors and energy-market observers, the license grants MAX Power a clear stage for near-term inflection. While many hydrogen companies focus on supply-chain scaling of electrolyzers and renewable hydrogen, MAX Power’s approach is upstream, finding and producing hydrogen the way conventional hydrocarbons are extracted. That differentiates it from many peers and responds to concerns that hydrogen production today remains expensive and grid dependent. If the drill results at Lawson demonstrate viable rates of hydrogen flow and commercial purity, the company could rapidly move from exploration to production planning, potentially accelerating its valuation curve.

The announcement also comes at an opportune moment. As governments worldwide accelerate decarbonization and hydrogen infrastructure buildout, being among the first to potentially commercialize natural hydrogen gives MAX Power a strong competitive advantage. The Canadian federal government has identified hydrogen as a strategic commodity in its national energy transition strategy and launched programs such as the Clean Fuels Fund to advance hydrogen production pilots and infrastructure. While current funding frameworks focus mainly on low-carbon and renewable hydrogen, MAX Power’s licensed drill hole could ultimately benefit from this policy environment, attracting partner interest and potential infrastructure synergies that many later entrants may lack.

For more information, visit www.MaxPowerMining.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to MAXXF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/MAXXF

• Forward Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: FORD) announced the foundation of a Crypto Advisory Board and revealed the initial 25 members.
• The inaugural members of the board have experience in areas including capital markets, digital assets, financial services, and the Solana ecosystem.
• FORD remains committed to growth, and both the management and governance team share the same strategic vision for the company.

Forward Industries (NASDAQ: FORD), a Solana treasury company, recently announced the creation of a Crypto Advisory Board, naming the 25 inaugural members of the board (https://ibn.fm/LZmm2). Given their collective experience in capital markets, digital assets, financial services, and the Solana ecosystem, along with a commitment to the company’s growth, their addition is expected to significantly facilitate the company’s progress.

The purpose of the board is to provide strategic advice as the company continues to advance the Solana treasury strategy and other blockchain-related plans. While naming the first members of this new advisory board, the company indicated they may expand the board in the future to bring on new leaders with experience in technology, finance, and blockchain. 

The 25 inaugural members named to the board:

• Amir Haleem: Founder of Helium and CEO of Nova Labs
• Armani Ferrante: Founder and CEO of Backpack
• Ariel Seidman: Founder of Hivemapper and Co-Founder & CEO of Bee Maps
• Austin Federa: Co-Founder of Double Zero Foundation
• Brian Long: Co-Founder of Triton One
• Chris Osborn: Founder of Dialect Labs
• Cindy Leow: Co-Founder of Drift Labs
• Guy Young: Founder of Ethena Labs
• Harry Austin: Managing Director of Blockchain Infrastructure at Galaxy
• Lucas Bruder: Co-Founder and CEO of Jito Labs
• MacBrennan Peet: Founder of Project0 and Co-Founder of marginFi
• Matty Taylor: Co-Founder and General Partner of Colosseum
• Marius Ciubotariu: Co-Founder of Kamino
• Michael Marcantonio: Head of DeFi at Galaxy
• Mike Hornton: Project Creator at Geodnet
• Nitesh Nath: Founder of Dflow
• Richard Wu: Co-Founder and CTO of Tensor
• Robert Leshner: CEO of Superstate
• Stepan Simkin: CEO of Squads
• Stephen Hess: Founder and Director of Metaplex Foundation
• Tarun Chitra: Founder and CEO of Gauntlet
• Thomas Lefort: Co-Founder of Exponent Finance
• Thomas Young: Head of Credit for Exponent Financial
• Todd Wiesel: Founder and CEO of Baxus
• Vidor Gencel: Co-Founder of SolFlare Wallet

Speaking about the announcement of the board, Kyle Samani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Forward Industries, said “Establishing a dedicated Crypto Advisory Board is an important milestone as Forward Industries executes on its strategy to bring the value of the Solana ecosystem to investors.”

He added that “The caliber of leaders joining the Advisory Board reflects growing conviction in Solana within global capital markets. The Advisory Board members bring tremendous experience, and their insights will help Forward Industries as we grow SOL per share, leverage the differentiators of the Solana ecosystem to bring value to shareholders, and reinforce Forward Industries’ role at the center of this transformation.”

To date, Forward Industries has total Solana (SOL) holdings of over 6.8 million SOL and the company’s validator infrastructure has a 7.01% staking yield, which is above the average gross yield reported by the top 10 validators by stake weight.

The company not only wants to build one of the largest Solana treasuries but also pave the way for how public companies are able to integrate on-chain operations. It also targets strategic partnerships and acquisitions within the Solana ecosystem to accelerate yield and better align with the ecosystem.

Ford Industries also remains committed to company growth, and both management and the governance team are aligned on this goal and share the same vision.

Speaking on this shared vision about company strategy, Samani said that “Forward Industries’ leadership remains fully aligned in executing our strategy and advancing our position as the leading Solana treasury company.” He also mentioned that “Our management team, board of directors and new Advisory Board together bring the strategic discipline, market insight, and conviction necessary to guide Forward Industries through its next phase of growth.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ForwardIndustries.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to FORD are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/FORD

This article has been disseminated on behalf of  Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSX.V: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF) and may include paid advertising.

• One of Lahontan’s key differentiators is the Santa Fe Mine project, a past-producing, open-pit, heap-leach gold/silver operation
• The company’s four-property portfolio gives Lahontan meaningful upside beyond Santa Fe
• Nevada’s Walker Lane is a top-tier mining district in a mining-friendly U.S. jurisdiction with established infrastructure, power, water, road access and supportive regulatory context

As global investors turn their focus toward gold amid persistent market uncertainty, Lahontan Gold (TSX.V: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF), is emerging as a standout junior player with the potential to unlock significant value in Nevada’s world-class Walker Lane district. The Canadian exploration and development company is advancing a portfolio of four strategically located gold and silver projects, including its flagship Santa Fe Mine property, aiming to transform proven ground into a new generation of precious-metal production (ibn.fm/3yfPt).

One of Lahontan’s key differentiators is the Santa Fe Mine project, a past-producing, open-pit, heap-leach gold/silver operation that between 1988 and 1995 yielded more than 350,000 ounces of gold and over 700,000 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995 (ibn.fm/ourN0). For investors seeking exposure to a junior gold company with a strategic portfolio in a mining-friendly U.S. jurisdiction, Lahontan presents a compelling narrative: a historic asset, a defined roadmap and an additional three properties to provide optionality and scale.

Lahontan Gold’s focus on the Santa Fe project gives it a strong starting point. This year, the company has focused on continued optimization of the Santa Fe mine plan, resource expansion drilling and refining the metallurgical flow sheet, in parallel with key permitting activities. Lahontan also planned an initial drill test of its West Santa Fe project targeting new gold and silver resources to augment the existing resources at the Santa Fe Mine (https://ibn.fm/hoRTA).

This roadmap is significant because having an asset with past production de-risks a wide spectrum of exploration risk: infrastructure, metallurgy and prior mining history. The most recent Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) for Santa Fe reported a pretax NPV5 of $265.1 million and aftertax NPV5 of $200 million, with IRRs of 41% pretax and 34.2% after tax, assuming gold pricing of $2,705 per oz. For investors, these economics establish a credible benchmark and signal that the project has potential to transition from exploration toward development. The PEA also underscores that Lahontan is not simply docking around for gold hits but is charting a production path roadmap.

Meanwhile, Lahontan’s four-property portfolio gives the company meaningful upside beyond Santa Fe. The company controls four properties in the heart of Walker Lane: Santa Fe, West Santa Fe, Moho and Redlich. Each of those adds depth and optionality: West Santa Fe is a satellite oxide gold-silver target near Santa Fe; Moho is a higher-grade underground-target concept; and Redlich is a silver-focused asset adjacent to the historic Candelaria silver mine. 

Optionality is a key concept for investors. While Santa Fe is the anchor, these additional assets give Lahontan upside that could be meaningful if exploration-success occurs. Resource expansion, acquisition of strategic claims and active drilling all reinforce that the company is actively strengthening its asset base rather than simply sitting on ground. For example, in August 2025 Lahontan acquired strategic claims south of the York pit (Santa Fe) to expand the property (ibn.fm/g4alj). This speaks to a strategy of consolidation and land-position strengthening.

Another strength for investors is jurisdiction. Nevada’s Walker Lane is a top-tier mining district in a mining-friendly U.S. jurisdiction with established infrastructure, power, water, road access and supportive regulatory context. Lahontan’s drill campaign at Santa Fe mobilized an remote control rig to begin work on the Slab and York target areas, with the company noting that the goal of the RC drilling program is to expand known gold and silver resources in the Slab and York target areas in order to increase the inventory of potentially minable precious-metal ounces in this portion of the Santa Fe Mine project (ibn.fm/WOEyS). For investors, having a project with active drilling, toward resource expansion and in a proven jurisdiction is a positive risk-reward posture.

From an investor perspective, Lahontan stands out for several reasons, including the existence of a past-producing asset with defined resources and an active focus on moving toward production with permitting and metallurgical optimization. The fact that the PEA lays out credible economics strengthens the narrative of a “development” company rather than purely speculative exploration. In addition, the optionality of multiple satellite assets means that investor upside is not solely dependent on one deposit. Finally, the financing and corporate development side of the company appears active: In October, Lahontan announced a nonbrokered private placement for up to C$2 million for exploration at Santa Fe and West Santa Fe (ibn.fm/E1Klg).

While investing in junior mining companies carries risk, Lahontan seems to have several boxes ticked, including credible resource base, production history, active execution and jurisdictional strength. For an investor looking for exposure to gold and silver in a development-stage company with upside, Lahontan checks many of the right themes.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LahontanGoldCorp.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LGCXF are available in the company’s newsroom at ibn.fm/LGCXF

Disseminated on behalf of Numa Numa Resources Inc. and may include paid advertisements.

• One of Numa Numa’s primary endeavors is the reconstruction of the Panguna Mine, a project that holds immense promise for the company and for Bougainville.
• Numa Numa expects to continue the construction of the road it is building from the Panguna Mine road across the Mainoki and Karato exploration areas, which will connect and serve the entire mining region.

Numa Numa Resources is making significant strides in developing key mining projects in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, currently a political unit of Papua New Guinea. With a strategic focus on Bougainville’s most prospective resources, the company’s initiatives are poised to unlock substantial financial potential and contribute significantly to Bougainville’s long-term economic development.

One of Numa Numa’s primary endeavors is the reconstruction of the Panguna Mine, explored and developed in the late 1960’s by Rio Tinto, which, when it operated from 1972 to when it was closed prematurely due to the Crisis, the civil war that erupted over the mine, was one of the world’s largest copper and gold producers. The Panguna Mine project holds immense promise, not only for the company but for the landowners, the company’s partners, and for all Bougainvilleans (https://ibn.fm/aUxKb).

According to the company, the Panguna Mine’s 547.15 metric tons of known gold reserves equate to nearly 1% of all global reserves, with value estimates exceeding $40 billion. The Panguna Mine’s known copper reserves are 5.3 million metric tons, worth approximately $45 million, or 5.3% of all current copper reserves worldwide, almost as much as the entirety of Canada, the 20th largest copper position among all countries with 7.6 million metric tons, according to the International Copper Study Group.

Numa Numa’s development of the Panguna Mine, as well as its pursuit of exploration projects in the highly prospective areas of Mainoki and Karato, will benefit by an improved transportation system. These areas are all mountainous; the Mainoki and Karato areas are totally landlocked, with no roads or rivers to provide access. To buy basic foodstuffs such as rice, the inhabitants must walk hours downhill to commercial locations along the coastal road that runs north to south along the Pacific side of Bougainville Island, and struggle even more hours to return, laden with their purchases, uphill on mountain paths.

To provide access for its development and exploration teams but also to provide road access to the landowners, the company has been constructing a road that will branch off from the road servicing the Panguna Mine area to traverse Mainoki and Karato. It is the first east-west road across Bougainville’s mountainous central mining district to be built since before the Crisis.

In this way, beyond reaping financial benefits expected to accrue to the company, Numa Numa’s projects will have a lasting positive impact on Bougainville and Bougainvilleans. By investing in not just mining but infrastructure to be used by both the company and the public, Numa Numa aims to improve the quality of life for the people of Bougainville and ensure that the benefits of mining are shared.

This strategic roadmap places Numa Numa Resources at the forefront of a mining renaissance and economic development in Bougainville. Through its projects and commitment to economic development that benefit both the company as well as all Bougainvilleans, the company is poised to play a pivotal role in not only unlocking Bougainville’s mineral wealth but spurring the economic growth that will pay for Bougainville’s independence.

For more information, visit www.NumaNumaResources.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Numa Numa are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NUMA

This article has been disseminated on behalf of  Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) and may include paid advertising.

• China produces more than 90% of the world’s processed rare earths and rare-earth magnets, and the regime will bar exports to overseas defense users.
• This whirlwind of supply-chain risk underscores the urgency for the United States to develop independent sources of essential metals.
• Ucore Rare Metals is positioning itself as a key enabler of Western supply-chain sovereignty.

A tectonic shift in the global minerals landscape has crystallized: China’s Ministry of Commerce announced this month that it is expanding export controls over key rare-earth elements and related processing equipment, marking a strategic tightening of Beijing’s dominance (https://ibn.fm/uyRJa). In the face of this disruption, Ucore Rare Metals (TSX.V: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) is ramping up its U.S.-based capabilities to build an independent supply chain of rare earths through its patented RapidSX(TM) technology and strategic partners.

China’s new rules place five additional rare-earth elements — holmium, erbium, thulium, europium and ytterbium — under license controls. At the same time, new restrictions apply to dozens of pieces of processing equipment and technologies used in the mining and refining of rare earths. China produces more than 90% of the world’s processed rare earths and rare-earth magnets, and the regime will bar exports to overseas defense users and apply stricter review for semiconductor-linked users. The effect rippled through financial markets, with shares of rare-earth-mining companies jumping on concerns that supply chains for electric vehicles, wind turbines and defense systems may face bottlenecks.

Data from Chinese customs revealed exports in September decreased by roughly 31% compared with August, signaling how serious the disruption has already been (https://ibn.fm/V8EXt). Moreover, these export-license changes are tied directly to global geopolitics: Beijing is leveraging its control over critical minerals as part of broader negotiations with Washington (https://ibn.fm/UlEgQ).

This whirlwind of supply-chain risk underscores the urgency for the United States to develop independent sources of essential metals. For decades, the U.S. has been almost entirely reliant on imports for rare earths, especially for downstream processing. As China consolidates technology and exports, the opportunity for disruption widens. A 2025 review published by Reuters notes that automakers and defense contractors are already scrambling to beat a deadline imposed by the export changes. In this context, Ucore’s progress takes on renewed significance.

Ucore Rare Metals is positioning itself as a key enabler of Western supply-chain sovereignty. In May 2025 the company announced a $18.4 million funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”) to scale its RapidSX rare-earth separation technology toward commercial production at its Strategic Metals Complex (“SMC”) in Alexandria, Louisiana (https://ibn.fm/4StCi). RapidSX is a modular, feed-stock-agnostic separation platform that is designed to outperform conventional solvent-extraction methods in speed, footprint and cost. The company followed up that announcement in September with a report that it had obtained Defense Priorities & Allocations System (“DPAS”) “DO-B8” rating for its U.S. project, prioritizing industrial supply-chain deliveries under the Defense Production Act, an indication of its strategic role in national-security supply chains (https://ibn.fm/Bvdr9).

Ucore has also taken steps to secure feedstock and expand partnerships, which are critical in the rare-earth arena where refining capacity — not just mining — is the choke point. In August,  the company executed a 10-year nonbinding letter of intent with Critical Metals Corp. of Greenland to secure heavy rare-earth concentrate feedstock for the SMC. And then the company entered a binding strategic partnership with Metallium Limited to integrate flash-joule-heating feed-stock upgrades with RapidSX downstream refining, a full feed-stock-to-oxide corridor (https://ibn.fm/DIdSM).

Why is this important? Rare-earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium power the magnets used in electric-vehicle motors, wind-turbine generators, missile guidance systems and aerospace actuators. China controls approximately 90% of global processing capacity and up to 85% of magnet manufacturing, according to market analysts (https://ibn.fm/gjtvS). Without a domestic pathway from mining through refining to magnet production, the U.S. and its allies remain exposed to supply shocks, regulatory choke points and strategic manipulation.

Ucore’s approach addresses this exposure by bringing modular separation capacity to North America, creating the infrastructure that has been missing, especially the refining and separation layer downstream of mining. By manufacturing in Louisiana, sourcing from allied feed-stock jurisdictions and avoiding reliance on Chinese equipment and supply chains, the company aligns with the West’s push for resilience in critical minerals. For instance, in early October 2025 Ucore reaffirmed that its equipment sourcing for the SMC does not rely on Chinese-origin components, a step that helps insulate the project from Beijing’s latest export-control regime (https://ibn.fm/vJHhq).

At a time when global supply chains are rattled by export restrictions and geopolitical risk, Ucore Rare Metals stands out as a company delivering tangible infrastructure for independence. Its modular RapidSX platform, backed by U.S. defense funding, integrated feed-stock partnerships and strategic positioning in Louisiana, make it more than a mining early-stage explorer. It is a systems-integration player in the rare-earth value-chain race. For the United States and its allies striving to reduce dependence on a single country for essential metals, Ucore may well supply the bridge from vulnerability to resilience.

For more information, visit www.Ucore.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to UURAF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/UURAF

This article has been disseminated on behalf of New Pacific Metals Corp. (NYSE American: NEWP) (TSX: NUAG) and includes paid advertisement.

• Gold and silver prices have strengthened in recent months, improving project economics across the mining sector.
• New Pacific Metals owns two of the world’s largest undeveloped open-pittable silver deposits: Silver Sand and Carangas, both in Bolivia.
• The Carangas Project hosts a large near-surface silver zone with a thick underlying gold zone, providing scalability and multi-metal optionality.
• Carangas’ Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) outlines a 16-year starter pit focused on the shallow silver zone with low strip ratio, with significant unmodeled upsides.
• Multiple regional targets near Carangas share similar geological characteristics, expanding long-term discovery potential.

Rising precious metal prices are providing a more favorable backdrop for exploration and development companies. Gold was trading around $4,001 per ounce, while silver reached $48.5 per ounce, as of November 3rd, 2025, supported by industrial demand and tightening mine supply (https://ibn.fm/8JayW).

Higher metal prices directly improve project valuations, particularly for pre-production companies with defined mineral resources. For precious metals developers such as New Pacific Metals (NYSE American: NEWP) (TSX: NUAG), this market environment enhances the economic appeal of large-scale assets and renews institutional attention to underdeveloped deposits.

New Pacific Metals is an exploration and development company focused on advancing two primary assets in Bolivia: the Silver Sand and Carangas projects. Both represent significant undeveloped silver systems that stand out as two of the largest undeveloped silver deposits globally. Together, they are projected to produce nearly 19 million ounces annually when developed, underscoring the company’s scale relative to its market capitalization (https://ibn.fm/G6DMv).

While Bolivia remains an emerging jurisdiction, the country also holds a deep mining history and substantial untapped mineral potential. With supportive commodity prices and shifting political tides favoring foreign investment, the environment for project advancement is gradually improving.

New Pacific’s Carangas Project, located in western Bolivia, exemplifies the type of scalable silver asset major producers seek. The deposit features a broad silver-dominant zone overlying a thick gold-rich horizon, allowing for flexible mine planning and potential by-product optimization.

The company’s Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”), completed in September 2024, focuses on a subset of the main silver zone, referred to as the starter pit, which represents only part of the total mineralized system. A larger conceptual pit scenario incorporates additional silver, lead, zinc, and gold mineralization, indicating room to scale production and/or extend mine life as further studies progress. The starter pit plan outlines:

• Ore: 64 million tonnes
• Contained silver: 131 million ounces
• Contained lead and zinc: 0.8 million tonnes
• Silver recovery: 87%
• Mine life: 16 years
• Strip ratio: 1.7

For the broader conceptual pit, total mill feed could reach 196 million tonnes, containing 233 million ounces of silver, plus 2 million tonnes of lead and zinc, and an additional 1.3 million ounces of gold from the underlying gold zone. Below this conceptual pit, drill data show continued gold mineralization, suggesting potential for future underground or expanded pit development. With a total strip ratio of roughly 1.5, Carangas compares favorably to industry averages, supporting competitive operating costs.

Previous exploration results indicate that the Carangas mineralized system could extend beyond the current pit design. Future studies aim to include a greater portion of the resource base, which could materially expand production scale and extend mine life.

New Pacific envisions the Carangas deposit as a multi-decade operation, initially anchored by silver production but with additional revenue from gold, lead, and zinc. The company’s future technical programs will focus on refining metallurgy, expanding drill coverage, and updating the mine plan to incorporate the deeper gold zones.

The Carangas district is emerging as a broader exploration corridor. Geophysical testing outlined in the company’s presentation identifies five additional targets within close proximity, each exhibiting similar magnetic and resistivity patterns to Carangas. These anomalies are considered prospective for both silver and gold mineralization, highlighting a potential multi-discovery district. 

Large primary silver deposit discoveries are becoming increasingly rare, and many major producers have shifted toward polymetallic or gold-weighted portfolios from pure silver due to limited global discovery.  Carangas and Silver Sand could fill that gap as large-scale, low-cost silver projects. For prospective partners or acquirers, Carangas offers:

• Scalable design with clear expansion paths
• A low waste-to-ore ratio
• Favourable metallurgy and recoveries
• Potential jurisdictional improvements as Bolivia seeks new mining investment

Bolivia is one of the most resource-endowed regions in South America. Historic mines such as Cerro Rico once ranked among the world’s richest silver sources. Today, the nation is again drawing attention as a frontier for new exploration, particularly for companies with established local expertise and technical capability.

These characteristics align with the development profiles sought by larger producers such as Pan American Silver (NYSE: PAAS) (TSX: PAAS) and Silvercorp Metals (NYSE-A/TSX: SVM), both existing shareholders in New Pacific. Their participation (Silvercorp with 28% and Pan American Silver with 12%) underscores confidence in the long-term potential of these assets.

As silver and gold prices strengthen, New Pacific Metals is well positioned for growth, with two advanced-stage, high-quality projects that could become major contributors to future global silver supply. The company’s Carangas and Silver Sand projects provide scale, resource growth potential, and diversification across both silver and gold.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.newpacificmetals.com/welcome.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to NEWP are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NEWP