• Global mobile gaming is the hottest, fastest growing sector of the gaming market
• TAPM is positioned to exploit $40+ billion market opportunity
• Low development costs provide predictable returns
• Positive variables should put TAPM on investor radar

Mobile gaming has become a booming global business. As discussed in the recent article ‘Mobile Gaming Acquisitions on Pace to Boom in 2018’ (http://dtn.fm/9wzoF), mobile gaming is arguably the hottest, fastest-growing sector within the gaming market. Revenues are exploding in the mobile games market and are expected to total $40.6 billion for 2017, an increase of more than $10 billion from 2015. Annual revenues of $40+ billion with 33% growth over two years presents a huge opportunity for correctly positioned participants.

Driven by the ubiquity of mobile devices, gaming has moved from the sofa to an anytime, anywhere activity. No longer tethered to consoles, players have embraced mobile games with a passion that has propelled the mobile games market to new levels and spurred acquisition fever by traditional gaming companies.

Positioned to exploit these market trends, Tapinator, Inc. (OTCQB: TAPM) has been developing and publishing mobile games on the iOS, Android and Amazon platforms since 2013, and it has created a portfolio of over 300 mobile gaming titles that, collectively, have been downloaded by more than 450 million players worldwide. With the guidance of a highly skilled and experienced management team, Tapinator is building a large catalog of “Rapid-Launch Games” that have low development costs while offering predictable returns, complementing its much smaller number of “Full-Featured Games” that cost substantially more to develop but offer massive upside potential. The company generates revenues through the sale of branded advertisements and through consumer app store transactions. By establishing and executing a disciplined return-on-investment strategy, Tapinator is aiming to be among the leaders in the global mobile gaming market.

With outsized growth, increased acquisitions and immense opportunity ahead, the returns in global gaming stocks are proving to be an area that may well outpace other market sectors. Given the multiple positive variables in place, Tapinator should be on investors’ radar.

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

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• Non-binding proposed merger announced on November 27, 2017
• Quoin merger expected to deliver non-opioid relief to post-surgical patients
• Over-65 population with advanced pain needs expected to double within next 30 years
• Skinvisible and Quoin proposed merger expected to deliver better results to patients

Health professionals are preparing for an expected doubling of the 65 years and older population within the next 30 years, creating medical need to address the pain that often becomes a prevalent companion to age. While modern pharmaceuticals have developed opioids and non-steroidal therapies for reducing chronic pain, the drugs are often accompanied by addiction and unwanted side effect concerns. However, Skinvisible, Inc.’s (OTCQB: SKVI) recently announced non-binding merger with Quoin Pharmaceuticals Limited is creating a partnership that may provide alternative solutions at a time when they are needed the most.

Quoin’s products include QRX001, which will provide 72 hours of effective non-opioid pain relief to post-surgical patients, and QRX002, which is an anticipated once-a-day solution for military PTSD patients at risk for suicidal tendencies. QRX001 will be formulated with an NMDA receptor antagonist that has undergone almost 30 pre-clinical trial studies in the United States. The studies have shown that sub-anesthetic doses of the compound reduced morphine consumption controlled by the patient, as well as post-operative nausea and the reported intensity of pain, while adverse events were reportedly mild or non-existent. QRX001 is anticipated to undergo a phase II trial in the coming year.

Leveraging these results, Skinvisible and Quoin hope to help reduce the abuse of prescription painkillers, which has received classification as a national health emergency (http://dtn.fm/kv1nB). In a recent study reported in JAMA Surgery, 36,000 post-operative patients’ painkiller use was tracked over the course of a half year. The study found that five to six percent of the patients “continued to fill prescriptions for opioids long after what would be considered normal surgical recovery” (http://dtn.fm/R9LgK). In 2016, drug overdose deaths, the majority of them blamed on painkiller dependency, reportedly rose nearly 20 percent over those reported in 2015, according to the New York Times (http://dtn.fm/YUlE7). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that opioid-related deaths quadrupled between 1999 and 2015 on par with a commensurate increase in the sale of prescription opioids to pharmacies and medical offices during that period (http://dtn.fm/0VSIf).

“Pain is prevalent and often under-treated among older adults,” University of Texas at Arlington researcher Robert Gatchel said in a December statement to MD Magazine (http://dtn.fm/kLd8A). “With 20 percent of Americans expected to be 65 or older by 2030, the development of new and effective pain management strategies is a necessity, especially given that 75 percent of people in this age group have two or more chronic conditions such as heart disease, arthritis or diabetes, which complicate the taking of pain medications.”

The completion of the merger between Skinvisible and Quoin is subject to the negotiation of a definitive agreement and other customary closing conditions, including Quoin completing a financing round for clinical development.

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

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• For the three months ended September 30, 2017, PGAS reported a profit, greater prepaid expenses and some $3 million added to its assets and shareholder value of the company
• Jim Jimerson, consultant, says in audio interview that PGAS is eyeing more tanker acquisitions and working on worldwide financing, including from the World Bank, for its growth plans
• Diverse revenue stream from oil and gas energy shipping, sales of finished products, a larger tanker fleet and growth through joint ventures

Petrogress, Inc. (OTC: PGAS) sees growth opportunities worldwide for 2018, as this integrated energy company seeks a larger tanker fleet and growth in Ghana, Libya and Cypress. Jim Jimerson, who handles corporate affairs for Petrogress in the U.S., said in an audio interview that the firm, in 2016, consolidated its operations, going public through a reverse merger (http://dtn.fm/JA6kJ). In 2017, it began to show growth through acquisitions and joint ventures internationally. Now, for 2018, it hopes to attract major players as it further expands its production and shipping services.

Jimerson noted that PGAS is focused in 2018 on three priorities. First, the company wishes to consummate a contract in Ghana to give it more growth opportunities. Second, it sees exceptional opportunities for business initiatives to get in on the ground floor in Libya, a location Jimerson describes as being in PGAS’s “wheelhouse” in North Africa. Finally, PGAS is seeking to acquire two more tankers at a discount from Dubai sources, growing its fleet from four to six. This would enable the company to trade through the Suez Canal, boosting its business.

To achieve all that, Jimerson said, the firm is working with U.S. and international finance partners, including the World Bank. In its 3Q2017 SEC 10-Q filing, it reported a profit, adding some $3 million to its book value assets, and increased prepayment on expenses (http://dtn.fm/M4MeD).

PGAS is a New York-based, fully-integrated oil and natural gas energy company with offices in Piraeus, Greece, and Tema, Ghana (located on the west coast of Africa), that manage its operations. PGAS holds various subsidiaries throughout the world. It has a vision of becoming a vertically-integrated energy company. It is segregating its shipping business and petroleum sales into separate companies, which is expected to result in a more focused approach to assist the entities as they pursue individual growth strategies.

The end-goal is to maximize shareholder value. PGAS is divided into four distinct groups: upstream, which consists of oil resources and explosion; midstream, its product fleet carriers; downstream, its refinery and finished product sales; and liquefied, its liquefied natural gas (LNG) sea transportation.

Most recently, PGAS has been expanding its operations to become a greater factor in the oil business and throughout its supply chain. To that end, it has been negotiating partnerships — such as its December 19, 2017, announcement of an MOU signed by its Delaware-based subsidiary, Petrogress Intl. LLC (“PIL”), and EDT Agency Services, Ltd. (EDT Offshore) to combine their operations in certain ports (http://dtn.fm/1qMZr). EDT provides services to oil and gas exploration and production companies globally and operates a fleet of specialized support vessels from numerous facilities. The MOU anticipates a 50-50 partnership between PIL and EDT for certain joint operations.

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

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• Net Element mobile payment solutions and services unite the retailer, consumer and market with advanced technology
• The company is keeping up with financial technology (FinTech) trends that are disrupting retail banking in a booming market, with U.S. e-commerce sales projected to surpass $360.3 billion in 2021
• Net Element solutions enable mobile payment options, chat-bots, and expansions to now include cryptocurrency payments

Today’s companies implement smart financial technology (FinTech) solutions in order to keep up with the market and deliver to the next-generation consumer. Net Element, Inc. (NASDAQ: NETE) is an innovative provider of current and comprehensive mobile payment solutions and services, uniting the retailer, consumer and market with advanced technology.

According to an article by The Financial Brand, several FinTech trends are disrupting retail banking (http://dtn.fm/FsFp6) and are must-haves for millennials and today’s consumers. Top favored capabilities required to meet the needs of the current marketplace include payment with mobile devices, bot or messenger-based payments and incorporation of digital currency options. Net Element is delivering these and more.

The company’s PayOnline subsidiary provides a fully-integrated, processor-agnostic electronic and mobile commerce platform. The payment platform simplifies transactions, enables payment security and supports more than 100 payment methods and currencies, as well as credit cards. The PayOnline proprietary software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) is compliant at Level 1 of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards and is certified with most U.S. and global payment processors.

PayOnline also addresses the customer-centric element of online e-commerce, which is particularly important to new-generation customers in an era of increased efficiency, increased automation and social media. The company brings value-added services by connecting merchants and consumers and enabling interaction via chat-bots with four popular instant messaging apps. This technology is central to the future of retail banking and adds valuable elements to each payment transaction, such as bot-automated updates to the customer regarding payments, adjustments and refunds. These types of services keep the consumer engaged and informed in real-time, at each transaction.

In addition, the company has partnered with Bunker Capital for the launch of a blockchain-based business unit. The new unit will provide a framework to develop and deploy blockchain technology solutions that will connect merchants and consumers, as well as increase efficiencies and expand payment options to allow cryptocurrencies. While still in its infancy, the cryptocurrency market is expected to grow from $541 million in 2017 to $2.9 billion by 2023, which would represent a compound annual growth rate of 32.31 percent (http://dtn.fm/b6SET).

Net Element’s vast solutions for e-commerce for the U.S. and select emerging markets include mobile transaction technologies, online payment tools, restaurant, retail and mobile point of sale solutions, analytical tools, and sales partner solutions. These solutions position the company for growth as FinTech disrupts the booming market, with U.S. e-commerce sales projected to surpass $360.3 billion in 2021 (http://dtn.fm/cKT7f).

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

• MOU to undertake joint venture in Cyprus port operations
• Set to enter upstream business by operating oil platform
• Gaining eligibility to bid for Ghanaian government contracts

A recent announcement (http://dtn.fm/GtI6w), which also appeared in the Greek media, shows that Petrogress, Inc. (OTC: PGAS) is doubling down in Cyprus. Through subsidiary Petrogress Int’l, LLC (“PIL”), the company has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with EDT Agency Services, Ltd., under which the two companies intend to combine operations at the Port of Limassol. The collaboration also extends to future developments at Vassiliko Energy Port, where the Cyprus Port Authority has announced plans for the construction of a $300 million industrial and energy harbor. The MOU calls for a 50/50 partnership between EDT and PIL, operating under PIL’s PG Cypyard & Offshore Terminal Services unit. The joint venture will provide support services to supply vessels and offshore exploration and production platforms and will help PGAS serve the E&P needs of major international oil companies in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The partnership is expected to not only boost PGAS’s revenues, but the company’s profile in Limassol and Vassiliko.

EDT provides services to oil and gas exploration and production companies worldwide, and it operates its fleet of specialized support vessels from facilities in Cyprus and Egypt. In 2013, the company established facilities at Limassol to support Houston, Texas-based Noble Energy, Inc.’s Aphrodite and Leviathan Field operations in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone. Its facilities now include a mud plant, heliport services and shore base support for vessels conducting survey, diving, salvage and ROV operations in the Cyprus EEZ and Eastern Mediterranean.

In addition to these developments, Petrogress, Inc. is expanding its footprint in the oil and gas business with ambitious plans in Ghana. Late last year, the company announced that it had acquired 90 percent of the shares of Petrogres Africa Co., Ltd. (“PAF”) through PIL (http://dtn.fm/uUf1y). The remaining 10 percent is privately held by Ghanaian investors. This acquisition creates a wealth of opportunity for PGAS, since, through PAF, the company will be eligible to bid on local Ghanaian government contracts. The PAF deal also goes some way toward turning Petrogress into a vertically integrated petroleum company. PGAS is already heavily involved in the midstream sector. The company, founded in 2009, transports petroleum products with a fleet of tankers based at the historic Port of Piraeus, Greece. It also internationally markets crude oil, distillates and refined products, and it operates service and shipping facilities at the Port of Limassol in Cyprus and the Port of Tema, Greater Accra, in Ghana.

PAF’s value stems from its ability, through Ghanaian government authority, to locally market oil products and conduct shipping business from the Port of Tema. Having access to port facilities in Tema will provide a service and operations hub for PGAS’s tankers currently involved in Nigerian oil trading and transport. The port will also serve as a secondary hub for repair, supply and transport ship operators servicing Ghana’s Tano Basin offshore oil fields in the Gulf of Guinea. Moreover, PAF expects to bid for operating contracts on the currently shut-in APG-1 production platform in the Saltpond Oil Field, which is located in shallow waters approximately eight miles offshore and 65 miles west of Accra. A shut-in platform is one whose output capacity has been set lower than is possible, perhaps for safety reasons.

The project is owned by the Ghana National Oil Company, which is expected to let out its operation by the end of 2017. Preliminary bid terms will require the successful applicant to make repairs on the production platform and work over the six existing wells to boost production from current levels of 300-500 barrels per day (bpd) and will also grant access for exploration and production (E&P) development on up to 10 additional offshore blocks. Current reserve estimates for Saltpond range down to 4.2 million barrels of oil and 20 billion cubic feet of gas recoverable. Unproven reserves on the studied portions of the additional blocks, however, are as high as 44 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

The APG-1 platform, nicknamed “Mr. Louie”, has an interesting history. Dating from the late 1950s, it became the first self-elevating drilling barge classed by the American Bureau of Shipping. It has been employed in the Gulf of Mexico and in the North Sea and has been in West Africa since the late 1970s. After drilling six appraisal wells at the Saltpond Oil Field in offshore Ghana, Mr. Louie was converted into an oil platform at Saltpond in 1978 and renamed, rather more impersonally, as APG-1.

PGAS is also actively seeking opportunities in operating and developing natural gas production and transmission facilities along with LNG processing in the U.S., as well as refinery operations in north and West Africa, and the transport and sales of LNG in Europe.

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

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• Warren Wang, CEO of CIIX, said in a podcast interview that investors in China and the Chinese-speaking community in the U.S. and Canada want to learn more about bitcoin, cryptocurrencies
• CIIX doubles down on commitment to its bitcoin division, adding a bitcoin ATM in its California headquarters and broadcasting a daily video from the NYSE called ‘Bitcoin Multimillionaire’
• Company’s goal in FY2018 is profit, lower costs and a greater than 100 percent YOY sales increase

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) CEO Warren Wang remains bullish on the future of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and he recently said in a podcast interview that the Chinese-speaking community worldwide is eager to learn more about buying and managing digital currencies. Despite China’s ban on trading cryptocurrencies on a regulated exchange, he noted, many Chinese investors are buying and selling them on unregulated offline platforms.

In an interview with the Bad Crypto Podcast (http://dtn.fm/0yIgv), Wang explained that the Chinese investor is an important target for cryptocurrency entrepreneurs. “The Chinese investor is an advocate of gambling,” he explained. “Most today trade bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on the offline market. The Chinese-speaking people within China and also in North America — the U.S. and Canada — are excited about bitcoin.”

CIIX recently hosted and installed a Bitcoin ATM in the lobby of its San Gabriel, California, headquarters (http://dtn.fm/4YznC). Wang called it the first ever by a Chinese company in the U.S. The company also recently attended a Toronto cryptocurrency roadshow and educational seminar on how to buy, sell and manage these coins, he noted in the interview. CIIX has doubled down on its commitment to bitcoin. It produces a daily video from the NYSE called ‘Bitcoin Multimillionaire’ focused on news of the currency (http://dtn.fm/XdX7l).

The company addresses Chinese-speaking audiences worldwide on the subject of investing in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and now, with the ATM, it is actively involved in their trade. Wang has set the goals for CIIX in FY2018 as profitability, lower costs and greater than 100 percent year-over-year revenue growth (http://dtn.fm/fVro3).

Wang said that despite the lack of a regulated Chinese exchange to trade cryptocurrencies and the Chinese government’s ”badmouthing” of bitcoin though its official TV media outlet, there is a great desire by the Chinese-speaking people within China and North America to buy, sell and trade bitcoin.

“Real estate is very expensive and so are labor and rents in China,” he said. “Investors have a high savings rate. They now would like to make bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies part of their assets. They are trading offline on platforms of decentralized exchanges to do so.”

He advised entrepreneurs within the industry to be patient while the Chinese investment community learns about issues like the digital wallets used for buying, selling and managing bitcoin. “The average Chinese investor may have up to $5,000 to invest in these currencies,” he said. “But be patient.”

Wang said that, in the future, China may organize a regulated market for the trading of cryptocurrencies in order to keep monies involved in that trading within China. “But, until now, this has not happened,” he concluded.

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

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• A possible larger role for leading drug manufacturers, and the resulting opioid epidemic, is met with increased public and government demands for alternative therapies
• The Skinvisible and Quoin merger, with expected completion in 2018, will create an enterprise positioned to disrupt the $6 billion U.S. opioid market by producing and delivering non-opioid alternatives for pain management
• Quoin’s QRX001 is slated to provide alternative and effective pain management in the post-surgical setting, where 50 percent of opioid addictions start

A recent article by the Washington Post (http://dtn.fm/cGzr2) addressed the opioid crisis, suggesting a larger role by leading pharmaceutical drug manufacturers than originally thought. The story alludes to the possibility that “drug manufacturers and distributors turned a willfully blind eye toward illegal drug trafficking.” In the midst of this, there is an opioid epidemic that has been deemed a national health emergency that results in 90 deaths per day (http://dtn.fm/JwiX6) and is growing exponentially, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are increased incentives and growing public and FDA/government demands to address the crisis. Innovators vying to meet critical needs and to combat the opioid issue with alternative, non-addictive and effective products include Skinvisible, Inc. (OTCQB: SKVI) and Quoin Pharmaceuticals Limited. As announced earlier this month, the two companies have entered a Letter of Intent for a proposed merger, with expected completion in early 2018, that will result in a new entity, Quoin Pharmaceuticals Inc. Upon completion of this merger, the new company (combining Quoin’s strengths of pharmaceutical development and Skinvisible’s innovative technologies that enhance delivery and product performance) has tremendous potential to address the significant needs of the pain management market.

One of the main areas of Quoin’s focus is to disrupt the opioid market (currently estimated at $6 billion annually in the U.S. alone) and produce and deliver to market non-opioid products that serve as effective and viable alternatives for the immense pain management market. This focus will include all areas of pain management, including critical needs in the post-surgical setting. At least 50 million U.S. surgeries require the use of post-operative pain management pharmaceuticals annually, and it is in the post-surgical setting that about 50 percent of opioid addictions begin.

To address the critical demands for effective alternatives to opioids, Quoin will launch one of its first lead products, QRX001, for effective treatment of post-surgical pain. The product, a transdermal NMDA receptor antagonist, delivers up to 72 hours of effective post-surgical pain relief. With the aim of providing alternatives to opioids as well as opiates, numerous clinical studies on QRX001 have shown that sub-anesthetic doses have resulted in a marked 24-hour reduction in PCA morphine consumption. In addition, clinical tests of the NMDA receptor antagonist generated superior results to any single existing product or combination and resulted in mild or absent adverse events, reduced post-surgical nausea and vomiting and reduced pain intensity.

With completion of the merger of Skinvisible and Quoin expected in early 2018, the synergies of the merged technologies, expertise and proven track records poise the new Quoin Pharmaceuticals with tremendous potential to address the needs of the immense pain market and tackle the opioid epidemic head-on.

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

Let us hear your thoughts: Skinvisible, Inc. Message Board

• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that “the cannabis compound CBD (Cannabidiol) should not be internationally scheduled as a controlled substance” (www.WHO.int)
• WHO has issued preliminary findings indicating that cannabidiol (CBD) shows “no indications of abuse or dependence potential” and “a good safety profile”
• MCOA is committed to the development of high quality CBD-based products

The World Health Organization (“WHO”) officially recommended on December 14, 2017, that the chemical compound cannabidiol (CBD) no longer be internationally scheduled as a controlled substance. WHO has issued a preliminary report that found CBD to be non-addictive and generally safe. The CBD pre-review report (http://dtn.fm/Vqq2e), as issued by the agency, states, “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential.” The report further indicates that, “CBD is generally well tolerated and with a good safety profile. Reported adverse effects may be as a result of drug-drug interactions between CBD and patients’ existing medications.”

The wholly-owned subsidiary of Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTC: MCOA), hempSMART™, Inc. is an affiliate marketing company that develops and brings to market hemp-derived cannabinoid-based formulations that are combined with other natural botanicals to create high quality wellness products. HempSMART’s products are now available on the company’s website, www.hempSMART.com. They include hempSMART™ Brain (http://dtn.fm/vmuZ4), created as a nootropic product; hempSMART™ Full Spectrum Drops (http://dtn.fm/FU9ue), with more bioavailability; and the newly-released hempSMART™ Pain Capsules (http://dtn.fm/fFx1l).

In a news release, Paula Vetter, a member of hempSMART’s product development team, stated, “HempSMART demonstrated its commitment to formulating a safe and synergistic natural personal care product. The hempSMART Pain formula harnesses the natural power of premium CBD, CBG and active terpenes derived from industrial hemp, combined with complimentary botanicals. Our team is focused on the development of premium personal care products for our customers.”

About hempSMART™ Pain

hempSMART™ Pain Capsules are formulated with 10mg of full dpectrum, non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) per serving, derived from industrial hemp as the core ingredient, which, along with a proprietary blend of other natural ingredients, delivers an all-natural formulation for the temporary relief of minor pain associated with physical activity.

Disclaimer:

• These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration
• This product is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease

For more information, visit the company’s websites at www.MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com and
www.hempSMART.com

Let us hear your thoughts: Marijuana Company of America, Inc. Message Board

• Global app revenue approaching $77 billion
• AppSwarm incubates and accelerates emerging talent in crowded market
• Company building on gaming bedrock, adding business resources and cannabis industry networks

In a crowded mobile app market where large global companies dominate the landscape, AppSwarm, Inc. (OTC: SWRM) is working to befriend smaller developers and creative thinkers who hope to elbow their way in and find an audience. The entrepreneur-incubating company has the expertise to identify promising developers who may need some assistance in getting their products to a solid revenue-building stage, as well as the resources needed to help those developers analyze the marketplace, manage the budget and establish direct sales and marketing networks.

Industry analysts expect the mobile app economy to reach a valuation of $77 billion during the coming year (http://dtn.fm/5oAUc), driven largely by the mounting ubiquity of smartphones around the world, together with the growing geographical penetration of 3G and 4G networks and numerous connectivity options such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (http://dtn.fm/q1YsS).

AppSwarm tests the emerging apps’ potential for user engagement and retention, capacity to gain viral traction and readiness to monetize their standout features. Many developers launch their products without a ready strategy for gaining users or a realistic model for driving revenue, and they often end up trying to manage the day-to-day funding realities post-launch. AppSwarm’s specialty is in helping to bridge the gap between understanding the apps’ strengths and the audiences using them.

The company’s bedrock foundation is centered in mobile gaming offerings, which fuel a multi-billion dollar industry with a compound annual growth rate of some 31 percent, although AppSwarm has additional revenue streams focused on casino- and movie-themed applications, technical expertise contracts and business utility apps. One example of a business utility app under its banner is a scanner for PDF documents.

The company partners with developers through joint ventures, royalty agreements, marketing partnerships and outright acquisitions. In November, AppSwarm announced that it had finalized discussions with mobile technology developer SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) to begin producing apps that boost the growing cannabis industry, including a service-based platform for the business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets that is expected to be completed by January 2018. The first app will be a blockchain and bitcoin payment technology marketed under SinglePoint’s SingleSeed subsidiary, and AppSwarm will be responsible for the technical support and application development.

The app is expected to be available in all states where the cannabis industry is legal and the product is feasible, according to the company. The venture calls for an even-split revenue share on all products to be deployed, and AppSwarm expects to report revenues of $6 million to $7 million within the coming year (http://dtn.fm/eV9CL).

During the summer, the company announced its acquisition of Russian development company Shooterboy Entertainment’s Komandir game, which is available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Komandir marks AppSwarm’s foray into virtual reality, a gaming experience that has gained popularity in recent years and is predicted to reach several billion dollars in global revenues within the next four years, with more than $8 billion going toward location-based virtual reality entertainment alone, according to industry analyst Greenlight Insights (http://dtn.fm/1eFW4).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.App-Swarm.com

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• Electric vehicle production increasing demand for lithium
• Chinese firms buying lithium companies
• Chinese investment in Canadian lithium set to grow

China is in the market for lithium, according to the China Economic Review (http://dtn.fm/Spf38). Chinese firms, it says, “Have been on a buying spree for lithium… companies over the past year, signing agreements for future supply of the metals. The string of deals come [sic] as auto companies have announced ambitious plans for electric vehicles in the country.” Recently, the Middle Kingdom overtook the U.S. as the country with the largest number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road. Already with a strong presence in South America, Chinese buyers appear to be looking to the north, snapping up producers in Canada, home to Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL) (FRA: S5L) (OTCQX: STLHF). This junior exploration company, based in Vancouver, is out to acquire brownfield, lithium-rich properties in the U.S. It is hoping to unlock value from overlooked U.S. lithium assets by applying both conventional and modern processing technologies. With a brownfield flagship property at Bristol Lake in the Mojave Desert, chances are high that some Chinese buyer may stop and shop.

“China has emerged as a leader in both the supply of—and demand for—electric vehicles,” a McKinsey report proclaims (http://dtn.fm/rb4vK). In 2016, Chinese manufacturers produced approximately 375,000 EVs, which accounted for 43 percent of global production. Suppliers of the lithium-ion batteries that power these vehicles are fast catching up. Chinese players now account for about 25 percent of global sales. Earlier in December 2017, Private Capital Journal reported the acquisition of Canadian producer Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX.V: LIX) (OTCQX: LIXXF) for about $257 million by a Chinese partnership (http://dtn.fm/JDe5d). One of those partners also purchased a 20 percent stake in London-listed Bacanora Minerals.

China, which has the world’s largest auto market, is undoubtedly in pole position in the EV race. The Chinese government, seeking to cap carbon emissions, plans to phase out vehicles using gasoline and diesel by 2030, after which time only EVs will be sold. Climbing production of EVs is driving up demand for lithium. Battery-grade lithium has been trading at $20,000 a ton on the Chinese spot market, according to Fortune (http://dtn.fm/6iOym). With prices that lofty, Standard Lithium is stepping up its efforts to get the metal out of the ground. Its first project in San Bernardino County, California, at the Bristol Dry Lake has already started to show signs of promise. This past May, Standard Lithium signed an option agreement to conduct lithium exploration and project development under long-standing mineral claims and permits on the Bristol Dry Lake playa held by National Chloride Corporation of America. Test results from a new geophysical survey of the 35,000-acre Bristol Lake site indicate that high concentrations of lithium-bearing brines are present throughout the company’s mineral lease agreement claims.

Standard Lithium announced this past October that (http://dtn.fm/v8W8B) it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with TETRA Technologies, Inc., (NYSE: TTI) to secure access to operating and permitted land of approximately 12,100 acres in Bristol Dry Lake and up to 11,840 acres in the adjacent Cadiz Dry Lake of California’s Mojave Desert. With the recent signing of the MOU with TETRA and the option agreement with National Chloride, the actual combined project area in California now covers over 45,000 acres of the two playa. As a result of working with existing operators, a lot of the required infrastructure is already in place. The property, situated approximately 200 kilometers from Las Vegas and 330 kilometers east of the port of Los Angeles, has electric power and water and is crossed in the northwest by a major paved road (Route 66). There is also a Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad adjacent to the site, with a purpose-built siding and loading spur-line.

Standard Lithium is also exploring for lithium in the Smackover Formation, which extends through Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. The formation has produced billions of barrels of brines over the last 80 years from an extensive and extremely well-characterized aquifer.

With demand for lithium continuing to climb, Standard Lithium may soon be hearing a knock on the door as Chinese brokers come calling.

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