Valereum PLC - Registered Charge Over White Hawk Asset and RPT

Title: RNS

Date: 22 October 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Aquis Stock Exchange: VLRM)

Valereum Plc

("Valereum", "VLRM" or the "Company")
Receipt of US$300 Million Registered

Charge Over White Hawk Asset Portfolio

and Related Party Transaction

Valereum Plc (AQSE: VLRM | OTCQB: VLRMF), a company aiming to become the global market leader in the tokenised digital markets sector, refers to the announcements of 27 August, 12 October and 21 October 2026. The first-ranking security interest over mining interests in Queensland, Australia (the "Security") that was due to be registered by 8 October 2026 and extended to 22 October 2026 has been superseded by the White Hawk Asset portfolio (the "Charge"), granted by White Hawk Ventures LLC, solely owned by Quorium Global Photonics SPC ("QGP").

Secured Assets and Collateral

Under the Executed Deed of Charge, the Company holds a US$300 million first fixed charge over all of the following assets:

·          Mining claims, mineral leases, patents, concessions, permits, licences and other rights to explore, develop, mine, extract and produce minerals from the lands described in four unpatented mining claims totalling approximately 160 acres located in San Bernardino County, California (BLM Serial Numbers CA106317187, CA106317186, CA106317185, and CA106317184);

·          all as-extracted collateral, including gold and other minerals;

·          all contracts, agreements, permits, licences, authorisations and rights relating to the mining operations;

·          all accounts, receivables, proceeds and products of any of the foregoing;

·          all books, records, data and documentation relating to the foregoing;

·          all membership interests in White Hawk Ventures LLC; and

·          all of QGP's rights title and interest in and to the White Hawk Ventures LLC Assets and the Private Placement Bond (asset-backed credit-linked notes identified by CUSIP 92212VAA0 and ISIN US92212VAA08). The Bond carries a US$3.45 billion face value Senior Secured Note (Rule 144A Private Placement) reflecting the estimated in-ground reserves at the time of issue, and bearing a 5.25% coupon. To address recent market queries, the Company clarifies that while the original term of the Bond was 2024, the maturity was formally and legally extended to 17 February 2028 via a 4th Amendment dated 4 April 2025. The face value was also formally increased to US$3.45 billion via a 3rd Amendment dated 4 November 2022. Both amendments are legally binding and registered.

Registration

The Charge has been registered across two jurisdictions to ensure enforceability for the Company, as follows:

· Nevada, USA: A UCC-1 Initial Financing Statement has been approved and recorded with the Nevada Secretary of State (Filing Reference: F202610152620). The registration is publicly searchable through the Nevada Secretary of State's ORION portal.

· California, USA: The financing statement and security instrument have been officially recorded with the San Bernardino County Recorder (Document #2026-0267193). This recording legally perfects the Company's first-priority charge over the real property and mining claims.

The Charge and enforceability are governed by local laws.

Regarding the Queensland Assets

The Company confirms that it does not intend to pursue further security interests over the previously referenced Queensland mining assets announced on 27 August 2026 and 12 October 2026.

Related Party Transaction

On 6 February 2026, Pieter Scholtz and Gerhard Kotzee were appointed to the Board of Valereum as representatives of QGP. QGP is a 49.90% shareholder of the Company. The signing of the Deed of Charge constitutes related party transactions. The Directors (excluding Pieter Scholtz and Gerhard Kotzee) confirm that, having exercised reasonable care, skill and diligence, the related party transactions are fair and reasonable as far as the shareholders of the issuer are concerned.

Strategic Rationale and Next Steps

The Board believes the Charge over the White Hawk Assets has significantly strengthened the Company's security position. The Company and QGP are now focused on securing the activation of liquidity for the VGOLD-CORE+ tokens.

James Bannon, Chair of Valereum Plc, commented:
"The Board is delighted to have secured the Charge over the White Hawk Assets portfolio and looks forward to QGP providing liquidity for the VGOLD-CORE+ tokens."

For further information, please contact:

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

Please visit the Company's website at www.vlrm.com

For more information, and the chance to have your questions directly answered by the management team, please head to our interactive investor hub via: Investor Hub.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

The Company holds cryptocurrencies or crypto assets in its treasury. Whilst the Board of Directors of the Company considers holding cryptocurrencies to be in the best interests of the Company, the Board remains aware that the financial regulator in the UK (the Financial Conduct Authority or FCA) considers investment in cryptocurrencies to be high risk. At the outset, it is important to note that an investment in the Company is not an investment in cryptocurrencies, either directly or by proxy and shareholders will have no direct access to the Company's holdings. However, the Board of Directors consider cryptocurrencies to be an appropriate store of value and potential growth and therefore appropriate for the Company. Accordingly, the Company is and intends to continue to be materially exposed to cryptocurrencies.

The Company is neither authorised nor regulated by the FCA, and the purchase of certain cryptocurrencies are generally unregulated in the UK. As with most other investments, the value of cryptocurrencies can go down as well as up, and therefore the value of the Company's cryptocurrencies holdings can fluctuate. The Company may not be able to realise its cryptocurrencies holdings for the same as it paid to acquire them or even for the value the Company currently ascribes to its cryptocurrencies positions due to market movements. Neither the Company nor investors in the Company's shares are protected by the UK's Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Cryptocurrencies may present special risks to the Company's financial position. These risks include (but are not limited to): (i) the value of cryptocurrencies can be highly volatile, with value dropping as quickly as it can rise. Investors in cryptocurrencies must be prepared to lose all money invested in cryptocurrencies; (ii) the cryptocurrencies market is largely unregulated. There is a risk of losing money due to risks such as cyber-attacks, financial crime and counterparty failure; (iii) the Company may not be able to sell its cryptocurrencies at will. The ability to sell cryptocurrencies depends on various factors, including the supply and demand in the market at the relevant time. Operational failings such as technology outages, cyber-attacks and commingling of funds could cause unwanted delay; and (iv) crypto assets are characterised in some quarters by high degrees of fraud, money laundering and financial crime. Prospective investors in the Company are encouraged to do their own research before investing.

The Company also holds digital tokens as part of its strategy to become the global market leader in the rapidly developing tokenised digital markets sector. Whilst the Board of Directors of the Company considers holding tokens to be in the best interests of the Company, it is important to note that an investment in the Company is not a direct or indirect ownership interest, security, or claim in respect of any underlying asset or reserve to which a token may relate. The valuation of tokens, particularly those linked to mining reserves or other physical assets, is inherently uncertain and may depend on independent third-party verification. Further risks include the liquidity of the tokenised markets, reliance on the security and continued operation of underlying blockchain or smart contract infrastructure, counterparty and custody risk in respect of third party platforms, the risk of misrepresentation or fraud regarding underlying reserves, and evolving regulatory, tax, and accounting treatment. It should not be assumed that tokens carry rights or protections to traditional securities or regulated investment products and investors are encouraged to conduct their own due diligence on the Company's exposure to tokenised assets before making any investment decision.