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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / The world has spent years talking about circularity, ESG integrity, and supply-chain transparency, but the truth is simple. No industry has ever had the verification infrastructure needed to make any of those goals real. Plastics lose identity when they melt. Metals lose identity when they move. Gold loses identity the moment it hits a furnace. Documentation has filled the gap, but documentation was designed for a slower, less interconnected world. Into this vacuum stepped SMX (NASDAQ:SMX), and the company is not moving alone. It is collaborating across plastics, metals, gold, packaging, and national circularity programs to create the world’s first verification mesh.

This mesh is not theoretical. It is forming in real factories, research centers, recycling facilities, and metals hubs. SMX is working together with one of the world’s largest chemical and materials companies to embed molecular identity into polymers, turning ordinary plastics into traceable, auditable materials. At the same time, SMX is collaborating with a major precious-metals trade ecosystem in Dubai, showing how identity can follow gold across melting, recasting, and trading cycles. The company is also working with a global gold-processing partner to demonstrate persistent identity in precious metals that move between continents every day.

Further inside the mesh are partners in Europe and Asia. A leading European advanced-materials research institute is testing SMX’s markers under extreme industrial conditions, validating how identity can survive heat, pressure, and chemical transformations. In Asia, SMX is working with packaging manufacturers, logistics companies, and well-established recycling operations to develop national circularity models where materials declare their own truth.

A Network That Turns Supply Chains Into Memory Systems

Each collaboration solves a different problem, but the effect is collective. Plastics gain traceability. Gold gains authenticity. Metals gain persistent identity. Packaging gains compliance integrity. Recycling gains forensic auditability. Together, these capabilities create something the world has never had: a cross-industry memory system. Materials stop behaving like anonymous commodities and begin acting like verified assets.

This is the difference between circularity as a slogan and circularity as a functioning system. A plastic component becomes a certified material that can be authenticated at every stage. A gold bar becomes a verified instrument with a history that no amount of melting can erase. A shipment of alloyed steel becomes a traceable product that regulators and manufacturers can both trust. These shifts do not live on paper. They live inside the material itself.

The proof network also reduces the cost of trust. Companies no longer spend millions on audits that do not survive a single melt cycle. Regulators no longer chase unverifiable data. Brands no longer gamble their reputations on supply-chain promises they cannot confirm. The verification mesh replaces assumption with evidence.

SMX Is Wiring The World’s Circular Economy

Most companies try to transform one industry at a time. SMX is building across all of them simultaneously. That is what makes the proof network so powerful. It links plastics to metals. Metals to gold. Gold to packaging. Packaging to recycling. And recycling back to manufacturing. No sector evolves in isolation. They evolve as a system.

This shift also creates competitive advantage. A manufacturer using verified inputs outperforms one relying on unverifiable supply. A recycler producing authenticated materials commands higher margins than one selling anonymous output. A precious-metals hub with verified bars attracts more liquidity than one relying on legacy documentation. Proof becomes the currency of modern commerce. SMX is not creating a new ecosystem. It is giving the existing one a backbone.

About SMX

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

Forward-Looking Statements

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

Contact: info@securitymattersltd.com

SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / For more than a year, SMX (NASDAQ:SMX) quietly built the kind of infrastructure companies talk about but rarely execute. Molecular identity for plastics. Traceability for metals. Verification that survives every transformation inside some of the world’s most advanced bullion ecosystems. National circularity programs developed with leading research institutions. These weren’t concepts on a slide deck. They were real systems deployed with real partners across multiple continents.

None of it happened overnight. But something did happen overnight. The market finally noticed. SMX doesn’t comment on day-to-day price movements, but it can acknowledge that global interest has surged. And that interest didn’t materialize because of hype. It materialized because the world is starting to understand what SMX has actually built.

The pattern shows up every time a genuine shift occurs. Markets ignore a transformation right up until they realize it is no longer theoretical. That is the moment corporate narratives turn into inflection points. SMX is now living inside that moment, with investor and stakeholder interest forcing global markets to reassess what SMX represents.

The Revved Engine of PROOF

Every major technological transition begins with a single ignition point. Something changes in how people see the technology, and suddenly the story reframes itself. For SMX, that ignition point wasn’t a catchphrase. It wasn’t a marketing push. It was proof.

When SMX’s technology was demonstrated inside the DMCC precious-metals ecosystem, the industry witnessed verification that survives smelting, recasting, storage, shipping, and handling. They saw gold carry its identity like a passport that can’t be faked or washed away. They saw the end of counterfeit bars, the end of paperwork-dependent authenticity, and the end of blind trust. The metals sector had been waiting for this level of certainty for decades. When SMX delivered it, the signal didn’t stay in Dubai. It traveled to traders, auditors, refiners, ESG officers, regulators and institutional investors who have battled the same problem for years: once a material changes form, nobody can verify its origins.

The market didn’t wake up because SMX shifted its messaging. The market woke up because SMX proved its message.

A Broad Use-Case Recognized

As global attention intensified, the narrative widened. Markets began to connect the dots between SMX’s expanding collaborations with some of the world’s largest materials, chemical, and industrial groups. They took a closer look at the work being validated through European research institutions that pressure-test materials at industrial extremes. They recognized the development of national circularity programs across ASEAN, where packaging, logistics, and recycling leaders are leaning into verification-driven infrastructure. They saw the growing influence inside the gold ecosystem where miners, processors, and global trading hubs are sharpening their requirements for trust and traceability. Different industries, different geographies, but the same revelation kept surfacing. Materials now have memory.

That is the shift the market is reacting to. Not noise. Infrastructure. When embedded identities begin to travel through plastics, metals, textiles, packaging, and bullion, verification stops behaving like a feature. It becomes the baseline for how supply chains operate. And when the baseline moves, the markets built on top of it move too.

Nothing about this moment indicates that SMX suddenly became a different company. The opposite is true. The world simply became more aware of the company SMX already was. Supply chains are tightening. Regulators are demanding harder evidence. Metals markets are under renewed scrutiny. Global brands are being exposed for unverifiable sustainability claims. The entire system is shifting toward one universal requirement. Proof. And proof is what SMX has spent years engineering at the molecular level.

The market finally woke up. And given the urgency unfolding across global industries, it woke up at exactly the right time, because the world now needs what SMX already built.

About SMX

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

Forward-Looking Statements

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

Contact: info@securitymattersltd.com

SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

SkyDeck and Bakar Labs to Highlight 24 Emerging Companies From Across Campus, Illustrating Berkeley’s ‘Open Bazaar’ Model for Scientific and Entrepreneurial Innovation

BERKELEY, CA / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / Berkeley SkyDeck and Bakar Labs, two pillars of UC Berkeley’s life science innovation ecosystem, today announced the return of the Berkeley Bio Startup Showcase, bringing together 24 of the university’s most promising life science startups for an afternoon of presentations and networking during the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

Hosted on Jan. 13, 2026, from 4-6 p.m. at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco, the event is organized by six campus partners: Berkeley SkyDeck, Bakar Labs, the Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center (LSEC), the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), the Energy & Biosciences Institute (EBI) and the Bakar Fellows Program. Together, these organizations represent a comprehensive support structure for life science innovation at every stage – from early-stage faculty research to scaling companies ready for Series A funding and beyond.

“The showcase captures what makes Berkeley special: cross-disciplinary science, openness to local and global founders and the infrastructure to turn world-class research into transformative companies,” said Dave Schaffer, Director of Bakar Labs and UC Berkeley professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. “This year’s startups reflect the next wave of breakthroughs that will shape therapeutics, diagnostics, and human health.”

The Berkeley Bio Startup Showcase offers investors, industry leaders, and partners a concentrated view into Berkeley’s rapidly expanding biotech pipeline from translational research and company formation to global-scale commercialization. The sold-out event highlights how the university has created interconnected pathways that enable both Berkeley’s brightest minds and international founders to transform breakthrough discoveries into world-changing companies.

“Berkeley thrives on an open, collaborative model of innovation that draws talent from everywhere,” said Sibyl Chen, General Manager of Berkeley SkyDeck. “With Berkeley SkyDeck’s global accelerator and Bakar Labs’ world-class incubation infrastructure, we’ve helped build an ecosystem where the best ideas win – whether they begin in a Berkeley lab or come from around the world. This showcase underscores the strength of that open approach, and JPM is always an exceptional venue to share our startups’ breakthroughs with the broader life sciences community.”

Bakar Labs supports breakthrough science-based startups with wet labs, instrumentation and technical support, while SkyDeck – Berkeley’s global accelerator – offers access to funding, advisors and a worldwide investor network. Together, these programs have helped hundreds of startups advance research commercialization, raise capital and scale their technologies.

The Jan. 13 showcase will feature 30-second pitches from all 24 startups and networking opportunities with hundreds of investors and industry leaders. The event is free to attend but requires advance registration due to limited capacity. For more information and to register, visit https://lsec.berkeley.edu/bbss.

About Berkeley SkyDeck

Berkeley SkyDeck is a leading accelerator and the global hub for entrepreneurship. As UC Berkeley’s largest and most prominent accelerator, SkyDeck combines hands-on mentorship with the vast resources of its research university. SkyDeck is the only accelerator of its kind that offers the value of a dedicated investment fund alongside the resources and network of a top university. To date, SkyDeck startups have raised more than $2.7 billion in aggregate. Participating startups have access to SkyDeck’s 900 advisors, 70 industry partners, and a network of more than 613,000 UC Berkeley alumni. For more information, see skydeck.berkeley.edu.

About Bakar Labs

Bakar Labs is UC Berkeley’s flagship incubator supporting innovation in life sciences, energy, and materials. Operated by QB3, Bakar Labs provides extensive equipment, lab and office facilities, and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs to help startups grow. Bakar Labs can support as many as 50 early-stage companies from around the world focused on translating innovations that promise to improve human and planetary health. No UC affiliation is required to join. For information about how to join or form a partnership, visit bakarlabs.org.

Media Contact
Songue PR for Berkeley SkyDeck
skydeck@songuepr.com

SOURCE: Berkeley Skydeck

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Built by engineers, for engineers, CE from Amber Book is structured for how engineers grow and accelerate

BLACKSBURG, VA / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / What happens when continuing education deadlines are fast approaching and engineers are craving education with more foundation, breadth and depth to build the right skills for any stage of their career? They turn to Amber Book Continuing Education for Engineers, a new path to move engineers forward.

Built for engineers and designed by engineers who get it, Amber Book delivers CE that counts – not just passable hours for licensure.

With December and January CE/PDH deadlines fast approaching for engineers of all kinds, Amber Book has done what others haven’t: cut irrelevant slides and outdated examples, focusing instead on the curious, lifelong learner – a natural attribute of every engineer.

The team behind Amber Book Continuing Education for Engineers reminds their fellow engineers that the following states have fast-approaching deadlines for CE renewal. In fact, engineers can earn 1 free PDH and preview a course here to get started today.

December CE/PDH deadlines:

• Alabama: Biennial renewal, December 31 of odd-numbered years

• Alaska: Biennial renewal, December 31 of odd-numbered years

• Arizona: Triennial renewal, based on issue date. October 1-December 31 renew on December 31

• Georgia: Annual renewal, December 31

• Iowa: Biennial renewal, December 31 based on issue date

• Maine: Biennial renewal, December 31 of odd-numbered years

• Mississippi: Biennial renewal, December 31

• Missouri: Biennial renewal, December 31 based on issue date. Licenses issued in odd-numbered years renew in odd-numbered years.

• Nebraska: Biennial renewal, December 31 based on licensee’s last name. A through K renew in odd-numbered years

• New Mexico: Biennial renewal, December 31 of odd-numbered years if license ends in odd number

• North Carolina: Annual renewal, December 31

• Ohio: Biennial renewal, December 31 of odd-numbered years

• Oregon: Biennial renewal, based on licensee’s last name. A-F renew December 31 in odd-numbered years

• Texas: Annual renewal, based on issue date, 1st quarter renew December 31

• Wyoming: Biennial renewal, December 31 based on issue date

January CE/PDH deadlines:

• Connecticut: Annual renewal, January 31

• Nevada: Biennial renewal, based on licensee’s last name. L-R renew January 1 in even-numbered years

With a full catalogue of courses from Amber Book Continuing Education for Engineers, learners are empowered to not just comply with deadlines, but to advance their careers with timely, relevant content.

Course offerings address topics such as:

• Time Value of Money in Capital Planning and Incentive-Based Programs

• Hybrid Green-Gray Infrastructure in Stormwater Management

• Powering Progress: Engineering the Electrified Future of Infrastructure

• Ethics in the Age of AI: Professional Responsibility in an Automated World

Earn 1 free PDH now.

About Amber Book

Amber Book is a professional education company specializing in innovative learning experiences for architects, design professionals, and now engineers. Often these two industries, architecture and engineering, work together for the built world. Committed to advancing licensure success and professional growth, Amber Book offers flexible, self-paced learning with visually engaging, interactive content with real-world applications. As a leader in Architect Registration Exam® preparation and continuing education, Amber Book empowers architects at every stage of their careers – from licensure preparation to lifelong learning. With over 39,000 learners enrolled, over 1,000 firms partnered, and an average ARE® 5.0 pass rate of 81 percent, Amber Book is a trusted resource for architects, architecture, and engineering firms. For more information, visit AmberBook.com. Amber Book is part of the Career Certified family of educators. Learn more at CareerCertified.com.

Media Contact:
Liz Meitus
SVP Corporate Communications
Press@CareerCertified.com
720.822.5314

SOURCE: Amber Book

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

With nearly 50 years of experience, A.D. Banker shares actionable steps to create upward mobility

OVERLAND PARK, KS / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / A.D. Banker, an online education company serving pre-licensing, continuing education, and exam prep for insurance and securities professionals, has gathered end-of-year tips to help finance professionals accelerate their careers. Many rely on A.D. Banker to stay up to date with industry news and regulatory compliance – but now they are looking beyond compliance for ways to stand out and gain a competitive edge.

As 2025 closes, finance professionals face fluctuating markets, accelerated regulation, and evolving employer expectations. A.D. Banker’s nearly 50 years of industry insight reveal a consistent truth: professionals who invest in early and continuous licensing advance faster, adapt more easily to emerging trends, and stay in higher demand among firms navigating talent shortages.

“To accelerate finance careers, I’ve gathered tips that are tried-and-true,” said Kimberly Flewelling, National Securities Expert at A.D. Banker.

Tip 1: Invest Early in Licensing and Continuous Learning

“Take every opportunity to learn, get additional licensing, and pursue a financial designation to provide expertise and boost your credibility,” Flewelling said.

Early education creates long-term momentum for career growth, so professionals who prioritize licensing early are better positioned to adapt to regulatory change, emerging technologies, and evolving client expectations.

Tip 2: Use Designations to Build Credibility and Increase Earning Potential

“The earlier in your career you can acquire designations, the better,” Flewelling explained. “They add value to your personal knowledge base as well as your resume, boosting your earning potential.”

Professional designations signal expertise beyond basic compliance. A.D. Banker emphasizes education that goes beyond checking a box, helping professionals build real-world knowledge firms value.

Tip 3: Don’t Delay – Time Becomes Scarcer as Careers Progress

“The longer you’re in the industry and working a book of business, the less free time you have,” Flewelling noted. “Those goals get buried and become harder to achieve.”

As responsibilities grow, education often becomes harder to prioritize. Addressing licensing and designation goals early helps professionals maintain steady career momentum rather than playing catch-up later.

Tip 4: Cross-Licensing Creates Opportunity in a Competitive Talent Market

“With the financial services workplace facing talent shortages, individuals who pursue added designations and cross-licensing will stand out,” Flewelling said.

Multi-licensed professionals are increasingly attractive to employers. Cross-licensing can unlock higher income potential and greater mobility within a firm or across organizations.

Tip 5: Think Ahead to Future-Proof Your Career

“You must future-proof your career and think ahead to gain success now, as well as throughout your career lifecycle,” Flewelling said.

Long-term success depends on proactive planning. A.D. Banker continues to support both new entrants and seasoned professionals with education designed to keep them competitive, confident, and promotion-ready.

To learn more about A.D. Banker’s securities coursework, visit [link], or businesses can request a demo to see how A.D. Banker for Business simplifies onboarding, compliance tracking, and reporting.

About A.D. Banker
For over 46 years, students have turned to A.D. Banker & Company for the knowledge they need to pass insurance and FINRA licensing exams, and continue their insurance education. The high-quality learning design produces outstanding results, and our knowledgeable customer care team provides friendly, responsive support to make the roads to licensing and career advancement easier. Learn more at ADBanker.com. A.D. Banker is part of the Career Certified family of educators. Learn more at CareerCertified.com.

Media Contact:
Career Certified Press
Press@CareerCertified.com
720.822.5314

SOURCE: A.D. Banker

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

New support expands TaxBandits’ platform to include IRS Form 1099-DA digital asset reporting.

ROCK HILL, SC / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / TaxBandits, an IRS-authorized e-file provider, now supports reporting digital assets with the newly released IRS Form 1099-DA in time for the 2026 tax filing season that begins on Jan. 1, 2026.

“We are excited and prepared to support brokers, fintech firms, and others responsible for digital asset reporting this filing season,” said Naga Palanisamy, CEO of SPAN Enterprises. “Form 1099-DA marks the start of a new era in digital asset tax reporting, and we’re committed to continuously innovating our platform as IRS requirements evolve so filers can stay ahead of the complexity.”

TaxBandits supports the e-filing, submission, and status tracking of Form 1099-DA, the IRS’s newly introduced form for digital asset reporting. The company draws on its experience with federal and state information returns to support this new reporting category.

The platform helps filers prepare and manage their 1099-DA filings by automatically validating information against IRS Business Rules, flexible data import options, and features that reduce manual entry to help minimize errors and fines.

Scalable filing options for high-volume 1099-DA reporting are also offered, including bulk filing available now and an API for direct data transmission from in-house systems planned for early 2026. These capabilities support brokers, exchanges, fintech platforms, and other filers with substantial reporting needs.

TaxBandits implements ongoing platform enhancements based on the latest IRS guidance to stay aligned with evolving digital asset reporting requirements. These updates reflect the company’s broader commitment to innovation, including regular development of new compliance features, reporting capabilities, and security improvements across all supported forms.

Form 1099-DA is a new IRS information return required for entities that facilitate digital asset transactions, including fintech applications, custodians, and cryptocurrency exchanges. It reports sales or dispositions of digital assets such as cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

For more information, visit the TaxBandits website at taxbandits.com.

About TaxBandits

TaxBandits is a compliance-focused, SOC 2 certified and IRS-authorized e-file provider that delivers a streamlined filing experience for businesses, service providers, and tax professionals of all sizes. The company supports a wide range of forms, including Forms 1099, W-2, 940, 941, 1095-B, 1095-C, and W-9.

About SPAN Enterprises

SPAN Enterprises, TaxBandits’ parent company, is headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and has been developing industry-leading software tools for e-filing and business management solutions for over a decade. The SPAN portfolio of products includes TaxBandits, Tax990, ACAwise, ExpressExtension, 123PayStubs, and TruckLogics.

Direct all media inquiries to Vice President of Operations Charles Hardy at charles@spanenterprises.com.

SOURCE: TaxBandits

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / There are moments when a company moves from being a name on a ticker to becoming a topic that keeps showing up in investor conversations. SMX (NASDAQ:SMX) has entered that moment. What began as a quiet interest in its verification technology has turned into something broader, with traders, analysts, and crypto readers all starting to recognize the same thing. The Plastic Cycle Token is not a side project. It is the organizing layer for a new category of real-world assets built on verifiable truth rather than estimates or intentions.

For years, the sustainability world has struggled with unreliable data, vague audit trails, and recycled materials that could not be confidently traced from creation to reentry. SMX stepped into that gap with a molecular identity system that allows materials to carry their own history. The Plastic Cycle Token brings that information into the digital space, turning every verified event into a measurable asset. Investors are beginning to understand what that means. It takes sustainability out of the realm of interpretation and brings it into the realm of proof.

That shift is why SMX keeps drawing interest. It is not because the company chased a narrative. It is because it built infrastructure that answers a problem crypto has been frustrated with for a decade. The digital asset world loves innovation, but it worships verification. SMX arrived with a model that lets markets assign value to confirmed activity, not unverified claims. That is a language the crypto community speaks fluently.

The PCT Is Earning Attention Because It Solves a Real Problem

Every cycle brings a new wave of tokens that promise to represent environmental impact or sustainable action. Most lose credibility the moment users ask for hard data. The Plastic Cycle Token is gaining momentum precisely because it avoids that trap. It is built on SMX’s physical verification layer, which assigns materials a molecular identity and follows them from production to disposal to recovery. That identity becomes the foundation for a digital token that reflects events that actually occurred.

Crypto readers understand how rare that is. The real-world asset space is full of ambition but short on execution. What SMX created is not just a token. It is a ledger of truth running parallel to industrial activity. Each verified recovery event becomes a digital representation that can be tracked, shared, and valued. Investors are recognizing that the PCT is not designed to be symbolic. It is designed to be functional, measurable, and economically relevant.

Market interest is rising because the PCT changes how businesses think about compliance and how markets think about value. Instead of treating sustainability as an expense, companies can begin seeing it as a performance category tied to verifiable outputs. Crypto traders immediately see the potential. When you give markets a digital asset backed by proof, liquidity follows. And when liquidity forms around something with real-world grounding, the conversation shifts from ideology to economics.

Investors Are Realizing SMX Built Infrastructure, Not Hype

The most compelling part of SMX’s recent visibility is that none of it feels manufactured. There was no dramatic marketing pivot or attempt to ride a trend. The attention started building only after the PCT framework became clearer and more people understood what SMX has been constructing. The company is creating a closed-loop system where physical goods anchor digital records, where recovery is more than a checkbox, and where tokens reflect verified performance.

That is why SMX’s story is resonating across both traditional markets and the crypto sector. Investors appreciate technology that unlocks efficiency. Regulators and brands appreciate verification they can trust. Crypto builders appreciate digital assets backed by real activity. The PCT sits at the intersection of all three. It offers a way to turn physical proof into digital value without relying on unverifiable reporting.

The momentum around SMX comes from the realization that the company is not offering a theory about the future. It is offering infrastructure for it. Markets are beginning to treat the Plastic Cycle Token as more than a sustainability tool. They are treating it as a new economic layer that links industry, data, and digital value into one coherent system. That is why interest keeps growing. SMX did not tell the market what it would become. It showed the market what it built.

About SMX

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

Forward-Looking Statements

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

Contact: info@securitymattersltd.com

SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire