The Albany Gazette - "Ethical Wealth" Gets an Upgrade as SMX and trueGold Turn Gold Into Verified Material

This is the environment where SMX (NASDAQ:SMX) and its majority-owned subsidiary, trueGold, are rewriting the rules of precious metals. They are not polishing old systems. They are introducing an entirely new way to authenticate luxury materials at the molecular level.

trueGold's patented marker technology sits at the center of the shift. Every bit of gold receives an invisible molecular signature that stays with it from the moment it leaves the mine. It can't be removed. It can't be counterfeited. And, it can't be separated from the material. When the gold is refined, alloyed, melted, recast, or recycled, the signature stays alive. SMX's registry records each step, making the metal self-verifying. Gold gains a memory.

Luxury With Verification Built In
Luxury brands have always sold a story. Now the buyers expect receipts. Surveys from IBM and PwC show that traceability is no longer a novelty. It is a feature that commands real premiums. Consumers want proof of where their gold came from, how it was sourced, and whether any part of it is recycled.

trueGold gives them that in a single scan. Jewelers, watchmakers, and investors can instantly confirm the origin and authenticity of a piece through a digital passport linked to its molecular marker. The result is a piece of gold that carries its own history as part of its value. Sustainability is no longer marketing language. It becomes a quantifiable attribute of the product itself.

For brands that live or die on reputation, that is a meaningful shift. Verified provenance becomes a competitive edge rather than an optional claim.

Trust With Scientific Backing
The entire system rests on one essential truth: the science must withstand every attempt to challenge it. That is why SMX submitted its molecular-marker technology to one of the most rigorous evaluation frameworks available. Independent validation by Intertek, conducted under the globally recognized AnchorCert Pro 2 protocol, confirmed the marker's safety and stability across the United States, Canada, Europe, and other major regulatory jurisdictions. The results were unequivocal.

The marker is chemically inert. It does not react with skin, air, moisture, or alloys. It remains invisible even under close inspection and carries no sensory footprint. And, it does not change the weight, density, purity, or color of gold in any measurable way.

That level of scientific neutrality is what allows the technology to strengthen trust without interfering with craft. A jeweler can set a diamond, polish a bracelet, or finish a watch case exactly as artisans have done for centuries, and the marker remains present yet undetectable. Nothing about the metal's hallmark, shine, or aesthetic signature is altered. The artistry and metallurgy stay untouched, but the authenticity becomes undeniable.

This blend of tradition and technology is what makes the approach so powerful. The gold behaves exactly as it always has in the hands of creators and consumers, yet it carries an invisible layer of assurance that lifts it beyond the limits of conventional verification. The piece still feels precious. It still looks flawless. It still holds emotional and financial value. The only thing that changes is the level of certainty surrounding it. Trust becomes empirical, not assumed - a natural extension of the metal itself rather than an external promise pinned to it.

Closing the Gaps the Industry Learned to Ignore
That's a timely addition. The precious metals industry has long been held together by paperwork and trust between intermediaries. Certificates can be misplaced. Audits can be flawed. Supply chains are often global webs with far too many blind spots.

trueGold replaces assumption with evidence. Each transfer is logged in a single digital record. The marker cannot be forged or edited. The chain of custody is no longer a theoretical line on a PDF. It becomes a material fact embedded in the metal itself.

This level of clarity matters to institutional buyers too. It supports ESG disclosures, aligns with LBMA expectations, and positions brands for the incoming European Union Digital Product Passport requirements. Compliance with true verification becomes simpler and cheaper.

The Start of a Circular Precious Metals Economy
What makes this breakthrough more significant is its permanence. Since the marker survives the recycling process, gold can re-enter the supply chain with its identity intact. The industry gets a circular economy with proof, not guesswork.

The same gold that served one generation can serve the next without losing its story. Longevity becomes traceable and sustainability becomes searchable. For centuries, gold has been timeless. Now it is also transparent. And that combination has the potential to reshape how the world defines ethical wealth.

SMX and trueGold have taken a material known for permanence and added something more powerful. They gave it a voice, a history, and the ability to prove itself. And in a market that values trust as much as shine, that may end up being the most valuable feature of all.

Sources and references:

• https://www.smx.tech/home

• https://www.smx.tech/technology

• https://www.thinkava.com/

• https://finance.yahoo.com/news/smx-fingo-enter-collaboration-mandate-134500842.html

• https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/stockhead/truegolds-unique-technology-enables-transparent-supply-chain-for-gold/news-story/162eff62309eccd101dd59fa96eb3972

• https://stockhead.com.au/tech/truegolds-unique-technology-builds-trust-and-enables-a-transparent-supply-chain-for-gold-from-mine-to-marketplace-and-recycling/

• https://engageforgood.com/ibm-2020-purpose-provenance-profits-consumer-goods/#:~:text=IBM's%20released%20a%20new%20study%2C%20Purpose%20and,surpasses%20cost%20and%20convenience%20for%20today's%20shoppers.

• https://www.heraldnews.com/press-release/story/3204/truegold-gives-memory-to-gold-jewelry-watches-now-tell-their-own-story/#:~:text=The%20Company%20believes%20that%20trueGold's,consumer%20safety%20and%20product%20quality.

• https://finance.yahoo.com/news/smx-fingo-enter-collaboration-mandate-134500842.html

• https://www.lbma.org.uk/good-delivery/gold-bar-security-features#-

• https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/esg/sustainability-news-brief.html?WT.mc_id=CT3-PL300-DM1-TR1-LS4-SC_XS-CL-SUSTAIN-NewsBriefGoogle&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22307651010&gbraid=0AAAAABi6ctJTJ7yw5YQOg-EmqM47VIK4w&gclid=CjwKCAjw04HIBhB8EiwA8jGNbe8GoLqFlyJeJTopxBcEf9odqzFhK4CkwExf3tFhGR67JW9cIRc4yBoCDCkQAvD_BwE

• https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/consumer-markets/consumer-insights-survey.html#:~:text=Decision%20point:%20What%20are%20consumers,sustainability%20(see%20chart%20below)

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
This editorial includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements reflect expectations, projections, and assumptions regarding SMX (NASDAQ:SMX), its majority-owned subsidiary trueGold, and their technology platforms, business strategies, market opportunities, and anticipated developments in the global precious metals and luxury materials industries. These statements are provided for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as guarantees of future performance or outcomes.

Forward-looking statements in this editorial include, without limitation, statements regarding the continued advancement, scalability, and commercial adoption of SMX's molecular marking technology, the expected performance and durability of trueGold's embedded identification markers, anticipated adoption of digital registries and material passports, and potential revenue streams associated with traceability and verification services. They also include expectations about the expansion of SMX and trueGold technologies across mining, refining, fabrication, retail, and recycling sectors; the potential for increased consumer demand for authenticated and ethically sourced precious metals; and the integration of SMX systems into global regulatory frameworks such as the London Bullion Market Association Good Delivery standards and the European Union Digital Product Passport initiative.

Additional forward-looking statements relate to the broader business environment and include expectations that verified provenance may enhance brand equity, support ESG reporting, reduce compliance costs, strengthen supply chain transparency, and enable the development of circular material economies. These statements involve assumptions regarding regulatory developments, industry willingness to adopt material-level verification, market receptivity to traceable luxury products, and the ability of SMX technologies to maintain performance under commercial production conditions.

Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties, and external variables, many of which are beyond the control of SMX. Actual results may differ materially due to factors that include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the global precious metals market, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical events, shifts in consumer behavior, competitive pressures, regulatory changes, technical or scientific challenges, operational risks in scaling new technologies, and other risks detailed in SMX's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date this editorial is published. SMX assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect events, developments, or changes in circumstances after the publication date, except as required by applicable law.

EMAIL: [email protected]

SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters)

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