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Z Squared, Inc. Enters $50 Million Committed Equity Forward Purchase Agreement to Support AI Infrastructure Buildout

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Agreement Provides Committed Equity Capital to Execute Phase 1 Acquire and Convert Pipeline

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Z Squared, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZSQR) (the “Company”), a digital infrastructure company expanding into AI infrastructure, today announced the Company has entered into a $50 million committed equity forward purchase agreement with LucentHash / Data Part Capital, a trading name of Translucent Matter Inc., a British Virgin Islands company (the “Agreement”). The Agreement gives the Company the ability to fund acquisitions as they close and to stage conversion capital site by site as operational milestones are met, advancing the Company toward its Phase 1 destination of 100 megawatts of AI-ready capacity across multiple U.S. sites.

Each draw under the agreement is a separate, independent forward purchase, initiated by the Company on its own timing and priced at 95% of the volume-weighted average price over a five-day pricing window unique to that draw and subject to a 9-month lock-up by the purchaser. The Company retains full control over whether, when, and how much to draw. Capital is accessed in step with execution, not ahead of it.

The agreement is structured to align the parties’ long-term goals and to protect existing shareholders of the Company. Accordingly, shares issued under the Agreement are subject to a 9-month lock-up period, and LucentHash / Data Part Capital is contractually prohibited from short-selling or otherwise hedging ZSQR common stock.

“Z Squared is moving into a significant AI infrastructure opportunity from a position of strength, with virtually no debt on the balance sheet,” said David Halabu, Chief Executive Officer of Z Squared. “We believe this agreement strengthens that position with flexible equity capital that can be matched to acquisitions and site-level conversion milestones without adding leverage. We intend to move quickly, but with discipline, as we build toward our Phase 1 objective.”

Z Squared enters this financing with its Phase 1 strategy already in motion. The Company has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire Skycore Digital, which currently owns three active North Carolina sites powered by Duke Energy, providing up to 42 megawatts of total potential capacity (of which 18 megawatts is presently available under existing Duke Energy Letters of Authorization) — the first step toward our 100 MW Phase 1 goal. The Company is actively evaluating additional opportunities on the same criteria applied to Skycore: energized, grid-connected sites where conversion to AI-ready capacity can be executed on the timeline customers actually need, without the multi-year delays associated with greenfield development.

About Z Squared, Inc.

Z Squared, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZSQR) is a computing infrastructure company operating advanced computing equipment and expanding into AI infrastructure. The Company’s strategy is built on three principles: lead with power by acquiring operating sites where power is already flowing; build for AI workloads by converting that capacity into AI-ready colocation where the customer brings the compute and runs what they need; and scale with discipline by deploying conversion capital site by site, against signed contracts and operational readiness. Z Squared listed on the Nasdaq Global Market in April 2026.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “goal,” “objective,” “potential,” “estimates,” “projects,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “could,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding: the Company’s plans and ability to draw on the Agreement and the timing and amounts of any draws thereunder; the anticipated use of proceeds from draws to fund acquisitions and site-level conversion capital; the proposed acquisition of Skycore Digital, including the anticipated capacity, conversion timeline, and strategic fit of those sites; the Company’s Phase 1 strategy and its objective of 100 megawatts of AI-ready capacity across multiple U.S. sites; the Company’s evaluation of additional acquisition targets; the Company’s ability to convert acquired sites to AI-ready colocation capacity and attract customers therefor; expected benefits to existing shareholders from the lockup and no-hedging provisions of the agreement; and any other statements regarding the Company’s future operations, financial condition, growth prospects, or strategic plans.

These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to significant risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others: the Company’s ability to satisfy all conditions required to make draws under the forward purchase agreement and to access capital thereunder on acceptable terms or at all, the Company’s ability to achieve its Phase 1 100 MW objective on the contemplated timeline, or at all, including the risk that acquisitions, joint ventures, financing, conversion capital deployment, customer contracting, or site development do not progress as anticipated; the Company’s ability to execute its acquire-and-convert strategy, including its ability to identify suitable energized sites, structure transactions on acceptable terms, and convert acquired sites to AI-ready capacity on the truncated timelines management contemplates; the Company’s ability to negotiate and execute definitive transaction documentation for the Skycore Digital acquisition, satisfy or obtain waivers of conditions to closing, finance the transaction, and consummate the acquisition on the timeline contemplated by the binding letter of intent or at all; the Company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Skycore Digital transaction, including the projected megawatt capacity and the conversion of the 18 MW available under existing Duke Energy Letters of Authorization into operational capacity; the Company’s ability to execute its post-listing business strategy and to integrate operations and personnel following the recently completed business combination; the Company’s ability to develop the technical, operational, financial, and commercial capabilities required to participate in the AI infrastructure, data center, and high-performance compute hosting markets, none of which currently generate revenue for the Company; whether expected demand from NeoCloud operators and other AI infrastructure customers for production inference capacity materializes on the timeline or in the magnitude management anticipates; the Company’s current dependence on cryptocurrency mining and the volatility of cryptocurrency markets, mining economics, network difficulty, and digital asset values, including with respect to Dogecoin; changes in power costs, energy regulation, grid conditions, interconnection queue dynamics, curtailment programs, and seasonal electricity rate fluctuations; the availability, pricing, and technological obsolescence of mining and computing hardware; the Company’s ability to maintain and expand its facility footprint and respond to localized regulatory shifts or grid instability; the continued service of the Company’s senior management, including its Chief Executive Officer; competition in the computing infrastructure, cryptocurrency mining, AI infrastructure, and digital asset industries; market, economic, and capital-markets conditions, including the Company’s ability to access additional capital on acceptable terms; and regulatory developments affecting cryptocurrency mining, digital assets, power consumption, and data-center operations. Additional risks and uncertainties are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2026 reporting the closing of the business combination, the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, and the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, each of which is available at www.sec.gov.

Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Investor Relations Contact: ZSQR@mzgroup.us

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SOURCE Z Squared Inc.

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KuCoin Marks Ninth Anniversary at Tomorrowland Belgium, Honoring Nine Years of Industry Progress Beyond the Signal

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On the day of its ninth anniversary, KuCoin welcomed global partners, institutional clients, ecosystem builders and media representatives to the “On Cloud 9 Skybox Experience,” an exclusive celebration at the Tomorrowland Belgium Skybox. Overlooking Tomorrowland’s iconic Mainstage, guests gathered throughout an unforgettable evening as world-renowned artists including Nicky Romero, Alok, Steve Angello and Hardwell delivered performances that brought together people from around the world. Against this backdrop of music, culture and global connection, KuCoin celebrated not only its own nine-year journey, but also the remarkable progress the digital asset industry has achieved together.

The experience formed part of KuCoin’s broader ninth-anniversary campaign, “Beyond the Signal,” reflecting the company’s belief that the industry’s future will be shaped not by short-term market movements alone, but by the trust, innovation and infrastructure that enable lasting progress. Bringing this vision to life in an elevated festival setting, the evening offered guests an opportunity to reflect on nine years of shared growth, collaboration and resilience, while looking ahead together to the next chapter of digital assets.

Against the backdrop of Tomorrowland’s iconic Mainstage, the exclusive Skybox experience with signature champagne rituals brought KuCoin and its guests together to reflect on and celebrate the milestones that have shaped its nine-year journey. From expanding access to digital assets and navigating multiple market cycles to strengthening security and compliance, supporting institutional participation, and advancing innovation across payments, AI and Web3, these milestones also reflected the broader evolution of the digital asset industry toward greater maturity.

The moment celebrated not only how far KuCoin has come, but also the progress the industry has made together. Over the past nine years, markets have risen and fallen, and technologies have continued to evolve. Yet lasting progress has always been driven by the builders, developers, partners and communities working together to create enduring value. That is the idea behind Beyond the Signal.

“Ninth anniversaries are often measured in years. We prefer to measure ours in trust,” said BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin. “The greatest achievement of the past nine years has not been our growth alone, but the confidence our users, partners and community have continued to place in us. Trust is the infrastructure that enables innovation, adoption and long-term progress. As we enter our next decade, we remain committed to building secure, compliant and trusted digital asset infrastructure together with our partners worldwide.”

The celebration also highlighted KuCoin’s expanding partnership with Tomorrowland as the festival’s Exclusive Crypto Exchange and Payments Partner for Tomorrowland Winter and Tomorrowland Belgium 2026–2028. Bringing together one of the world’s most influential cultural events with trusted digital infrastructure, the partnership reflects a shared vision of connecting people across borders and creating meaningful real-world experiences through technology, payments and community. For KuCoin, Tomorrowland is more than a global music festival—it represents the openness, diversity and global community that have always been at the heart of crypto.

Nine years ago, KuCoin set out to make digital assets accessible to more people around the world. Today, its mission has evolved beyond access to helping build the trusted infrastructure that will support the future of digital finance. Beyond music, beyond the celebration and beyond the signal, KuCoin’s ninth anniversary was not only a milestone for the company, but a celebration of how far the industry has come together—and a commitment to building what comes next.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

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SOURCE KuCoin

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2026 World Internet Conference Digital Silk Road Development Forum Opens in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

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XI’AN, China, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from CRI Online:

On July 22, the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Digital Silk Road Development Forum officially opened in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. Hosted by the WIC and organized by the Shaanxi Provincial Government, the forum was held under the theme “Pooling Intelligence on the Silk Road, Embarking on a Digital Future — Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace”. Approximately 800 participants from more than 50 countries and regions, as well as seven international organizations, attended the event.

Mayra Arevich Marín, Minister of Communications of Cuba; Faqir Mahbub Anam, Minister of Posts, Telecommunication & Information Technology and Minister of Science and Technology of Bangladesh; Samba Diouf, Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Affairs of Senegal; Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); John Higgins, President of the International AI Governance Association (IAGA); and Wang Xingxing, Founder and CEO of Unitree Robotics, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Following the opening ceremony, a ministerial meeting was held. Thematic forums were convened focusing on Silk Road e-commerce cooperation and development, collaborative innovation and development of AI agents, digital and intelligent health, and the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage in the digital intelligence era. These discussions aimed to help Belt and Road partner countries strengthen consensus, deepen cooperation, and seize new opportunities brought by digital and intelligent development. During the forum, the World Internet Conference Cultural Heritage Digitalization Case Collection (2026) was released. A series of capacity-building activities under the WIC Digital & AI Academy were also held, including a capacity building program on AI-driven digital trade, a salon on “Copyright Empowerment in Cultural Heritage Digitalization”, and a field study at a digital port.

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SOURCE CRI Online

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Tesla Owns Nearly 1 in 5 AI Answers About EVs. New 5W Index Ranks the Top 25 EV Brands by AI Citation Share.

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EV charging networks — Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint — are nearly invisible inside AI answers despite operating the infrastructure the entire category depends on.

MIAMI, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 5W AI Communications, the AI Communications Firm, today released the 5W AI Visibility Index — EV, ranking the top 25 EV brands by modeled AI citation share across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. Tesla anchors the category at 18.4% — more than the next three brands combined. Rivian is second at 8.2%. Ford is third at 6.4%.

The Index is Volume 07 in 5W’s 2026 Consumer AI Visibility Index series. The full report is available at https://www.5wpr.com/research/ev-ai-visibility-index/.

More than a third of U.S. consumers now begin product research with an AI engine — not Google. For the EV category — where purchase consideration windows stretch six to twelve months and buyers cross-reference range, charging, ownership cost, and long-term reliability across dozens of sources — the answers the engines return are shaping the shortlist before a buyer walks into a dealership.

The Findings

Tesla dominates at 18.4% citation share — cited on virtually every consumer EV query across all five engines. Brand, product, and CEO overlap produce a citation profile no peer can match.Rivian (8.2%) is the dominant adventure-EV authority. The R1T and R1S anchor truck and SUV electric citation.Ford (6.4%) leads legacy automakers. The F-150 Lightning owns EV-truck queries; the Mach-E anchors EV-SUV comparisons.Lucid (4.8%) and Hyundai Ioniq (4.4%) complete the Tier 1 leaders. The Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 over-index against U.S. brand recognition.GM sits at #6 with 3.8% — despite scale — because Bolt, Lyriq, and Hummer EV are cited separately rather than as one GM-EV narrative. Ford consolidated its story. GM did not.Toyota (#17) and Honda (#18) are the two largest legacy automakers furthest behind in EV citation. The bZ4X, Solterra, and Prologue cite at rates far below what brand recognition would predict.EV charging networks are absent from the top 25. Electrify America, EVgo, and ChargePoint operate the infrastructure the entire category depends on — and have not built consumer-facing brand citation to match. The category is open.

“Every EV buyer starts inside a chatbox now. Tesla owns nearly one in five answers. The next three brands combined don’t match it. That’s a citation moat measured in AI — not TV budgets, not showroom count,” said Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman, 5W AI Communications. “GM is bigger than Rivian by every commercial metric and half its size in the answer. That gap costs sales. The charging networks are the biggest miss in the category — whoever builds the dominant ‘where should I charge’ answer anchors a multi-decade growth curve. Right now, none of them own it.”

The Five Engines Do Not Return Identical Answers

ChatGPT: Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Ford, Hyundai dominate. Conservative and brand-anchored.Claude: Recurrent and CleanTechnica over-index. Data-source preference. Lighter on enthusiast brands.Perplexity: Reddit EV subreddits dominant. Out of Spec YouTube data heavily cited. Freshness-favored.Google AI Overviews: Tesla, InsideEVs, Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book dominate. Closest to a SERP-mirror.Gemini: YouTube EV creators dominate — Out of Spec, Munro Live, MKBHD at the highest rates.

Engine-aware strategy matters. A brand absent from one engine but present in another needs a different program than a brand absent across the board.

Methodology
Modeled directional estimates derived from publicly available data, observed retrieval patterns, structural signals, and the corresponding Everything-PR Citation Share Study — EV (Issue No. 07). Twenty-five brands, five engines, sixty-plus consumer-prompt query patterns. Not the output of logged query runs across millions of prompts. Intended as a strategic framework — not a definitive search-engine measurement.

The dominant outlets shaping EV citation are InsideEVs, Electrek, Recurrent, Edmunds EV, Car and Driver EV, CleanTechnica, and the Reddit-and-YouTube creator layer. Brand citation share is built primarily through presence inside that specific outlet set — and through Recurrent battery-data partnership for used-EV citation.

About 5W AI Communications
5W is the AI Communications Firm, building brand authority across the platforms where decisions now happen — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels. 5W combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and proprietary AI visibility research to help clients measure and grow their presence in AI-driven buyer research. Founded in 2003, 5W is recognized as a Top U.S. PR Agency by O’Dwyer’s, named Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards®, honored as a 2026 Top Place to Work in Communications by Ragan, and named to Digiday’s WorkLife Employer of the Year list. 5W serves clients across B2C sectors — Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, and Nonprofit — and B2B specialties including Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, and Digital Marketing across Social, Influencer, Paid Media, GEO, and SEO. Learn more at 5wpr.com.

Media Contact
press@5wpr.com

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SOURCE 5W Public Relations

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