Miami, FL – March 16, 2026 – NatGold Digital Ltd. (“NatGold” or the “Company”), a digital mining company unlocking the intrinsic value of in-ground gold resources through blockchain-based tokenization, today announced the appointment of Laurian Cristea to its Board of Directors as an independent non-executive director, and separately as strategic advisor to the Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Cristea brings a wealth of experience, judgment and strategic insight directly applicable to the next phase of NatGold’s growth and evolution.

“I am delighted to join the Board of NatGold and support a company that is advancing a distinctive and forward-looking model,” said Mr. Cristea. “NatGold’s approach to digital mining reflects an important evolution in how gold’s intrinsic value can be identified, preserved and made accessible in a modern digital assets framework. I am excited to contribute to the Company’s continued growth and future direction.”

Mr. Cristea is currently General Counsel of a derivatives exchange and clearinghouse regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Previously, he was a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, where he led the firm’s financial innovation practice. He also served as General Counsel of Cboe Digital, formerly ErisX, where he played a key role in shaping the firm’s regulatory strategy in advance of its acquisition by Cboe. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cristea held senior legal and regulatory roles with an international clearinghouse group based in London and served as an attorney with the CFTC’s Division of Market Oversight. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School.

“We are very pleased to welcome Laurian to NatGold as both a director and advisor to the CEO,” said Mark Radke, Chair of the Board of NatGold. “He brings valuable experience, sound judgment and a perspective that is highly relevant to the Company’s strategic direction. We believe his contributions in both capacities will be meaningful as NatGold continues to advance its digital mining model and broader corporate objectives.”

“Laurian’s appointment comes at a pivotal stage in NatGold’s development,” said Andrés Fernández, Chief Executive Officer of NatGold. “As we move rapidly toward our initial tokenization event, his deep experience across digital markets, digital assets and end-to-end tokenization strategy will be highly valuable. His perspective will also help inform our post-tokenization product strategy as we continue to evaluate the broader future potential of the NatGold platform, including areas of opportunity that may extend to other derivative and exchange-traded products – an outlook also reflected in one of the Company’s recent video releases.”

About NatGold Digital Ltd.

NatGold Digital Ltd. is the architect and operator of a revolutionary, patent-pending digital gold mining model designed to tokenize gold resources that remain securely stored in Mother Nature’s Vault. NatGold Tokens are structured to represent standardized unit interests in NatGold Certified Resources, disclosed under internationally recognized geological Technical Reports—without physical extraction, processing, or movement of gold. The result is a superior fiat money alternative engineered to lead a global monetary reformation.

For additional background, please visit NatGold.com or our official YouTube channel for videos and information about our digital mining ecosystem: https://www.youtube.com/@NatGold_Digital.

Contact:
[email protected]
[email protected]
+1 (646) 825-3038

The information presented in the above release has been compiled by NatGold with diligent effort to provide an accurate and realistic overview of the subject matter. Nonetheless, factors such as subjective judgment, reliance on circumstances beyond NatGold’s control, and external information sources inherently limit the exhaustiveness, completeness, and sufficiency of this information. Forward-looking statements are generally indicated by terms including “plans”, “expects”, “does not expect”, “is expected”, “scheduled”, “budget”, “estimates”, “projects”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “does not anticipate”, “believes”, and similar expressions, or by references to potential actions, events, or outcomes that “may”, “can”, “could”, “would”, “might”, or “will” transpire or be achieved. These statements include, but are not limited to, the closing of the definitive agreement with Sovereon Gold Corp. and the acquisition and tokenization of the Friday Gold Project, the expectations regarding the value of any NatGold tokens, the anticipated timing of tokenization and tokenization eligibility, future business operations, and market developments. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Numerous risks, uncertainties, and events may result in outcomes that differ substantially from those described in NatGold’s forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the availability of sufficient funds for the acquisition of the Friday Gold Project, alterations in economic conditions or sector trends; fluctuations in currency and financial markets; volatility in gold prices and AISC costs; changes in investment activity; legal proceedings; legislative developments; as well as environmental, regulatory, political, judicial, and competitive circumstances in regions where NatGold operates. Additionally, technological, mechanical, and operational challenges may arise during NatGold’s development operations. References to “certification” of mineral resources are specific to NatGold’s tokenization eligibility standards and do not signify compliance with the JORC Code, NI 43-101, or S-K 1300; such resources are instead certified under NatGold’s criteria as NatGold Certified Resources. While NatGold deems current assumptions reasonable based on available data, these assumptions may ultimately prove inaccurate. Actual outcomes could vary from forward-looking statements due to diverse risks, uncertainties, and unforeseen events. The information herein serves solely for general informational purposes and does not constitute an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of NatGold shares or securities. Prospective investors are strongly advised to consult with a qualified financial advisor prior to investing in NatGold. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are current as of the date issued. Except where mandated by applicable securities laws, NatGold expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in response to new data, future developments, or otherwise. Furthermore, the Company assumes no commitment to address third-party expectations or statements regarding issues discussed in this document. Investing in early-stage technology companies entails considerable risk.