SUDBURY, ON, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SPC Nickel Corp. (TSXV: SPC) (“SPC Nickel” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mark Bennett as a Strategic Advisor to the Company.

Dr. Bennett is one of the most accomplished exploration geologists of his generation, with over 40 years of experience spanning mineral discovery, mine development, and senior executive and board roles across Australia, Canada, West Africa, Europe, and the United States. He is best known as the founding CEO and Managing Director of Sirius Resources, where he led the 2012 discovery of the Nova-Bollinger nickel-copper-cobalt deposit in Western Australia and guided the company through feasibility, financing, permitting, and construction commencement in under three years. Sirius Resources was subsequently acquired by Independence Group (now IGO Ltd., ASX: IGO) in 2015 for AUD $1.8 billion.

Grant Mourre, President and CEO of SPC Nickel, commented, “Bringing Mark on board is a meaningful step forward for SPC Nickel. His expertise in magmatic nickel sulphide systems is directly relevant to our targeting at Muskox, and his ability to recognise and advance world-class deposits will provide an invaluable contribution to our exploration strategy. Beyond his technical credentials, Mark’s capital markets relationships and standing in the global mining community reflect the high regard in which he is held across this industry. We are proud to welcome a geologist and mine-finder of Mark’s stature to the SPC team and look forward to incorporating his experienced perspective as we advance our field programs at our 100%-owned Muskox Project in Nunavut.”

Dr. Mark Bennett commented, “I am excited to be joining the SPC Nickel team as a Strategic Advisor at this pivotal stage in the Company’s development. The Muskox Intrusion is a genuinely compelling target – the geological setting, the scale of the land package, and the work undertaken to date all point to a system with real discovery potential. I look forward to contributing to the advancement of this exceptional project.”

Over the course of his career, Dr. Bennett was also involved in the early-stage exploration of the Wahgnion gold mine in Burkina Faso, played an instrumental role in the discovery of the Thunderbox gold mine and the Waterloo nickel mine in Australia, and has been directly involved in raising over $1 billion in equity and debt financing for exploration and development projects. Dr. Bennett has won the Australian Mining and Exploration Companies’ Prospector Award twice (2002 for the discovery of the Thunderbox gold mine and the Waterloo nickel mine; 2013 for the discovery of the Nova-Bollinger nickel-copper deposits) and in 2014 was named a Legend in Mining at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne. Dr. Bennett currently serves as Executive Chair of S2 Resources (ASX: S2R), Non-Executive Chair of Falcon Metals (ASX: FAL) and Non-Executive Director of Valkea Resources (TSX-V: OZ).

In connection with this appointment, the Company has granted 200,000 stock options to Dr. Bennett, with all such stock options vesting immediately and each stock option entitling Dr. Bennett to acquire one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.085 until June 15, 2031.

About the Muskox Intrusion

Originally discovered in the 1950s by Inco, SPC Nickel’s Muskox Project, located in Nunavut, Canada, represents one of the most prospective greenfield polymetallic copper, nickel, and PGM projects globally. The district-scale land package (496 km²) covers the majority of the Muskox Intrusion, a large, layered mafic-ultramafic body with striking geological similarities to some of the world’s most significant copper-nickel-PGM deposits, such as the massive Norilsk-Talnakh deposit.

The Muskox Intrusion is one of the largest and least deformed layered mafic to ultramafic bodies in the world. It was emplaced during a large magmatic event (Mackenzie Magmatic Event) in the Proterozoic by mantle plume volcanism related to the widespread Coppermine River Group flood basalts. The intrusion is broadly composed of two distinct, but related, components called the Main Muskox Intrusion and the Feeder Dyke, which combined are exposed over a length of 125 km, and range in width from 200-600 metres in the Feeder Dyke to 11 km in the Main Body of the intrusion.

Previous exploration programs completed on SPC Nickel property over a roughly 60-year period identified widespread high-grade polymetallic sulphide mineralization along the basal contact of the intrusion or in the adjacent footwall, similar to the Sudbury and Norilsk-Talnakh camps. Historical drill highlights from the Muskox Project include:

• 7.50 metres @ 6.14% Cu, 2.76% Ni and 9.06 g/t PGM (Pt+Pd+Au)¹ by Silvermet Corporation (2007) and
• 13.74 metres @ 5.04% Cu, 2.21% Ni and 5.63 g/t PGM² by Equinox Resources Ltd. (1987).

These results, combined with an extensive footprint of magmatic sulphide mineralization, historical high grade drill intercepts, untested geophysical targets and limited modern follow-up, underscore the Project’s discovery potential.

Length refers to downhole length. Insufficient work has been completed to assess true thickness.

Reference

Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Qualified Persons

The technical elements of this news release have been approved by Mr. Grant Mourre, P.Geo. (PGO), CEO and President of SPC Nickel Corp. and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

The historical information shown in this news release was obtained from historical work reports filed by Equinox Resources Ltd. and Silvermet Corporation and has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About SPC Nickel Corp.

SPC Nickel Corp. is a Canadian public corporation advancing high-potential Cu-Ni-PGM projects in Tier-1 jurisdictions across Canada. The Company’s principal assets are its district-scale Muskox Project in Nunavut and the Lockerby East Project in the Sudbury Mining Camp, which includes the West Graham Resource and the LKE Resource.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this news release constitutes “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as “plans”, “proposes”, “estimates”, “intends”, “expects”, “believes”, “may”, “will” and include without limitation, statements regarding estimated capital and operating costs, expected production timeline, benefits of updated development plans, foreign exchange assumptions and regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are outside the control of SPC Nickel. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, SPC Nickel expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 

Further information is available at www.spcnickel.com and/or by contacting: Grant Mourre P.Geo., Chief Executive Officer, SPC Nickel Corp., Tel: (705) 669-1777, Email: info@spcnickel.com

Staged Investment Rights Provide a Pathway Toward Potential Majority Ownership in a Fast-Growing, Internationally Focused AI Application Company

BEIJING, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Yiren Digital Ltd. (NYSE: YRD) (“Yiren Digital” or the “Company”), a leading company specializing in financial technology and artificial intelligence innovation across multiple industries in China and global markets, today announced that it has entered into a warrant agreement with a privately held AI-native company (the “Target Company”) focused on immersive AI entertainment and emotional wellness with a predominantly international footprint. The arrangement further advances the Company’s “All-in-AI” strategy and its expansion into the AI entertainment and emotional wellness vertical.

The name of the Target Company is not disclosed due to confidentiality obligation. The agreement marks the fourth AI company with which Yiren Digital has entered into a warrant agreement, reflecting the Company’s disciplined approach to acquiring potential controlling interests while deploying capital efficiently to create long-term shareholder value. Under the agreement, the Company has the right to exercise the warrant, to acquire a combination of existing and newly issued shares at a predetermined price with the objective of becoming the controlling shareholder. These rights are staged investment rights and do not constitute current control, de facto control, or consolidation. Any future change in ownership will occur only upon satisfaction of contractual conditions and completion of required payments, and all subsequent exercises will be subject to applicable regulatory requirements and corporate governance procedures. Upon completion of the warrant exercise, the Target Company is expected to become part of Yiren Digital’s forthcoming AI Entertainment and Emotional Wellness business segment.

The Target Company operates in the rapidly growing AI-powered digital companion market, a key segment within AI entertainment. Its platform offers immersive, story-driven AI experiences designed to foster deep user engagement while providing personalized companionship experiences through intelligent AI interactions. By combining rich storytelling with adaptive AI characters, the platform creates meaningful user experiences that extend beyond conventional chatbot applications. The Target Company has established a leading position across Southeast Asia and Greater China, including Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan region, and is developing its own proprietary, purpose-built AI roleplay model. By combining high-quality user interactions with proprietary model development, the Target Company aims to create a self-reinforcing data and model improvement cycle that continuously enhances user experience.

“We believe the future of AI lies not only in improving productivity, but also in creating richer and more meaningful human experiences,” said Mr. Ning Tang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yiren Digital. “Platforms that combine immersive content, emotional engagement, and proprietary AI technologies represent an exciting new frontier. We will continue to invest in AI-native businesses that complement our ecosystem in order to create long-term value for our users and shareholders.”

Expanding into AI Entertainment

The Target Company operates in AI companionship and roleplay entertainment, an emerging segment of AI entertainment that Yiren Digital believes represents one of the consumer AI formats with the clearest user demand and monetization potential. Through this and related investments, the Company aims to build a leading presence in AI entertainment, combining immersive, narrative-driven experiences with Yiren Digital’s proprietary AI capabilities, operating resources and commercialization experience.

User Traction and International Momentum

According to unaudited operating data provided by the Target Company, as of June 2026, the platform had reached over 3 million cumulative users and over 150,000 cumulative paying users, with a DAU/MAU ratio of approximately 44%, and an unaudited annualized revenue run-rate exceeding US$10 million. The business is predominantly international, with strong momentum across selected Southeast Asian and Greater China markets, including Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan region. Building on this regional traction, the Target Company intends to expand its marketing and user acquisition efforts in the United States and other Western markets.

Advancing Yiren Digital’s AI Application-Layer Strategy

Yiren Digital views AI entertainment and emotional wellness as an important extension of its AI application-layer strategy, providing large-scale consumer engagement, proprietary interaction data and recurring monetization opportunities that complement its established fintech platform. In this sector, the Company intends to pursue a disciplined path to scale while continuing to evaluate additional investment and collaboration opportunities in AI-native consumer applications. If the warrant is exercised and all applicable conditions are satisfied, the Target Company could become an important part of Yiren Digital’s AI entertainment and emotional wellness vertical.

About Yiren Digital

Yiren Digital Ltd. is a leading company specializing in financial technology and artificial intelligence innovation across multiple industries in China and global markets. The Company leverages advanced artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to enhance customer experience, optimize capital efficiency, and expand financial inclusion. Following the regulatory filing of its in-house developed Large Language Model Zhiyu, and the significant enhancement of its MagiCube Agent platform, Yiren Digital is establishing a new growth engine to accelerate its evolution into an AI-native, multi-industry operating platform extending beyond traditional financial services. For more information, please visit https://ir.yiren.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “hope,” “going forward,” “intend,” “ought to,” “plan,” “project,” “potential,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “can,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “shall,” “should,” “is likely to” and the negative form of these words and other similar expressions. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “target,” “confident,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions, and assessments of current market and operating conditions. These statements involve inherent risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside the control of the Company, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors and other risks described in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no, and expressly disclaims any, obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.