NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / December 12, 2025 / For decades, global industries kept moving forward on the assumption that supply chains were essentially reliable. The belief was that materials were what suppliers claimed they were, that certifications reflected real practices, and that sustainability metrics could be trusted because companies intended to act responsibly. That belief worked as long as no one looked too closely. Once governments and markets began demanding actual proof, the old system cracked open. Intention was no longer enough.

Today, the gap between what companies think is happening in their supply chains and what is actually happening has become too wide to ignore. Regulators are tightening disclosure rules, consumers are demanding transparency, and investors are rejecting sustainability claims that cannot be verified. Industries that once relied on paper trails and supplier promises are discovering that those tools were never designed for the scrutiny of 2025. Because of that, the world has shifted from tolerance to verification.

This change isn't driven by scandal or blame. It's driven by maturity. Supply chains have become complex, global, and fragile. Systems that were built for trust are now expected to hold up under forensic inspection. The only path forward is verifiable data that moves with the material itself. SMX (NASDAQ:SMX) can provide that. And at the same time, deliver the one thing every industry suddenly needs: Physical proof.

The Moment Materials Become Intelligent

That is something supply chains never had. A way for materials to identify themselves. With SMX technology embedded, a plastic pellet can confirm whether it is virgin or recycled. The same is now true for cotton, rubber, and textiles. SMX's molecular identity can authenticate these materials long before they move through the supply chain unnoticed. These capabilities are not theoretical. They exist, they are proven, and they already work at commercial scale.

What makes the system powerful is not just the digital tracking component. It's the way SMX delivers it. The company embeds a molecular marker inside the material at the beginning of its journey. That marker survives manufacturing, processing, transportation, and recycling. When scanned, it reveals a secure digital record tied to the material's identity. This flips the burden of truth. Instead of relying on every link in the chain to record data correctly, the material records itself. And the timing could not be more urgent.

Industries around the world are under pressure to deliver exactly this kind of visibility. Automotive manufacturers need to trace metals and rare earth minerals used in batteries. Packaging companies must prove recycled content levels. Fashion brands must document ethical sourcing. Governments need confirmation that imported materials meet environmental or safety standards. SMX does more than solve any one of these sectors' problems. It solves a structural weakness shared by all of them.

Pressure Is Coming From Every Direction

That pressure is what has created the surge in interest. Europe's new regulations require physical evidence of sustainability claims. The global plastics treaty is moving toward mandatory verification of recycled content. Battery material sourcing is under intense geopolitical scrutiny. Even carbon markets are cracking down on unverifiable credits. Every one of these forces points toward a single requirement. Companies must prove the truth of their materials.

Markets are responding. Institutional investors, including some of the world's largest banks and philanthropic foundations, are allocating capital toward companies that can substantiate their ESG commitments. Consumers are rewarding brands that offer transparency. Regulators are imposing penalties for unverifiable claims and incomplete reporting. Meanwhile, the financial risk of getting it wrong is rising. A mislabeled shipment can trigger fines. Unverified material can halt a production line. A failed audit can erase brand trust built over decades.

This convergence makes SMX's technology essential instead of optional. The world no longer accepts claims without evidence. It wants materials that can speak for themselves. SMX built the platform that gives them that voice. Whether the material is plastic, rubber, metal, textile, or an industrial component, the ability to embed identity at the molecular level creates a universal verification engine ready for global adoption.

Why SMX Sits at the Center of the New Era

SMX is not adding another random tool to the circularity mission's arsenal. It's providing the only known system capable of delivering molecular-level precision, creating an infrastructure layer for a world that now demands accountability. It's the enabling technology that ties physical materials to verifiable data, offering clarity in a landscape that urgently needs it. This is why interest is accelerating across continents. This is why brands, governments, and institutional partners are paying attention.

A supply chain without material intelligence cannot meet the expectations of modern regulation or modern markets. A supply chain built on SMX's molecular identity system can. It gives companies a pathway to operate with confidence rather than on assumptions. That confidence does more than meet compliance. It protects reputations, prevents disruption, and can create a competitive advantage.

Do not believe otherwise. The materials accountability era has arrived. SMX did not wait for it. SMX built the technology that makes it work. And finally, the world is paying attention.

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: successful launch and implementation of SMX's joint projects with manufacturers and other supply chain participants of steel, rubber, plastic 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; 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.

EMAIL: info@securitymattersltd.com

SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited