Instar Brands and Heretic Capital Partners Outline Framework for a Potential Aladdin's Castle Arcade Revival

Companies clarify that the Aladdin's Castle Meme Coin (ACM) is a separate community initiative and not a funding source for the arcade project.

LOVELAND, Ohio, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Instar Brands and Heretic Capital Partners ("HCP") today provided an overview of the framework under which they are exploring a potential revival of the Aladdin's Castle arcade brand, and clarified the distinct and independent role of the Aladdin's Castle Meme Coin (ACM).

Instar Brands holds a pending trademark application for Aladdin's Castle, and under a joint venture between Instar Brands and HCP, the parties are evaluating the potential relaunch of physical Aladdin's Castle arcade locations. Any such relaunch would be funded through an equity investment by HCP, consistent with the firm's role as an investment firm, and would not be funded by proceeds from the sale of ACM or any other digital asset.

"The arcade concept is something we are approaching deliberately and in stages," said Todd Wichmann, founder of Instar Brands. "The trademark and the joint venture with Heretic Capital Partners are the foundation. The meme coin is a separate community and brand-engagement project — it is not a funding vehicle for the arcades."

Role of the Aladdin's Castle Meme Coin (ACM)
ACM is a community token associated with the Aladdin's Castle brand. It is intended to serve as a community rewards and engagement mechanism — for example, redeemable credits for use at future physical arcade locations, community input on candidate cities and game selections, and brand marketing and awareness. ACM is not an investment, is not intended to generate financial return, and confers no equity, ownership, revenue share, governance right, or other financial interest in Instar Brands, HCP, or any arcade location.

To reinforce the separation between the coin and the arcade funding, the founder's ACM holdings — 402,717,631 tokens — have been placed in a non-cancelable, time-based on-chain lock through Streamflow, releasing no earlier than July 2027. The lock is publicly verifiable on the Solana blockchain.

Arcade Revival — Status
HCP has not selected a city and has not announced a location, opening date, or timeline for any first arcade. No specific plans or timelines have been finalized. The firm said further details will be released as the concept develops.

Bringing Arcade Culture to a New Generation
Aladdin's Castle was among the most recognizable arcade brands of the 1980s and 1990s — a fixture of American shopping malls and a gathering place for a generation of players. The revival concept aims to reintroduce that experience — a physical, social space built around classic and modern games — to the audiences who grew up with it and to a new generation discovering arcade culture for the first time.

"Arcades were where a generation found community, competition, and a little bit of magic," Wichmann added. "We are excited to take the best of 1980s arcade culture — its energy, its social spirit, its sense of place — and showcase it for a whole new generation. This is about bringing something people genuinely loved back to life, and doing it the right way."

About Heretic Capital Partners
Heretic Capital Partners is an angel-stage investment firm focused on healthcare, AI-enabled health devices, and consumer wellness. More information is available at www.hereticcapital.com.

About Instar Brands and the Aladdin's Castle Meme Coin
Instar Brands holds a pending trademark application for Aladdin's Castle and oversees the Aladdin's Castle Meme Coin (ACM), a community and brand-engagement initiative on the Solana network. ACM operates independently of Heretic Capital Partners. Additional information is available at https://instarbrands.com/pages/acm.

Forward-Looking Statements and Important Disclosures
This press release is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security, digital asset, or token, and it does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice.

Statements regarding the potential arcade revival, future locations, timing, and related plans are forward-looking and reflect current intentions only. They involve significant risks and uncertainties, are subject to change, and may not be realized. No assurance is given that any arcade location will open or that any described plan will proceed as described.

The Aladdin's Castle Meme Coin (ACM) is a meme coin and community token. It is highly speculative and volatile, may lose all of its value, and is not backed by, and does not represent an ownership interest in, Instar Brands, Heretic Capital Partners, any arcade location, or the Aladdin's Castle trademark. ACM holders should not expect profit or financial return of any kind. Any utility described, including reward credits and community input features, is subject to change and may not be developed. Digital assets are not insured, may be subject to total loss, and involve substantial risk. Prospective participants should conduct their own research and consult their own advisors.

References to a trademark reflect a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that may be pending or issued and should be independently verified.

SOURCE Instar Brands