TROOPS, Inc. Announces Strategic Investment and Unveils HK Golden, Inc.'s Visionary Roadmap to Become a Global Financial and Cultural Powerhouse

HONG KONG, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TROOPS, Inc. (NASDAQ: TROO) ("TROOPS" or the "Company"), a conglomerate group building synergistic ecosystems across financial technology, property investment, and insurance services, today announced a significant strategic development through its investment in the digital media landscape. Following the appointment of CFN Lawyers LLC as U.S. securities counsel, HK Golden, Inc., the operator of one of Hong Kong's most influential online forums and a strategic partner of TROOPS, has formally embarked on a journey towards an initial public offering (IPO) on The Nasdaq Stock Market, with a target timeline set for 2026.

This pivotal step underscores the immense value HK Golden, Inc. is positioned to bring to the TROOPS group and its shareholders, transitioning from a leading local forum into a global, publicly-traded financial and cultural platform.

A Vision to Redefine Financial Consciousness

HK Golden, Inc. has set forth an ambitious vision: "Whenever anyone thinks about money, they will think about HK Golden, Inc." This vision aims to position the platform not merely as a discussion board, but as the primary global digital nexus for financial thought, opportunity, and community-driven value creation, seamlessly blending Eastern financial wisdom with Western market dynamics.

Building a Revolutionary Tokenized Ecosystem Central to this vision is the development of HK Golden, Inc.'s proprietary token ecosystem, designed to reward engagement and integrate deeply with the TROOPS conglomerate:

• Community Rewards Engine: Users will earn tokens for contributing constructive posts and sharing valuable information—rewarding "good karma" and fostering high-quality financial discourse.
• Integrated Advertising Marketplace: Tokens can be used to purchase premium advertising across HK Golden's forums, directly connecting businesses with a highly engaged audience.
• Cross-Platform Utility: In a groundbreaking synergy, HK Golden tokens will be swappable for free insurance products within the TROOPS ecosystem and its network of external partners, creating tangible, real-world value from digital community participation.

The Media Power Paradigm: Learning from Giants

The strategic bet on HK Golden, Inc. is informed by the transformative power of community-driven media. Platforms like Reddit, since its 2005 founding, have grown into public companies with valuations in the tens of billions (US$46 billion in January 2026), demonstrating the value of authentic user communities. More tellingly, X (formerly Twitter), a platform defining global conversation since 2006 with a valuation of US$44 billion, attracted an investment and ultimate privatization by Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest individual with a net worth of over 10 trillion dollars.

Musk's move underscores a profound recognition: controlling a pivotal media platform is akin to shaping the modern public square. HK Golden, Inc. aims to harness this power, but with a focused lens on finance and culture, creating a dedicated ecosystem for wealth, investment, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Bridging East and West: A Cultural and Financial Gateway

As a Hong Kong-based company with deep local roots and an international horizon, HK Golden, Inc. is uniquely positioned to act as a cultural and financial bridge. It will channel the dynamic financial innovations and perspectives of Asia to the West, and vice-versa, facilitating a new era of global investment understanding and opportunity.

Leadership Commentary

"This is more than an IPO preparation; it's the launch of a blueprint to build one of the most influential financial communities in the digital world," said a spokesperson for HK Golden, Inc. "Our partnership with TROOPS allows us to supercharge our community's engagement with a real utility token, rewarding users and connecting online activity to tangible services like insurance. We are not just building a platform; we are building the default destination for financial thinking."

To download the HK Golden app, please click on the link below:

https://apps.apple.com/hk/app/%E9%AB%98%E7%99%BB/id6751617748?l=en-GB

About TROOPS, Inc.

TROOPS, Inc. is a conglomerate group of various businesses with its headquarters based in Hong Kong. The group is principally engaged in (a) money lending business in Hong Kong providing mortgage loans to high quality target borrowers, (b) property investment to generate additional rental income and, (c) the development, operation and management of an online financial marketplace that provides one-stop financial technology solutions including API services by leveraging artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain, and cloud computing (SaaS), (d) advisory and referral services in relation to the application of migration, education and visa renewal to its customers, and (e) consultancy services for insurance products in respect of insurance referral to insurance brokers. The group's vision is to operate as a conglomerate to build synergy within its own sustainable ecosystem thereby creating value to its shareholders.

For more information about TROOPS, Inc., please visit our investor relations website: www.troops.co

Safe Harbor and Informational Statement

This announcement contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, those with respect to the objectives, plans and strategies of the Company set forth herein and those preceded by or that include the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "future," "will," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or similar expressions, are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements in this release include, without limitation, the effectiveness of the Company's multiple-brand, multiple channel strategy and the transitioning of its product development and sales focus and to a "light-asset" model, Although the Company's management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements can change as a result of many possible events or factors not all of which are known to the Company, which may include, without limitation, our ability to have effective internal control over financial reporting; our success in designing and distributing products under brands licensed from others; management of sales trend and client mix; possibility of securing loans and other financing without efficient fixed assets as collaterals; changes in government policy in China; China's overall economic conditions and local market economic conditions; our ability to expand through strategic acquisitions and establishment of new locations; compliance with government regulations; legislation or regulatory environments; geopolitical events, and other events and/or risks outlined in TROOPS' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F and other filings. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of the issuance, and TROOPS does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE TROOPS