Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc - Grant of Options

Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc - Grant of Options

PR Newswire

London, December 20

20 December 2022

Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc
("QBT" or "the Company")

Grant of Options, PDMR Dealings and Extension of Consultancy Agreement

The board of Quantum Blockchain Technologies (AIM: QBT) is pleased to inform shareholders that the Company has entered into a number of additional consultancy agreements with industry experts who are now part of the Company's research and development ("R&D") team.

The Company has granted 37,500,000 options (the "Options") to certain consultants, members of the R&D team and in house staff, over new ordinary shares of 0.25 pence each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") as follows:

• Options over 25,000,000 Ordinary Shares exercisable at 5 pence per new Ordinary Share which are all immediately exercisable.

Options Granted	Exercise Period Ends
7,500,000	31/03/2023
5,000,000 5,000,000 5,000,000 2,500,000	22/05/2025 15/12/2024 06/06/2023 28/02/2023

• Options over 12,500,000 Ordinary Shares exercisable at 10 pence per new Ordinary Share with exercise periods as shown below

Options Granted	Exercise Period Ends
5,000,000 5,000,000 2,500,000	30/06/2023 22/05/2025 15/12/2024

Included in the above totals are:

5,000,000 Options issued to the Company's Non-Executive Director Mr Peter Fuhrman, (as anticipated in the 12 September 2022 announcement), as follows:

• 2,500,000 exercisable at 5 pence at any time up to 15/12/2024,
• 2,500,000 exercisable at 10 pence at any time up to 15/12/2024,

2,500,000 Options issued to Mr Mark Trafeli, the newly appointed Non-Executive Director, as follows:

• 2,500,000 exercisable at 5 pence at any time up to 15/12/2024,

10,000,000 Options issued to the Company's cryptography expert specialising in cryptocurrency mining blockchain optimisations, whose 10,000,000 Options (initially announced on 2 June 2021) expired in June 2022, and whose contract has been extended, as follows:

• 5,000,000 Options exercisable at 5 pence at any time up to 22/05/2025,
• 5,000,000 Options exercisable at 10 pence between 06/05/2023 to 22/05/2025.

The Company now has outstanding Options exercisable at 5 pence over 137,500,000 Ordinary Shares and Options exercisable at 10 pence over 127,500,000 Ordinary Shares. Options expire between 2023 and 2026.

The number of Options still available to be issued (as duly authorised at the General Meeting held on 6 May 2022) is 35,000,000.

Francesco Gardin, CEO and Chairman of QBT, commented: "Our option-based reward policy, applied to all non-University key members of the R&D team is now in place. While we have awarded new options to those consultants who were engaged this year by the Company, we have also extended the terms for some of the options which have previously been allocated, while increasing the exercise price of part of them.

"The R&D team is very focused on its highly demanding challenge of improving the core SHA-256 performance, which the Bitcoin industry has been trying to address for the last ten years. Awarding options to the key researchers of our R&D team is not a further motivational element, but the acknowledgment of their contribution and the sharing of the large potential rewards."

For further information please contact:

Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc
Francesco Gardin, CEO and Executive Chairman [phone]

SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nominated Adviser & Broker)
Jeff Keating [phone]
Kasia Brzozowska

Leander (Financial PR)
Christian Taylor-Wilkinson [phone]

About Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc

QBT (AIM: QBT) is an AIM listed investment company which has recently realigned its strategic focus to technology related investments, with special regard to Quantum computing, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and AI sectors. The Company has commenced an aggressive R&D and investment programme in the dynamic world of Blockchain Technology, which includes cryptocurrency mining and other advanced blockchain applications.

NOTIFICATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF TRANSACTIONS BY PERSONS DISCHARGING MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND PERSONS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THEM:

1.

Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated

a)

Name:

A: Peter Fuhrman
B: Mark Trafeli

2.

Reason for the notification

a)

Position/status:

A: Non-Executive Director
B: Non-Executive Director

b)

Initial notification/Amendment:

Initial notification

3.

Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor

a)

Name:

Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc

b)

LEI:

213800FC5DEC582CRZ89

4.

Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted.

a)

Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument:
Identification code:

Ordinary shares of 0.25p each or rights to these
ISIN: GB00B50P5B53

b)

Nature of the transaction:

Grant of Options over Ordinary Shares

c)

Price(s) and volume(s):

A:

Price(s)	Volume(s)
5p 10p B:	2,500,000 2,500,000
Price(s)	Volume(s)
5p	2,500,000

d)

Aggregated information:
Aggregated volume:
Price:

7,500,000

Price(s)	Volume(s)
5p 10p	5,000,000 2,500,000

e)

Date of the transaction:

13 December 2022

f)

Place of the transaction:

Outside of a trading venue