{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"155853","rtpr_id":"nGNX2b4mnQ-20260929","ticker":"AREC","exchange":"NASDAQ","all_tickers":["AREC","RMCO"],"title":"AstraBit Adds Institutional Markets and Digital-Asset Leaders Lisa Wade and Josh Hawes to its Advisory Board","author":"Globe Newswire","published_at":"2026-09-29T17:40:00.095Z","article_body":"Dover, DE, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AstraBit (https://astrabit.io/),\na Veteran-owned and operated U.S. broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a\nFINRA member firm, announced today the appointment of Lisa Wade and Josh Hawes\nto its Strategic Advisory Board. Wade and Hawes join John Buckley, the former\nCo-Chief Operating Officer and Head of Exchange Operations at the Hong Kong\nStock Exchange.\n\nAstraBit’s Strategic Advisory Board members bring distinct vantage points:\nBuckley from exchange operations and Asia-Pacific market structure, Wade from\ndigital asset markets and central bank infrastructure, and Hawes from\nsystematic trading, capital formation, and public-company governance.\n\nThe Board advises AstraBit on trading infrastructure, risk oversight,\nregulatory alignment, and international expansion. Their guidance supports\nAstraBit's mission to bridge traditional finance and decentralized ecosystems\nby providing reliable, secure trading solutions for retail and institutional\nusers.\n\nLisa Wade\n\nLisa Wade brings three decades of experience across global trading floors,\ninstitutional banking, funds management, and digital assets. She is the\nManaging Director of Change Investment Management, the thematic funds\nmanagement firm she co-founded in 2009. Previously, she served as Chief\nExecutive Officer of DigitalX Limited (ASX: DCC) and as Head of Digital\nInnovation and Sustainability at National Australia Bank.\n\nDuring her time at NAB, Wade led Project Atom, the Reserve Bank of\nAustralia’s central bank digital currency pilot, and Project Carbon, a\nglobal alliance focused on tokenizing voluntary carbon credits involving NAB,\nCIBC, and NatWest, now Carbon Placet. Earlier in her career, she spent nine\nyears as a Director at Citigroup, specializing in arbitrage, derivatives, and\nequities trading. She also co-created RARI, Australia’s first\nresponsible-investment ETF.\n\nWade serves in an advisory capacity to the DFCRC Venture Fund and is a\nDirector on ASX Subsidiary Clearing and Settlement Boards. She previously\nserved as Co-Chair of the Digital Economy Council of Australia (DECA) for five\nyears, concluding her term in December 2025. In 2024, she was named Australian\nFintech Female of the Year. She is on the Board of Assetora and WhiteHawk\nLtd. \n\n“AstraBit is building the infrastructure that can make digital asset markets\nmore accessible and usable for institutional participants—not only for\ncrypto-native users,” said Wade. “I look forward to supporting the team as\nit continues to scale.”\n\nJosh Hawes\n\nJosh Hawes brings over two decades of experience spanning systematic trading,\nquantitative risk architecture, investment banking, and public company\ngovernance. He is the Founder and CEO of Aegis Guild Capital and serves as\nChairman of the Board of Royalty Management Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:\nRMCO), as well as independent director and Audit Committee Chair for American\nResources Corporation (NASDAQ: AREC), alongside board roles across several\nprivate enterprises.\n\nHawes’ capital markets background centers on quantitative strategy design\nand algorithmic execution across global equities, futures, commodities, and\nfixed income. Throughout his career, including managing systematic investment\nfunds and co-founding the securities-lending platform Delta1X at\nbroker-dealer Drexel Hamilton, he has engineered proprietary\nmodels, automated trading infrastructure, and institutional risk-transfer\nsolutions across domestic and international venues.\n\nComplementing his quantitative background, Hawes brings deep corporate finance\nand transaction experience. He served as lead investment banker for USA Rare\nEarth at Four Points Capital Partners before joining the executive team as\nChief Strategy Officer, where he helped shape the U.S. critical minerals\nsupply chain solution. He holds an engineering degree from Auburn University\nand continues his advanced executive education across institutions\nincluding Harvard, MIT, and Cambridge.\n\n“Every maturing asset class follows the same trajectory:\nfragmentation eventually gives way to institutional demand for transparent\nexecution, robust risk architecture, and enterprise-grade infrastructure,”\nHawes said. “Digital assets have crossed that threshold. AstraBit is\nbuilding the deterministic trading rails and controls that institutional\ncapital actually requires to scale.”\n\nAbout AstraBit\n\nAstraBit is a digital-first fintech firm building trading and portfolio\ninfrastructure for digital asset markets. AstraBit operates through CPT\nCapital LLC, a U.S. broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a FINRA member\nfirm (CRD #331540). For more information, visit astrabit.io or FINRA\nBrokerCheck at brokercheck.finra.org\n(https://brokercheck.finra.org/firm/summary/331540).This communication is\ninformational only and is not an offer to buy or sell any security or digital\nasset, or investment advice.\n\nPress Inquiries\n\nCam Paulding\n marketing@astrabit.io\n 9177014697\n https://astrabit.io\n\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a2a332c-a496-4717-8374-b5cb29522577)\n\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nGNX2b4mnQ-20260929","title":"AstraBit Adds Institutional Markets and Digital-Asset Leaders Lisa Wade and Josh Hawes to its Advisory Board","author":"Globe Newswire","ticker":"AREC","created":"2026-09-29T17:40:00.095Z","tickers":["AREC","RMCO"],"exchange":"NASDAQ","article_body":"Dover, DE, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AstraBit (https://astrabit.io/),\na Veteran-owned and operated U.S. broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a\nFINRA member firm, announced today the appointment of Lisa Wade and Josh Hawes\nto its Strategic Advisory Board. Wade and Hawes join John Buckley, the former\nCo-Chief Operating Officer and Head of Exchange Operations at the Hong Kong\nStock Exchange.\n\nAstraBit’s Strategic Advisory Board members bring distinct vantage points:\nBuckley from exchange operations and Asia-Pacific market structure, Wade from\ndigital asset markets and central bank infrastructure, and Hawes from\nsystematic trading, capital formation, and public-company governance.\n\nThe Board advises AstraBit on trading infrastructure, risk oversight,\nregulatory alignment, and international expansion. Their guidance supports\nAstraBit's mission to bridge traditional finance and decentralized ecosystems\nby providing reliable, secure trading solutions for retail and institutional\nusers.\n\nLisa Wade\n\nLisa Wade brings three decades of experience across global trading floors,\ninstitutional banking, funds management, and digital assets. She is the\nManaging Director of Change Investment Management, the thematic funds\nmanagement firm she co-founded in 2009. Previously, she served as Chief\nExecutive Officer of DigitalX Limited (ASX: DCC) and as Head of Digital\nInnovation and Sustainability at National Australia Bank.\n\nDuring her time at NAB, Wade led Project Atom, the Reserve Bank of\nAustralia’s central bank digital currency pilot, and Project Carbon, a\nglobal alliance focused on tokenizing voluntary carbon credits involving NAB,\nCIBC, and NatWest, now Carbon Placet. Earlier in her career, she spent nine\nyears as a Director at Citigroup, specializing in arbitrage, derivatives, and\nequities trading. She also co-created RARI, Australia’s first\nresponsible-investment ETF.\n\nWade serves in an advisory capacity to the DFCRC Venture Fund and is a\nDirector on ASX Subsidiary Clearing and Settlement Boards. She previously\nserved as Co-Chair of the Digital Economy Council of Australia (DECA) for five\nyears, concluding her term in December 2025. In 2024, she was named Australian\nFintech Female of the Year. She is on the Board of Assetora and WhiteHawk\nLtd. \n\n“AstraBit is building the infrastructure that can make digital asset markets\nmore accessible and usable for institutional participants—not only for\ncrypto-native users,” said Wade. “I look forward to supporting the team as\nit continues to scale.”\n\nJosh Hawes\n\nJosh Hawes brings over two decades of experience spanning systematic trading,\nquantitative risk architecture, investment banking, and public company\ngovernance. He is the Founder and CEO of Aegis Guild Capital and serves as\nChairman of the Board of Royalty Management Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:\nRMCO), as well as independent director and Audit Committee Chair for American\nResources Corporation (NASDAQ: AREC), alongside board roles across several\nprivate enterprises.\n\nHawes’ capital markets background centers on quantitative strategy design\nand algorithmic execution across global equities, futures, commodities, and\nfixed income. Throughout his career, including managing systematic investment\nfunds and co-founding the securities-lending platform Delta1X at\nbroker-dealer Drexel Hamilton, he has engineered proprietary\nmodels, automated trading infrastructure, and institutional risk-transfer\nsolutions across domestic and international venues.\n\nComplementing his quantitative background, Hawes brings deep corporate finance\nand transaction experience. He served as lead investment banker for USA Rare\nEarth at Four Points Capital Partners before joining the executive team as\nChief Strategy Officer, where he helped shape the U.S. critical minerals\nsupply chain solution. He holds an engineering degree from Auburn University\nand continues his advanced executive education across institutions\nincluding Harvard, MIT, and Cambridge.\n\n“Every maturing asset class follows the same trajectory:\nfragmentation eventually gives way to institutional demand for transparent\nexecution, robust risk architecture, and enterprise-grade infrastructure,”\nHawes said. “Digital assets have crossed that threshold. AstraBit is\nbuilding the deterministic trading rails and controls that institutional\ncapital actually requires to scale.”\n\nAbout AstraBit\n\nAstraBit is a digital-first fintech firm building trading and portfolio\ninfrastructure for digital asset markets. AstraBit operates through CPT\nCapital LLC, a U.S. broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a FINRA member\nfirm (CRD #331540). For more information, visit astrabit.io or FINRA\nBrokerCheck at brokercheck.finra.org\n(https://brokercheck.finra.org/firm/summary/331540).This communication is\ninformational only and is not an offer to buy or sell any security or digital\nasset, or investment advice.\n\nPress Inquiries\n\nCam Paulding\n marketing@astrabit.io\n 9177014697\n https://astrabit.io\n\n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a2a332c-a496-4717-8374-b5cb29522577)\n\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-09-29T17:40:00.136959097Z","server_sent_at_ms":1790703600136},"received_at":"2026-09-29T17:40:00.189Z","source_url":null},"analysis":{"id":"144571","press_release_id":"155853","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Metals & Mining","sector":"Materials"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"board_change","narrative":"AstraBit, an SEC-registered broker-dealer operating through CPT Capital LLC, announced the appointment of Lisa Wade and Josh Hawes to its Strategic Advisory Board.\n\nThe relevance to American Resources Corporation (AREC) is indirect: Josh Hawes, who serves as an independent director and Audit Committee Chair of AREC, is joining AstraBit's advisory board alongside his existing roles.\n\nThe advisory board will guide AstraBit on trading infrastructure, risk oversight, regulatory alignment, and international expansion as it bridges traditional finance and digital-asset markets.\n\nNo operational or financial changes at AREC were disclosed in this release.","sentiment":"neutral","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"AREC director Josh Hawes joins AstraBit's advisory board — peripheral governance news with no direct impact on AREC operations."},"keyFigures":{},"quotedText":"Digital assets have crossed that threshold. AstraBit is building the deterministic trading rails and controls that institutional capital actually requires to scale.","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Lisa Wade","role":"AstraBit Strategic Advisory Board member; Managing Director of Change Investment Management"},{"name":"Josh Hawes","role":"AstraBit Strategic Advisory Board member; independent director and Audit Committee Chair of American Resources Corporation"},{"name":"John Buckley","role":"AstraBit Strategic Advisory Board member; former Co-COO of Hong Kong Stock Exchange"},{"name":"Cam Paulding","role":"press contact"}],"products":["Delta1X","Project Atom","Project Carbon","RARI"],"companies":[{"name":"AstraBit","relationship":"announcer of advisory board appointments"},{"name":"American Resources Corporation","ticker":"AREC","relationship":"filer; Hawes serves as independent director and Audit Committee Chair"},{"name":"Royalty Management Holding Corporation","ticker":"RMCO","relationship":"Hawes serves as Chairman of the Board"},{"name":"Change Investment Management","relationship":"Wade's firm"},{"name":"DigitalX Limited","ticker":"DCC","relationship":"Wade's former CEO role"},{"name":"National Australia Bank","relationship":"Wade's former employer"},{"name":"Citigroup","relationship":"Wade's former employer"},{"name":"Aegis Guild Capital","relationship":"Hawes' firm"},{"name":"Drexel Hamilton","relationship":"broker-dealer where Hawes co-founded Delta1X"},{"name":"USA Rare Earth","relationship":"Hawes' former investment banking and executive role"},{"name":"CPT Capital LLC","relationship":"AstraBit's operating broker-dealer"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":1,"reasoning":"This is an advisory board appointment at AstraBit, a privately operated fintech/broker-dealer subsidiary-affiliated venture — not an operational, financial, or leadership change at the filer (American Resources Corporation, AREC). AREC's relevance is limited to Josh Hawes, an existing independent director and Audit Committee Chair of AREC, joining AstraBit's advisory board."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[{"ticker":"RMCO","relevance":"mentioned — Hawes is Chairman of RMCO"},{"ticker":"DCC","relevance":"mentioned — Wade is former CEO of DigitalX Limited"}],"primary":"AREC"},"globalImportance":10,"audienceRelevance":8,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"small-cap","eventGravity":"advisory-board appointment at a separate venture","issuerAuthored":true,"filerInvolvement":"indirect — filer's director joins external advisory board"}},"event_type":"board_change","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"neutral","material_impact_score":1,"narrative":"AstraBit, an SEC-registered broker-dealer operating through CPT Capital LLC, announced the appointment of Lisa Wade and Josh Hawes to its Strategic Advisory Board.\n\nThe relevance to American Resources Corporation (AREC) is indirect: Josh Hawes, who serves as an independent director and Audit Committee Chair of AREC, is joining AstraBit's advisory board alongside his existing roles.\n\nThe advisory board will guide AstraBit on trading infrastructure, risk oversight, regulatory alignment, and international expansion as it bridges traditional finance and digital-asset markets.\n\nNo operational or financial changes at AREC were disclosed in this release.","key_figures":{},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Lisa Wade","role":"AstraBit Strategic Advisory Board member; Managing Director of Change Investment Management"},{"name":"Josh Hawes","role":"AstraBit Strategic Advisory Board member; independent director and Audit Committee Chair of American Resources Corporation"},{"name":"John Buckley","role":"AstraBit Strategic Advisory Board member; former Co-COO of Hong Kong Stock Exchange"},{"name":"Cam Paulding","role":"press contact"}],"products":["Delta1X","Project Atom","Project Carbon","RARI"],"companies":[{"name":"AstraBit","relationship":"announcer of advisory board appointments"},{"name":"American Resources Corporation","ticker":"AREC","relationship":"filer; Hawes serves as independent director and Audit Committee Chair"},{"name":"Royalty Management Holding Corporation","ticker":"RMCO","relationship":"Hawes serves as Chairman of the Board"},{"name":"Change Investment Management","relationship":"Wade's firm"},{"name":"DigitalX Limited","ticker":"DCC","relationship":"Wade's former CEO role"},{"name":"National Australia Bank","relationship":"Wade's former employer"},{"name":"Citigroup","relationship":"Wade's former employer"},{"name":"Aegis Guild Capital","relationship":"Hawes' firm"},{"name":"Drexel Hamilton","relationship":"broker-dealer where Hawes co-founded Delta1X"},{"name":"USA Rare Earth","relationship":"Hawes' former investment banking and executive role"},{"name":"CPT Capital LLC","relationship":"AstraBit's operating broker-dealer"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-5.3-flashx","prompt_hash":"sha256:727b4b9429a443af","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-09-29T17:40:07.750Z","global_importance":10,"audience_relevance":8,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"small-cap","eventGravity":"advisory-board appointment at a separate venture","issuerAuthored":true,"filerInvolvement":"indirect — filer's director joins external advisory board"}},"durationMs":7496,"modelName":"glm-5.3-flashx"}}