Fortitude announces 15 MW Aurora, Nebraska Facility now participating in Southwest Power Pool Markets. Aurora Facility Participates in Southwest Power Pool Markets Through Dispatchable Demand Response, Supporting Grid Reliability Published on 10/29/2026 at 07:31 am EDT Business Wire Fortitude Mining Holdings, Inc. ("Fortitude" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated digital asset mining platform anchored in Zcash, today announced that its 15-megawatt (MW) facility in Aurora, Nebraska, is participating in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) wholesale electricity markets through Dispatchable Demand Response (DDR), representing another milestone in Fortitude's strategy to build and operate vertically integrated digital asset mining infrastructure with flexible power capabilities. Fortitude's Aurora, Nebraska Facility "A flexible power portfolio is central to our strategy for building and operating scalable, vertically integrated digital asset mining infrastructure," said Jaime Leverton, CEO of Fortitude. "Our Aurora Facility demonstrates how we can leverage flexible power capabilities to respond dynamically to grid conditions, support grid reliability, and optimize our operating economics. Participation in SPP markets is intended to strengthen our ability to manage power consumption strategically while creating additional operational flexibility. As we continue to expand our infrastructure portfolio, we believe this approach will be a key driver of capital efficiency, operational performance, and long-term competitive advantage." The Aurora Facility, served by Southern Public Power District (SPPD) through a wholesale supply agreement with Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), is designed to adjust its electricity usage in response to grid conditions and market signals, allowing for demand-side flexibility while supporting the efficient operation of its mining infrastructure. "Fortitude's Aurora Facility is a great example of how flexible electricity demand can benefit both our power system and the communities we serve," said Thomas Kent, CEO of Nebraska Public Power District. "The Facility's ability to operate at a consistent load while rapidly reducing consumption when grid conditions require it provides valuable flexibility without placing the same demands on the system as traditional, non-interruptible industrial loads. This partnership between Fortitude, our wholesale customer Southern Public Power District, and NPPD can help us better utilize existing generation resources, manage periods of peak demand, and support continued economic development in Nebraska. Fortitude and Southern have been great partners, and we look forward to building on this relationship." Fortitude's Flexible Power Strategy Fortitude's participation in SPP wholesale electricity markets reflects its strategy of leveraging flexible power capabilities to optimize operating economics, support grid reliability, and maximize infrastructure utilization. Through SPP's DDR framework, eligible electricity consumers can adjust power usage in response to dispatch instructions and market conditions. This flexibility enables large-scale electricity users to support regional grid balancing while creating opportunities to manage and optimize power costs. We believe digital asset mining is particularly well-suited to this model. Unlike traditional industrial operations that typically require continuous electricity consumption, mining facilities are typically designed to rapidly adjust electrical loads in response to power prices, grid demand, and market signals, providing valuable demand-side flexibility. Fortitude's Aurora Facility demonstrates this strategy in practice, integrating the Company's mining operations with regional power markets to enable more dynamic energy management. As Fortitude continues to seek to expand its power portfolio, the Company remains focused on leveraging flexible infrastructure and disciplined power management to drive operational efficiency, optimize energy costs, and strengthen its long-term competitive position. About Fortitude Fortitude, currently wholly-owned by Digital Currency Group ("DCG"), is an institutional-scale, vertically integrated venture mining platform operating across the Proof-of-Work ecosystem and anchored in Zcash. Fortitude pairs self-mining operations with an owned data center footprint, a diversified power portfolio backed by competitive long-term contracts, and disciplined capital allocation to identify and scale high-conviction opportunities in emerging Proof-of-Work ecosystems, beginning with its leadership position in the Zcash network. Fortitude is led by an experienced team of operators, capital markets professionals, and digital asset specialists with a track record of identifying and scaling high-conviction opportunities and building privacy-preserving digital asset infrastructure. In the ordinary course of business, Fortitude currently sells or otherwise monetizes all the digital assets that it mines, including ZEC. In addition, Fortitude and its affiliates and subsidiaries, including DCG, from time to time sell, pledge or otherwise monetize their digital asset holdings, including ZEC. The funds received from such sales, pledges, or other monetization activities are used to fund operating expenses and capital investments, as well as for other purposes, including to hedge exposures and realize investment gains. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as "expect," "plan," "will," "would," "believe," "intend," "potential," "may" and other words of similar meaning, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, its plans and expectations concerning the Aurora Facility's participation in the SPP markets, including stronger ability to manage power consumption strategically, creation of additional operational flexibility and other benefits, its expectations concerning the continued growth of its power portfolio and the expectation that the Proposed Transaction will bring Fortitude to the public markets. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including, without limitation, the following: the risk that the Proposed Transaction may not be completed on the anticipated timeline or at all; the failure to satisfy the conditions to the closing of the Proposed Transaction, including obtaining the requisite approval of the HeartSciences shareholders; market, macroeconomic, or other conditions that could adversely affect either HeartSciences or Fortitude, or the combined company; risks related to the integration of the two companies and the management of a newly public company; risks relating to Fortitude's operations and business, including the highly volatile nature of the price of Zcash and other cryptocurrencies; and risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding digital assets generally. Additional factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release are discussed in the definitive proxy statement filed on Schedule 14A by HeartSciences with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in connection with the Proposed Transaction on October 19, 2026 (the "Definitive Proxy Statement"), HeartSciences' 2026 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on July 23, 2026, HeartSciences' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2026, filed with the SEC on September 14, 2026, and other HeartSciences' reports filed with the SEC from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Each of HeartSciences and Fortitude expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. Additional Information About the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find It This press release may be deemed solicitation material in respect of the Proposed Transaction. In connection with the Proposed Transaction, HeartSciences has filed the Definitive Proxy Statement and may file additional relevant materials with SEC. HeartSciences is mailing the Definitive Proxy Statement and a proxy card to each shareholder entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the Proposed Transaction. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF HEARTSCIENCES ARE URGED TO READ THESE MATERIALS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION THAT HEARTSCIENCES HAS FILED OR MAY FILE WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HEARTSCIENCES AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONTAIN ALL THE INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR ANY INVESTMENT DECISION OR ANY OTHER DECISION IN RESPECT OF SUCH MATTERS. The Definitive Proxy Statement and other relevant materials in connection with the Proposed Transaction, and any other documents filed by HeartSciences with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and shareholders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC or by sending a request to the HeartSciences Investor Relations Department at [email protected]. Participants in the Solicitation HeartSciences and Fortitude, their respective directors and executive officers, and certain executive officers of DCG may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from HeartSciences' shareholders with respect to the Proposed Transaction. Information regarding the identity of the potential participants, and their direct or indirect interests in the Proposed Transaction, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in the Definitive Proxy Statement and other materials that have been or may be filed with the SEC in connection with the Proposed Transaction. No Offer or Solicitation This press release and the information contained herein is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, an offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer or invitation to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Proposed Transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Proposed Transaction will be implemented solely pursuant to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, which contain the full terms and conditions of the Proposed Transaction. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261028573389/en/ (C) Business Wire - 2026

Fortitude sold $8.3 million in borrowed Zcash to fund its mining expansion. Fortitude's dollar-repayable ZEC borrowing can finance expansion through coin sales, while additional machines compete for existing block rewards. Editor-in-Chief - CryptoSlate Oct. 16, 2026 Quick take. * 01 Fortitude reported selling borrowed ZEC for about $8.3 million before its October 5 announcement, with debt repayable in dollars. * 02 The 9,000-rig order schedules October and November shipments, separate from the nonbinding next-generation equipment plan. * 03 Additional mining work could dilute unchanged rivals' expected coin output after difficulty adjusts, without increasing scheduled per-block issuance. Zcash mining operator Fortitude Mining's expansion shows how investment in infrastructure can bring existing ZEC to market without requiring the miner to buy the token first. The company can receive ZEC through borrowing from its parent, Digital Currency Group, sell it for cash and owe dollars. That route has already produced a disclosed sale. In its October 5 announcement, Fortitude said it had received 5,790.4798 ZEC through a roughly $8.4 million draw the previous week, then liquidated those coins for about $8.3 million. The distinction matters during the company's scheduled October-November equipment shipment window. Financing can turn coins into equipment, and scheduled deliveries could add machines competing with existing miners for rewards. For ZEC holders and mining investors, those are separate consequences of the same expansion. From borrowed coins to mining capacity. Under the amended DCG facility, ZEC-funded loans are denominated and repayable in US dollars, with their value determined at transfer under the facility's terms. Fortitude therefore does not have to repurchase the same number of ZEC to satisfy that repayment obligation. Investment in Fortitude's mining capacity therefore need not create a fresh spot purchase by Fortitude. The next financing step was prospective. Fortitude said on October 5 that it planned a further $20 million draw, expected in ZEC, followed by liquidation to fund a refundable deposit for the separate next-generation equipment arrangement. The October 5 disclosure described those steps as plans. Two hardware timelines. The nearer capacity question concerns Fortitude's July 30 definitive agreement for 9,000 BITMAIN Antminer Z15 Pros, priced at $3,499 each, or approximately $31.5 million. The contract scheduled 3,000 units to ship in October and 6,000 in November. The contract's shipment timetable is not a count of operating machines. The capacity figures below model additional running equipment. BITMAIN's typical specifications put each Z15 Pro at 840 KSol/s, a measure of mining work, and 2,780 watts. Multiplying those ratings gives the first 3,000 machines 2.52 GSol/s of nameplate capacity and 8.34 megawatts of miner wall draw. All 9,000 would represent 7.56 GSol/s and 25.02 MW before additional site loads. Actual output depends on operating conditions and availability. The October 5 next-generation equipment arrangement is separate: an indicative, nonbinding commitment of up to $100 million, requiring a later binding agreement after specifications and pricing are released. Shipments were expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027. Revenue draws miners into competition. Hashrate Index's October 13 study helps explain the incentive to add machines. Using ZEC at $1,185, a 27.8-GSol/s network and electricity at 8 cents per kilowatt-hour, it estimated Z15 Pro revenue near $773 per megawatt-hour, versus about $135 for efficient Bitcoin fleets. A rented H100 graphics processor reached roughly $1,679 per MWh only at full rental utilization, using about 1.74 kilowatts of facility power per GPU. Rental utilization, capital costs and fees determine how such revenue comparisons translate into returns. For an updated illustration, assume a ZEC price of $1,236.60 and electricity at 8 cents per kWh. Use ZecStats' 30.2-GSol/s network estimate, timestamped October 16 at 08:09 UTC. Using those inputs, a stock Z15 Pro running continuously would earn an expected 0.04005 ZEC, or about $49.53, per target day from subsidy alone. Its typical 2.78-kilowatt draw costs about $5.34 daily, leaving $44.19 before other costs. The residual excludes pool and service fees, hardware and facility capital costs, and other operating expenses. The illustration assumes full uptime and excludes transaction fees. The two inputs can pull in opposite directions: a higher ZEC price raises dollar revenue for a given coin output, while more competing mining work reduces an unchanged machine's expected share of rewards. Future ZEC prices and competing mining work determine how long that incentive lasts. A smaller share of each block. Zcash's current total block subsidy is 1.5625 ZEC. Miners receive 1.25 ZEC, or 80%, plus transaction fees. Under the NU6.1 funding model, 8% goes to Zcash Community Grants and 12% to coinholder-controlled funding. At the 75-second target interval, the network would produce about 1,152 blocks per day, implying approximately 1,800 ZEC of total subsidy and 1,440 ZEC for miners. Those daily figures are target-derived estimates. Actual daily issuance varies with block production; the subsidy per block follows the protocol schedule. CryptoSlate's alternative scenarios begin at the October 16 estimate of 30.2 GSol/s. If additional machines join while every incumbent's mining work stays unchanged, an incumbent's expected subsidy output falls as its share of total work shrinks. | Alternative scenario | Additional nameplate work | Expected coin output of an unchanged existing miner | | No additional work | 0 GSol/s | Baseline | | 3,000 additional Z15 Pros | 2.52 GSol/s | About 7.7% below baseline | | 9,000 additional Z15 Pros in total | 7.56 GSol/s | About 20.0% below baseline | Both scenarios start from the same baseline and show expected output after difficulty adjusts. The 9,000-machine case includes the first 3,000. They assume full uptime, unchanged per-block subsidy, no other entries or exits and all added work outside the measured baseline. Machines already counted in the network estimate must not be added again. Fees are excluded. More Fortitude production would partly displace the expected rewards of competing fleets while per-block issuance remains governed by the protocol. A miner can face lower coin output even while a higher token price supports its dollar revenue. Fortitude says it currently sells or otherwise monetizes all the digital assets it mines. As its fleet expands, it may receive and monetize rewards that would otherwise have gone to competing miners. The next consequential disclosures are completed financing conversions, delivered machines and additional operating capacity. Article context Editorial credits. Editor-in-Chief - CryptoSlate Also known as "Akiba," Liam Wright is a reporter, podcast producer, and Editor-in-Chief at CryptoSlate. He believes that decentralized technology has the potential to make... AI Usage Disclaimer CryptoSlate may use AI tools to support research, editing, and production workflows. Our journalism remains human-led, with our editorial team responsible for every published article. Read our full AI usage disclaimer. 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