REG - Astrid Intelligence - Acquisition of TaoFi Infrastructure

Astrid IntelligenceAnnouncement

20/01/2026 07:00

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RNS Number : 4690P  Astrid Intelligence PLC  20 January 2026

20/01/2026

Astrid Intelligence PLC

("Astrid" or the "Company")

Operational Update: Acquisition of TaoFi Infrastructure

Astrid Intelligence PLC (AQSE: ASTR), an operating company focused on
decentralised artificial intelligence and blockchain infrastructure, is
pleased to announce that it has acquired TaoFi ("Acquisition"), a
decentralised exchange and liquidity infrastructure platform operating within
the Bittensor ecosystem from Subnet 10.

Strategic Rationale

Astrid's strategy is to own and operate critical infrastructure that supports
the functioning, growth and usability of decentralised AI networks. TaoFi
provides core transactional and liquidity services that are essential to the
operation of the Bittensor ecosystem, particularly within the Bittensor EVM
environment (Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility, which allows developers
to deploy and interact with Ethereum smart contracts on the Bittensor
platform, enabling the execution of standard Ethereum-compatible
applications).

TaoFi allows digital asset participants to "bridge" their USDC stablecoins
from the Ethereum ecosystem over to the Bittensor ecosystem and vice versa.
The Acquisition, therefore, expands Astrid's infrastructure footprint and
strengthens its position as an operator of protocol-level services rather than
a passive participant in digital asset markets.

As digital asset awareness and interest grow, TaoFi is expected to provide a
key infrastructure to enable increasing volumes moving in and out of Bittensor
and therefore revenue for Astrid.

Operational Positioning and Integration

Following the acquisition, TaoFi will be renamed as Astrid Bridge and operated
as part of Astrid's growing suite of decentralised infrastructure assets.
TaoFi's core functionality will be made available under Astrid's operational
umbrella at:

https://astrid.taofi.com (https://astrid.taofi.com)

The platform currently supports the following infrastructure services:

-     Token exchange: enabling users to buy and sell TAO on the Bittensor
EVM Liquidity provisioning: enabling users to contribute liquidity to the TAO
/ USDC pool.

-     Bridging services: enabling the transfer of USDC to and from the
Bittensor EVM.

These services form part of Astrid's broader objective to improve
accessibility, liquidity, usage and usability across decentralised AI
networks.

As part of the integration process, Astrid will streamline TaoFi's feature set
to focus on its core infrastructure services.  Accordingly, TaoFi's lending
functionality and cross-chain subnet features will be demised and users with
existing lending, borrowing or cross-chain subnet positions are advised to
close these positions within 30 days. While the relevant smart contracts will
remain deployed on-chain, platform support for these features will not be
provided beyond this transition period.

This is a minor acquisition, with the consideration paid in TAO tokens from
the Company's existing reserves.

Subnet 10 Update

Following the acquisition, Subnet 10 will no longer form part of the TaoFi
platform. Liquidity providers to the TAO / USDC pool will continue to interact
with the pool via TaoFi's infrastructure and will continue to receive
protocol-level incentives in accordance with the underlying network rules.

Mark Creaser, CEO of Astrid commented:

"The acquisition of TaoFi represents a further step in Astrid's transition
into an infrastructure-led operating company, with an expanding portfolio of
protocol-critical assets that enable decentralised AI networks to function
efficiently and at scale."

Further updates will be provided as the integration progresses.

For further information please contact:

 Astrid Intelligence
 Olivia Edwards                           via First Sentinel
 First Sentinel Corporate Finance (FSCF)
 Corporate Advisor

 Brian Stockbridge                        +44 7858 888 007
 Oak Securities
 Corporate Broker                         +44 20 3973 3678 / +44 7432 270 007

 Jerry Keen / Calvin Man                  jerry.keen@oak-securities.com

                                          calvin.man@oak-securities.com

 

About Astrid Intelligence PLC

Astrid is a UK-headquartered decentralised artificial intelligence company
developing and operating autonomous AI systems. The Company operates a
dedicated subnet within the Bittensor decentralised AI ecosystem, an
open-source platform where participants contribute computing power, data and
models in return for TAO emissions. Astrid's digital asset holdings are
generated primarily through network participation and support the Company's
ongoing operations and long-term capital resilience.

For more information, visit www.astrid.global (http://www.astrid.global/)

Important Notice

There are special risks that the holding of cryptocurrencies present to the
Company's financial position. These risks include (but are not limited to):
(i) the value of cryptocurrencies can be highly volatile, with value dropping
as quickly as it can rise; (ii) the cryptocurrencies market is largely
unregulated; (iii) there is a risk of losing money due to risks such as
cyber-attacks, financial crime and counterparty failure; and (iv) the Company
may not be able to sell its cryptocurrencies at will.

 

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