AlphaTON Capital Submits Strategic Offer to Acquire Majority Stake in Forbes Media Holdings

Rhea-AI Summary

AlphaTON Capital (Nasdaq: ATON) submitted a Letter of Intent on Nov 24, 2025 to acquire a 51% controlling interest in Forbes Media Holdings (FMH) via a two-phase plan. AlphaTON plans to integrate Forbes into its AlphaTON Media arm, leverage Forbes’ archive for licensed AI/LLM training data, encrypt content on the TON blockchain, and combine the asset with a separate LOI to acquire Blockchain Wire to create a verified digital-asset news organization.

Phase 1 contemplates payment in USD or USD stablecoin; Phase 2 would consider the remaining shares after closing Phase 1.

Positive

• 51% controlling stake proposed in Forbes Media Holdings
• AI/LLM licensing plan leveraging Forbes’ proprietary content archive
• Blockchain encryption of legacy and future Forbes content on TON
• Integration with AlphaTON Media and LOI for Blockchain Wire

Negative

• Transaction is conditional and structured in a two-phase acquisition
• Phase 1 payment may be made in USD or USD stablecoin
• Phase 2 acquisition of remaining shares is subject to closing

Insights

Corporate M&A Strategist

AlphaTON submitted an LOI to buy a 51% stake in Forbes, aiming to combine Forbes content with blockchain-based verification and AI licensing.

Business mechanism: The proposal outlines a two‑phase purchase where AlphaTON would first acquire 51% of Forbes Media Holdings and later consider the remaining shares. Payment may be in USD or a USD stablecoin. The stated plan is to encrypt Forbes’ legacy and future content on the TON blockchain, license that content to train LLMs, and integrate Forbes into AlphaTON’s media arm alongside a proposed acquisition of Blockchain Wire.

Dependencies and risks: Realizing the stated benefits depends strictly on closing the LOI conditions, executing secure content encryption and licensing processes, and integrating legacy media operations with blockchain infrastructure. Important operational risks include content rights and licensing scope, payment and regulatory terms tied to USD vs stablecoin settlement, and the technical work to make archived content verifiable and machine‑readable without altering provenance.

Concrete items to watch and timing: Key near‑term milestones are LOI due‑diligence outcomes and closing of Phase 1 (the 51% acquisition). Also monitor contractual clarity on payment currency, specific licensing rights granted for LLM training, and any announced timelines for content encryption and integration with the TON blockchain; expect these items to surface during the due‑diligence and signing phases over the coming months.

Offer aims to leverage the brand for verified AI data licensing, verifiable and accurate financial news, and anchor a new global digital assets news organization.

New York, NY, Nov. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AlphaTON Capital (Nasdaq: ATON), a specialized digital asset technology company focused on the Telegram ecosystem, today announced that it has submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire a 51% controlling interest in Forbes Media Holdings (FMH). The proposed acquisition is part of AlphaTON’s broader strategy to build a verified, immutable media ecosystem resilient to the challenges of the AI era.

The offer outlines a two-phase acquisition strategy designed to build on the Forbes brand and integrate it into AlphaTON’s growing media arm, which recently announced its intention to acquire Blockchain Wire.

Strategic Rationale

AlphaTON Capital’s offer is driven by four key strategic pillars designed to build on the legacy media giant:

1. Building on a Major News Brand: Forbes is one of the world's most recognizable media and licensing brands. AlphaTON views FMH as the ideal cornerstone for a modern media empire that combines legacy prestige with Web3 innovation.
2. Licensing for AI and LLMs: As demand for high-quality, verified data to train Large Language Models (LLMs) skyrockets, Forbes’ extensive archive of proprietary content represents a significant, underutilized asset. AlphaTON plans to leverage blockchain technology to license this data securely and transparently and encrypt all of Forbes’ legacy and future content on the TON blockchain, and feed LLMs running on Telegram’s Cocoon AI network.
3. Creating a Digital Asset News Powerhouse: The acquisition would position Forbes as the premier international organization for honest, data-driven business news, with a specialized focus on digital assets and cryptocurrency markets—a sector currently underserved by traditional legacy media.
4. Synergy with AlphaTON Media: The move aligns perfectly with the company’s AlphaTON Media arm. By integrating Forbes with the recently announced LOI to acquire Blockchain Wire, AlphaTON aims to use blockchain technology to provide immutable, verified sources for content. This "proof of truth" approach is intended to combat disinformation and deepfakes in an increasingly AI-generated news cycle.

Management Commentary

“We believe that Forbes is a key component of our media approach,” said Brittany Kaiser, CEO of AlphaTON Capital. “In an era of disinformation and AI-generated noise, the world needs a source of truth that is both trusted and technologically verified. By combining Forbes’ legendary brand equity with our blockchain-based verification technologies, we can pioneer a new model for media integrity.

”The current state of financial data infrastructure suffers from inaccuracy. Despite AlphaTON Capital (ATON) having issued numerous press releases and SEC filings with updated information, we persistently observe errors and outdated details concerning our company's sector, board members, and other specifics across various financial news outlets and brokerage firms. AlphaTON Capital's Chairman and CIO, Enzo Villani, stated, "Our vision is to leverage the Forbes acquisition to establish a 'gold standard' for verified financial journalism and data. We plan to utilize blockchain technology to guarantee the accurate and immutable provenance of every article and all information related to a listed company, thereby creating a high-integrity data source essential for the future of AI."

“Forbes is one of the most powerful global media brands of the past 50 years,” said Michael Terpin, board director at AlphaTON Capital. As media increasingly relies upon data and distribution, our ability to connect the brand with more than one billion users of Telegram and tokenize many of its assets will be a winning combination.”

Transaction Structure

Subject to the satisfaction of conditions described in the LOI, AlphaTON proposes a two-phase acquisition:

• Phase 1: AlphaTON Capital would acquire 51% of the issued and outstanding equity interest in FMH and its subsidiaries. Payment would be made in United States Dollars (USD) or USD Stablecoin.
• Phase 2: Subject to the successful closing of Phase 1, AlphaTON would consider acquiring the remaining percentage of issued and outstanding shares of FMH equity.

About AlphaTON Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: ATON)

AlphaTON Capital is a specialized digital asset company focused on developing the Telegram ecosystem and managing a strategic reserve of TON tokens. The Company implements a comprehensive M&A and treasury strategy that combines direct token acquisition, validator operations, and strategic ecosystem investments to generate sustainable returns for shareholders. Through its operations, AlphaTON Capital provides public market investors with institutional-grade exposure to the TON ecosystem and Telegram's billion user platform while maintaining the governance standards and reporting transparency of a Nasdaq-listed company. Led by Chief Executive Officer Brittany Kaiser, Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer Enzo Villani, and Chief Business Development Officer Yury Mitin, the Company's activities span network validation and staking operations, development of Telegram-based applications, and strategic investments in TON-based decentralized finance protocols, gaming platforms, and business applications.

AlphaTON Capital Corp is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "ATON". AlphaTON Capital, through its legacy business, is also advancing potentially first-in-class therapies that target known checkpoint resistance pathways to potentially achieve durable treatment response and improve quality of life for patients. AlphaTON Capital actively engages in the drug development process and provides strategic counsel to guide development of novel immunotherapy assets and asset combinations. To learn more, please visit https://alphatoncapital.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or AlphaTON's future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the development and adoption of AI technologies, cryptocurrency market volatility, regulatory developments, technical challenges in infrastructure deployment, and general economic conditions. AlphaTON undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Investor Relations:
AlphaTON Capital Corp
AlphaTON@icrinc.com
(203) 682-8200

Media Inquiries:
Richard Laermer
RLM PR
AlphaTON@rlmpr.com
(212) 741-5106 X 216

Richard Laermer
AlphaTON (at) rlmpr.com

FAQ

What did AlphaTON Capital announce about Forbes on November 24, 2025 (ATON)?

AlphaTON submitted an LOI to acquire a 51% controlling interest in Forbes Media Holdings.

How will AlphaTON use Forbes’ content for AI and LLMs (ATON)?

AlphaTON plans to license Forbes’ archive, encrypt content on the TON blockchain, and feed LLMs via its network.

What is the proposed payment method for AlphaTON’s Forbes acquisition (ATON)?

Phase 1 payment would be made in USD or USD stablecoin, per the LOI.

Does AlphaTON plan to buy all of Forbes immediately (ATON)?

No; the LOI outlines a two-phase approach: 51% in Phase 1, with the remainder considered after closing.

How does the Forbes LOI relate to AlphaTON’s other media plans (ATON)?

AlphaTON intends to integrate Forbes with its media arm and a separate LOI to acquire Blockchain Wire.

What is the strategic goal of AlphaTON’s proposed Forbes acquisition (ATON)?

To create a verified, blockchain-backed, data-driven global digital-asset news organization and licensed data source for AI.