Mr. Jonathan Awde reports

GOLD STANDARD INTERSECTS 126.2M OF 3.95 G AU/T AT NORTH DARK STAR OXIDE GOLD DEPOSIT, CARLIN TREND NEVADA

Gold Standard Ventures Corp. has released assay results from the first three step-out core holes at the recently discovered North Dark Star oxide gold deposit on its 100-per-cent-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion project in Nevada's Carlin trend. The results significantly increase the size of the North Dark Star deposit while also enhancing its prospective grade and establishing the orientation of a favourable trend supporting the potential for further expansion of the higher-grade zone.

The primary objective of this year's drill program at North Dark Star was to find a continuation of the high-grade zone discovered in core hole DS15-13 (15.4 metres of 1.85 grams per tonne gold and 97.0 m of 1.61 g/t Au) at the end of last year's drill program (see Jan. 21, 2016, news release). DS16-08, located 100 m south of DS15-13, returned multiple, significant, oxidized intercepts containing gold values above the cut-off grade established in the Dark Star National Instrument 43-101 resource estimate announced on March 3, 2015 (see news release). DS16-08 returned a 126.2 m section grading 3.95 g/t Au, including higher-grade intervals of 44.0 m of 4.70 g/t Au, 17.9 m of 5.6 g/t Au and 7.9 m of 10.7 g/t Au (please visit the company's website to see section maps and a drill plan).

Jonathan Awde, chief executive officer and director of Gold Standard, commented: "North Dark Star is continuing to exceed our expectations and is becoming a major Nevada (Carlin) gold discovery. With these first few holes, we have successfully found the orientation of the thick, high-grade mineralized zone discovered last year. We will now be focusing more of our current drill program on the North Dark Star area while also enhancing access so we can extend the drill season as late as possible. Near-surface, oxide deposits with these grades clearly have outstanding economic potential."

A conference call will be held by the company tomorrow (Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016) at 11 a.m. PT to discuss today's release and the continuing exploration program at Railroad-Pinion. Dial-in numbers are provided at the end of this press release.

Key North Dark Star highlights:

• DS16-08 intersected a thick, vertically extensive, oxidized intercept of 126.2 m of 3.95 g/t Au approximately 100 m south of discovery hole DS15-13. Mineralization occurs in decalcified, variably silicified, pervasively oxidized and collapse brecciated debris flow conglomerate, bioclastic limestone, calcarenite, calcareous sandstone and silty limestone (visit the company's website for pictures of core). Oriented core measurements from this hole confirm that the favourable Pennsylvanian-Permian carbonate stratigraphy hosting this mineralization has a northerly strike and is moderately to steeply dipping to the west. Mineralization in DS16-08 comes to within 90 m of surface and is open in multiple directions. True widths are estimated at 70 to 90 per cent of drilled thicknesses.
• DS16-05, located approximately 50 m north of DS15-13, intersected multiple zones of oxidized mineralization, including 24.1 m of 1.28 g/t Au.
• DS16-02, located approximately 70 m to the east and updip from DS15-13, intersected multiple near-surface zones of oxidized mineralization, including 23.2 m of 0.72 g/t Au. All of the DS16-02 gold intercepts are less than 50 m below the topographic surface. True widths are estimated at 70 to 90 per cent of drilled thicknesses.

North Dark Star drill results are as shown in the table.

             NORTH DARK STAR DRILL RESULTS

Drill hole       Intercept      Thickness          Au
                        (m)            (m)       (g/t)

DS16-02          11.0-13.4            1.5        0.15
                 33.5-37.5            4.0        0.45
                 42.8-52.1            9.3        0.50
               100.0-102.0            2.0        0.18
               107.9-131.1           23.2        0.72
Including      123.4-128.0            4.6        1.80
DS16-05            3.6-4.8            1.2        0.17
                  7.3-10.6            3.3        0.19
                 32.3-34.0            1.7        0.17
                 38.6-44.5            5.9        0.18
                 49.1-50.6            1.5        0.16
                 53.0-55.7            2.7        0.17
                 67.4-71.9            4.5        0.25
                 78.5-81.4            2.9        0.16
                 86.0-97.4           11.4        0.21
               177.4-182.6            5.2        0.20
               187.4-189.1            1.7        0.15
               197.2-200.3            3.1        0.17
               216.5-218.9            2.4        0.44
               225.6-249.7           24.1        1.28
               255.5-258.2            2.7        0.38
DS16-08          76.3-76.8            0.5        0.30
                 89.0-93.0            4.0        0.23
               100.9-107.3            6.4        0.46
               110.1-112.5            2.4        0.47
               114.0-135.3           21.3        0.67
               147.8-154.4            6.6        0.16
               157.2-159.6            2.4        0.22
               165.2-291.4          126.2        3.95
Including      179.6-223.6           44.0        4.70
Including      247.0-264.9           17.9        5.60
Including      275.0-282.9            7.9        10.7
               334.4-338.7            4.3        0.45
               349.7-355.8            6.1        0.43
               359.1-362.5            3.4        0.20

(i) Gold intervals reported in this table were 
calculated using a 0.14 g/t Au cut-off. Weighted 
averaging has been used to calculate all reported 
intervals. True widths are estimated at 70 to 90 per 
cent of drilled thicknesses.

Mac Jackson, Gold Standard's vice-president of exploration, stated: "The outstanding oxide intercept in DS16-08 is nearly triple the grade times thickness of last year's discovery hole. It clearly demonstrates the strength and potential of the Carlin-style gold system at North Dark Star. In the bigger, regional picture, North Dark Star is strategically located where the Carlin trend intersects a north-trending belt of permeable Penn-Perm carbonate rocks, an excellent host for gold deposits. With these results in our initial offset holes, we are confident there is more gold to be found at North Dark Star and throughout our large, 115-square-kilometre Railroad-Pinion property on the Carlin trend."

Mr. Awde and Mr. Jackson will host a conference call and webcast with analysts and investors to review the drill results on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, at 11 a.m. PT. A live slide presentation will be available for viewing during the call.

Conference call

To participate in this conference call, please dial the following number approximately 10 minutes prior to the starting time:

Local/international:  416-640-5946

North American toll-free:  1-866-233-4585

Webcast

A webcast presentation will also be available for viewing in conjunction with the conference call.

Callers can alternatively refer to the newly posted slides on Gold Standard's website that will be referenced during the meeting.

For those unable to listen live, the webcast will remain available for one year following the call.

Sampling methodology, chain of custody, quality assurance and quality control

All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the company's project geologists and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. A blank or certified reference material was inserted approximately every 10th sample. The North Dark Star core samples were delivered to Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories preparation facility in Elko, Nev. The samples are crushed, pulverized and sample pulps are shipped to Bureau Veritas certified laboratory in Sparks, Nev., or Vancouver, B.C. Pulps are digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30-gram split. Overlimit gold assays were determined using a fire assay fusion with a gravimetric finish on a 30-gram split. All other elements are determined by ICP analysis. Data verification of the analytical results includes a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to ensure accurate and verifiable results.

Drill hole deviation is measured by a gyroscopic downhole survey that has been completed on all holes by International Directional Services of Elko, Nev. Final collar locations are surveyed by differential GPS by Apex Surveying LLC of Spring Creek, Nev.

The scientific and technical content and interpretations contained in this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Steven R. Koehler, Gold Standard's manager of projects, BSc, geology, CPG-10216, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

We seek Safe Harbor.