• AI-agents now actively being developed and tested to manage core functions across LQWD's Lightning infrastructure optimizing liquidity, routing, fee generation, and settlement at global, internet scale.

• SaturnZap: a purpose-built wallet enabling AI-agents to autonomously send, receive, and manage Lightning payments.

• LQWD will share additional details on its agentic roadmap during a keynote presentation by Shone Anstey, Founder and CEO, at the Bitcoin 2026 Conference in Las Vegas on April 27, 2026 (10:12 a.m. PST, Enterprise Stage).

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 23, 2026) - LQWD Technologies Corp. (TSXV: LQWD) (OTCQX: LQWDF) ("LQWD" or the "Company"), a Bitcoin-backed company and operator of enterprise-grade, internet-scale payment infrastructure, today announces a major advancement in its evolution toward fully automated, agent-operated Lightning Network infrastructure.

This milestone marks LQWD's transition and leadership position from enabling machine-to-machine payments to actively operating the infrastructure that powers them. As machine-initiated commerce accelerates, LQWD is positioning its network as foundational payment infrastructure for the rapidly emerging AI-agent economy.

"While much of the industry is still theorizing about what AI-agents might do on Lightning, LQWD is already executing, our agents are running the network today," said Shone Anstey, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of LQWD.

"Our autonomous, AI driven platform continuously optimizes liquidity and rebalances across 18 nodes, 15+ global regions, and thousands of channels in real time. With SaturnZap, LQWD provides agents with a production-grade wallet for seamless transactions. This is the agentic Lightning era, fully operated by software."

According to MarketsandMarkets, the global AI agent market is estimated at approximately $7-8 billion in 2025. Gartner projects AI agents will be embedded in 40% of enterprise applications by 2026, up from less than 5% in 2025. As autonomous software systems begin to transact independently, network effect demand is expected for programmable, real-time payment infrastructure such as the Lightning Network.

What LQWD has Live Today

• SaturnZap - LDK-based CLI wallet for AI agents

A Lightning Development Kit-based command-line wallet purpose-built to enable AI agents to autonomously send, receive, and manage Bitcoin payments over Lightning.

• Dedicated AI-agent Lightning node

A live node endpoint within LQWD's network, purpose-configured for AI agents to connect, route payments, and transact programmatically.

• Autonomous rebalancing and optimization

AI-driven systems are being introduced to manage thousands of channels across LQWD's 18-node network spanning 15+ global regions, continuously optimizing liquidity, routing efficiency, and fee generation in real time without human intervention.

• Machine-readable data layer (LQWD.ai)

Standardized CBOR and JSON data feeds enabling autonomous agents to discover nodes, assess channel capacity and latency, and negotiate routing and liquidity programmatically.

About LQWD Technologies Corp.

LQWD provides investors with unique exposure to both the long-term appreciation of Bitcoin and the emerging machine-to-machine economy powered by Lightning-based transactions. The Company positions Bitcoin not just as an asset, but as a global, monetizable network-accelerating its evolution from a store of value to a scalable payment system through the Lightning Network, a second-layer protocol enabling instant, low-cost transactions at internet scale.

With a strategic Bitcoin treasury deployed as productive network capital, and AI-driven infrastructure optimizing routing, liquidity, and performance, LQWD is positioned at the forefront of scalable, real-time, fee-generating Bitcoin payments.

LQWD Technologies Corp. is a Canadian-domiciled public company with offices in Vancouver, Canada, and Lugano, Switzerland. The Company has approximately 31.9 million shares outstanding and 42.7 million shares fully diluted and maintains a strong balance sheet with approximately 262 Bitcoin and no outstanding debt, convertible bonds, or debentures.

The Company's shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LQWD and on the OTCQX Market in the United States under the symbol LQWDF.

For more information, please visit LQWD's corporate presentation and connect with the Company's Lightning Network nodes in real time.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the Company's use of AI-based tools, anticipated benefits of such tools, the development and functionality of its infrastructure, and future plans and initiatives. Although the Company believes, considering the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no responsibility to update them or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/293959