NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 20, 2026 / SMX (Security Matters) PLC (NASDAQ:SMX) is advancing a fundamental shift in the global economy, where material efficiency and validation are rapidly becoming as critical - and as valuable - as traditional financial capital.

In a world defined by rising energy costs, strained supply chains, and increasing regulatory pressure, the economics of production are changing. Extracting and processing virgin materials is becoming more expensive, more volatile, and less sustainable. At the same time, industries are under growing pressure to prove the origin, authenticity, and lifecycle of the materials they use.

The result is a new reality: materials themselves are no longer enough. What matters is knowing exactly what those materials are, where they came from, and how efficiently they can be reused.

That knowledge - validated, verified, and traceable - has become a new form of currency.

SMX is at the center of this transformation. Through its advanced molecular marking and digital tracking technology, SMX enables materials to carry a persistent, verifiable identity across their entire lifecycle. From plastics and textiles to metals, fuels, and chemicals, materials can now be authenticated, tracked, and measured in real time.

This capability is redefining value across industries.

Manufacturers are no longer just purchasing raw inputs - they are acquiring verified materials with known histories and measurable integrity. Recyclers are no longer dealing with waste - they are managing assets whose composition and quality can be proven. Brands and retailers are no longer relying on claims - they can substantiate them with data.

In this environment, efficiency is not simply about reducing costs. It is about maximizing the value extracted from every unit of material already in circulation.

As energy prices fluctuate and the cost of producing virgin inputs rises, the ability to reuse existing materials becomes economically decisive. Material efficiency reduces dependence on volatile resource markets, lowers production costs, and creates more resilient supply chains.

But efficiency without validation has limits.

Without proof of origin, composition, and chain of custody, materials lose value. They cannot be trusted, traded at scale, or integrated into high-performance supply chains. Validation is what transforms material from a commodity into a verified asset.

Together, material efficiency and validation form a new economic foundation - one where value is driven not just by what is produced, but by how well it is understood, authenticated, and reused.

SMX's platform enables this shift at scale. By embedding traceability at the molecular level and linking it to a secure digital record, SMX creates a system where materials can be continuously verified as they move through production, distribution, reuse, and recycling.

This has far-reaching implications.

Global trade becomes more transparent, as materials carry their identity across borders. Regulatory compliance becomes more efficient, as verification is built into the material itself. Secondary markets gain liquidity, as buyers and sellers can transact based on verified quality and provenance. And entire industries - from fashion and packaging to energy and infrastructure - gain new tools to operate in a resource-constrained world.

As the global economy adapts to higher energy costs and increasing demands for accountability, the definition of value is evolving.

It is no longer enough to produce more.

The future belongs to those who can do more with what already exists - and prove it.

SMX is building that future, where material efficiency and validation are not just operational advantages, but the new currency of global commerce.

Contact:

Jeremy Murphy
jeremy@360bespoke.com

SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited