Vault Joins Nevada Mining Association In Support Of Its U.S. Tungsten Historical Mine Portfolio And Engages Hardline Exploration For Letain Nickel Project

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The Company believes that membership in the Nevada Mining Association provides valuable access to industry insights, legislative developments, and strategic networking opportunities-tools that reinforce Vault Strategic's commitment to operational excellence and environmental stewardship. This affiliation further underscores the Company's dedication to responsible mining practices, sustainable growth, and meaningful contributions to Nevada's mining communities and the broader resource sector.

Quinn Field-Dyte, CEO & Director, stated: "Joining the Nevada Mining Association is an important step for Vault as we continue building a North America-focused critical minerals platform. The Association provides a respected forum for engagement with industry leaders, regulators and stakeholders in one of the most important mining jurisdictions in the United States. As we advance our U.S. tungsten portfolio and continue active exploration at the Letain Nickel Project in British Columbia, this membership reflects our commitment to responsible exploration, technical discipline and staying connected to evolving industry standards. At Letain, our objective remains focused on putting an experienced technical team on the ground to evaluate priority areas, collect rock and geochemical samples, and refine targets for potential future drilling. With exploration initiatives now active across nickel and tungsten, Vault is continuing to build technical momentum across commodities that remain important to North American industrial, defense and energy-related supply chains."

About the Nevada Mining Association

Founded in 1913, the Nevada Mining Association (NVMA) is the unified voice of Nevada's mining industry. Representing a wide range of companies involved in the exploration, production, and support of minerals vital to modern society, the NVMA advocates responsible mining practices, workforce development, and sustainable growth across the state. The Association engages in policy, education, and outreach initiatives that support its members and the communities in which they operate. With over a century of leadership, the NVMA continues to play a central role in strengthening Nevada's mining sector and promoting its importance to the state's economy and infrastructure.

Furthermore, the Company is pleased to announce that it has engaged Hardline Exploration Corp. ("Hardline") to conduct a planned surface exploration program at the Company's Letain Nickel Project ("Letain") located 70km east-southeast of Dease Lake in northern BC, Canada.

The planned program is designed to advance Vault's understanding of the project's nickel potential through systematic surface exploration, including prospecting, geological mapping, rock sampling and geochemical analysis. Access to the project area for the planned field program is expected to be conducted by helicopter, allowing the technical team to access priority areas for surface evaluation and sample collection.

Figure 1. Rock Chip Sample Location facing South at 1,840 Meters During Vault Strategic's Sampling program at Letain - 2021

Results from the program are expected to assist the Company in identifying and refining priority areas for potential future drill targeting.

Planned Exploration Program

The planned surface exploration program is expected to include:

• Prospecting across selected target areas

• Rock sampling of prospective outcrops and mineralized material

• Surface geochemical sampling and multi-element analysis

• Geological mapping to better understand lithology, alteration and structural controls

• Compilation of new field data with existing project information

• Helicopter-supported access to priority exploration areas

• Identification and ranking of prospective areas for potential future drilling

Samples collected during the program are expected to be submitted to an accredited laboratory for analysis. Vault intends to use the results to support future exploration planning and to develop a more detailed understanding of the Letain Nickel Project.

The Company will provide further updates as exploration activities progress and as results are received, reviewed and interpreted.

About the Letain Nickel Project (BC, Canada)

As Announced on February 12th, 2025:

The Letain Project mineral claims feature disseminated awaruite, a naturally occurring Ni-Fe alloy that is hosted in peridotite and minor dunite. Several peridotite-hosted zones contain fine and coarse Ni-Fe alloy grains. Surface rock chip sampling along a ridge at 1700 to 2,050 meters elevation averaged about 0.25% nickel. The Letain property covers part of the Cache Creek Terrain separated from the volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Quesnellia Terrain by the Thibert fault to the north and the Kutcho Fault to the west. The King Salmon Fault displaces the transition between the Cache Creek Terrain and the sediments and volcanics of Stikinia Terrain. Geochemical analysis of rock chips returned values ranging from 1700-3800 ppm Ni (Source: historic rock sampling of 144 rock samples collected in 2011, assay method 1E/8FPX 4 acid digestion method, analysis by ICP-ES). SGS ran 10 samples for concentrate (I.e., heavy mineral separation) and arrived at the percentage of magnetic fraction:

Figure 2. LET-1 (with low magnetic content) was a black dyke and not representative of the overall lithology - NI 43-101

Awaruite mineralization occurs in 2 different habits: fine Ni-Fe alloys or larger composite grains. Fine awaruite grains (10-100 µm) are disseminated in the serpentine matrix. Ni-Fe alloys have a highly reflective white/silver colour. Larger composite grains (100-300 µm) are a mixture of Ni-Fe alloys and lesser Ni-Fe sulphides. The area is underlain by a highly differentiated peridotite with numerous porphyritic, sheared and vein-veinlet-breccia textures. In the south portion of the property, the peridotite is characterized by disseminated magnetite and chromite abundant disseminated and vein-fracture filling apple green-dark green coloured minerals such as picrolite and lizardite.

In the north portion of the property the peridotite is massive, black in colour with fewer vein-fracture textures, however the change in texture of the peridotite appears to have little or no effect on the Ni-Cr-Co content which range of 1,700-3,800 ppm Ni, 1,000-3,000 ppm Cr and 100-150 ppm Co. Several peridotite-hosted zones contain fine and coarse Ni-Fe alloy grains (awaruite) that are exposed as bedrock ridges in the east-central portion of the claim group at 1,700-2,050 m elevation. Disseminated fine to coarser grain awaruite was found in serpentinized ultramafic rocks. In the north portion of the property the peridotite is massive, black in colour with fewer vein-fracture textures. Samples from the central ridge of the property delineated a 1,100 metre long discontinuous zone of coarse-grained (>100µm) awaruite.

The Letain mineral property has geological similarities to the Decar nickel deposit (located 70 km northwest of Ft. St James, B.C.), which contains awaruite mineralization that is characterized as 'magnetically recoverable nickel' and pyro-metallurgical smelting is not required to produce nickel.

See a copy of the NI 43-101 on the Letain project Here.

About Hardline Exploration Corp.

Hardline Exploration Corp. is a geological consulting and project management company based in Smithers, British Columbia. The company specializes in early- to advanced-stage mineral exploration, offering comprehensive services including geological mapping, geochemical and geophysical program design, data interpretation, and project management. Hardline has a strong track record of executing cost-effective, technically robust field programs across Western Canada.

QA/QC and Data Verification

All samples from the Letain Nickel Project will be collected, handled and processed under industry-standard protocols. Samples will be maintained under secure chain of custody from collection through transport and laboratory submission. Analytical work is expected to be carried out by an independent accredited laboratory that meets applicable industry standards, including ISO/IEC 17025:2017, where applicable. Coarse rejects and pulps are expected to be retained by the laboratory for future verification and re-analysis, as required.

Vault Strategic Mining Corp. implements a comprehensive internal quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") program. The program is expected to include the routine insertion of blanks, certified reference materials, also known as standards, and duplicate samples into the sample stream at regular intervals to monitor analytical accuracy and precision. Laboratory internal QA/QC procedures will also be reviewed to ensure continued compliance with industry best practices.

The Qualified Person will review the results of the QA/QC program once analytical results are received. All data will be verified to a level appropriate for an early-stage surface exploration program.

Historical information referenced in this release has been reviewed against available public records and assessment reports, where available; however, such historical data cannot be independently verified to current NI 43-101 standards and should be considered supportive for exploration guidance only.

Vault Strategic's management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties in proximity to Vault Strategic may not necessarily be indicative of the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties.

About Vault Strategic Mining Corp.

Vault Strategic Mining Corp. is a North American resource company focused on the acquisition and advancement of strategic and critical mineral projects located in top-tier mining jurisdictions. The Company emphasizes historical and underexplored assets with potential for value creation through modern exploration and disciplined development. Investors and Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the company on its Linkedin, X.com and subscribe for updates at https://vaultstrategic.com/.

Vault Strategic Mining Corp. trades on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: KNOX), OTC Markets (OTCID: KNXFF), and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: M850).

Qualified Person

Jeremy Hanson, P. Geo, an independent Consulting Geologist and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the disclosure in this news release for consistency with NI 43-101 reporting requirements.

On behalf of the Board:

Vault Strategic Mining Corp.

"Quinn Field-Dyte"

Chief Executive Officer & Director

Tel: 604.343.4338 | Email: info@vaultstrategic.com

ANY SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE "1933 ACT") AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO A U.S. PERSON IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE 1933 ACT.

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

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding KNOX, and the Letain Project, which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the completion of the acquisition of the Letain Project, and the ability to obtain regulatory approvals, and other factors. Often, but not always, Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "is expected", "expects", "scheduled", "intends", "contemplates", "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "estimates" or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of each entity. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release, including completion of the acquisition of certain tungsten project, may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company, including the risk that KNOX may not obtain all requisite approvals for the acquisition, including the approval of the TSX.V, risks of the resource industry, failure to obtain any other required regulatory approvals, economic factors, any estimated amounts, timing of the acquisition and requited payments, the equity markets generally and risks associated with growth, exploration and development. Although KNOX has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made KNOX undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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