Chairman Mei of VIRTUAL MIND (01520) increased his investment by 1.5 million shares, focusing strategically on the Web3 growth, with a clear and comprehensive transition path.

VIRTUAL MIND Limited (01520) voluntarily announced on January 9, 2026, that Mr. Mei Weiyi, the Chairman and Executive Director of the company, purchased 1.5 million shares of the company's stock in the open market on the same day. Following this increase in shareholding, Mr. Mei Weiyi now holds a total of approximately 2.39% of the company's issued share capital (including beneficially owned shares and shares awarded through the share incentive plan). The company stated that this increase was based on Mr. Mei's strong confidence in the company's future development prospects, aimed at promoting the continuous, stable, and healthy development of the company, safeguarding the interests of the company and all shareholders, and enhancing investor confidence. Although the exact amount of this increase was not disclosed, its symbolic significance and market signal cannot be ignored. During periods of market volatility, the increase in shareholding by key management, especially the Chairman of the Board, is often seen as a direct endorsement of the company's intrinsic value and future growth potential. Mr. Mei Weiyi's choice to increase his shareholding with actual funds, rather than just relying on verbal commitments, sends a strong positive signal to the capital market, indicating that the management is deeply tied to the interests of the company and willing to share risks and future growth with the shareholders. Considering recent developments at the company, this increase in shareholding may not be an isolated event but a key part of the company's overall strategy adjustment and confidence rebuilding plan. Referring to the minutes of the Board meeting on September 12, 2025, Virtual Mind had resolved to proceed with a related party transactiontransferring a portion of its subsidiary's loan portfolio to an associated director and subsequently planning to completely cease its lending business after completion. This decision was aimed at "once and for all" solving the long-standing issue of accounts receivable recovery, completely eliminating related credit risks, and allowing the company to concentrate resources to strengthen overall performance. These actions clearly outline the company's efforts to optimize asset structure, divest non-core or high-risk traditional business segments, and seek a more stable and sustainable development path. Most notably, while cleaning up traditional businesses, the company has clearly anchored its future growth strategy in the Web3 space. Through its subsidiary Dolphinode, Virtual Mind has built a comprehensive Web3 infrastructure, including public chains, cross-chain bridges, and digital wallets. The most eye-catching is the recently launched platform, Whimland. This platform has been likened to an "online Amazon" in the market and with its innovative model, it has directly reached and covered over 30 million US wallet users, demonstrating tremendous early growth potential and market harvesting capacity. This marks a substantive phase of the company's strategic transformation from "breaking old" to "establishing new." The Chairman's increase in shareholding at a crucial stage of business transformation and the launch of new platforms can be interpreted as an expectation and vote of confidence in the effectiveness of the transformation strategy mentioned above. On one hand, it may indicate that the progress of pre-arrangements such as loan transfers is proceeding smoothly, and the company is likely to shed its historical burdens as planned. On the other hand, it strongly suggests that the management has extremely positive expectations for the future profitability of the Web3 strategy, especially for innovative platforms like Whimland that have shown strong user bases. Investors could see this as a clear forward-looking indicator: after cleaning up financial uncertainties, the company will focus its resources on Web3 as a new core business with disruptive competitive advantages and growth potential. Analysts point out that Virtual Mind is in a transition phase from "clearing old accounts" to "planning a new chapter," and the "new chapter" is already taking shape. Chairman Mei Weiyi's increase in shareholding plays multiple roles at this point: 1. Stabilizing and leading market sentiment: by taking concrete actions to hedge against the short-term uncertainty brought about by the adjustment of traditional businesses, while demonstrating the management's determination and commitment to emerging Web3 businesses to the market. 2. Aligning interests in the future: strengthening the alignment of interests between "key persons" and small to medium shareholders on the company's core growth curve (Web3), boosting investors' confidence in corporate governance and strategic execution. 3. Confirming future capital allocation: the company's future reconfiguration of capital will focus on supporting the improvement of Web3 infrastructure and expanding application platforms like Whimland, opening up vast imagination space for the company's value reshaping. From a broader investor relations perspective, Virtual Mind's voluntary disclosure of the increase in shareholding in the form of a public announcement demonstrates its compliance with listing rules and transparency, as well as its willingness to actively communicate with the market and maintain a fair and open image. In the current market environment, this proactive management of investor expectations and clear communication of strategic focus can attract the attention of long-term value investors interested in cutting-edge technology and growth potential. In conclusion, Chairman Mei Weiyi's increase in shareholding at Virtual Mind is not just a simple market trading activity but a key confidence event embedded in the company's transition from divesting traditional financial businesses to fully transforming into Web3 innovative platforms with mature user bases. It signifies that while the management is driving the optimization of business structure and guarding against traditional financial risks, they are fully betting on and consolidating the next-generation internet growth engine represented by Whimland. The market will closely monitor how the company will implement its business adjustment plan and how it will transform the vast user base in the Web3 space into sustained performance momentum. For investors, the alignment of management's confidence and strategic direction is an essential consideration when evaluating the company's investment value.