Emergent Technology™ And Yamana Gold To Improve Gold Supply Chain

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Emergent Technology Holdings LP ("Emergent") is pleased to announce its first industry partnership with Yamana Gold Inc. (NYSE: AUY) (TSX: YRI) ("Yamana").

Yamana, a global precious metals mining company, is the first to license Emergent's blockchain technology supply chain solution, which traces the provenance of Conflict-Free Gold from mines to refineries, and through to vaults. The solution uses blockchain technology to administer smart contracts among the parties involved in the delivery of gold-bearing material, including miners, refineries, logistics providers and insurance companies.

Yamana, Emergent and leading industry and blockchain technology partners developed the solution in an effort to simplify and automate supply chain traceability of the conflict-free gold it delivers to refineries. This new platform will provide refiners with a transparent and irrefutable system by digitally collecting and maintaining information for each lot of gold-bearing material that is refined. In addition, the platform consolidates existing high standards of diligence among supply chain participants.

"Yamana is committed to mining metals ethically and responsibly. One element of this is our commitment that all of our gold can be verified as conflict free," said Peter Marrone, Yamana's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "While our conformance with the Conflict-free Gold Standard is independently attested to each year, we see significant efficiencies, value and potential for greater assurance by tracking title and provenance of gold on a blockchain data network throughout the gold value-chain. We began working with Emergent in early 2016 and the platform they have developed proves provenance, assuring buyers and investors that the gold they buy is from responsible sources. A digitized supply chain process will improve efficiency and transparency."

Emergent's Responsible Gold™ platform is the only permissioned blockchain that tracks responsibly sourced gold from its origin to vault. Miners, including Yamana, and other supply chain participants will use Emergent's mobile application that scans smart chips in tamper-proof seals and records transfer of custody and other data on the Responsible Gold blockchain.

"We are delighted to be working with Yamana on this initiative," said Emergent's Chief Administrative Officer, Andrew Parsons. "We have created a connected record across each stage of the supply chain that is immutable, irrefutable, auditable and transparent.

"Our platform was developed by the world's top minds in blockchain technology and delivers absolute confidence that all the gold in our ecosystem is 100 percent responsibly sourced. Financial institutions, corporations, jewelers and individual investors are all set to gain as we drive demand for conflict-free gold," said Parsons.

Emergent Technology is also launching G-Coin™, a digital token backed by physical gold sourced from the Responsible Gold supply chain platform. Yamana has also made an investment and is a founding partner in Emergent. Yamana expects G-Coin will enhance and expand the benefits of the Responsible Gold platform by providing a credible investment product to investors and individuals.

G-Coins will be available as a means of exchange and a new investment class in the second quarter of 2018.

"A digital gold currency – G-Coin – that is 100 percent backed by responsible gold is both economically and socially responsible. Our decision to invest in Emergent was heavily influenced by the responsible gold supply chain ecosystem backing G-Coin," Mr. Marrone also stated. "Promoting the use of or investment in responsible gold is important to Yamana. It reinforces our commitment to respect human rights and discourage unlawful armed conflict in areas where precious metals are mined. Responsible gold is emerging as a new asset class, which we are proud to support and advocate to buyers of and investors in gold alike."

To learn more, visit www.emergenttechnology.com. For client and customer inquiries, email [email protected].

About Emergent Technology:

Based in Santa Clara, California, Emergent Technology Holdings LP owns and operates Emergent Payments®, the G-Coin digital token and the Responsible Gold ecosystem. The company operates in more than 60 high-growth markets across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. The company will be launching G-Coin and the Responsible Gold supply chain in Q2 2018. The blockchain technology and smart contract platform traces responsibly sourced gold from mine, to refinery, to vault and then digitizes that gold into secure G-Coins for trade around the world.

About Yamana:

Yamana Gold Inc. is a Canadian-based gold producer with significant gold production, gold development stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas including Canada, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Yamana plans to continue to build on this base through existing operating mine expansions, throughput increases, development of new mines, the advancement of its exploration properties and, at times, by targeting other gold consolidation opportunities with a primary focus in the Americas.

SOURCE Emergent Technology Holdings LP