Applied DNA Sciences Announces Private Placement of Up To $58 Million To Initiate BNB Treasury Strategy and BNB Native Yield Generation

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crypto private placement

09/29/2025 – 10:38 PM

Appoints TradFi and DeFi Leaders as Advisers, Including Anthony Scaramucci

Enhanced Staking and Yield Strategy Focused on BNB Native Yield Integrating DeFi and Binance Ecosystem Expertise

Offering Led by Institutional and Crypto-Native Investors including Galaxy, Off The Chain, Silvermine and Gaia Digital Assets

STONY BROOK, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: APDN) (“Applied DNA” or the “Company”), a biotechnology company focused on providing nucleic acid production solutions, today announced up to $58 million in commitments for a private investment in public equity (“PIPE”) offering led by institutional investors to initiate a digital asset treasury strategy based on BNB, the native cryptocurrency of the Binance blockchain ecosystem, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange¹. Following the closing, the Company intends to begin deploying funds to acquire BNB, creating a gateway for institutional and retail investors to participate in the BNB blockchain and Binance ecosystem that powers millions of users and decentralized applications worldwide.

The Company intends to change its ticker symbol to “BNBX” to reflect its strategic focus on its BNB treasury strategy.

Transaction Summary

The Company has secured total commitments of $27 million, comprised of cash, stablecoin and units of the OBNB Trust in the PIPE with the potential for up to an additional $31 million in gross proceeds in future investment from warrant exercises, for total gross proceeds of up to $58 million. The closing of the PIPE is expected to occur on or about October 1, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. To support its BNB treasury strategy the Company entered into a five-year Strategic Digital Assets Services Agreement with Cypress LLC to provide discretionary asset management services. In addition, the Company entered into a five-year Strategic Advisor Agreement with Cypress Management LLC (an affiliate of Cypress LLC), to provide strategic and technical guidance on business operations relating to its BNB treasury strategy.

Enhanced Staking and BNB Native Yield Strategy

The Company plans to implement a differentiated digital asset treasury strategy designed to generate additional yield and accumulation of BNB tokens through the integration of actively managed decentralized finance protocols and Binance ecosystem specific strategies. Unlike passive staking or even traditional validator operating strategies, we believe this more active approach is structured to deliver yields materially in excess of other conventional methods, while maintaining a disciplined focus on risk management. The strategy is further strengthened by active engagement within the BNB and Binance ecosystem, employing a sophisticated yield framework that prioritizes stability, scalability, and transparency. By combining robust oversight with innovative on-chain opportunities, the Company believes it is positioning its treasury as a driver of sustainable growth and long-term value creation.

“BNB is one of the most exciting yet under-owned tokens among U.S. investors,” said Anthony Scaramucci, Founder and Managing Partner of SkyBridge Capital. “APDN provides a direct way to participate in the growth of BNB and its ecosystem, which continues to shape the future of the industry. The added yield component further allows investors to accumulate more BNB and steadily grow NAV per share.”

BNB Ecosystem Market Opportunity

The Company believes the BNB ecosystem represents one of the most compelling growth opportunities in the global digital asset space. As the utility token of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, BNB continues to expand its reach across new geographies and product verticals, continuing its position as a market leader. With a rapidly growing user base that has surged from approximately 120 million in mid-2023 to an estimated more than 275 million in mid-2025, Binance’s scale underscores its unique ability to drive adoption and engagement across the broader ecosystem.

At the center of this growth is BNB (Binance Smart Chain), which has seen significant momentum across DeFi, NFTs, stablecoins and token issuance activity. This expansion has coincided with strong performance of the BNB token, which surpassed $1,000 in 2025 as the broader digital asset market rebounded.

Looking forward, the Company believes BNB is well positioned for growth as Binance looks to capture additional market share and continues to innovate and expand globally, including a re-energized focus on the U.S. market as regulatory headwinds around digital assets moderate. The Company further believes that with its unmatched scale, robust infrastructure, and a dynamic user community, the BNB ecosystem offers one of the most powerful platforms for ongoing growth and value creation in digital assets.

“BNB offers more than speed and efficiency – it unlocks unique yield opportunities through staking, liquidity pools, and DeFi integrations,” said Patrick Horsman, CFA, to be appointed Chief Investment Officer. “In an increasingly saturated digital asset treasury market, it is critical to differentiate with a strategy that does more than simply stake tokens or operate validators. By actively integrating DeFi and native Binance yield strategies, we believe we will drive superior cash flow and return generation compared to more passive approaches, all while maintaining the flexibility and transparency that institutional investors de