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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

(Mark One)

☐REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OR 12(G) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025

OR

☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from __________ to __________

OR

☐SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of event requiring this shell company report:

Commission File Number:001-41639

SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Not applicableIreland
(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

Mespil Business Centre

Mespil House, Sussex Road

Dublin 4, Ireland, D04 T4A6

+353-1-920-1000

(Address of principal executive offices)

Haggai Alon

haggai@securitymattersltd.com

Mespil Business Centre

Mespil House, Sussex Road

Dublin 4, Ireland, D04 T4A6

Tel:+353-1-920-1000

(Name, Telephone, Email and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Ordinary Shares, with a nominal value of $0. 00000000012219451015625 per shareSMXNasdaq Stock Market LLC
Warrants, each exercisable for a fraction of one Ordinary Share at an exercise price of $869,118.16 per shareSMXWWNasdaq Stock Market LLC
Preferred Share Purchase RightsNoneNasdaq Stock Market LLC

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: On December 31, 2025, the issuer had 1,795,943 Ordinary Shares, with a par value of $0.00000000012219451015625 per share (post-4.8828125:1 reverse stock split effective February 17, 2026).

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐No ☒

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes ☐No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer☐Accelerated filer☐
Non-accelerated filer☒Emerging growth company☒

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.☐

†The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting over Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

US GAAP ☐International Financial Reporting Standards as issued ☒Other ☐
by the International Accounting Standards Board ®

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow. Item 17 ☐ Item 18 ☐

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No☒

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION1
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS1
PART I3
ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORS3
A. Directors and Senior Management3
B. Advisors3
C. Auditors3
ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE3
A. Offer Statistics3
B. Method and Expected Timetable3
ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION3
A. [Reserved]3
B. Capitalization and Indebtedness3
C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds3
D. Risk Factors3
ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY27
A. History and Development of the Company27
B. Business Overview30
C. Organizational Structure42
D. Property, Plants and Equipment43
ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS43
ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS43
A. Operating Results45
B. Liquidity and Capital Resources49
C. Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, Etc.62
D. Trend Information74
E. Critical Accounting Estimates74
ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES76
A. Directors and Senior Management76
B. Compensation79
C. Board Practices82
D. Employees84
E. Share Ownership85
F. Disclosure of a Registrant’s Action to Recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation85
ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS85
A. Major Shareholders85
B. Related Party Transactions86
C. Interests of Experts and Counsel88
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION88
A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information88
B. Significant Changes89
ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING91
A. Offer and Listing Details91
B. Plan of Distribution91
C. Markets91
D. Selling Shareholders91
E. Dilution91
F. Expenses of the Issue91
ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION91
A. Share Capital91
B. Memorandum and Articles of Association92
C. Material Contracts92
D. Exchange Controls92

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E. Taxation93
F. Dividends and Paying Agents102
G. Statement by Experts102
H. Documents on Display103
I. Subsidiary Information103
ITEM 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK103
ITEM 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES104
A. Debt Securities104
B. Warrants and Rights104
C. Other Securities104
D. American Depositary Shares104
PART II104
ITEM 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES104
ITEM 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS104
ITEM 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES104
A. Disclosure Controls and Procedures104
C. Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm105
D. Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting105
ITEM 16. [RESERVED]105
ITEM 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT106
ITEM 16B. CODE OF ETHICS106
ITEM 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES106
ITEM 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARD FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES107
ITEM 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS107
ITEM 16F. CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT107
ITEM 16G. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE107
ITEM 16H. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE108
ITEM 16I. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS108
ITEM 16J. INSIDER TRADING POLICIES108
ITEM 16K. CYBERSECURITY108
PART III110
ITEM 17. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS110
ITEM 18. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS110
ITEM 19. EXHIBITS110
EXHIBIT INDEX110

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The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.