Exhibit 99.1

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results

CHICAGO— (August 11, 2026) Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NASDAQ: REFI, “Chicago Atlantic”, “REFI” or the “Company”), a commercial mortgage real estate investment trust, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026.

Peter Sack, Co-Chief Executive Officer, noted, “Chicago Atlantic operates in a niche market the broader lending industry generally doesn’t serve. This often gives us the leverage to set our own terms, protect our downside, and generate yields that are increasingly hard to find anywhere else in the private credit sector. We are proud to announce $59.2 million of gross originations this quarter. However; earnings were negatively impacted by the timing of deployment as repayments occurred early in the period and deployments later in the period. Our portfolio continues to perform, and our outlook remains positive. We continue to make the strategic moves that we believe position the Company favorably as the cannabis ecosystem evolves, which includes our work toward completion of our previously announced merger with Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc.”

Quarterly Results of Operations

Portfolio Activity

The following table summarizes the Company’s primary investment portfolio activities:

Recent Developments

Capital Activity



2026 Outlook

Chicago Atlantic offered the following outlook for full year 2026:

The foregoing outlook assumes that the Company continues to operate on a standalone basis and does not reflect the effects of the pending Merger, including any restrictions on dividends or other actions during the pendency of the Merger under the terms of the Merger Agreement. The declaration of any dividend, including any special dividend, remains subject to authorization by the Board and to the terms of the Merger Agreement.

Conference Call and Quarterly Earnings Supplemental Details

Chicago Atlantic will host a conference call and live audio webcast, both open for the general public to hear, later today at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The number to call for this interactive teleconference is (833) 630-1956 (international callers: 412-317-1837). The live audio webcast of the Company’s quarterly conference call will be available online in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.refi.reit. The online replay will be available approximately one hour after the end of the call and archived for one year.

Chicago Atlantic posted its Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Supplemental on the Investor Relations page of its website. Chicago Atlantic routinely posts important information for investors on its website, www.refi.reit. The Company intends to use this website as a means of disclosing material information, for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD and to post and update investor presentations and similar materials on a regular basis. The Company encourages investors, analysts, the media and others interested in Chicago Atlantic to monitor the Investor Relations page of its website, in addition to following its press releases, SEC filings, publicly available earnings calls, presentations, webcasts and other information posted from time to time on the website. Please visit the IR Resources section of the website to sign up for email notifications.

About Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc.

Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NASDAQ: REFI) is a market-leading commercial mortgage REIT utilizing significant real estate, credit and cannabis expertise to originate senior secured loans primarily to state-licensed cannabis operators in limited-license states in the United States. REFI is part of the Chicago Atlantic platform, which has offices in Chicago, Miami, New York, and London.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that reflect the Company’s current views and projections with respect to, among other things, future events and financial performance, including statements regarding the proposed Merger with LIEN and its expected timing and effects, the expected pro forma ownership of former REFI stockholders in LIEN following the Merger, the Company’s July 2026 acquisition of second lien notes from Koach and the performance of such notes and their underlying collateral, the expected implementation and effects of federal rescheduling of medical cannabis, the Company’s dividend expectations, and the Company’s future operations and strategies. Words such as “believes,” “expects,” “will,” “intends,” “plans,” “guidance,” “estimates,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “future” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation: (i) the risk that the proposed Merger may not be completed on the anticipated terms or timing, or at all; (ii) the failure to obtain the required stockholder approvals of REFI or LIEN, including approval of REFI’s election to be regulated as a business development company and approval of a new investment advisory agreement; (iii) the failure to satisfy other conditions to closing, including regulatory approvals and third-party consents; (iv) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Merger on the Company’s business, operating results, and relationships with borrowers, employees and other counterparties; (v) risks that the Merger may divert management’s attention from the Company’s ongoing business; (vi) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against REFI or LIEN related to the Merger; (vii) the amount of costs, fees and expenses related to the Merger; (viii) developments in the cannabis industry, including federal, state and local legal and regulatory changes and the implementation of federal rescheduling; (ix) changes in interest rates, credit spreads and macroeconomic conditions; (x) risks related to the Koach transaction, including credit and collateral risks associated with the Koach Notes, the subordination of the Koach Notes to senior first lien indebtedness, and the impact of the associated share issuance on the exchange ratio for the Merger; and (xi) the other risks identified in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in the registration statement on Form N-14 filed by LIEN with the SEC on July 31, 2026, including the joint proxy statement/prospectus contained therein. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible to predict those events or how they may affect us. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication includes information relating to the proposed merger (the “Merger”) of REFI with and into Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. (“LIEN”), along with related proposals for which stockholder approval will be sought, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 17, 2026 (the “Merger Agreement”) by and between LIEN and REFI. The Merger Agreement was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both LIEN and REFI, each acting on the unanimous recommendation of its special committee of independent directors (each, a “Special Committee”). In connection with the proposals, LIEN intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a registration statement on Form N-14 (filed July 31, 2026), which includes a joint proxy statement of LIEN and REFI and a prospectus of LIEN (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”). This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act. STOCKHOLDERS OF LIEN AND REFI ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LIEN, REFI, THE MERGER AND THE PROPOSALS. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain the documents filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov, or from each company’s investor relations website at www.investors.chicagoatlanticbdc.com (LIEN) and www.investors.refi.reit (REFI), or by directing a request to LIEN@chicagoatlantic.com (LIEN) or IR@REFI.reit (REFI).

Participants in the Solicitation

LIEN, REFI and their respective directors and executive officers, Chicago Atlantic BDC Adviser, LLC, the external investment adviser to LIEN (the “LIEN Adviser”), and Chicago Atlantic REIT Manager, LLC, the external manager of REFI (the “Company Manager”), and their respective directors, officers, members, managers, partners, employees and affiliates, and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of LIEN and REFI in connection with the Merger and the related proposals. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of LIEN and REFI in connection with the Merger and the related proposals, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available. Additional information regarding the ownership of LIEN and REFI securities by their respective directors and executive officers is included in their SEC filings on Forms 3, 4 and 5, which can be found through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Information about the directors and executive officers of LIEN set forth in LIEN’s proxy statement for its 2026 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 30, 2026, and in LIEN’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 19, 2026. Information about the directors and executive officers of REFI set forth in REFI’s proxy statement for its 2026 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 23, 2026, and in REFI’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 12, 2026. Each of these documents is available free of charge at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov, or from LIEN’s or REFI’s investor relations website, as applicable.

Contact:

Tripp Sullivan, Lisa Kampf

SCR Partners

IR@REFI.reit

CHICAGO ATLANTIC REAL ESTATE FINANCE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CHICAGO ATLANTIC REAL ESTATE FINANCE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

Distributable Earnings

In addition to using certain financial metrics prepared in accordance with GAAP to evaluate our performance, we also use Distributable Earnings to evaluate our performance. Distributable Earnings is a measure that is not prepared in accordance with GAAP. We define Distributable Earnings as, for a specified period, the net income (loss) computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding (i) non-cash equity compensation expense, (ii) depreciation and amortization, (iii) any unrealized gains, losses or other non-cash items recorded in net income (loss) for the period, regardless of whether such items are included in other comprehensive income or loss, or in net income (loss); provided that Distributable Earnings does not exclude, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as OID, debt instruments with PIK interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash, (iv) provision for current expected credit losses and (v) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain non-cash charges, in each case after discussions between our Manager and our independent directors and after approval by a majority of such independent directors. We believe providing Distributable Earnings on a supplemental basis to our net income as determined in accordance with GAAP is helpful to stockholders in assessing the overall performance of our business. As a REIT, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income and to pay tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that we annually distribute less than 100% of such taxable income. Given these requirements and our belief that dividends are generally one of the principal reasons that stockholders invest in our common stock, we generally intend to attempt to pay dividends to our stockholders in an amount equal to our net taxable income, if and to the extent authorized by our Board. Distributable Earnings is one of many factors considered by our Board in authorizing dividends and, while not a direct measure of net taxable income, over time, the measure can be considered a useful indicator of our dividends.

In our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, we defined Distributable Earnings so that, in addition to the exclusions noted above, the term also excluded from net income Incentive Compensation paid to our Manager. We believe that revising the term Distributable Earnings so that it is presented net of Incentive Compensation, while not a direct measure of net taxable income, over time, can be considered a more useful indicator of our ability to pay dividends. This adjustment to the calculation of Distributable Earnings has no impact on period-to-period comparisons. Distributable Earnings should not be considered as substitutes for GAAP net income. We caution readers that our methodology for calculating Distributable Earnings may differ from the methodologies employed by other REITs to calculate the same or similar supplemental performance measures, and as a result, our reported Distributable Earnings may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other REITs.