Vancouver, Canada and Lima, Peru – (January 18, 2010) - Rio Cristal Resources Corporation (TSXV:RCZ) ("RCZ" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it is making an application to the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") for approval of an incentive program to encourage the early exercise of warrants issued in April 2009 (the "April 2009 Warrants").  This incentive offer is applicable to 26,000,000 Warrants, which can be exercised at a price of $0.07 per share for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,820,000.  The proceeds from the early exercise of the April 2009 Warrants will be used to fund exploration expenditures and for general working capital purposes.

Early Warrant Exercise
The April 2009 Warrants were issued as part of a private placement completed on April 22, 2009 and expire on April 22, 2011.  In order to encourage the early exercise of the April 2009 Warrants, the Company is seeking Exchange approval to amend the terms of the April 2009 Warrants such that each warrantholder who exercises its April 2009 Warrants on or before March 3, 2010 shall receive one unit (in lieu of one common share) consisting of one common share and one-half of one warrant (each whole warrant, a "2010 Warrant").  Each 2010 Warrant shall allow the holder to acquire one common share of the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.12 for a period of 12 months following the date of the issuance of the units.  The 2010 Warrants will be subject to a four-month hold period.  If a holder of the April 2009 Warrants does not exercise the amended April 2009 Warrants by March 3, 2010, the amended April 2009 Warrants shall continue to be exercisable for common shares of the Company on their original terms.  The incentive program is subject to the approval of the Exchange.

About Rio Cristal Resources Corporation
Rio Cristal Resources is a Canadian corporation focused on the discovery and development of zinc, gold and copper mineral deposits in Peru. The principal asset of RCZ is the Charlotte Bongará claim block located in northern Peru within an emerging Mississippi Valley-type zinc district. Additional information can be found on the Company’s website, www.riocristalresources.com.

For further information please contact the Company at:
Telephone: (778) 588-6880
Toll Free: (866) 609-9644
Fax: (604) 609-9946
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential exploration results, future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future results, events and objectives could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RCZ’s expectations include exploration and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.