BTCS INC. INTRODUCTION
The following discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our historical financial statements and the notes to those statements that appear elsewhere in this report. Certain statements in the discussion contain forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, such as plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those set forth under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in this report. When we refer to the "Fiscal 2022" and the "Fiscal 2021" we are referring to the years endedDecember 31, 2022 andDecember 31, 2021 , respectively. OVERVIEW
BTCS is an early entrant in the cryptocurrency market and one of the first publicly-tradedU.S. companies with a primary focus on blockchain infrastructure and staking. We specialize in operating validator nodes on various DPoS and PoS-based blockchain networks and stake the native crypto assets on these blockchains to earn rewards in connection with transaction validation. Our core growth for our Digital Asset Platform, StakeSeeker, comes from our blockchain infrastructure operations. StakeSeeker is a non-custodial platform that enables users to learn how to earn staking rewards and analyze their crypto portfolios through a comprehensive crypto dashboard and education center. We employ a StaaS strategy that allows crypto asset holders to earn rewards by participating in network consensus mechanisms through staking and delegating their crypto assets to Company-operated validator nodes. As a non-custodial validator operator, we receive a percentage of token holders' staking rewards generated as a validator node fee, creating the opportunity for potential scalable revenue and business growth with limited additional costs. Our non-custodial staking model ensures the self-custody of crypto assets, mitigating concerns about the security of custodial exchanges and similar platforms. We believe that our blockchain infrastructure and StaaS strategy provide us with a unique competitive advantage in the rapidly evolving blockchain industry. We plan to expand our PoS operations to secure other disruptive blockchain protocols that allow for delegating and asset leveraging, which presents a significant growth opportunity for the Company. The growth of StakeSeeker's user base as well as the number and size of staked cryptocurrencies by Delegators to Company-run validator nodes are critical to our success. We believe that StaaS provides a more accessible and cost-effective way for crypto asset holders to participate in blockchain networks' consensus mechanisms, promoting the growth and adoption of blockchain technology. As a non-custodial StaaS provider, we do not hold or take possession of any Delegator funds, crypto assets, or crypto asset rewards at any point during the Staking process. Delegation does not involve the transfer of token ownership to a Validator. While staking delegated tokens remain in the Delegator's digital wallets. The blockchain network calculates rewards earned, which are then distributed directly to the Delegator's wallet. At no point does the Validator gain access or control to the custody of the original staked tokens or rewards earned through Staking to its node. Therefore, the Company does not have any exposure to the custodial risks that a crypto exchange would have related to excessive redemptions or withdrawals of crypto assets, suspension of redemptions or withdrawals. Further, we do not issue or hold crypto assets on behalf of the third parties and have no exposure to the risks an exchange would have with respect to loans, rehypothecation and margin. 10
The table below describes BTCS's quarterly crypto assets holdings as of the end of Fiscal 2021 through the end of Fiscal 2022.
Crypto Assets Held at Period End
Asset 2021Q4 2022Q1 2022Q2 2022Q3 2022Q4 Bitcoin (BTC) 90 90 - - - Ethereum (ETH) 8,098 8,196 8,283 8,380 8,454 Cardano (ADA) 257,757 257,757 260,555 262,860 262,860 Kusama (KSM) 374 5,278 5,550 6,297 6,493 Tezos (XTZ) 24,504 70,453 71,369 72,578 73,486 Solana (SOL) 4,779 7,043 7,136 7,238 7,371 Polkadot (DOT) 8,032 38,816 39,986 23,905 7,280 Terra (LUNA) 3,584 3,621 - - - Cosmos (ATOM) 3,072 80,474 86,613 91,181 96,318 Polygon (MATIC) 67,114 454,486 466,022 474,207 480,825 Avalanche (AVAX) 2,073 14,273 14,594 14,888 17,178 Algorand (ALGO) 51,103 51,197 51,201 51,201 - Axie Infinity (AXS) 22,322 31,763 37,402 42,030 Kava (KAVA) 183,966 264,917 280,293 290,909 Band Protocol (BAND) 992 992 Mina (MINA) 71,297 74,177 Oasis Network (ROSE) 349,661 359,607 Akash (AKT) 103,730 107,405 NEAR Protocol (NEAR) 74,702
Fair Market Value of Crypto Assets at Period End
Asset 2021Q4 2022Q1 2022Q2 2022Q3 2022Q4 Bitcoin (BTC) 4,167,579 4,098,481 - - - Ethereum (ETH)* 29,820,477 26,894,723 8,840,595 11,128,675 10,117,237 Cardano (ADA) 337,716 294,320 119,555 114,190 64,786 Kusama (KSM) 103,866 992,851 267,583 265,505 149,981 Tezos (XTZ) 106,679 262,023 101,102 103,210 52,720 Solana (SOL) 813,791 863,854 239,700 240,377 73,426 Polkadot (DOT) 214,616 826,875 281,496 150,964 31,410 Terra (LUNA) 306,353 373,005 - - - Cosmos (ATOM) 99,761 2,325,374 651,909 1,186,824 900,440 Polygon (MATIC) 169,604 735,034 222,466 368,671 364,714 Avalanche (AVAX) 226,499 1,383,403 247,059 256,021 187,286 Algorand (ALGO) 84,830 47,492 16,115 18,044 - Axie Infinity (AXS) 1,416,264 461,649 470,116 253,943 Kava (KAVA) 828,742 468,634 423,326 166,752 Band Protocol (BAND) 1,215 1,396 Mina (MINA) 42,085 32,187 Oasis Network (ROSE) 21,330 12,291 Akash (AKT) 26,881 19,938 NEAR Protocol (NEAR) 93,785 Total 36,451,772 41,342,441 11,917,864 14,817,434 12,522,292 QoQ Change 21 % 13 % -71 % 24 % -15 % YoY Change 825 % 105 % -45 % -51 % -66 % 11
Prices of Crypto Assets at Period End
Asset 2021Q4 2022Q1 2022Q2 2022Q3 2022Q4 Bitcoin (BTC)$ 46,306 $ 45,539 $ 19,785 $ 19,432 $ 16,547 Ethereum (ETH)$ 3,683 $ 3,282 $ 1,067 $ 1,328 $ 1,197 Cardano (ADA)$ 1.31 $ 1.14 $ 0.46 $ 0.43 $ 0.25 Kusama (KSM)$ 278 $ 188 $ 48 $ 42 $ 23 Tezos (XTZ)$ 4.35 $ 3.72 $ 1.42 $ 1.42 $ 0.72 Solana (SOL)$ 170 $ 123 $ 34 $ 33 $ 10 Polkadot (DOT)$ 26.72 $ 21.30 $ 7.04 $ 6.32 $ 4.31 Terra (LUNA)$ 85.47 $ 103 $ - $ - $ - Cosmos (ATOM)$ 32.47 $ 28.90 $ 7.53 $ 13.02 $ 9.35 Polygon (MATIC)$ 2.53 $ 1.62 $ 0.48 $ 0.78 $ 0.76 Avalanche (AVAX)$ 109 $ 96.92 $ 16.93 $ 17.20 $ 10.90 Algorand (ALGO)$ 1.66 $ 0.93 $ 0.31 $ 0.35 $ 0.17 Axie Infinity (AXS)$ 63.45 $ 14.53 $ 12.57 $ 6.04 Kava (KAVA)$ 4.50 $ 1.77 $ 1.51 $ 0.57 Band Protocol (BAND)$ 1.22 $ 1.41 Mina (MINA)$ 0.59 $ 0.43 Oasis Network (ROSE)$ 0.06 $ 0.03 Akash (AKT)$ 0.26 $ 0.19 NEAR Protocol (NEAR)$ 1.26
The following table presents the Fair Market Value of crypto assets held compared to the GAAP Book Value reported on the Company's balance sheets.
December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021
Book Value Fair Value Book Value Fair Value
Bitcoin (BTC) $ - $ - $ 2,600,426 $ 4,167,579
Ethereum (ETH) 5,708,624 10,117,237 8,642,983 29,820,477
Cardano (ADA) 63,178 64,786 258,527 337,716
Kusama (KSM) 142,242 149,981 81,296 103,866
Tezos (XTZ) 51,651 52,720 62,651 106,679
Solana (SOL) 60,012 73,426 248,698 813,791
Polkadot (DOT) 30,859 31,410 182,570 214,616
Terra (LUNA) - - 80,968 306,353
Cosmos (ATOM) 568,359 900,440 46,174 99,761
Polygon (MATIC) 161,293 364,714 68,362 169,604
Avalanche (AVAX) 182,964 187,286 50,190 226,499
Algorand (ALGO) - - 43,948 84,830
Axie Infinity (AXS) 245,443 253,943 - -
Kava (KAVA) 165,426 166,752 - -
Band Protocol (BAND) 982 1,396 - -
Mina (MINA) 32,002 32,187 - -
Oasis Network (ROSE) 12,045 12,291 - -
Akash (AKT) 17,993 19,938 - -
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) 92,840 93,785 - -
Total $ 7,535,913 $ 12,522,292 $ 12,366,792 $ 36,451,772
12
Results of Operations for the Years Ended
The following tables reflect our operating results for the years endedDecember 31, 2022 and 2021: For the Year Ended December 31, $ Change % Change 2022 2021 2022 2022 Revenues Validator revenue$ 1,692,454 $ 1,213,284 $ 479,170 39 % Total revenues 1,692,454 1,213,284 479,170 39 Cost of revenues Validator expense 426,440 268,346 158,094 59 % Gross profit 1,266,014 944,938 321,076 34
Operating expenses:
General and administrative
20 %
Research and development 611,758 712,736 (100,978 ) (14 )
Compensation and related
expenses 3,313,638 15,583,258 (12,269,620 ) (79 )
Marketing 78,171 180,290 (102,119 ) (57 )
Impairment loss on crypto
assets 13,348,874 3,845,899 9,502,975 247
Realized gains on crypto
asset transactions (506,757 ) (3,054,418 ) 2,547,661 83
Total operating expenses 18,761,877 18,858,472 (96,595 )
(1 )
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense - (186,740 ) 186,740 (100 )%
Amortization on debt
discount - (1,868,059 ) 1,868,059 (100 )
Change in fair value of
warrant liabilities 1,638,750 3,918,750 (2,280,000 ) (58 )
Distributions to warrant
holders (35,625 ) - (35,625 ) N/A
Total other income
(expenses) 1,603,125 1,863,951 (260,826 ) 14
Net loss $ (15,892,738 ) $ (16,049,583 ) 156,845 (1 )
Validator Revenue
The increase in revenue during Fiscal 2022 is from the expansion of our
blockchain infrastructure validating revenue. We believe revenues will increase
as the Company continues to expand its blockchain infrastructure efforts and as
a result of an improvement in market prices of the crypto assets we have staked.
Cost of Revenues
The increase in cost of revenues during Fiscal 2022 is due to our blockchain
infrastructure validating operating costs, including, web service hosting fees
and services provided by vendors. We believe our cost of revenues will increase
as we continue to ramp up our business. However, we believe gross margin will
improve as we add scale to our blockchain infrastructure operations and reduce
costs as a result of increased operational efficiencies, leading to improved
gross profits.
Operating expenses
The decrease in operating expenses during Fiscal 2022 is primarily due to the
$14.9 million equity-based contingent bonuses granted to employees and our
non-employee directors during Fiscal 2021 for the achievement of performance
milestones compared to only $2.6 million equity-based compensation in Fiscal
2022. This is partially offset by the $13.3 million impairment loss on crypto
assets ("Crypto Asset Impairment") in Fiscal 2022, compared to only $3.8 million
Crypto Asset Impairment in Fiscal 2021.
We believe operating expenses will remain consistent as the Company continues to
utilize equity-based compensation incentives as a core part of our compensation
strategy. However, volatility in the cryptocurrency markets will subject the
Company to the possibility of additional impairment charges on its crypto asset
holdings.
The Company is evaluating additional opportunities to reduce costs. As part of our cost cutting measures, inJune 2022 , the Board of Directors reduced all director fees for 2022 from$50,000 to$25,000 and reduced the Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance committee chair fees for 2022 to$5,000 . Additionally, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, each agreed to forfeit$25,000 of their annual base salaries for 2022. Collectively, these cost-cutting measures resulted in cost savings of approximately$141,000 for 2022. Other Income (Expenses)
The changes in other income for the years reported was primarily due to the decrease in the fair value of warrant liabilities. This non-cash expense is driven by the value of our stock price at the end of each quarter which we cannot predict.
Net loss The slight decrease in our net loss for the years reported was primarily due to the decrease in operating expenses and changes in other income (expense) as discussed above. We believe that our net loss may increase as the Company incurs increased costs related to the development of its Digital Asset Platform and incurs additional Crypto Asset Impairment losses due to volatility in the cryptocurrency markets. 13
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Recent Financing OnSeptember 14, 2021 , the Company entered into an At-The-Market Offering Agreement (the "ATM Agreement") withH.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC , as agent ("H.C. Wainwright"), pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time-to-time through H.C. Wainwright, shares of the Company's Common Stock having an aggregate offering price of up to$98,767,500 . From the periodSeptember 14, 2021 throughMarch 28, 2023 , the Company sold a total of 2,934,433 shares of Common Stock under the ATM Agreement for aggregate total gross proceeds of approximately$14,986,000 at an average selling price of$5.11 per share, resulting in net proceeds of approximately$14,510,000 after deducting commissions and other transaction costs. Liquidity
The Company's financial statements have been prepared assuming that it will continue as a going concern, which contemplates continuity of operations, realization of assets, and liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business.
Liquidity is the ability of a company to generate funds to support its current and future operations, satisfy its obligations, and otherwise operate on an ongoing basis. AtDecember 31, 2022 , the Company had approximately$2.1 million of cash. We view our crypto assets as long-term holdings and we do not plan to engage in regular trading of crypto assets. Further certain of our staked crypto assets may be locked up depending on a the specific blockchain protocol and we may be unable to unstake them in a timely manner in order to liquidate to the extended desired. During times of instability in the market of crypto assets, we may not be able to sell our crypto assets at reasonable prices or at all. As a result, our crypto assets may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents. As ofMarch 28, 2023 , the Company had approximately$1.5 million of cash and the fair market value of the Company's liquid crypto assets was approximately$3.6 million , which excludes$15.2 million of staked Ethereum. The Company has no outstanding debt. As ofMarch 28, 2023 , the Company also has approximately$6.5 million available under the ATM Agreement over the next twelve months under the Form S-3 baby shelf rules, although, the amount that we may raise under the Form S-3 may increase or decrease based upon our stock price. The Company believes that the existing cash and liquid crypto assets held by us, in addition to the funds available to the Company from the issuance of additional stock through the ATM Agreement, provide sufficient liquidity to meet working capital requirements, anticipated capital expenditures and contractual obligations for at least the next twelve months. Cash Flows
Cash used in operating activities was
Cash used in investing activities was$9.0 million during the year endedDecember 31, 2022 compared to$9.5 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 . Net cash outflow for investing activities was used primarily for the purchase of crypto assets for blockchain infrastructure operations. Cash provided by financing activities was$10.5 million during the year endedDecember 31, 2022 compared to$15.2 million for the year endedDecember 31, 2021 . The cash inflows from financing activities in Fiscal 2022 were primarily from proceeds of Common Stock sold pursuant to the ATM Agreement ($11.1 million ). This was partially offset by a one-time return of capital distribution of$631,000 made to record holders as ofMarch 17, 2022 . The Company has plans to continue to raise proceeds from the sale of Common Stock to fund operations as needed.
Off Balance Sheet Transactions
As ofDecember 31, 2022 , there were no off-balance sheet arrangements and we were not a party to any off-balance sheet transactions. We have no guarantees or obligations other than those which arise out of normal business operations.
14
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
We believe that the following accounting policies are the most critical to aid you in fully understanding and evaluating this management discussion and analysis:
Accounting Treatment of Crypto Assets
The Company accounts for its crypto assets as indefinite-lived intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles -Goodwill and Other. An intangible asset with an indefinite useful life is not amortized but assessed for impairment annually, or more frequently, when events or changes in circumstances occur indicating that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired. Impairment exists when the carrying amount exceeds its fair value. In testing for impairment, the Company has the option to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that an impairment exists. If it is determined that it is not more likely than not that an impairment exists, a quantitative impairment test is not necessary. If the Company concludes otherwise, it is required to perform a quantitative impairment test. To the extent an impairment loss is recognized, the loss establishes the new cost basis of the asset. Subsequent reversal of impairment losses is not permitted. Crypto assets held are included in the balance sheets as either current assets or other assets if they are staked and locked up for over one year. The Company's crypto assets are initially recorded at fair value upon receipt (or "carrying value"). The fair value of crypto assets is determined using theU.S. dollar spot price of the related crypto asset subsequent to its acquisition. On a quarterly basis, crypto assets are measured at carrying value, net of any impairment losses incurred since receipt. The Company will record impairment losses as the fair value falls below the carrying value of the crypto assets at any time during the period, as determined using the lowestU.S. dollar spot price of the related crypto asset subsequent to its acquisition. The crypto assets can only be marked down when impaired and not marked up when their value increases.
Such impairment in the value of crypto assets is recorded as a component of
costs and expenses in our statements of operations. The Company recorded
impairment losses of approximately
Impairment losses cannot be recovered for any subsequent increase in fair value until the sale or disposal of the asset. Realized gain (loss) on sale of crypto assets are included in other income (expense) in the statements of operations. The Company recorded realized gains (losses) on crypto assets of approximately$0.5 million and$3.1 million during the years endedDecember 31, 2022 and
2021,
respectively.
The presentation of purchases and sales of crypto assets on the Statement of
Cash Flows is determined by the nature of the crypto assets, which can be
characterized as productive (i.e. purchased for purposes of staking) or
non-productive. The purchase of non-productive crypto assets and currencies are
included as an operating activity, whereas the purchase of productive crypto
assets and currencies are included as investing activities in accordance with
ASC 230-10-20 Investing activities. Productive crypto assets that are staked
with a lock-up period of less than 12 months are presented on the Balance Sheet
as current assets. Staked crypto assets with remaining lock-up periods of
greater than 12 months are presented as long-term other assets on the Balance
Sheet.
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue under Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC")
606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The core principle of the new
revenue standard is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the
transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects
the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for
those goods or services. The following five steps are applied to achieve that
core principle:
? Step 1: Identify the contract with the customer
? Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract
? Step 3: Determine the transaction price? Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the
contract
? Step 5: Recognize revenue when the Company satisfies a performance obligation
Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is
transferred to the customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the
Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The
Company generates revenue through staking rewards.
The Company has entered into network-based smart contracts by running its own
crypto asset validator nodes (or "nodes") as well as by staking crypto assets on
nodes run by third-party operators (either directly or through crypto
exchanges). Through these contracts, the Company provides cryptocurrency to
stake on a node for the purpose of validating transactions and adding blocks to
a respective blockchain network. The term of a smart contract can vary based on
the rules of the respective blockchain and typically last a few weeks to months
after it is canceled by the operator and requires that the cryptocurrency staked
remain locked up during the duration of the smart contract. In exchange for
staking the cryptocurrency and validating transactions on blockchain networks,
the Company is entitled to all of the fixed cryptocurrency award for running the
Company's own node and is entitled to a fractional share of the fixed
cryptocurrency award a third-party node operator receives (less crypto asset
transaction fees payable to the node operator or exchanges, which are immaterial
and are recorded as a deduction from revenue), for successfully validating or
adding a block to the blockchain. The Company's fractional share of awards
received from delegating to a third-party validator node is based on the
proportion of cryptocurrency the Company staked to the node to the total
cryptocurrency staked by delegators to the node.
The provision of validating blockchain transactions is an output of the
Company's ordinary activities. Each separate block creation or validation under
a smart contract with a network represents a performance obligation. The
transaction consideration the Company receives - the cryptocurrency award - is a
non-cash consideration, which the Company measures at fair value on the date
received. The fair value of the cryptocurrency award received is determined
using the quoted price of the related cryptocurrency on the date of receipt. The
satisfaction of the performance obligation for processing and validating
blockchain transactions occurs at a point in time when confirmation is received
from the network indicating that the validation is complete, and the awards are
available for transfer. At that point, revenue is recognized.
15
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718
Compensation - Stock Compensation ("ASC 718"). ASC 718 addresses all forms of
share-based payment awards including shares issued under employee stock purchase
plans and stock incentive shares. Under ASC 718 awards result in a cost that is
measured at fair value on the awards' grant date, based on the estimated number
of awards that are expected to vest and will result in a charge to operations.
Share-based payment awards exchanged for services are accounted for at the fair value of the award on the estimated grant date.
Options Stock options issued under the Company's long-term incentive plans are granted with an exercise price equal to no less than the market price of the Company's stock at the date of grant and expire up to ten years from the date of grant. These options often vest over a one-year period.
The Company estimates the fair value of stock option grants using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and the assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock-based awards represent management's best estimates and involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management's judgment.
Expected Volatility - The Company uses historical volatility as it provides a reasonable estimate of the expected volatility. Historical volatility is based on the most recent volatility of the stock price over a period of time equivalent to the expected term of the option.
Risk-Free Interest Rate - The risk-free interest rate is based on the
Expected Term - The Company's expected term represents the weighted-average period that the Company's stock options are expected to be outstanding. The expected term is based on the expected time to post-vesting exercise of options by employees. The Company uses historical exercise patterns of previously granted options to derive employee behavioral patterns used to forecast expected exercise patterns. Expected Dividend - The Company has not historically declared or paid any cash dividends on its common shares and does not plan to pay any recurring cash dividends in the foreseeable future, and, therefore, uses an expected dividend yield of zero in its valuation models.
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
For awards vesting upon the achievement of a service condition, compensation cost measured on the grant date will be recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Stock-based compensation expense for the market-based restricted stock units with explicit service conditions is recognized on a straight-line basis over the longer of the derived service period or the explicit service period, regardless of whether the market condition is satisfied. However, in the event that the explicit service period is not met, previously recognized compensation cost would be reversed. Market-based restricted stock units subject to market-based performance targets require achievement of the performance target as well as a service condition in order for these RSUs to vest. The Company estimates the fair value of market-based RSUs as of the grant date and expected derived term using a Monte Carlo simulation that incorporates pricing inputs covering the period from the grant date through the end of the derived service period.
Expected Volatility - The Company uses historical volatility as it provides a reasonable estimate of the expected volatility. Historical volatility is based on the most recent volatility of the stock price over a period of time equivalent to the expected term of the RSUs.
Risk-Free Interest Rate - The risk-free interest rate is based on the
Expected Term - The Company's expected term represents the weighted-average period that the Company's RSUs are expected to be outstanding. The expected term is based on the stipulated 5-year period from the grant date until the market-based criteria are achieved. If the market-based criteria are not achieved within the five-year period from the grant date, the RSUs will not
vest and shall expire.
Vesting Hurdle Price - The vesting hurdle prices are determined by taking the vesting Market Cap criteria divided by the shares outstanding as of the valuation dates.
EffectiveJanuary 1, 2017 , the Company elected to account for forfeited awards as they occur, as permitted by ASU 2016-09. Ultimately, the actual expenses recognized over the vesting period will be for those shares that vested. Prior to making this election, the Company estimated a forfeiture rate for awards at 0%, as the Company did not have a significant history of forfeitures.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 3 to the financial statements for a discussion of recent accounting standards and pronouncements.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant national and global economic disruptions, which may adversely affect our business. However, based on our current assessment, we do not expect any material impact on our long-term development, our operations, or our liquidity due to the worldwide spread of COVID-19. We are actively monitoring this situation and the possible effects on its financial condition, liquidity, operations, suppliers, and the industry. Inflation In addition to the impacts of COVID-19, we have experienced, and are experiencing, the impact of domestic and global inflationary pressures largely outside of our control. This inflationary pressure impacts our cost structure, leading to operational adjustments, and increasing the cost of retaining talent and certain professional costs, despite our continued focus on controlling our costs where possible. Management is unable to accurately predict when, or if, these national and global inflationary pressures will subside, or their long-term impacts on our business and results of operations. We are actively monitoring the situation and assessing potential mitigation strategies. 16 RISK FACTORS
There are numerous and varied risks, known and unknown, that may prevent us from achieving our goals. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operation may be materially adversely affected. In such case, the trading price of our Common Stock could decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment. Summary Risk Factors
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that you should consider before investing in our common stock. Set forth below is a summary of the principal risks we face:
? We have a limited operating history, particularly with respect to our
developing blockchain infrastructure solutions business, Digital Asset
Platform and staking-as-a -service operations.
? We have a history of operating losses and expect to continue to experience
operating losses in future periods.
? We have an evolving business model which we may be unable to develop, adapt or
execute effectively, and we may be unable to manage our growth or implement
our business plan as intended or at all.
? We are highly dependent on our executive officers, particularly
our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Operating Officer,
Paranjape, our Chief Technology Officer, and the loss of the services of these
individuals could materially harm our business.
? We may be subject to regulatory actions, private causes of actions such as
intellectual property infringement claims, and restrictions and limited access
to baking and financial services due to our operations in the cryptocurrency
industry, and regulatory or other adverse developments in the cryptocurrency
industry could otherwise adversely affect us.
? Because of our involvement in staking of crypto assets through use of our
Digital Asset Platform, we are subject to risks inherent in engaging in
activities involving financial instruments owned by third party users,
notwithstanding the non-custodial nature of our platform or other features
management believes to constitute meaningful distinctions for regulatory,
compliance and other purposes.
? A particular crypto asset's status as a "security" in any relevant
jurisdiction is subject to a high degree of uncertainty, and if we are unable
to correctly characterize a crypto asset, we may be subject to regulatory
scrutiny, investigations, fines, sanctions, penalties and other adverse
consequences, including potentially becoming subject to the Investment Company
Act of 1940 which would impose significant regulatory burdens and compliance
costs.
? Crypto assets and our related activities are characterized by numerous other
risks and uncertainties, including the possibility for adverse developments
such as regulatory actions, bans or restrictions, declines in the price of,
demand for or public perception of crypto assets, theft, fraud, hacking,
manipulation or malicious coding, price volatility, the potential for one
cryptocurrency to branch into two, variations among and the potential for
adverse changes to blockchain algorithms, and other external forces beyond our
control described more fully below.
? The future development and growth of cryptocurrencies is subject to a variety
of factors that are difficult to predict and evaluate, and the market for the
crypto assets we obtain and hold may not grow as we expect or the prices may
decline, including due to political or economic crises or other factors which
we neither predict nor control.
? The cryptocurrency space is subject to continuous regulatory uncertainty, and
any adverse regulatory changes or other developments with respect to our
operations or the crypto assets with which we transact may require us to alter
our business model or suspend or cease some or all of our operations.
? Our focus on PoS blockchain networks exposes us to risk of loss due to
features unique to those networks, including by virtue of being locked in by
smart contracts such that we cannot liquidate a portion of the relevant crypto
assets for a period of time during and after the staking process, during which
the price or value of the crypto assets may depreciate.
? We are reliant on a single service provider for cloud computing infrastructure
deployed in our blockchain infrastructure solutions business, and are
therefore exposed to the risks which may arise from potential adverse
developments that may be caused or experienced by such service provider.
? Our critical accounting policies may prove to be incorrect, we may need to
implement additional finance and accounting systems, procedures and controls,
and we face challenges inherent in operating a crypto assets business which is
subject to evolving accounting treatment for which there is limited precedent.
? Our stock price may be subject to significant volatility due to a variety of
factors, many of which are beyond our control, including its potential
connection to the price of one or more of the crypto assets with which we are
or may become involved.
17
Risks Related to Our Company in General
We have a limited operating history, particularly with respect to our new blockchain infrastructure operations which recently commenced and our platform and staking-as-a-service business model, and we have a history of operating losses, and expect to incur significant additional operating losses.
We have a limited operating history, and only recently commenced our new blockchain infrastructure operations in 2021. Further, we lack an operating history with respect to our crypto asset analytics and staking-as-a-service platform's functions and operations. In addition, the PoS blockchain networks on which our operations are centered are a relatively new and evolving means of validating crypto asset transactions. Therefore, there is limited historical financial information upon which to base an evaluation of our performance. Our prospects must be considered in light of the uncertainties, risks, expenses, and difficulties frequently encountered by companies in their early stages of operations in general, and in the cryptocurrency industry in particular with itself remains a relatively new space imbued with risk and uncertainty. We have generated net losses of$15.9 million and$16.0 million for the years endedDecember 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We expect to incur additional net losses over the next several years as we seek to expand operations. The amount of future losses and when, if ever, we will achieve profitability are uncertain. If we are unsuccessful at executing our business plan, our business, prospects, and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
We have an evolving business model which we may be unable to develop, adapt or execute effectively.
As crypto assets and blockchain technologies become more widely available, we expect the services and products associated with them to evolve. In 2017, theSEC issued a DAO Report that promoters that use initial coin offerings or token sales to raise capital may be engaged in the offer and sale of securities in violation of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"). More recently, theSEC has brought enforcement actions with respect to crypto assets and related activities, including custodial staking-as-a-service models, as more particularly described later in these Risk Factors. These or future developments may force or cause us to potentially change our future business in order to comply fully with the federal securities laws as well as applicable state securities laws. As a result, to stay current with the industry, our business model may need to evolve in the future as well. From time to time we may modify aspects of our business model relating to our product mix and service offerings. For example, a main component of our current business objective is developing a comprehensive crypto asset analytics and staking-as-a-service platform which enables users to perform or utilize a variety of functions related to crypto assets, such as portfolio monitoring, and risk assessment all in one place in the hopes of attracting, maintaining and growing a customer base in the long term. However, our investments into and efforts with respect to this goal may not come to fruition, including due to adverse developments in regulatory, technological, competitive or other aspects that are beyond our control. We cannot offer any assurance that our current business plan or any other modifications or undertakings with respect thereto will be successful or will not result in harm to the business. In addition, we may not be able to manage our growth effectively, which could damage our reputation, limit our growth and negatively affect our operating results. If we are unable to effectively develop, execute and adjust our business plan, or successfully manage our growth, you could lose some or all of your investment.
The loss of our executive officers could have a material adverse effect on us.
Our success depends on the continued services of our executive officers who have extensive technological and market knowledge and long-standing industry relationships. In particular, we have relied and will continue to rely onCharles Allen , our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,Michal Handerhan , our Chief Operating Officer,Michael Prevoznik , our Chief Financial Officer, andManish Paranjape , our Chief Technology Officer, to continue and grow our operations and execute our business plan. Our reputation among and our relationships with key cryptocurrency industry leaders are the direct result of a significant investment of time and effort by these individuals to build our credibility in a highly specialized industry. The loss of services of any of our executive officers could diminish our business and growth opportunities and our relationships with key leaders in the crypto asset industry and could have a material adverse effect on us. Banks and financial institutions may not provide banking services, or may cut off services, to businesses that engage in cryptocurrency-related activities, and turmoil among financial institutions arising from or relating to crypto assets or in general can materially adversely affect us and our industry. A number of companies that engage in crypto asset and/or other cryptocurrency-related activities have been unable to find banks or financial institutions that are willing to provide them with bank accounts and other services. Similarly, a number of companies and individuals or businesses associated with cryptocurrencies may have had and may continue to have their existing bank accounts closed or services discontinued with financial institutions in response to government action, particularly inChina , where regulatory response to cryptocurrencies has been to exclude their use for ordinary consumer transactions withinChina . More recent government action in theU.S. involving crypto assets and related activities may cause this trend to expand in theU.S. We also may be unable to obtain or maintain these services for our business. Many businesses that provide cryptocurrency-related activities may continue to have difficulties in finding banks and financial institutions willing to provide them services which may decrease the usefulness of cryptocurrencies as a payment system and harm public perception of cryptocurrencies, and could decrease their usefulness. Further, inMarch 2023 two large financial institutions in theU.S. ,Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which both serviced customers involved with crypto assets, collapsed as continued negative economic prospects and failures to obtain payment from borrowers, together with a large number of withdrawals, caused these banks to encounter substantial financial difficulty leading up to their failures. In response to these events, theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") transferred all the deposits, both insured and uninsured, of these banks to corresponding "bridge banks" operated by theFDIC as it markets the institution to potential bidders. While the impact of these developments on the Company and on the crypto asset industry and the economy in general remain unclear, it is possible that these events underscore a broader financial crisis facing the country, in which crypto assets may have played and/or have yet to play a role. In the wake of these collapses, theU.S. capital markets and the prices of equity securities and crypto assets have faced significant volatility as investors continue to evaluate these events and how they may interact with other ongoing issues with theU.S. economy, including inflation andFederal Reserve interest rate increases. The usefulness of cryptocurrencies as a payment system and the public perception of cryptocurrencies could be damaged if banks or financial institutions were to close the accounts of businesses engaging in cryptocurrency-related activities, which contingencies may become more likely in the future if and to the extent crypto assets are considered a significant factor in the recent financial collapses experienced by the major banks as described above. This could occur as a result of compliance risk, cost, government regulation or public pressure. The risk applies to securities firms, clearance and settlement firms, national stock and derivatives on commodities exchanges, the over-the-counter market, and theDepository Trust Company , which, if any of such entities adopts or implements similar policies, rules or regulations, could negatively affect our relationships with financial institutions and impede our ability to convert cryptocurrencies to fiat currencies. Such factors could have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue as a going concern or to pursue our strategy at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations and harm investors. 18
Risks Related to Crypto Assets
A particular crypto asset's status as a "security" in any relevant jurisdiction is subject to a high degree of uncertainty, with a growing number of regulators taking the position that certain crypto assets are securities and bringing enforcement actions accordingly, and if we are unable to properly characterize a crypto asset or comply with the applicable regulatory requirements, we may be subject to regulatory scrutiny, investigations, fines, and other penalties, which may adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition. TheSEC and its staff have taken the position that certain crypto assets fall within the definition of a "security" under theU.S. federal securities laws. The legal test for determining whether any given crypto asset is a security is a highly complex, fact-driven analysis that evolves over time, and the outcome is difficult to predict. TheSEC generally does not provide advance guidance or confirmation on the status of any particular crypto asset as a security. Furthermore, theSEC's views in this area have evolved over time, and theSEC's Enforcement Division have recently demonstrated a willingness and intention to bring actions against businesses with a crypto asset focus, including for failure to register transactions involving crypto assets under the federal securities laws by deeming such crypto assets to be securities. For example, inFebruary 2023 theSEC charged Kraken with failing to register the offer and sale of its staking-as-a-service program, whereby investors transfer crypto assets to Kraken for staking in exchange for advertised annual investment returns. Kraken settled this action by agreeing to cease its custodial staking business and to pay$30 million in disgorgement, prejudgment interest and civil penalties. While there are material distinctions between Kraken's staking model and ours, including the fact that we do not take custody of or exert control over the crypto assets that are staked using our platform, theSEC could disagree with our assessment and seek to enforce the federal securities laws and regulations against our operations. Similarly, inMarch 2023 theNew York Attorney General became the firstU.S. regulator to claim in court that Ethereum, one of the major crypto assets which we hold and stake, is a security in its lawsuit against KuCoin, a crypto asset exchange. If we become subject to regulatory scrutiny or enforcement actions by securities regulators, it could result in expensive litigation and penalties and cessation of the allegedly noncompliant operations, which would materially adversely harm us, including due to our recent shift of focus to our non-custodial staking-as-a-service business and the costs and efforts deployed towards its development. These or additional developments that may arise underscore the risks in our business, particularly its reliance on the use of crypto assets and staking of users' crypto asset holdings. Further, certain crypto assets may be deemed to be a "security" under the laws of some jurisdictions but not others. Various foreign jurisdictions may, in the future, adopt additional laws, regulations, or directives that affect the characterization of crypto assets as "securities." As a result of the foregoing recent and potential developments, we may be forced to, or voluntarily elect to, limit, suspend or cease our staking services operations or certain aspects thereof in order to comply with applicable laws and regulations and avoid the regulatory scrutiny and adverse consequences that could result. Further, because of how recent these government actions are and the high probability that further action is forthcoming, we anticipate higher compliance costs and diversion of management's limited time and attention towards these events until a more definitive regulatory regime is established to govern the crypto asset industry in which we operate.
While we do not currently, nor do we plan to, offer, sell, trade, and clear crypto assets or take custody of crypto assets as part of any potential staking-as-a-service operations we may undertake, crypto assets we stake and validate transactions for could be deemed to be a "security" under applicable laws. This could be the case even if we conclude that our activities are compliant with these laws and regulations. Our blockchain infrastructure operations which entails securing blockchains by validating blockchain transactions (most analogous to Bitcoin mining) could be construed as facilitating transactions in crypto assets; as such we could be subject to legal or regulatory action in the event theSEC , a foreign regulatory authority, or a court were to determine that a blockchain we secure is a "security" under applicable laws. Because our platform is not registered or licensed with theSEC or foreign authorities as a broker-dealer, national securities exchange, or ATS (or foreign equivalents), and we do not seek to register or rely on an exemption from such registration or license to secure blockchains. We recognize that the application of securities laws to the specific facts and circumstances of crypto assets is a complex and often unpredictable process and subject to change, and staking and securing a blockchain, while similar to Bitcoin mining, does not guarantee any conclusion under theU.S. federal securities laws, particularly given that each crypto asset and blockchain network is unique. Therefore, if we do conclude that a particular crypto asset is not a security on advice of our legal counsel, and theSEC or other government agencies or courts disagree with this assessment, we could be held liable for violation of securities laws. In addition, new laws may be implemented that prevent or hinder us from operating in the manner we currently conduct our business or plan to conduct our business, in which case our business may be materially harmed. Further, if any crypto asset is deemed to be a security under anyU.S. federal, state, or foreign jurisdiction, or in a proceeding in a court of law or otherwise, it may have adverse consequences for such crypto asset. For instance, the networks on which such crypto assets are utilized may be required to be regulated as securities intermediaries, and subject to applicable rules, which could effectively render the network impracticable for its existing purposes. Further, it could draw negative publicity and a decline in the general acceptance of the crypto asset. Also, such a development may make it difficult for such supported crypto asset to be traded, cleared, and custodied as compared to other crypto assets that are not considered to be securities. These events could, among things, result in a decline in the market prices for the crypto assets on which our operations rely, and thereby reduce the demand for our solutions and the revenue generated therefrom. 19
Because crypto assets may be determined to be
We plan to acquire a portfolio of crypto assets including Ethereum and other crypto assets. There is an increased regulatory examination of crypto assets andDigital Securities . This has led to regulatory and enforcement activities. As described elsewhere in these Risk Factors, theSEC and certain state regulators have recently begun to take a more definitive and aggressive stance indicating that crypto assets and related activities, including custodial staking-based services, entail the offer and sale of securities subject to applicable securities laws and regulations. We cannot be certain as to how future regulatory developments will impact the treatment of Ethereum and other crypto assets, or our operations as they relate to such crypto assets or in general, under the law.
Under the 1940 Act, a company may be deemed an investment company under if the value of its investment securities is more than 40% of its total assets (exclusive of government securities and cash items) on a consolidated basis. Crypto assets we may own in the future may be determined to beDigital Securities by theSEC or a court. Additionally, one or more states may conclude Ethereum, or other crypto assets held by us in the future are securities under state securities laws which would require registration under state laws including merit review laws. For example,California defines the term "investment contract" more strictly than theSEC . In addition, theNew York Attorney General has taken the position that Ethereum is a security underNew York law, and if this position is upheld it could significantly impact Ethereum and other crypto assets, as notwithstanding the decentralized nature of crypto assets, a substantially large proportion of capital markets activities and theU.S. population are located inNew York . Future legislation,SEC rulemaking and other regulatory developments, including interpretations released by a regulatory authority, may impact the manner in which Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto assets are treated for classification and clearing purposes. TheSEC's July 25, 2017 DAO Report expressed its view that crypto assets may be securities depending on the facts and circumstances, and recent developments have confirmed that theSEC presently considers many if not most crypto assets to be securities. If a crypto asset we hold were later determined to be a Digital Security, we could inadvertently become an investment company, as defined by the 1940 Act, if the value of theDigital Securities we owned exceeded 40% of our assets excluding cash. We are subject to the following risks:
? Contrary to legal advice, the
other crypto assets we later acquire to be securities; ? based on legal advice, we may acquire other crypto assets which we have been
advised are not securities but later are held to be securities; and ? we may knowingly acquire crypto assets that are securities and acquire minority
investments in businesses which investments are securities.
In the event that the crypto assets held by us exceed 40% of our total assets, exclusive of cash, we may inadvertently become an investment company.
In order to limit our acquisition ofDigital Securities to stay within the 40% threshold, we will examine the manner in which a crypto asset was initially marketed to determine if it may be deemed a Digital Security and subject to federal and state securities laws. Even if we conclude that a particular crypto asset is not a security under the 1940 Act, certain states take a stricter view which means the crypto asset may have violated applicable state securities laws. Should the total value of securities which we hold exceed more than 40% of our assets (exclusive of cash) SEC Rule 3a-2 under the 1940 Act allows an issuer to prevent itself from being deemed an investment company if it reduces its holdings of securities to less than 40% of its assets (exclusive of cash) and does not go above the 40% threshold more than once every three years. Accordingly, if changes in the classification of crypto assets causes us to exceed the 40% threshold, we may experience large losses when we liquidateDigital Securities as a result of continued volatility. The 40% requirement may limit our ability to make certain investments or enter into joint ventures that could otherwise have a positive impact on our earnings. In any event, we do not intend to become an investment company engaged in the business of investing and trading securities. To the extent that crypto assets held by us are deemed by theSEC or a state legislator to fall within the definition of a security, we may be required to register and comply with additional regulation under the Investment Company Act, including additional periodic reporting and disclosure standards and requirements and the registration of our Company as an investment company. Such additional registrations: i) would result in extraordinary, non-recurring expenses, ii) is time consuming and restrictive, iii) would require a restructuring of our operations, and iv) we would be very constrained in the kind of business we could do as a registered investment company, thereby materially and adversely impacting an investment in us. Further, if our examination of a crypto asset is incorrect, we may incur regulatory penalties and private investor liabilities since Section 5 of the Securities Act is a strict liability statute much like selling spoiled milk and state securities laws generally impose liability for negligence for misrepresentations. In order to comply with the 1940 Act, we anticipate having increased management time and legal expenses in order to analyze which crypto assets are securities and periodically analyze our total holdings to ensure that we do not maintain more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of cash) as securities. If our view that the crypto assets we hold are not securities is challenged by theSEC and courts uphold the challenge, we may inadvertently violate the 1940 Act and incur substantial legal fees in defending our position. The cost of such compliance would result in the Company incurring substantial additional expenses, and the failure to register if required would have a materially adverse impact to conduct our operations. 20 Because of the recent decline in the cryptocurrency market and other adverse developments and publicity surrounding the industry, our business plans may not be successful and our business and financial condition may be adversely affected. Our business is focused on the cryptocurrency industry, particularly blockchain infrastructure including our Digital Asset Platform. We also hold and stake a number of crypto assets to generate revenue from the PoS systems on which they operate. The crypto asset industry is characterized by a high level of volatility, and the collapse in the prices of most popular crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum has cast doubt on the future of crypto asset-focused businesses such as ours. This trend was further impacted by the recent controversy and failure surrounding FTX, a crypto asset exchange that collapsed after its Chief Executive Officer was accused of fraud and misappropriation of corporate funds in a manner that has been compared to both Enron and Madoff. Since then certain other crypto asset-focused companies have filed for bankruptcy, and more recently inMarch 2023 three majorU.S. banks with involvement in crypto assets collapsed. The result thus far has been a decline in the crypto assets markets and in the public's perception of the industry. In addition, following the FTX controversy, regulators began reviewing crypto asset-focused companies and their operations with greater scrutiny, and have brought enforcement actions seeking to restrict or cease such activities, such as the Kraken and KuCoin actions described above. While we believe the non-custodial staking model we are pursuing for our platform presents distinctions from custodial methods of holding and controlling crypto assets such as those that were employed by FTX and Kraken, holders of crypto assets, regulators, and other stakeholders may fail to appreciate this distinction or to consider it sufficient to utilize our services or invest in our business. If we are unable to separate ourselves from the recent adverse developments in the crypto asset space, or otherwise develop and execute on our business plan and blockchain infrastructure in a manner that enables us to establish and maintain material revenue sources, our business and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Further, a perceived lack of stability in the crypto asset and the closure or suspension shutdown of crypto asset exchanges and networks due to business failure, hackers or malware, government-mandated regulation, or fraud, may reduce confidence in crypto asset networks and result in greater volatility in crypto asset values and on our results of operations. Further, our focus on crypto assets, and the above-described past and/or any future adverse developments with respect to our operations or industry, could result in declines or volatility in our stock price, difficulty or inability to obtain adequate financing as needed, on favorable terms or at all, reduction in consumer demand for our platform and services, the risk of increased losses or asset impairments, and the potential for legal proceedings and reputational harm which could arise from any of the foregoing. Such external developments have the potential to affect us even if we believe our financial condition, operations and infrastructure our secure. These potential consequences could materially adversely affect an investment in us. Events in 2022 and more recently have increased the likelihood thatU.S. federal and state legislatures and regulatory agencies will enact laws and regulations to regulate crypto assets and crypto asset intermediaries, such as crypto exchanges and custodians. The collapse of TerraUSD and Luna and the bankruptcy filings of FTX and its subsidiaries,Three Arrows Capital , Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, Genesis Global and BlockFi have resulted in calls for heightened scrutiny and regulation of the crypto asset industry, with a specific focus on crypto asset exchanges, platforms, and custodians. Federal and state legislatures and regulatory agencies are expected to introduce and enact new laws and regulations to regulate crypto asset intermediaries, such as crypto asset exchanges and custodians. TheMarch 2023 collapses ofSilicon Valley Bank ,Silvergate Bank , and Signature Bank may amplify and/or accelerate these trends. TheU.S. regulatory regime - namely theFederal Reserve Board ,U.S. Congress and certainU.S. agencies (e.g., theSEC , the CFTC, FinCEN, theOffice of the Comptroller of the Currency , theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation , and theFederal Bureau of Investigation ) as well as theWhite House have issued reports and releases concerning crypto assets, including Bitcoin and crypto asset markets. Further, in 2023 theHouse of Representatives formed two new subcommittees: the Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion Subcommittee and the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee, each of which were formed in part to analyze issues concerning crypto assets and demonstrate a legislative intent to develop and consider the adoption of federal legislation designed to address the perceived need for regulation of and concerns surrounding the crypto industry. However, the extent and content of any forthcoming laws and regulations are not yet ascertainable with certainty, and it may not be ascertainable in the near future. A dividedCongress makes any prediction difficult. Further theSEC seems to have changed tactics and in early 2023 it sued multiple crypto asset companies for selling unregistered securities. We cannot predict how these and other related events will affect us or the crypto asset business. We cannot assure you that future legislation or regulation will not have an adverse effect upon us. It is possible that new laws and increased regulation and regulatory scrutiny may require the Company to comply with certain regulatory regimes, which could result in new costs for the Company. The Company may have to devote increased time and attention to regulatory matters, which could increase costs to the Company. New laws, regulations, and regulatory actions could significantly restrict or eliminate the market for, or uses of, crypto assets including Ethereum, which could have a negative effect on the value of Ethereum, which in turn would have a negative effect on the value of the Company's shares. Because our staking business is dependent on the value of the crypto assets we stake to obtain blockchain rewards, and because those rewards are paid out in the form of the blockchain's native crypto assets, the ongoing low market values and/or continued or long-term declines in crypto asset prices will materially and adversely affect our results of operations. As discussed above, the cryptocurrency market experienced a critical decline in 2022 which continues thus far in 2023. Prospects of a recovery declined when the FTX controversy arose, as well as bankruptcies of other companies and projects in crypto asset and blockchain sector. Our reliance on staking, which is expected to increase as we continue to seek to commercialize and improve upon our Digital Asset Platform and non-custodial staking-as-a-service business, means that if the market values of the crypto assets we stake continues to decline or remain at the relatively low levels they are currently, which appears possible given the adverse developments and wide scale sales of and skepticism surrounding crypto assets that have resulted, the revenue we generate from staking will diminish. This is because the rewards for staking a given crypto asset are paid out in more of that same crypto asset. Therefore, if the market price for the crypto asset declines while staking is ongoing, unless the price later recovers the rewards we receive may not cover the decline in value of the assets. If this trend continues, our operating results and financial condition will be materially adversely affected. 21
Our business faces significant scaling obstacles due to its dependence on crypto assets and related infrastructure.
Crypto assets on which our current and planned operations depend face significant scaling obstacles that can lead to high fees or slow transaction settlement times, and attempts to increase the volume of transactions may not be effective. Scaling of crypto assets is essential to the widespread acceptance of crypto assets as a means of payment or other uses that stakeholders have in the past cited in demonstrating interest in crypto assets. Many crypto asset networks, including those with which we are or may become involved in our operations, face significant scaling challenges. For example, crypto assets are limited with respect to how many transactions can occur per second. Participants in the crypto asset ecosystem debate potential approaches to increasing the average number of transactions per second that a network can handle and have implemented mechanisms or are researching ways to increase scale, such as increasing the allowable sizes of blocks, and therefore the number of transactions per block, and sharding (a horizontal partition of data in a database or search engine), which would not require every single transaction to be included in every single validator's block. However, there is no guarantee that any of the mechanisms in place or being explored for increasing the scale of settlement of crypto asset transactions will be effective. If adoption of crypto assets as a means of payment or other uses does not occur on the schedule or scale anticipated or at all, the demand for crypto assets may stagnate or decrease, which could adversely affect future prices of crypto assets we hold or otherwise rely upon in our operations, and our results of operations and financial condition, which could have a material adverse effect on our business or the market price for our securities. The further development and acceptance of cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the issuance of and transactions in cryptocurrencies, which represent a rapidly changing industry, are subject to a variety of factors
that are difficult to evaluate. The use of crypto assets to, among other things, buy and sell goods and services and complete transactions, is part of a new and rapidly evolving industry that employs cryptocurrency assets based upon a computer-generated mathematical and/or cryptographic protocol. Large-scale acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a means of payment has not, and may never, occur. The growth of the cryptocurrency industry in general, and the use of crypto assets in particular, is subject to a high degree of uncertainty. The factors affecting the further development of the cryptocurrency industry, include but are not limited to:
? continued worldwide growth in the adoption and use of crypto assets as a medium
of exchange; ? government and quasi-government regulation of crypto assets and their use, or
restrictions on or regulation of access to and operation of the crypto assets
systems;
? the maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of
cryptocurrency networks; ? changes in consumer demographics and public tastes and preferences; ? the availability and popularity of other forms or methods of buying and selling
goods and services, including new means of using fiat currencies and digital
forms of fiat currencies; ? general economic conditions and the regulatory environment relating to crypto
assets; and
? the impact of regulators focusing on crypto assets and
the costs associated with such regulatory oversight.
A decline in the popularity or acceptance of the Ethereum Network or other blockchains networks we have exposure to could adversely affect an investment in us.
The outcome of these factors could have negative effects on our ability to continue as a going concern or to pursue our business strategy at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations as well as potentially negative effect on the value of any Ethereum or other crypto assets we hold or acquire, which would harm investors in our securities. 22 If a malicious actor or botnet obtains control in excess of 50% of the processing power active on a cryptocurrency network, it is possible that such actor or botnet could manipulate a blockchain in a manner that adversely affects an investment in us. If a malicious actor or botnet (a volunteer or hacked collection of computers controlled by networked software coordinating the actions of the computers) obtains a majority of the processing power or staked assets dedicated to either mining or staking a cryptocurrency, it may be able to alter blockchains on which transactions of cryptocurrency reside and rely by constructing fraudulent blocks or preventing certain transactions from completing in a timely manner, or at all. The malicious actor or botnet could control, exclude or modify the ordering of transactions, though depending on blockchain may not generate new units or transactions using such control. The malicious actor could "double-spend" its own cryptocurrency (i.e., spend the same crypto asset in more than one transaction) and prevent the confirmation of other users' transactions for as long as it maintained control. To the extent that such malicious actor or botnet does not yield its control of the processing power or staked assets on the network, or the cryptocurrency community does not reject the fraudulent blocks as malicious, reversing any changes made to blockchains may not be possible. The foregoing description is not the only means by which the entirety of blockchains or cryptocurrencies may be compromised but is only an example and may differ from blockchain to blockchain. The possible crossing of the 50% threshold indicates a greater risk that a single validator could exert authority over the validation of network transactions. To the extent that a blockchain ecosystem including other validators do not act to ensure greater decentralization of validator voting power, the feasibility of a malicious actor obtaining control will increase because the botnet or malicious actor could compromise more than 50% voting power and thereby gain control of blockchain, whereas if the blockchain remains decentralized it is inherently more difficult for the botnet of malicious actor to aggregate enough voting power to gain control of the blockchain, may adversely affect an investment in our Common Stock. Such lack of controls and responses to such circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue as a going concern or to pursue our new strategy at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations and potentially the value of any Ethereum or other crypto assets we acquire or hold, and harm investors.
The decentralized nature of crypto asset systems may lead to slow or inadequate responses to crises, which may negatively affect our business.
The decentralized nature of the governance of crypto asset systems may lead to ineffective decision making that slows development or prevents a network from overcoming emergent obstacles. Governance of many crypto asset systems is by voluntary consensus and open competition with no clear leadership structure or authority. To the extent lack of clarity in corporate governance of cryptocurrency systems leads to ineffective decision making that slows development and growth of such crypto assets, the value of our Common Stock
may be adversely affected. Crypto Exchanges are relatively new and therefore may be more exposed to fraud and failure than established, regulated exchanges for other products. To the extent that large Crypto Exchanges representing a substantial portion of the crypto asset volume are involved in fraud or experience security failures or other operational issues, such Exchanges' failures may result in a reduction in the price of crypto assets and adversely affect an investment in us. A number of Crypto Exchanges have been closed due to fraud, failure or security breaches. In many of these instances, the customers of such Exchanges were not compensated or made whole for the partial or complete losses of their account balances in such Exchanges. While smaller Exchanges are less likely to have the infrastructure and capitalization that make larger Exchanges more stable, larger Exchanges are more likely to be appealing targets for hackers and "malware" (i.e., software used or programmed by attackers to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information or gain access to private computer systems). A lack of stability in an Exchange Market and the closure or temporary shutdown of larger Crypto Exchanges due to fraud, business failure, hackers or malware, or government-mandated regulation may reduce confidence in crypto assets overall and result in greater volatility in crypto asset values. These potential consequences of an Exchange's failure could adversely affect an investment
in us.
There is a lack of liquid markets, and possible manipulation of blockchain/cryptocurrency-based crypto assets.
Crypto assets that are represented and trade on a ledger-based platform may not necessarily benefit from viable trading markets. Stock exchanges have listing requirements and vet issuers; requiring them to be subjected to rigorous listing standards and rules, and monitor investors transacting on such platform for fraud and other improprieties. These conditions may not necessarily be replicated on a distributed ledger platform, depending on the platform's controls and other policies. The laxer a distributed ledger platform is about vetting issuers of cryptocurrency assets or users that transact on the platform, the higher the potential risk for fraud or the manipulation of the ledger due to a control event. These factors may decrease liquidity or volume or may otherwise increase volatility or other assets trading on a ledger-based system, which may adversely affect us. Such circumstances could adversely affect an investment in us. 23 Political or economic crises may motivate large-scale sales of crypto assets, which could result in a reduction in crypto asset values and adversely affect an investment in us. Geopolitical or economic crises may motivate large-scale sales of crypto assets, which could rapidly decrease the price of crypto assets. For example, market analysts have indicated that in some cases, such as during large scale adverse economic events, trading and market prices of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum have correlated to some extent with the movement of equity markets, regardless of the stock or asset class. For example, inMarch 2020 , as global shutdowns ramped up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the price of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other crypto assets plummeted together with stock prices globally. Similarly, in 2022 as theFederal Reserve raised interest rates to combat inflation, crypto asset prices declined with stock prices in theU.S. These trends are contrary to a formerly commonly held conception that buying and holding crypto assets can be used as a "hedge" to investing in the more conventional equity markets, and may eventually result in diminished popularity of crypto assets in general by the public. Alternatively, as an emerging asset class with limited acceptance as a payment system or commodity, global crises and general economic downturn may discourage investment in crypto assets as investors focus their investment on less volatile asset classes as a means of hedging their investment risk. As an alternative to fiat currencies that are backed by central governments, crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, which are relatively new, are subject to supply and demand forces based upon the desirability of an alternative, decentralized means of buying and selling goods and services, and it is unclear how such supply and demand will be impacted by geopolitical events. Nevertheless, political or economic crises may motivate large-scale acquisitions or sales of crypto assets either globally or locally. Large-scale sales of crypto assets would result in a reduction in crypto asset values and could adversely affect an investment in us.
The price of crypto assets may be affected by the sale of such crypto assets by other vehicles investing in crypto assets or tracking cryptocurrency markets.
The global market for crypto assets is characterized by supply constraints that differ from those present in the markets for commodities or other assets such as gold and silver. The mathematical protocols under which certain cryptocurrencies are mined or minted permit the creation of a limited, predetermined amount of currency, while others have no limit established on total supply. To the extent that other vehicles investing in crypto assets or tracking cryptocurrency markets form and come to represent a significant proportion of the demand for crypto assets, large redemptions of the securities of those vehicles and the subsequent sale of crypto assets by such vehicles could negatively affect crypto asset prices and therefore affect the value of our crypto assets. Such events could have a material adverse affect on an investment in us. Current interpretations require the regulation of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto assets under the CEA by the CFTC, we may be required to register and comply with such regulations. To the extent that we decide to continue operations, the required registrations and regulatory compliance steps may result in extraordinary, non-recurring expenses to us. We may also decide to cease certain operations. Any disruption of our operations in response to the changed regulatory circumstances may be at a time that is disadvantageous to investors. Current and future legislation, CFTC and other regulatory developments, including interpretations released by a regulatory authority, may impact the manner in which Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto assets are treated for classification and clearing purposes. In particular, derivatives on these assets are not excluded from the definition of "commodity future" by the CFTC. We cannot be certain as to how future regulatory developments will impact the treatment of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto assets under the law. Bitcoin and Ethereum have been deemed to fall within the definition of a commodity and, we may be required to register and comply with additional regulation under the CEA, including additional periodic report and disclosure standards and requirements. Moreover, we may be required to register as a commodity pool operator and to register us as a commodity pool with the CFTC through theNational Futures Association . Such additional registrations may result in extraordinary, non-recurring expenses, thereby materially and adversely impacting an investment in us. If we determine not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, we may seek to cease certain of our operations. Any such action may adversely affect an investment in us. 24
Our interactions with a blockchain may expose us to SDN or blocked persons or cause us to violate provisions of law that did not contemplate distribute ledger technology.The Office of Financial Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury requires us to comply with its sanction program and not conduct business with persons named on its specially designated nationals ("SDN") list. However, because of the pseudonymous nature of blockchain transactions we may inadvertently and without our knowledge engage in transactions, to the extent validation constitutes a transaction, with persons named on OFAC's SDN list. While we don't believe validation constitutes a transaction we can provide no assurances regulators will agree with that view. Our Company's policy prohibits any transactions with such SDN individuals, but we may not be adequately capable of determining the ultimate identity of the individual who delegate to our nodes. Additionally, the U.S Department of Treasury recently has added sanctions that preventU.S. persons from using cryptocurrencies to circumnavigate financial sanctions placed onRussia . Because our business requires us to download and retain one or more blockchains to effectuate our ongoing business, it is possible that such digital ledgers contain prohibited depictions without our knowledge or consent. To the extent government enforcement authorities literally enforce these and other laws and regulations that are impacted by decentralized distributed ledger technology, we may be subject to investigation, administrative or court proceedings, and civil or criminal monetary fines and penalties, all of which could harm our reputation and affect the value of our Common Stock. If federal or state legislatures or agencies initiate or release tax determinations that change the classification of Bitcoin, Ethereum or other crypto assets as property for tax purposes (in the context of when such crypto assets are held as an investment), such determination could have a negative tax consequence on our Company or our shareholders. CurrentIRS guidance indicates that crypto assets such as Ethereum should be treated and taxed as property, and that transactions involving the payment of Ethereum for goods and services should be treated as barter transactions. While this treatment creates a potential tax reporting requirement for any circumstance where the ownership of an Ethereum passes from one person to another, usually by means of Ethereum transactions (including off-blockchain transactions), it preserves the right to apply capital gains treatment to those transactions which may have adversely affect an investment in our Company. OnDecember 5, 2014 , theNew York State Department of Taxation and Finance issued guidance regarding the application of state tax law to crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. The agency determined thatNew York State would followIRS guidance with respect to the treatment of crypto assets for state income tax purposes. Furthermore, they defined crypto assets to be a form of "intangible property," meaning the purchase and sale of crypto assets for fiat currency is not subject to state income tax (although transactions of crypto assets for other goods and services maybe subject to sales tax under barter transaction treatment). It is unclear if other states will follow the guidance of theIRS and theNew York State Department of Taxation and Finance with respect to the treatment of crypto assets for income tax and sales tax purposes. If a state adopts a different treatment, such treatment may have negative consequences including the imposition of greater a greater tax burden on investors in crypto assets or imposing a greater cost on the acquisition and disposition of crypto assets, generally; in either case potentially having a negative effect on prices in crypto assets and may adversely affect an investment in our Company. Foreign jurisdictions may also elect to treat crypto assets differently for tax purposes than theIRS or theNew York State Department of Taxation and Finance . To the extent that a foreign jurisdiction with a significant share of the market of crypto asset users imposes onerous tax burdens crypto users, or imposes sales or value added tax on purchases and sales of crypto assets for fiat currency, such actions could result in decreased demand for crypto assets in such jurisdiction, which could impact the price of crypto assets and negatively impact an investment in our Company.
We may suffer losses due to staking, delegating, and other related services.
Crypto assets which utilize PoS consensus mechanisms enable holders to earn rewards by operating nodes and participating in decentralized governance, bookkeeping and transaction confirmation activities on their underlying blockchain networks. We stake certain of our crypto assets and operate nodes on blockchain networks through our blockchain infrastructure operations. Most PoS networks require crypto assets to be transferred into smart contracts on the underlying blockchain networks not under our or anyone's control. If our validators, any third-party service providers, or smart contracts fail to behave as expected, suffer cybersecurity attacks, experience security issues, or encounter other problems, our crypto assets may be irretrievably lost. In addition, most PoS blockchain networks dictate requirements for participation in the relevant decentralized governance activity, and may impose penalties, or "slashing," if the relevant activities are not performed correctly, such as if the node operator acts maliciously on the network, "double signs" any transactions, or experience extended downtimes. Slashing penalties can apply due to prolonged inactivity on a blockchain network and inadvertent errors such as computing or hardware issues, as well as more serious behavior such as intentional malfeasance. If we are slashed by an underlying blockchain network, our crypto assets may be confiscated, withdrawn, or burnt by the network, resulting in permanent losses. Any penalties or slashing events could damage our brand and reputation, cause us to suffer financial losses, and adversely impact our business. 25
Our blockchain infrastructure operations, including Company owned and run
validator nodes on PoS blockchains, are subject to concentration risk as they
are consolidated on
The development and operation of the Company's validator nodes for non-custodial staking, as well as the development of the Digital Asset Platform, is hosted on cloud computing byAmazon Web Services ("AWS"). The consolidation of our proprietary technology on AWS subjects the Company to cyber security and other risks that face AWS. We have limited control over AWS, the services it provides us and the safety and security measures related thereto. If AWS fails to maintain the continuous functionality or security of its networks and related hardware on which we rely for our operations, we may be unable to generate revenue we otherwise would, and could suffer substantial losses. For example, some PoS networks implement the slashing penalties described above, wherein the crypto assets that were staked to allow us to participate in the validation process are taken away from us, if a validator node on which the crypto asset is staked is offline for a certain amount of time. Additionally, if our Delegators crypto assets become subject to slashing, we could experience significant losses, from resulting claims against us by them, as well as reputational harm and lost customer relationships. If any of the foregoing or other adverse developments occur as a result of our reliance on a single service provider for our PoS validating operations, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Crypto assets staked on Proof of Stake blockchains are locked in smart contracts and may not be accessible and liquid.
Crypto assets which utilize PoS consensus mechanisms are locked in smart contracts while staked which limits liquidity of the underlying crypto asset. This is because under PoS network protocols, in order to participate in the staking process validators such as us are required to enter into smart contracts which, among other things, require the validator to continue to keep a specified number of the crypto assets owned by the validator "locked-up" in the network for a specified period of time before they can again be transferred by such validator. This lock-up period often extends beyond the time at which the transaction is validated. We currently stake certain of our crypto assets and operate nodes on blockchain networks through our blockchain infrastructure services business. During times of high volatility or downturns, which are common among crypto assets for many reasons including those described elsewhere in these Risk Factors, we may be unable to liquidate certain crypto assets to the extent desired. We currently carry our staked Ethereum as a non-current long-term asset on our balance sheet until liquidity for staked Ethereum is unlocked. Staked crypto assets which can be unlocked from a smart contract in less than one year are carried as current assets on our balance sheet. As such we may experience large losses when and if we are able to liquidate our crypto assets as a result of continued volatility, further if we are unable to liquidate our crypto assets we could suffer material financial losses, which would adversely impact our business.
Because our current business plan and operations depend on consumers investing in crypto assets and staking and monitoring them using our non-custodial platform, economic downturns will materially adversely affect us.
Our non-custodial staking-as-a-service platform depends on consumers purchasing crypto assets from exchanges and holdings them long-term, and staking them using our platform, as well as using the other functions offered by or envisioned for our platform such as data analytics and monitoring crypto asset holdings. Therefore, economic downturns or a recession will cause a reduction in demand for our platform by causing consumers to reduce spending on investments or non-essential items such as crypto assets. Similarly, a decline in the popularity or public perception of such crypto assets would yield a similar result. In 2022, theU.S. capital markets in general, and crypto assets prices in particular, saw significant declines as theFederal Reserve heightened interest rates to combat inflation. This followed initial declines earlier in 2022 in response to theUkraine war and worsening supply chain issues and supply shortages. As of the date of this Report, theU.S. capital markets remain subject to substantial uncertainty, with consumer confidence declining due to a number of factors including, as a result of the collapse of three major banks inMarch 2023 and the potential broader implications and financial impact on theU.S. economy, as well as high inflation and anticipated continued interest rate increases and the enhanced likelihood of a recession as a result. Give these current market conditions, consumers may elect to sell their crypto assets, or decline to increase their holdings, rather than hold and stake them using our platform. Because we and our industry depend on consumers holding and staking the crypto assets long-term, this trend has the potential to materially adversely harm us and our prospects. Particularly in the event of prolonged or recurring recessionary conditions. 26 Our obligations to comply with the laws, rules, regulations, and policies of a variety of jurisdictions is uncertain and untested, and we are subject to uncertainty with respect to our potential non-custodial staking-as-a-service business and we may be subject to investigations and enforcement actions byU.S. and non-U.S. regulators and governmental authorities. In addition to the securities laws and regulations discussed elsewhere in these Risk Factors, laws regulating financial services, the internet, mobile technologies, digital, and related technologies inside and outside of theU.S. may impose obligations on us, as well as broader liability. For example, we are required to comply with laws and regulations related to sanctions and export controls enforced byU.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control , or OFAC, andU.S. anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws and regulations, enforced by FinCEN and certain state financial services regulators.U.S. sanctions laws and regulations generally restrict dealings by persons subject toU.S. jurisdiction with certain governments, countries, or territories that are the target of comprehensive sanctions, currently theCrimea Region ofUkraine ,Cuba ,Iran ,North Korea ,Syria , andVenezuela as well as with persons identified on certain prohibited lists. InMay 2019 , FinCEN issued guidance on the application of FinCEN regulations to certain business models. While the guidance directly addressed Bitcoin mining, it did not address securing PoS blockchains which while similar to Bitcoin mining has technical nuanced differences which could potentially alter the analysis. As such, there can be no guarantee that securing (mining) on PoS blockchain networks will be viewed as compliant, notwithstanding theMay 2019 FinCEN guidance. In particular, the nature of blockchains make it technically impossible in all circumstances to prevent or identify transactions with particular persons or addresses. While our platform, StakeSeeker, utilizes geo-blocking in an effort to prevent its use by persons located in sanctioned jurisdictions, if notwithstanding these efforts our current or planned activities are found to constitute "facilitating" or assisting the actions of non-U.S. persons that would be prohibited forU.S. persons to perform directly due toU.S. sanctions, despite the fact we don't take custody of staked crypto assets nor pay delegator crypto rewards, it could result in material negative consequences for us, including costs related to government investigations, harsh financial penalties, and harm to our reputation. The impact on us related to these matters could be substantial. We are seeking legal guidance on what, if any, controls and procedures need to be put in place and whether our activities could constitute facilitation of any illicit activities under the current regulatory framework. Regulators worldwide frequently study each other's approaches to the regulation of the digital economy. Consequently, developments in any jurisdiction may influence other jurisdictions. New developments in one jurisdiction may be extended to additional services and other jurisdictions. In addition, digital economies themselves are subject to rapid and unpredictable change that regulators could decide warrants updates or additions to existing regulatory regimes. As a result, the risks created by any new law or regulation in one jurisdiction are magnified by the potential that they may be replicated, affecting our business in another place. Conversely, if regulations diverge worldwide, we may face difficulty adjusting aspects of our business. The complexity ofU.S. federal and state and international regulatory and enforcement regimes, coupled with the evolving global regulatory environment, could result in a single event prompting a large number of overlapping investigations and legal and regulatory proceedings by multiple government authorities in different jurisdictions. Any of the foregoing could, individually or in the aggregate, harm our reputation, damage our brands and business, and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. Due to the uncertain application of existing laws and regulations, it may be that, despite our planned regulatory and legal analysis that certain products and services are currently unregulated, such products or services may indeed be subject to financial regulation, licensing, or authorization obligations that we have not obtained or with which we have not complied. As a result, we are at a heightened risk of enforcement action, litigation, regulatory, and legal scrutiny which could lead to sanctions, cease, and desist orders, or other penalties and censures which could significantly and adversely affect our continued operations and financial condition.
Security Risks Related to Our
Our crypto assets may be subject to loss, damage, theft or restriction on access.
There is a risk that part or all of our crypto assets could be lost, stolen, destroyed or become inaccessible. We believe that our crypto assets will be an appealing target to hackers or malware distributors seeking to destroy, damage or steal our crypto assets. To minimize the risk of loss, damage and theft, security breaches, and unauthorized access we primarily hold our crypto assets in various cryptocurrency digital wallets and hold minimal amounts at exchanges. Nevertheless, the digital wallets and exchanges we utilize may not be impenetrable and may not be free from defect or immune to acts of God, and any loss due to a security breach, software defect or act of God will be borne by us. Any of these events may adversely affect our operations and, consequently, an investment in us. 27 To the extent that any of our crypto assets are held by crypto exchanges, we may face heightened risks from cybersecurity attacks and financial stability of
the exchanges. All crypto assets not held in a Company's controlled digital wallet are held at crypto exchanges and subject to the risks encountered by those exchange including DDoS Attacks, other malicious hacking, a sale of the exchange, loss of the crypto assets by the exchange, security breaches, and unauthorized access of our account by hackers. The Company may not maintain a custodian agreement with the exchanges with which it holds its crypto assets at. exchanges do not provide insurance and may lack the resources to protect against hacking and theft. Less than 0.1% of the Company's crypto assets are typically stored at exchanges, however, this may increase at or around the sales or purchase of crypto assets. We may be materially and adversely affected if the exchanges suffer cyberattacks or incur financial problems.
The loss or destruction of a private key required to access a crypto asset may be irreversible. Our loss of access to our private keys could adversely affect an investment in our Company. Crypto assets are controllable only by the possessor of both the unique public key and private key relating to the local or online digital wallet in which the crypto assets are held. We are required by the operation of the crypto asset network to publish the public key relating to a digital wallet in use by us when it first verifies a spending transaction from that digital wallet and disseminates such information into the network. We safeguard and keep private the private keys relating to our crypto assets not held at exchanges by utilizing key sharing and multi-signature storage techniques; to the extent a private key is lost, destroyed or otherwise compromised and no backup of the private key is accessible, we will be unable to access the crypto assets held by it and the private key will not be capable of being restored by the network. Any loss of private keys relating to digital wallets used to store our crypto assets could adversely affect an investment in us.
Security threats to us could result in a loss of Company's crypto assets.
Any security breach caused by hacking, which involves efforts to gain unauthorized access to information or systems, or to cause intentional malfunctions or loss or corruption of data, software, hardware or other computer equipment, and the inadvertent transmission of computer viruses, could harm our business operations or result in loss of our Ethereum and other crypto assets. Any breach of our infrastructure could result in damage to our reputation which could adversely affect an investment in us. Furthermore, we believe that, as our assets continue to grow, it may become a more appealing target for security threats such as hackers and malware. The security system and operational infrastructure may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, error or malfeasance of an employee of ours, or otherwise, and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to our, private keys, data or Ethereum. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees of ours to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our infrastructure. As the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, or may be designed to remain dormant until a predetermined event and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. If an actual or perceived breach of our security system occurs, the market perception of the effectiveness of our security system could be harmed, which could adversely affect an investment in us. In the event of a security breach, we may be forced to cease operations, or suffer a reduction in assets, the occurrence of each of which could adversely affect an investment in us.
Incorrect or fraudulent crypto asset transactions may be irreversible.
Crypto asset transactions are not, from an administrative perspective, reversible without the consent and active participation of the recipient of the transaction. Once a transaction has been verified and recorded in a block that is added to a blockchain, an incorrect transfer of crypto assets or a theft of crypto assets generally will not be reversible, and we may not be capable of seeking compensation for any such transfer or theft. It is possible that, through computer or human error, or through theft or criminal action, our crypto assets could be transferred from us in incorrect amounts or to unauthorized third parties. To the extent that we are unable to seek a corrective transaction with such third party or are incapable of identifying the third party which has received our crypto assets through error or theft, we will be unable to revert or otherwise recover incorrectly transferred crypto assets. To the extent that we are unable to seek redress for such error or theft, such loss could adversely affect an investment in us.
The limited rights of legal recourse against us, and our lack of insurance protection expose us and our shareholders to the risk of loss of our crypto assets for which no person is liable.
The crypto assets held by us are not insured. Therefore, a loss may be suffered with respect to our crypto assets which are not covered by insurance and for which no person is liable in damages which could adversely affect our operations and, consequently, an investment in us.
Crypto assets held by us are not subject to
We do not and will not hold our Ethereum and other crypto assets with a banking institution or a member of theFDIC or theSecurities Investor Protection Corporation ("SIPC") and, therefore, our crypto assets are not subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors withFDIC orSIPC member institutions. 28
Risks Related to Our
There is substantial doubt that we will be able to fully develop or commercialize our Digital Asset Platform.
We are continuing to develop our Digital Asset Platform with the ultimate goal of consolidating users' information so that it can be more easily accessed and reviewed by users. We may not successfully fully develop this platform as planned, in a cost-efficient manner, to the extent sought or at all. If we fail to develop a Digital Asset Platform as intended, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, especially to the extent that we allocate significant capital, labor and other resources to this endeavor rather than focusing on other business opportunities which may prove to have been more lucrative in hindsight. Even if we do successfully develop our platform and bring it to the marketplace, there is no guarantee that we will attract enough users to generate revenue or become profitable. Our competitors, most of whom have greater capital and human resources than we do, may develop technologies that are superior to our platform or commercialize comparable technologies before us, in which case our ability to attract users and generate revenue therefrom could be rendered unlikely or even impossible. If we fail to obtain users for our platform or find an alternative means of commercializing our platform to recoup our investment therein, it will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. Finally, even if we do fully develop the platform and attract users, events outside of our control such as regulatory actions against us or crypto assets on which our platform depend, or economic downturns, could force us to cease operating our platform or render it obsolete. If we fail to fully develop and commercialize our platform in a timely and effective manner, your investment in us could lose some or
all of its value.
Even if we develop and commercialize our Digital Asset Platform, we may not be able to generate material revenues.
The Digital Asset Platform that we are currently developing will require significant time and capital. Even if we do develop this platform and acquire a sufficient number of users to generate revenue, we cannot guarantee the revenue would be material or sufficient to justify the costs we anticipate incurring to develop the platform. Our ability to capitalize on any platform we do develop will depend on a variety of factors and uncertainties beyond our control, including the competition we face and similar or superior services that may already exist by the time we begin marketing our platform, the volatile nature of the blockchain industry generally and the unknown demand for the services we plan to offer through our platform as it is currently envisioned, regulatory developments that have arisen or may arise in the future, and the advancement of new technologies which could arise in the future and render our platform partially or completely obsolete. If any of these or other risks come to fruition to prevent our platform from generating material revenue to justify its costs of production, it would have a material adverse effect on our business.
The development of our Digital Asset Platform will depend on the successful efforts of our employees.
Our platform development effort is completely dependent on our infrastructure. We use internally developed systems for the platform. Any future difficulties developing aspects of our platform may cause delays in bringing our platform to market. If our data stored on AWS and the backups thereof are compromised, our platform, prospects, could be harmed. Despite our implementation of network security measures, our servers are vulnerable to computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins and similar disruptions, the occurrence of any of which could lead to interruptions, delays, loss of critical data or the inability to launch our platform. The occurrence of any of the foregoing risks could materially harm our business.
We are subject to cyber security risks and may incur delays in platform development in an effort to minimize those risks and to respond to cyber incidents.
Our Digital Asset Platform is and will continue to be dependent on the secure operation of our website and systems as well as the operation of the Internet generally. The platform involves reading user data, and storage of user data, and security breaches could expose us to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, litigation, and potential liability. A number of large Internet companies have suffered security breaches, some of which have involved intentional attacks. From time to time, we and many other internet businesses also may be subject to a denial of service attacks wherein attackers attempt to block customers' access to our website. If we are unable to avert a denial of service attack for any significant period, we could sustain delays in the development of the platform and when launched risk losing future users and have user dissatisfaction. We may not have the resources or technical sophistication to anticipate or prevent rapidly evolving types of cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks may target us, our users, or exchanges we read data from in general or the communication infrastructure on which we depend. If an actual or perceived attack or breach of our security occurs, user perception of the effectiveness of our security measures could be harmed and we could lose our future user. Actual or anticipated attacks and risks may cause us to incur increasing costs, and delay development. A person who is able to circumvent our security measures might be able to misappropriate our or our users' proprietary information, cause interruption in our operations, damage our computers or those of our users, or otherwise damage our reputation and platform. Any compromise of our security could result in a violation of applicable privacy and other laws, significant legal and financial exposure, damage to our reputation, and a loss of confidence in our security measures, which could harm our business. 29 We may become subject to data privacy and data security laws and regulations by virtue of our Digital Asset Platform, which could force us to incur significant compliance costs and expose us to liabilities. By virtue of our platform, including planned additional functions, we may become subject to the various local, state, federal, and international laws and regulations that apply to the collection, use, retention, protection, disclosure, transfer, and processing of personal data. These data protection and privacy laws and regulations and their applicability to our current and future operations and offerings are subject to uncertainty and continue to evolve in ways that could adversely impact our business. These laws could have a substantial impact on our operations, depending in large part on the location of our operations, users, employees and other stakeholders with which we are or become involved. Inthe United States , state and federal lawmakers and regulatory authorities have increased their attention on the collection and use of user data. For example,California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, which became effective in 2020. The CCPA requires covered companies to, among other things, provide new disclosures toCalifornia users, and affords such users new privacy rights such as the ability to opt-out of certain sales of personal information and expanded rights to access and require deletion of their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing, and receive detailed information about how their personal information is collected, used, and shared. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for security breaches that may increase security breach litigation. Potential uncertainty surrounding the CCPA may increase our compliance costs and potential liability, particularly in the event of a data breach, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, including how we use personal information, our financial condition, the results of our operations or prospects. Since the CCPA was enacted, other states includingNevada ,Maine ,Colorado andVirginia have enacted similar legislation designed to protect the personal information of consumers and penalize companies that fail to comply, and other states have also proposed similar legislation. The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, the CCPA, and similar laws may limit our prospective customer base or the use and adoption of our products and services and/or require us to incur substantial compliance costs, which could have an adverse impact on our business. Additionally, many foreign countries and governmental bodies in which our users may reside, have laws and regulations concerning the collection, use, processing, storage, and deletion of personal information obtained from their residents or by businesses operating within their jurisdiction. These laws and regulations are often more restrictive than those inthe United States . Such laws and regulations may require companies to implement new privacy and security policies, permit individuals to access, correct, and delete personal information stored or maintained by such companies, inform individuals of security breaches that affect their personal information, require that certain types of data be retained on local servers within these jurisdictions, and, in some cases, obtain individuals' affirmative opt-in consent to collect and use personal information for certain purposes. There is a risk that as we develop and offer our platform and other services, we may become subject to one or more of these data privacy and security laws. Despite our efforts to comply with applicable laws, regulations and other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, and information security, including by deploying geo-blocking features to limit the jurisdictions from which our platform can be accessed, it is possible that our practices, offerings, or platform, or third parties on which we rely, could fail. For instance, the overall regulatory framework governing the application of privacy laws to blockchain technology is still highly undeveloped and likely to evolve. Our failure, or the failure by our third-party providers or partners, to comply with applicable laws or regulations and to prevent unauthorized access to, or use or release of personal data, or the perception that any of the foregoing types of failure has occurred, even if unfounded, could subject us to audits, inquiries, whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, potential severe criminal or civil sanctions, fines or damages, reputational harm, or expensive and time-consuming proceedings by governmental agencies and private claims and litigation, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.
We may infringe the intellectual property rights of others, which may prevent or delay our product development efforts and stop us from commercializing or increase the costs of commercializing the Digital Asset Platform.
Our commercial success depends significantly on our ability to operate without infringing the patents and other intellectual property rights of third parties however, we may not always be able to determine that we are using or accessing protected information or software. For example, there could be issued patents of which we are not aware that our products infringe. There also could be patents that we believe we do not infringe, but that we may ultimately be found to infringe. Moreover, patent applications are in some cases maintained in secrecy until patents are issued. The publication of discoveries in scientific or patent literature frequently occurs substantially later than the date on which the underlying discoveries were made and patent applications were filed. Because patents can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending applications of which we are unaware that may later result in issued patents that our products infringe. Because of the foregoing, we may be subject to legal claims of alleged infringement of the intellectual property rights of third parties. We expect this risk to increase as we continue to develop and roll-out additional functions in our Digital Asset Platform and potential StaaS operations in the future. The ready availability of damages, royalties and the potential for injunctive relief has increased the defense litigation costs of patent infringement claims, especially those asserted by third parties whose sole or primary business is to assert such claims. Such claims, even if not meritorious, may result in significant expenditure of financial and managerial resources, and the payment of damages or settlement amounts. Accordingly, we could expend significant resources defending against patent infringement and other intellectual property right claims; which could require us to divert resources away from operations. Any damages we are required to pay or injunctions against our continued use of such intellectual property in resolution of such claims may cause a material adverse effect to our business and operations, which could adversely affect the trading price of our securities and harm our investors. Additionally, we may become subject to injunctions prohibiting us from using software or business processes we currently use or may need to use in the future or requiring us to obtain licenses from third parties when such licenses may not be available on financially feasible terms or terms acceptable to us or at all. In addition, we may not be able to obtain on favorable terms, or at all, licenses or other rights with respect to intellectual property we do not own in providing ecommerce services to other businesses and individuals under commercial agreements. 30
Risks Related to Our Public Company Reporting Requirements and Accounting Matters
We may need to implement additional finance and accounting systems, procedures and controls as we grow our business and organization and to satisfy new reporting requirements.
We are required to comply with a variety of reporting, accounting and other rules and regulations. Compliance with existing requirements is expensive. We may need to implement additional finance and accounting systems, procedures and controls to satisfy our reporting requirements and such further requirements may increase our costs and require additional management time and resources. For example, many crypto assets, including those on PoS blockchain networks with which we are or may become involved, demonstrate novel and unique accounting challenges, including due to smart contracts affecting the underlying crypto assets. Any deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting, should they arise, could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, negatively affect the market price of our Common Stock, subject us to regulatory investigations and penalties, and adversely impact our business and financial condition.
Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly affect our financial results.
Generally accepted accounting principles and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business, including but not limited to revenue recognition, estimating valuation allowances and accrued liabilities (including allowances for returns, credit card chargebacks, doubtful accounts and obsolete and damaged inventory), internal use software and website development (acquired and developed internally), accounting for income taxes, valuation of long-lived and intangible assets and goodwill, stock-based compensation and loss contingencies, are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by our management. Additional complexities can arise with respect to crypto asset operations. Changes in these rules or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments by our management could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance.
Since there has been limited precedence set for financial accounting of crypto assets, it is unclear how we will be required to account for crypto asset transactions in the future.
Since there has been limited precedence set for the financial accounting of crypto assets, it is unclear how we will be required to account for crypto asset transactions or assets. Furthermore, a change in regulatory or financial accounting standards could result in the necessity to restate our financial statements as has happened in the past. Such a restatement could negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operation.
If our estimates or judgment relating to our critical accounting policies prove to be incorrect, our operating results could be adversely affected.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, as provided in the section titled "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, and equity, and the amount of revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates and judgments involve the identification of performance obligations in revenue recognition, evaluation of tax positions, and the valuation of stock-based awards and crypto assets we hold, among others. Our operating results may be adversely affected if our assumptions change or if actual circumstances differ from those in our assumptions, which could cause our operating results to fall below the expectations of analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the trading price of our Common Stock.
We are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act), and other federal securities laws, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act").
The costs of preparing and filing annual and quarterly reports and other information with theSEC and furnishing audited reports to shareholders will cause our expenses to be higher than they would have been if we were privately held. It may be time-consuming, difficult and costly for us to develop, implement and maintain the internal controls and reporting procedures required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We may need to hire additional financial reporting, internal controls and other finance personnel in order to develop and implement appropriate internal controls and reporting procedures.
Public company compliance may make it more difficult to attract and retain officers and directors.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and rules implemented by theSEC have required changes in corporate governance practices of public companies. As a public company, we expect these rules and regulations to increase our compliance costs and make certain activities more time-consuming and costly. The impact of theSEC's July 25, 2017 report onDigital Securities (the "DAO Report") as well as enforcement actions and speeches made by theSEC's Chairman will increase our compliance and legal costs. As a public company, we also expect that these rules and regulations will make it more difficult and expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance in the future and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our Board or as executive officers, and to maintain insurance at reasonable rates, or at all. 31
Risks Related to our Common Stock
Our stock price may be volatile.
The market price of our Common Stock is likely to be highly volatile and could fluctuate widely in price in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following:
? changes in our industry including changes which adversely affect crypto assets; ? adverse regulatory developments such as the recent actions brought by
securities regulators on crypto assets activities; ? public announcements and corporate events; ? continued volatility in the price of crypto assets; ? our ability to obtain working capital financing; ? sales of our securities or those of other companies, or of crypto assets, due
to external forces such as geopolitical turmoil, inflation, federal interest
rate adjustments or other events; ? additions or departures of key personnel including our executive officers; ? sales of our Common Stock; ? exercise of our warrants and the subsequent sale of the underlying Common
Stock;
? conversion of our convertible notes and the subsequent sale of the underlying
Common Stock; ? our ability to execute our business plan; ? operating results that fall below expectations; ? loss of any strategic relationship; and ? economic and other external factors.
In addition, the securities markets have from time-to-time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock. As a result, you may be unable to resell your shares at a desired price.
While we paid a cash dividend in 2022, and declared a Series V Convertible
Preferred stock ("Series V") dividend in 2023, we do not expect to pay regular
or recurring dividends in the future. Any return on investment may be limited to
the value of our Common Stock.
While we declared and paid a cash dividend (which came with the option to be
paid in Bitcoin if elected by the shareholder) payable to holders of our Common
Stock as of March 17, 2022 , and recently declared a planned Series V dividend
distribution to shareholders of our Common Stock of record as of March 27, 2023 ,
which has since been delayed due to anticipated changes to the structure, as
described elsewhere in this Report, we do not anticipate paying dividends on a
regular or recurring basis for the foreseeable future. For information on the
risks and uncertainties inherent in the Series V dividend, see the Company's
Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 31, 2023 disclosing certain risks
and uncertainties and other information about the dividend including but not
limited to the payment of the Series V dividend.
Any future payment of dividends on our Common Stock will depend on earnings,
financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such
time as our board of directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay
dividends, our Common Stock may be less valuable because a return on your
investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates.
Our articles of incorporation allow for our Board to create new series of preferred stock without further approval by our shareholders, which could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our Common Stock.
Our Board has the authority to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of preferred stock. Our Board also has the authority to issue preferred stock without further shareholder approval. For example, our Board approved the Series V in the first quarter of 2023. As a result, our Board could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that would grant to holders the preferred right to our assets upon liquidation, provide holders of the preferred anti-dilution protection, the right to receive dividend payments before dividends are distributed to the holders of Common Stock and the right to the redemption of the shares, together with a premium, prior to the redemption of our Common Stock. In addition, our Board could authorize the issuance of a series of preferred stock that has greater voting power than our Common Stock or that is convertible into our Common Stock, which could decrease the relative voting power of our Common Stock or result in dilution to our existing shareholders.
Substantial future sales of our Common Stock by us or by our existing shareholders could cause our stock price to fall.
Additional equity financings (in addition to the shares issued under the ATM Agreement) or other share issuances by us, including shares issued in connection with strategic alliances and corporate partnering transactions, could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock. Sales by existing shareholders of a large number of shares of our Common Stock in the public market or the perception that additional sales could occur could cause the market price of our Common Stock to drop. 32
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