RISK
FACTORS
An
investment in our Ordinary Shares involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described
below together with all other information contained in this prospectus, including the matters discussed under the headings “Forward-Looking
Statements” and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” before you decide to invest in our Ordinary Shares.
We are a holding company with prior operations in China which are subject to a legal and regulatory environment that in many respects
differs from the United States. If any of the following risks, or any other risks and uncertainties that are not presently foreseeable
to us, actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and our future growth prospects could be materially
and adversely affected.
Risks
Related to this Offering
The
sale or issuance of Ordinary Shares to Ionic may cause dilution, and the sale of Ordinary Shares acquired by Ionic, or the perception
that such sales may occur, could cause the price of our Ordinary Shares to fall.
On December 31, 2020, the Company entered into a Securities
Purchase Agreement, as amended and restated, with Ionic for the sale of subordinated convertible Notes up to an aggregate original principal
amount of $1,650,000 with an original issue discount (OID) of 10% in a private placement. The Notes were not earlier redeemed by the Company
and were automatically converted into Ordinary Shares at the Conversion Price then in effect of $6.00 per share. Also, on January 11,
2021, we entered into the Purchase Agreement with Ionic pursuant to which Ionic has committed to purchase up to $80,000,000 of our Ordinary
Shares. As of July 21, 2021, any aggregate of approximately 5,716,142 Ordinary Shares were issued at a price of $33 Million. Of the 20,000,000
shares being registered hereunder which are issuable under the Purchase Agreement, up to 19,305,000 of such shares may be sold for cash
and issued to Ionic under the Purchase Agreement at our discretion from time to time commencing after the satisfaction of certain conditions
set forth in the Purchase Agreement including that the SEC has declared effective the registration statement that includes this prospectus,
and up to 495,000 (2.5% of the number of shares sold for cash) of such shares being may be issued for no additional consideration as Commitment
Shares, Additional Commitment Shares and 200,000 Settlement Shares, as such purchases are effected in accordance with the terms of the
Purchase Agreement, as it may be amended. The purchase price for the Ordinary Shares that we may sell to Ionic under the Purchase Agreement
will fluctuate based on the price of Ordinary Shares. Depending on market liquidity at the time, sales of such Ordinary Shares may cause
the trading price of our Ordinary Shares to fall.
We
generally have the right to control the timing and amount of any future sales of our Ordinary Shares to Ionic under the Purchase Agreement.
Sales of our Ordinary Shares, if any, to Ionic will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us. We may ultimately
decide to sell to Ionic all, some or none of the additional Ordinary Shares that may be available for us to sell pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement. Therefore, sales to Ionic by us could result in substantial dilution to the interests of other holders of our Ordinary Shares.
Additionally, the sale of a substantial number of Ordinary Shares to Ionic, or the anticipation of such sales, could make it more difficult
for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect sales.
If and when we do sell Ordinary Shares to Ionic, after Ionic has acquired the Ordinary Shares, Ionic may resell all, some or none of
those Ordinary Shares at any time or from time to time in its discretion.
We
may not have access to the full amount available under the Purchase Agreement with Ionic.
Under
the Purchase Agreement, from and after the Commencement Date, the Company has the right, from time to time in its sole discretion and
subject to certain conditions and limitations set forth in the Purchase Agreement, to direct the Investor to purchase up to the lesser
of (i) $2,500,000 in Ordinary Shares; and (ii) 75% of the average dollar volume of Ordinary Shares for the lowest 8 of 10 Trading Days
prior to providing notice to the Investor. The Company may effect a regular purchase at the Regular Purchase Price equal to 85% of the
arithmetic average of the three (3) lowest VWAPs calculated for the period five (5) Trading Days prior to and ending five (5) Trading
Days after delivery of pre-settlement purchase shares based on an estimate and true-up. The Company may also effect an alternate purchase
at the Alternate Purchase Price equal to 90% (as amended) of the arithmetic average of the VWAPs calculated for the period on and ending
five (5) Trading Days after delivery of pre-settlement shares based on an estimate and true-up.
Although the Purchase Agreement provides that we may
sell up to $80,000,000 of our Ordinary Shares to Ionic, only 5,716,142 Ordinary Shares were sold under a prior registration statement
(No. 333-254060) dated effective May 20, 2021. Twenty million (20,000,000) shares are being offered under this prospectus pursuant to
the Purchase Agreement (of which up to 695,000 shares may be issued as Commitment Shares, Additional Commitment Shares and Settlement
Shares for no consideration and may be issued and sold to Ionic in the future, if and when we sell Ordinary Shares to Ionic under the
Purchase Agreement). As a result, depending on the market prices of our Ordinary Shares, we may not be able to sell the remaining $47,000,000
commitment amount contemplated by the Purchase Agreement.
In
the event that the market price of our Ordinary Shares decreases, we may be able to issue and sell more Ordinary Shares to Ionic of up
to $47,000,000 remaining under the Purchase Agreement than can be represented by the 20,000,000 Ordinary Shares registered for resale
under the registration statement that includes this prospectus. In such case we will need to register for resale under the Securities
Act additional Ordinary Shares to represent such Ordinary Shares, which will require additional time, resources and cost to us. In addition,
the issuance and sale of such additional Ordinary Shares could cause substantial dilution to our shareholders.
The extent to which we rely on Ionic as a source of
funding during the next three (3) years will depend on a number of factors, including the prevailing market price of our Ordinary Shares
and the extent to which we are able to secure working capital from other sources. Even if we sell all remaining $47,000,000 of Ordinary
Shares under the Purchase Agreement to Ionic, we may still need additional capital to fully implement our business, operating and development
plans. Should the financing we require to sustain our working capital needs be unavailable or prohibitively expensive when we require
it, the consequences could be a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects.
Ionic
will pay less than the then-prevailing market price for our Ordinary Shares, which could cause the price of our Ordinary Shares to decline.
The
purchase price of Ordinary Shares sold to Ionic under the Purchase Agreement is derived from the market price of our Ordinary Shares
on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Ordinary Shares to be sold to Ionic pursuant to the Purchase Agreement will be purchased at a discounted
price depending on the type of purchase. The Company may effect a regular purchase at the Regular Purchase Price equal to 85% of the
arithmetic average of the three (3) lowest VWAPs calculated for the period five (5) Trading Days prior to and ending five (5) Trading
Days after delivery of pre-settlement purchase shares based on an estimate and true-up. The Company may also effect an alternate purchase
at the Alternate Purchase Price equal to 80% of the arithmetic average of the VWAPs calculated for the period on and ending five (5)
Trading Days after delivery of pre-settlement shares based on an estimate and true-up, until an aggregate of $40,000,000 of Ordinary
Shares have been purchased and 90% thereafter (as amended). As a result of this pricing structure, Ionic may sell the Ordinary Shares
it receives immediately after receipt of the Ordinary Shares, which could cause the price of our Ordinary Shares to decrease. These sales
may have a further impact on the price of our Ordinary Shares.
General
Risks
We
have a history of operating losses, and we may not be able to sustain profitability; we have recently shifted our bitcoin mining business,
and we may not be continuously successful in this business.
We
only recently became profitable from our continuing bitcoin mining operations. We may again incur losses, as we continue to work to grow
our bitcoin mining business. We were previously engaged in a peer to peer (“P2P”) online lending business in China. Starting
on or about November 2019, we made a decision to diversify into the bitcoin mining business, as well as the car rental business in the
United States, which plans concerning the car rental business were suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In September 2020,
we disposed of our P2P and Chinese car rental business and decided to focus primarily on our bitcoin mining business. Currently, our
operations are focused on our bitcoin mining business located at our bitcoin mining facilities in the United States and Canada. Our current
business, including our growth strategy for our business, involves an industry that is itself new and evolving and is subject risks,
many of which are discussed below. Even though we are currently operating profitability, we may not be able to sustain profitability
in subsequent periods. See “Bitcoin Related Risks” below.
Our
results of operations may fluctuate significantly and may not fully reflect the underlying performance of our business.
Our
results of operations, including the levels of our net revenues, expenses, net loss and other key metrics, may vary significantly in
the future due to a variety of factors, some of which are outside of our control, and period-to-period comparisons of our operating results
may not be meaningful, especially given our limited bitcoin mining operating history. In May 2021 when the Chinese government targeted
virtual currency mining and put pressure on Chinese banks and payment companies to restrict cryptocurrency transactions and otherwise
signaled that China intended to further limit cryptocurrency mining within the country, we suspended operations in China and continued
to migrate all of our remaining miners in China to the United States. Our results of operations for the second and third quarters of
2021 will be adversely affected by the material decrease in bitcoins mined during those periods, including, in part, due to the need
to migrate and replace a portion of our miners. While we expect to have all migrated miners and any newly purchased ones operational
during the fourth quarter of 2021 or first quarter of 2022, there can be no assurance we will achieve the level of profitability we experienced
in late 2020 or the first quarter of 2021.
The
results for any one quarter are not necessarily an indication of future performance. Fluctuations in quarterly results may adversely
affect the market price of our ordinary shares. Factors that may cause fluctuations in our annual financial results include:
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the amount and timing of
operating expenses related to our new business operations and infrastructure;
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fluctuations in the price
of bitcoin; and
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general economic, industry
and market conditions.
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We
may be subject to penalties as a result of the Chinese government suspension of our P2P lending business
The
Company is currently engaged in the bitcoin mining business, but, previously, we were primarily an online finance marketplace, or “peer-to-peer”
lending company, in China that provided borrowers access to loans. On October 24, 2019, the Pudong Branch of the Shanghai Public Security
Bureau (the “Bureau”) announced that it was conducting an investigation of Shanghai Dianniu Internet Finance Information
Service Co. Ltd, which was a variable interest entity (VIE) of the Company, for suspected illegal collection of public deposits. The
Bureau took criminal enforcement measures against 17 suspects in the case and detained at least six of those suspects. On March 24, 2020,
the Bureau announced that it had transferred seven suspects to the procuratorates for criminal prosecution and took criminal action against
14 defendants, and is searching for our former CEO as of the date of this prospectus. While the Company has not been subject to any enforcement
actions or investigations, nine persons, including a former director of the Company, have been found guilty of fund-raising fraud or
illegally collecting public deposits by the People’s Court of Shanghai Pudong New District, and were sentenced to imprisonment
and the confiscations and return of all the illegal gains, which may or may not include assets of the Company. The Company’s current
management believes that its former Chief Financial Officer, as well as members of the VIE’s management, may have been the subject
of these proceedings. As of the date of this prospectus, the final outcome of the investigation has not been published, and the impact
of any such outcome on the Company cannot be estimated or determined with any certainty.
Pursuant
to a Share Purchase Agreement dated September 8, 2020, the Company sold Point Cattle Holdings Limited, one of the Company’s subsidiaries,
together with its subsidiaries and VIEs to an unaffiliated third party, and, following the disposition, the operations of its peer-to-peer
lending business were classified as discontinued operations. As of the date of this prospectus, the spun-off subsidiaries and VIEs engaging
in peer-to-peer lending business have no current or ongoing relationship with the Company. See Item 4 - “Information of the Company
- Legal Proceedings” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020.
We
have not received any administrative penalty for our historical peer-to-peer lending business as of the date of this prospectus. Nevertheless,
uncertainties still exist since the PRC law system also contains government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published
in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. According to the newly-issued Regulations on the Prevention and Treatment
of Illegal Fundraising, which came into force on May 1, 2021, no one shall benefit from illegal fund-raising. Even if there is no criminal
offense, the PRC governmental authorities or regulators have the right to seal up, freeze and/or seize the related assets, and the PRC
governmental authority also could mandatorily request the person/entity who commits illegal fund-raising or who assists the illegal fund-raising
which could involve the Company, to return or sell related assets which could be those of the Company, at the current price to recover
the funds that were illegally raised. In addition, although the Company is not responsible for any potential claims by customers with
losses, the filing of any such claims and/or government investigations or proceedings against the Company or any of its affiliates, even
if not justified, may create negative publicity and have a material adverse effect on the Company. If such situations occur, our business,
financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected even though we disposed of our former VIE entities
that were involved in the P2P lending business.
We
may acquire other businesses, form joint ventures or acquire other companies or businesses that could negatively affect our operating
results, dilute our shareholders’ ownership, increase our debt or cause us to incur significant expense; notwithstanding the foregoing,
our growth may depend on our success in uncovering and completing such transactions.
Having
recently exited China, we are seeking to enter bitcoin mining related business around the globe. However, we cannot offer any assurance
that acquisitions of businesses, assets and/or entering into strategic alliances or joint ventures will be successful. We may not be
able to find suitable partners or acquisition candidates and may not be able to complete such transactions on favorable terms, if at
all. If we make any acquisitions, we may not be able to integrate these acquisitions successfully into our existing infrastructure. In
addition, in the event we acquire any existing businesses we could assume unknown or contingent liabilities.
Any
future acquisitions also could result in the issuance of stock, incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or future write-offs of intangible
assets or goodwill, any of which could have a negative impact on our cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Integration
of an acquired company may also disrupt ongoing operations and require management resources that otherwise would be focused on developing
and expanding our existing business. We may experience losses related to potential investments in other companies, which could harm our
financial condition and results of operations. Further, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisition, strategic alliance
or joint venture if such investments do not materialize.
To
finance any acquisitions or joint ventures, we may choose to issue ordinary shares, preferred shares or a combination of debt and equity
as consideration, which could significantly dilute the ownership of our existing shareholders or provide rights to such preferred shareholders
in priority over our ordinary shareholders. Additional funds may not be available on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. If the
price of our ordinary shares is low or volatile, we may not be able to acquire other companies or fund a joint venture project using
stock as consideration.
From
time to time we may evaluate and potentially consummate strategic investments or acquisitions, which could require significant management
attention, disrupt our business and adversely affect our financial results.
We
may evaluate and consider strategic investments, combinations, acquisitions or alliances in the bitcoin mining business. These transactions
could be material to our financial condition and results of operations if consummated. If we are able to identify an appropriate business
opportunity, we may not be able to successfully consummate the transaction and, even if we do consummate such a transaction, we may be
unable to obtain the benefits or avoid the difficulties and risks of such transaction.
Strategic
investments or acquisitions will involve risks commonly encountered in business relationships, including:
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difficulties in assimilating
and integrating the operations, personnel, systems, data, technologies, products and services of the acquired business;
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inability of the acquired
technologies, products or businesses to achieve expected levels of revenue, profitability, productivity or other benefits;
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difficulties in retaining,
training, motivating and integrating key personnel;
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diversion of management’s
time and resources from our normal daily operations;
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difficulties in successfully
incorporating licensed or acquired technology and rights into our businesses;
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difficulties in maintaining
uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies within the combined organizations;
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difficulties in retaining
relationships with customers, employees and suppliers of the acquired business;
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risks of entering markets,
in parts of the U.S., in which we have limited or no prior experience;
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regulatory risks, including
remaining in good standing with existing regulatory bodies or receiving any necessary pre-closing or post-closing approvals, as well
as being subject to new regulators with oversight over an acquired business; assumption of contractual obligations that contain terms
that are not beneficial to us, require us to license or waive intellectual property rights or increase our risk for liability;
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failure to successfully
further develop the acquired technology;
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liability for activities
of the acquired business before the acquisition, including intellectual property infringement claims, violations of laws, commercial
disputes, tax liabilities and other known and unknown liabilities;
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potential disruptions to
our ongoing businesses; and
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unexpected costs and unknown
risks and liabilities associated with strategic investments or acquisitions.
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We
may not make any investments or acquisitions, or any future investments or acquisitions may not be successful, may not benefit our business
strategy, may not generate sufficient revenues to offset the associated acquisition costs or may not otherwise result in the intended
benefits. In addition, we cannot assure you that any future investment in or acquisition of new businesses or technology will achieve
market acceptance or prove to be profitable.
The
loss of any member of our management team, our inability to execute an effective succession plan, or our inability to attract and retain
qualified personnel could adversely affect our business.
Our
success and future growth will depend to a significant degree on the skills and services of our management team, including Mr. Bryan
Bullett, our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Erke Huang, our Chief Financial Officer, and Mr. Sam Tabar, our Chief Strategy Officer. We
will need to continue to grow our management in order to alleviate pressure on our existing team and in order to continue to develop
our business. If our management team, including any new hires that we may make, fails to work together effectively and to execute our
plans and strategies on a timely basis, our business could be harmed. Furthermore, if we fail to execute an effective contingency or
succession plan with the loss of any member of management, the loss of such management personnel may significantly disrupt our business.
The
loss of key members of management could inhibit our growth prospects. Our future success also depends in large part on our ability to
attract, retain and motivate key management and operating personnel. As we continue to develop and expand our operations, we may require
personnel with different skills and experiences, and who have a sound understanding of our business and the bitcoin industry. The market
for highly qualified personnel in this industry is very competitive, and we may be unable to attract or retain such personnel. If we
are unable to attract or retain such personnel, our business could be harmed.
We
incur significant costs and demands upon management and accounting and finance resources as a result of complying with the laws and regulations
affecting public companies; if we fail to maintain proper and effective internal controls, our ability to produce accurate and timely
financial statements and otherwise make timely and accurate public disclosure could be impaired, which could harm our operating results,
our ability to operate our business and our reputation.
As
a public reporting company, we are required to, among other things, maintain a system of effective internal control over financial reporting.
Ensuring that we have adequate internal financial and accounting controls and procedures in place so that we can produce accurate financial
statements on a timely basis is a costly and time-consuming effort that needs to be re-evaluated frequently. Substantial work will continue
to be required to further implement, document, assess, test and remediate our system of internal controls. As of December 30, 2020, our
disclosure controls and procedures were not effective and management determined that we did not maintain effective internal control over
financial reporting due to certain significant deficiencies and material weaknesses. Management is undertaking actions to remediate the
material weaknesses, but there is no assurance they will be remediated this year. See Item 15 – “Controls and Procedures”
in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020.
If
our internal control over financial reporting or our disclosure controls are not effective, we may be unable to issue our financial statements
in a timely manner, we may be unable to obtain the required audit or review of our financial statements by our independent registered
public accounting firm in a timely manner or we may be otherwise unable to comply with the periodic reporting requirements of the SEC,
our ordinary shares listing on Nasdaq could be suspended or terminated and our share price could materially suffer. In addition, we or
members of our management could be subject to investigation and sanction by the SEC and other regulatory authorities and to shareholder
lawsuits, which could impose significant additional costs on us and divert management attention.
Because
cryptocurrencies may be determined to be investment securities, we may inadvertently violate the Investment Company Act and incur large
losses as a result and potentially be required to register as an investment company or terminate operations and we may incur third party
liabilities.
We
are engaged in the mining of bitcoins and believe that we are not engaged in the business of investing, reinvesting, or trading in securities,
and we do not hold ourselves out as being engaged in those activities. The SEC’s July 25, 2017 Report expressed its view that digital
assets may be securities depending on the facts and circumstances. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we are not aware of
any rules that have been proposed to regulate bitcoin as a security, and SEC staff have publicly suggested that bitcoin is not a security
for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), because current purchasers of bitcoin are
not relying on the essential managerial and entrepreneurial efforts of others to produce a profit. We cannot be certain, however, as
to how future regulatory developments will impact the treatment of bitcoin under the law.
As
a result of our investments and our mining activities, including investments in which we do not have a controlling interest, the investment
securities we hold could exceed 40% of our total assets, exclusive of cash items and, accordingly, we could determine that we have become
an inadvertent investment company.
Classification
as an investment company under the Investment Company Act requires registration with the SEC. If an investment company fails to register,
it would have to stop doing almost all business, and its contracts would become voidable. Registration is time consuming and restrictive
and would require a restructuring of our operations, and we would be very constrained in the kind of business we could do as a registered
investment company. Further, we would become subject to substantial regulation concerning management, operations, transactions with affiliated
persons and portfolio composition, and would need to file reports under the Investment Company Act regime. 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 our operations.
The
coronavirus pandemic is a serious threat to health and economic wellbeing affecting our employees, investors and our sources of supply,
which could significantly disrupt our operations and financial results.
On
March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 infections had become pandemic, and, on March 13, 2020, the U.S.
President declared a national emergency relating to the virus. There has been and continues to be widespread infection in the United
States with a second wave now appearing in China and elsewhere, with the potential for catastrophic impact. Mandatory business closures
have had catastrophic impacts on worldwide economies of uncertain duration.
We
believe that our results of operations, business and financial condition has continuously been adversely impacted by the effects of the
novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition to global macroeconomic effects, the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and any other related
adverse public health developments may cause disruption to our mining activities. If an outbreak occurs near our mining factories, we
may experience disruptions to our business operations resulting from quarantines, self-isolations, or other movement and restrictions
on the ability of our mining consultants to perform their jobs. If we are unable to effectively service our miners, our ability to mine
bitcoin will be adversely affected as miners go offline, which would have an adverse effect on our business and the results of our operations.
The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) or other disease outbreak will in the short-term, and may over the longer term, adversely affect the
economies and financial markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn that may adversely affect demand for bitcoin and
impact our operating results. Although the magnitude of the impact of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on our business and operations
remains uncertain, the continued global spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) or the occurrence of other epidemics and the imposition
of related public health measures and travel and business restrictions will adversely impact our business, financial condition, operating
results and cash flows. In addition, we have experienced and will experience disruptions to our business operations resulting from quarantines,
self-isolations, or other movement and restrictions on the ability of our employees to perform their jobs. If we are unable to effectively
service our miners, our ability to mine bitcoin will be adversely affected as miners go offline, which would have an adverse effect on
our business and the results of our operations.
Our
third-party manufacturers, suppliers, sub-contractors and customers have been and will continue to be disrupted by worker absenteeism,
quarantines, restrictions on employees’ ability to work, office and factory closures, disruptions to ports and other shipping infrastructure,
border closures, or other travel or health-related restrictions. Depending on the magnitude of such effects on our supply chain, shipments
of parts for our existing miners, which are second-hand, as well as any new miners we purchase, may be delayed. As our miners require
repair or become obsolete and require replacement, our ability to obtain adequate replacements or repair parts from their manufacturer
may therefore be hampered. Supply chain disruptions could therefore negatively impact our operations. If not resolved quickly, the impact
of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The
effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination programs remains to be verified worldwide, including against variants of the virus.
The sweeping nature of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it extremely difficult to predict how the company’s business and operations
will be affected in the longer run. So far, the likely overall economic impact of the pandemic is widely viewed as highly negative to
the global economy.
If
we cannot maintain our corporate culture as we grow, we could lose the innovation, collaboration and focus that contribute to our business.
We
believe that a critical component of our success is our corporate culture, which we believe fosters innovation, encourages teamwork and
cultivates creativity. As we develop the infrastructure of a public company and continue to grow, we may find it difficult to maintain
these valuable aspects of our corporate culture. Any failure to preserve our culture could negatively impact our future success, including
our ability to attract and retain employees, encourage innovation and teamwork and effectively focus on and pursue our corporate objectives.
We
do not have any business interruption or disruption insurance coverage.
Currently,
we do not have any business liability or disruption insurance to cover our operations, other than director’s and officer’s
liability insurance. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such
insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured business disruptions may
result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations
and financial condition.
If
we are unable to successfully continue our bitcoin mining business plan, it would affect our financial and business condition and results
of operations.
Our
previously announced growth strategy included the expansion of our operations to our upstream and downstream industries. In fiscal 2018,
we set new financial targets to grow operating income, accelerate earnings per share growth faster than operating income growth and improve
return on invested capital. In October 2019, we decided to enter the bitcoin mining business. There are various risks related to these
efforts, including the risk that these efforts may not provide the expected benefits in our anticipated time frame, if at all, and may
prove costlier than expected; and the risk of adverse effects to our business, results of operations and liquidity if past and future
undertakings, and the associated changes to our business, do not prove to be cost effective or do not result in the cost savings and
other benefits at the levels that we anticipate. Our intentions and expectations with regard to the execution of our business plan, and
the timing of any related initiatives, are subject to change at any time based on management’s subjective evaluation of our overall
business needs. If we are unable to successfully execute our business plan, whether due to failure to realize the anticipated benefits
from our business initiatives in the anticipated time frame or otherwise, we may be unable to achieve our financial targets.
Failure
to manage our liquidity and cash flows may materially and adversely affect our financial conditions and results of operations. As a result,
we may need additional capital, and financing may not be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all.
During
the year ended December 31, 2020, we raised gross proceeds aggregating $5.2 million in cash and $14.6 million in U.S. digital coin in
certain private placements, which enabled us to implement our new business strategy. However, we incurred net losses of approximately
$1.9 million, $9.7 million and $3.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. We also had negative
cash flows from our operating activities of approximately $3.1 million, $1.3 million and $5.1 million for the years ended December 31,
2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. We cannot assure you our business model will allow us to continue to generate positive cash, given
our substantial expenses in relation to our revenue at this stage of our Company’s development. Our inability to offset our expenses
with adequate revenue, will adversely affect our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Although we believe that our
cash on hand and anticipated cash flows from operating activities will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital requirements
and capital expenditures in the ordinary course of business for the next 12 months, we cannot assure you this will be the case. We expect
to need additional cash resources in the future as we wish to pursue opportunities for investment, acquisition, capital expenditure or
similar actions in order to implement our business plan. The issuance and sale of additional equity would result in further dilution
to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed obligations and could result in operating covenants
that would restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if
at all.
Bitcoin-Related
Risks
Our
results of operations are expected to be impacted by significant fluctuation of Bitcoin price
The
price of Bitcoin has experienced significant fluctuations over its relatively short existence and may continue to fluctuate significantly
in the future. Bitcoin prices ranged from approximately US$3,792 per coin as of December 31, 2018; US$7,220 per coin as of December 31,
2019; US$28,922 per coin as of December 31, 2020; to US$34,755 per coin as of June 30, 2021 according to Blockchain.info. According to
the same source, from January 1, 2020 to date, the highest Bitcoin price was approximately US$63,558 per coin and the lowest was US$3,800
per coin.
We
expect our results of operations to continue to be affected by the bitcoin price as most of our revenue is from bitcoin mining production
as of the filing date of this prospectus. Any future significant reductions in the price of bitcoin will likely have a material and adverse
effect on our results of operations and financial condition. We cannot assure you that the bitcoin price will remain high enough to sustain
our operation or that the bitcoin price will not decline significantly in the future. Furthermore, fluctuations in the bitcoin price
can have an immediate impact on the trading price of our ordinary shares even before our financial performance is affected, if at all.
Various
factors, mostly beyond our control, could impact the bitcoin price. For example, the usage of bitcoins in the retail and commercial marketplace
is relatively low in comparison with the usage for speculation, which contributes to Bitcoin’s price volatility. Additionally,
the reward for bitcoin mining will decline over time, with the most recent halving event occurred in May 2020 and next one to occur four
years later, which may further contribute to Bitcoin price volatility.
Our
future success will depend in large part upon the value of bitcoin; the value of bitcoin may be subject to pricing risk and has historically
been subject to wide swings.
Our
operating results will depend in large part upon the value of bitcoin because it is the sole cryptocurrency we currently mine. Specifically,
our revenues from our bitcoin mining operations are principally based upon two factors: (1) the number of bitcoin rewards we successfully
mine and (2) the value of bitcoin. We also receive transaction fees paid in bitcoin by persons engaged in transactions associated with
new blocks that we mine. In addition, our operating results are directly impacted by changes in the value of bitcoin, because under the
value measurement model, both realized and unrealized changes will be reflected in our statement of operations (i.e., we will be marking
bitcoin to fair value each quarter). This means that our operating results will be subject to swings based upon increases or decreases
in the value of bitcoin. Furthermore, our strategy currently focuses entirely on bitcoin (as opposed to other cryptocurrencies). Further,
our current application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”) machines (which we refer to as “miners”) are principally
utilized for mining bitcoin and bitcoin cash and cannot mine other cryptocurrencies, such as ether, that are not mined utilizing the
“SHA-256 algorithm.” If other cryptocurrencies were to achieve acceptance at the expense of bitcoin or bitcoin cash (a variant
form of bitcoin created in 2017 by a hard fork of the bitcoin blockchain) causing the value of bitcoin or bitcoin cash to decline, or
if bitcoin were to switch its proof of work algorithm from SHA-256 to another algorithm for which our miners are not specialized, or
the value of bitcoin or bitcoin cash were to decline for other reasons, particularly if such decline were significant or over an extended
period of time, our operating results would be adversely affected, and there could be a material adverse effect 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, and harm investors.
Bitcoin
and other bitcoin market prices, which have historically been volatile and are impacted by a variety of factors (including those discussed
below), are determined primarily using data from various exchanges, over-the-counter markets and derivative platforms. Furthermore, such
prices may be subject to factors such as those that impact commodities, more so than business activities, which could be subjected to
additional influence from fraudulent or illegitimate actors, real or perceived scarcity, and political, economic, regulatory or other
conditions. Pricing may be the result of, and may continue to result in, speculation regarding future appreciation in the value of cryptocurrencies,
or our share price, inflating and making their market prices more volatile or creating “bubble” type risks for both bitcoin
and shares of our ordinary shares.
It
may be illegal now, or in the future, to acquire, own, hold, sell or use bitcoin, ether, or other cryptocurrencies, participate in blockchains
or utilize similar bitcoin assets in China or other countries, the ruling of which would adversely affect us.
Although
currently cryptocurrencies generally are not regulated or are lightly regulated in most countries, one or more countries such as China
and Russia, which have taken harsh regulatory action, and they and other countries may take regulatory actions in the future that could
severely restrict the right to acquire, own, hold, sell or use these bitcoin assets or to exchange them for fiat currency. In many nations,
particularly in China and Russia, financial institutions are barred from accepting deposits of cryptocurrencies. Such restrictions may
adversely affect us as the large-scale use of cryptocurrencies as a means of exchange is presently confined to certain regions globally.
Ongoing and future regulatory actions may impact our ability to continue to operate, and such actions could affect 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.
In
March 2021, the government of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (“Inner Mongolia”), where the Company used to
deploy miners, banned cryptocurrency mining in order to constrain growth in energy consumption. Other provinces in China where the Company
deploys miners may do the same. The Company has suspended mining operation in China since June 21, 2021. On May 1, 2021, Order No. 737
of the State Council of the P.R.C. criminal administrative regulations titled “The Regulations on the Prevention and Treatment
of Illegal Fund-Raising” became effective. These regulations provide that the government of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities
under the Central Government are responsible for the prevention and treatment of illegal fund-raising within their respective administrative
areas. No ban has yet been issued in Beijing, and, so far, the data centers in Beijing are solely subject to diagnostic investigation
to confirm whether or not they are engaged in bitcoin mining business. On May 21, 2021, the Financial Stability and Development Commission
of the State Council of China proposed to “crack down on bitcoin mining and trading.” The Company then suspended its operations
in China and continued to migrate all miners to the United States and Canada. Bitcoin production was significantly reduced in the second
and third quarters of 2021. We expect to complete the migration in the third quarter and be fully operational with new miners in late
2021 or the first quarter of 2022.
The
impact of government responses to miner activity is uncertain.
Because
of environmental-impact concerns related to the potential high demand for electricity to support cryptocurrency mining activity, political
concerns, and for other reasons, we may be required to cease mining operations in certain locations in the world without much or any
prior notice by a national or local government’s formal or informal requirement or because of the anticipation of an impending
requirement. For example, in recent months, certain localities in China have required the mining of cryptocurrencies to be discontinued
on very short notice.
Any
such government action or anticipated action could have a negative impact not only on the value of existing miners owned by us, but on
our ability to purchase new miners and their prices. Such government action or anticipated action could also have a deleterious impact
on the price of bitcoin. At a minimum, such events could result in an increase in the volatility of the price (both up and down) of bitcoin
and the price and value of miners owned by us (both up and down). Any or all of these events could have a negative impact on our earnings.
Moreover,
if we discontinue mining operations in one location in response to such government action or anticipated action, we likely would transfer
miners to another location. However, this process would result in costs associated with the transfer to be incurred by us, as well as
the transferred miners being off-line and not able to mine cryptocurrencies for some time. This could have an adverse impact on our earnings
for such time-period.
Our
mining operating costs outpace our mining revenues, which could seriously harm our business or increase our losses.
Our
mining operations are costly, and our expenses may increase in the future. We intend to use funds on hand and from shares sold under
the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part to continue to purchase bitcoin mining machines. This expense increase
may not be offset by a corresponding increase in revenue. Our expenses may be greater than we anticipate, and our investments to make
our business more efficient may not succeed and may outpace monetization efforts. Increases in our costs without a corresponding increase
in our revenue would increase our losses and could seriously harm our business and financial performance.
We
have an evolving business model which is subject to various uncertainties.
As
bitcoin assets may become more widely available, we expect the services and products associated with them to evolve. In order to stay
current with the industry, our business model may need to evolve as well. From time to time, we may modify aspects of our business model
relating to our strategy. We cannot offer any assurance that these or any other modifications will be successful or will not result in
harm to our business. We may not be able to manage growth effectively, which could damage our reputation, limit our growth and negatively
affect our operating results. Further, we cannot provide any assurance that we will successfully identify all emerging trends and growth
opportunities in this business sector, and we may lose out on those opportunities. Such circumstances could have a material adverse effect
on our business, prospects or operations.
The
properties included in our mining network may experience damage, including damage that is not covered by insurance.
Our
prior mining operations in China and current operations in the states of Texas, Nebraska and Georgia in the United States and Canada
are, and any future mining sites we may establish will be, subject to a variety of risks relating to physical condition and operation,
including, but not limited to:
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the presence
of construction or repair defects or other structural or building damage;
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any noncompliance
with or liabilities under applicable environmental, health or safety regulations or requirements or building permit requirements;
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any damage
resulting from natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, floods and windstorms; and
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claims
by employees and others for injuries sustained at our properties.
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For
example, our mines could be rendered inoperable, temporarily or permanently, as a result of a fire or other natural disaster, the coronavirus
or another pandemic, or by a terrorist or other attack. The security and other measures we take to protect against these risks may not
be sufficient. Additionally, our mines could be materially adversely affected by a power outage or loss of access to the electrical grid
or loss by the grid of cost-effective sources of electrical power generating capacity. Given the power requirements of our mines, it
would not be feasible to run miners on back-up power generators in the event of a power outage. We do not have any insurance to cover
the replacement cost of any lost or damaged miners, or any interruption of our mining activities. In the event of an uninsured loss,
such mines may not be adequately repaired in a timely manner or at all, and we may lose some or all of the future revenues anticipated
to be derived from such mines.
If,
pursuant to our hosting service contracts (the “Hosting Agreements”) with hosting service providers, hosting service providers
cannot or will not supply sufficient electric power for us to operate our miners, we may be required to relocate some or all of our miners
to an alternative facility, which may have a less advantageous cost structure and our business and results of operations may suffer as
a result.
We
have made a significant capital investment in purchasing second-hand miners in order to implement them rapidly to mine bitcoin at prices
advantageous to us. Management believes, based on its knowledge of the industry, that the Hosting Agreements provide many advantages
as opposed to other alternative arrangements. If we are required to deploy or move our miners from the current hosting service providers
to other mining facilities, we may be forced to accept less advantageous terms. Further, during relocation to a new mining facility,
we will not be able to operate our miners and therefore we will not be able to generate revenue.
If
we are unable to secure sufficient power supply from the current hosting service providers, or if the current hosting service providers
are unable to supply sufficient electric power, we may be forced to seek out alternative mining facilities. Should this occur, our operations
may be disrupted, which may have a material adverse effect on our operations.
If
our Hosting Agreements with the current hosting service providers in the U.S. and Canada are terminated, we may be forced to seek a replacement
facility to operate our miners on acceptable terms; should this occur, our operations may be disrupted, which may have a material adverse
effect on our operations.
If
we are forced to relocate to a new mining facility, we may not be successful in identifying adequate replacement facilities to house
our miners. Even if we do identify such facilities, we may not be able to secure use of those facilities at rates that are economically
viable to support our mining activities. Relocating our miners, as we did to migrate from China, will require us to incur costs to transition
to a new facility including, but not limited to, transportation expenses and insurance, downtime while we are unable to mine, legal fees
to negotiate the new lease, de-installation at our current facility and, ultimately, installation at any new facility we identify. These
costs may be substantial, and we cannot guarantee that we will be successful in transitioning our miners to a new facility. If we are
required to move our miners, our business may suffer, and our results of operations would be expected to be materially adversely affected.
The
development and acceptance of cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the issuance of and transactions in cryptocurrencies
is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate.
The
use of cryptocurrencies to, among other things, buy and sell goods and services and complete transactions, is part of a new and rapidly
evolving industry that employs bitcoin 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 this industry in general, and the use
of bitcoin, in particular, is subject to a high degree of uncertainty, and the slowing or stopping of the development or acceptance of
developing protocols may occur unpredictably. The factors include, but are not limited to:
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continued
worldwide growth in the adoption and use of cryptocurrencies as a medium to exchange;
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governmental
and quasi-governmental regulation of cryptocurrencies and their use, or restrictions on or regulation of access to and operation
of the network or similar bitcoin systems;
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changes
in consumer demographics and public tastes and preferences;
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the maintenance
and development of the open-source software protocol of the network;
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the increased
consolidation of contributors to the bitcoin blockchain through mining pools;
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the availability
and popularity of other forms or methods of buying and selling goods and services, including new means of using fiat currencies;
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the use
of the networks supporting cryptocurrencies for developing smart contracts and distributed applications;
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general
economic conditions and the regulatory environment relating to cryptocurrencies; and
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negative
consumer sentiment and perception of bitcoin specifically and cryptocurrencies generally.
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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 bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account, which would harm investors
in our securities.
Banks
and financial institutions may not provide banking services, or may cut off services, to businesses that engage in bitcoin-related activities
or that accept cryptocurrencies as payment, including financial institutions of investors in our securities.
A
number of companies that engage in bitcoin and/or other bitcoin-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 in China, where regulatory response to cryptocurrencies has been
to exclude their use for ordinary consumer transactions within its jurisdiction.
Subject
to such restrictions, we also may be unable to obtain or maintain these services for our business. The difficulty that many businesses
in our industry and in related industries have and may continue to have in finding banks and financial institutions willing to provide
them services may now, and in the future, decrease the usefulness of cryptocurrencies as a payment system, harm public perception of
cryptocurrencies and decrease their usefulness.
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 bitcoin and/or other bitcoin-related activities. 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 the Depository 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 new strategy at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our
business, prospects or operations and harm investors.
We
may face risks of Internet disruptions, which could have an adverse effect on the price of cryptocurrencies.
A
disruption of the Internet may affect the use of cryptocurrencies and subsequently the value of our securities. Generally, cryptocurrencies
and our business of mining cryptocurrencies is dependent upon the Internet. A significant disruption in Internet connectivity could disrupt
a currency’s network operations until the disruption is resolved and have an adverse effect on the price of cryptocurrencies and
our ability to mine cryptocurrencies.
The
impact of geopolitical and economic events on the supply and demand for cryptocurrencies is uncertain.
Geopolitical
crises may motivate large-scale purchases of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which could increase the price of bitcoin and other
cryptocurrencies rapidly. This may increase the likelihood of a subsequent price decrease as crisis-driven purchasing behavior dissipates,
adversely affecting the value of our inventory following such downward adjustment. Such risks are similar to the risks of purchasing
commodities in general uncertain times, such as the risk of purchasing, holding or selling gold. 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 cryptocurrencies 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, cryptocurrencies, which are relatively new, are subject to
supply and demand forces. How such supply and demand will be impacted by geopolitical events is largely uncertain but could be harmful
to us and investors in our ordinary shares. Political or economic crises may motivate large-scale acquisitions or sales of cryptocurrencies
either globally or locally. Such events 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 bitcoin or any other cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account.
Acceptance
and/or widespread use of bitcoin is uncertain.
Currently,
there is a relatively limited use of any bitcoin in the retail and commercial marketplace, thus contributing to price volatility that
could adversely affect an investment in our securities. Banks and other established financial institutions may refuse to process funds
for bitcoin transactions, process wire transfers to or from bitcoin exchanges, bitcoin-related companies or service providers, or maintain
accounts for persons or entities transacting in bitcoin. Conversely, a significant portion of bitcoin demand is generated by investors
seeking a long-term store of value or speculators seeking to profit from the short- or long-term holding of the asset. Price volatility
undermines any bitcoin’s role as a medium of exchange, as retailers are much less likely to accept it as a form of payment. Market
capitalization for a bitcoin as a medium of exchange and payment method may always be low.
The
relative lack of acceptance of bitcoins in the retail and commercial marketplace, or a reduction of such use, limits the ability of end
users to use them to pay for goods and services. Such lack of acceptance or decline in acceptances could have a material adverse effect
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 and potentially the value of bitcoins we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account.
Transactional
fees may decrease demand for bitcoin and prevent expansion.
Currently,
miners receive both rewards of new bitcoin and transaction fees paid in bitcoin by persons engaging in bitcoin transactions on the bitcoin
blockchain for being the first to solve bitcoin blocks. As the number of bitcoins currency rewards awarded for solving a block in a blockchain
decreases, the incentive for miners to continue to contribute to the bitcoin network may transition from a set reward and transaction
fees to solely transaction fees. This transition could be accomplished by miners independently electing to record in the blocks they
solve only those transactions that include payment of the highest transaction fees. If transaction fees paid for bitcoin transactions
become too high, the marketplace may be reluctant to accept bitcoin as a means of payment and existing users may be motivated to switch
from bitcoin to another cryptocurrency or to fiat currency. Either the requirement from miners of higher transaction fees in exchange
for recording transactions in a blockchain or a software upgrade that automatically charges fees for all transactions may decrease demand
for bitcoin and prevent the expansion of the bitcoin network to retail merchants and commercial businesses, resulting in a reduction
in the price of bitcoin that could adversely impact an investment in our securities. Decreased use of and demand for bitcoin may adversely
affect its value and result in a reduction in the price of bitcoin and, consequently, the value of our ordinary shares.
The
decentralized nature of the governance of bitcoin systems may lead to ineffective decision making that slows development or prevents
a network from overcoming emergent obstacles. Governance of many bitcoin 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 bitcoin systems leads to ineffective
decision making that slows development and growth of such cryptocurrencies, the value of our ordinary shares may be adversely affected.
There
is a lack of liquid markets for cryptocurrencies, and blockchain/bitcoin-based assets are susceptible to potential manipulation.
Cryptocurrencies
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 bitcoin
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 of investment securities or other assets trading
on a ledger-based system, which may adversely affect us. Such circumstances could have a material adverse effect 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 and potentially the value of any bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account,
and harm investors.
Our
operations, investment strategies and profitability may be adversely affected by competition from other methods of investing in cryptocurrencies.
We
compete with other users and/or companies that are mining cryptocurrencies and other potential financial vehicles, including securities
backed by or linked to cryptocurrencies through entities similar to us. Market and financial conditions, and other conditions beyond
our control, may make it more attractive to invest in other financial vehicles, or to invest in cryptocurrencies directly, which could
limit the market for our shares and reduce their liquidity. The emergence of other financial vehicles and exchange-traded funds have
been scrutinized by regulators and such scrutiny and the negative impressions or conclusions resulting from such scrutiny could be applicable
to us and impact our ability to successfully pursue our business strategy or operate at all, or to maintain a public market for our securities.
Such circumstances could have a material adverse effect 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 and potentially the value of any bitcoin
or other cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account, and harm investors.
The
development and acceptance of competing blockchain platforms or technologies may cause consumers to use alternative distributed ledgers
or other alternatives.
The
development and acceptance of competing blockchain platforms or technologies may cause consumers to use alternative distributed ledgers
or an alternative to distributed ledgers altogether. Our business utilizes presently existent digital ledgers and blockchains and we
could face difficulty adapting to emergent digital ledgers, blockchains, or alternatives thereto. This may adversely affect us and our
exposure to various blockchain technologies and prevent us from realizing the anticipated profits from our investments. Such circumstances
could have a material adverse effect 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 and potentially the value of any bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies
we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account, and harm investors.
Our
bitcoins may be subject to loss, theft or restriction on access.
There
is a risk that some or all of our bitcoins could be lost or stolen. Cryptocurrencies are stored in bitcoin sites commonly referred to
as “wallets” by holders of bitcoins which may be accessed to exchange a holder’s bitcoin assets. Access to our bitcoin
assets could also be restricted by cybercrime (such as a denial of service attack) against a service at which we maintain a hosted hot
wallet. A hot wallet refers to any bitcoin wallet that is connected to the Internet. Generally, hot wallets are easier to set up and
access than wallets in cold storage, but they are also more susceptible to hackers and other technical vulnerabilities. Cold storage
refers to any bitcoin wallet that is not connected to the Internet. Cold storage is generally more secure from external attack than hot
storage but is not ideal for quick or regular transactions and we may experience lag time in our ability to respond to market fluctuations
in the price of our bitcoin assets. Moreover, cold storage may increase the risk of internal theft or malfeasance. We hold all of our
cryptocurrencies in cold storage to reduce the risk of external malfeasance, but the risk of loss of our bitcoin assets cannot be wholly
eliminated. If any of our bitcoin were lost or stolen, it is unlikely that we would ever be able to recover such bitcoin.
Hackers
or malicious actors may launch attacks to steal, compromise or secure cryptocurrencies, such as by attacking the bitcoin network source
code, exchange miners, third-party platforms, cold and hot storage locations or software, or by other means. We may be in control and
possession of one of the more substantial holdings of bitcoins. As we increase in size, we may become a more appealing target of hackers,
malware, cyber-attacks or other security threats. Any of these events may adversely affect our operations and, consequently, our investments
and profitability. The loss or destruction of a private key required to access our digital wallets may be irreversible and we may be
denied access for all time to our bitcoin holdings or the holdings of others held in those compromised wallets. Our loss of access to
our private keys or our experience of a data loss relating to our digital wallets could adversely affect our investments and assets.
Cryptocurrencies
are controllable only by the possessor of both the unique public and private keys relating to the local or online digital wallet in which
they are held, which wallet’s public key or address is reflected in the network’s public blockchain. We will publish the
public key relating to digital wallets in use when we verify the receipt of transfers and disseminate such information into the network,
but we will need to safeguard the private keys relating to such digital wallets. To the extent such private keys are lost, destroyed
or otherwise compromised, we will be unable to access our bitcoin rewards and such private keys may not be capable of being restored
by any network. Any loss of private keys relating to digital wallets used to store our cryptocurrencies could have a material adverse
effect 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 and potentially the value of any bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire
or hold for our own account.
We
may suffer significant and adverse effects due to hacking or one or more adverse software events.
In
order to minimize risk, we have established processes to manage wallets that are associated with our bitcoin holdings. There can be no
assurances that any processes we have adopted or will adopt in the future are or will be secure or effective, and we would suffer significant
and immediate adverse effects if we suffered a loss of our bitcoin due to an adverse software or cybersecurity event. We utilize several
layers of threat reduction techniques, including: (i) the use of hardware wallets to store sensitive private key information; (ii) performance
of transactions offline; and (iii) offline generation storage and use of private keys.
At
present, the Company is evaluating several third-party custodial wallet alternatives, but there can be no assurance that such services
will be more secure than those the Company presently employs. Human error and the constantly evolving state of cybercrime and hacking
techniques may render present security protocols and procedures ineffective in ways which we cannot predict. If our security procedures
and protocols are ineffectual and our bitcoin assets are compromised by cybercriminals, we may not have adequate recourse to recover
our losses stemming from such compromise and we may lose much of the accumulated value of our bitcoin mining activities. This would have
a material adverse impact on our business and operations.
Incorrect
or fraudulent bitcoin transactions may be irreversible.
Bitcoin
transactions are irrevocable and stolen or incorrectly transferred cryptocurrencies may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly
executed or fraudulent bitcoin transactions could adversely affect our investments and assets.
Bitcoin
transactions are not, from an administrative perspective, reversible without the consent and active participation of the recipient of
the cryptocurrencies from the transaction. In theory, bitcoin transactions may be reversible with the control or consent of a majority
of processing power on the network, however, we do not now, nor is it feasible that we could in the future, possess sufficient processing
power to affect this reversal. Once a transaction has been verified and recorded in a block that is added to a blockchain, an incorrect
transfer of a bitcoin or a theft thereof generally will not be reversible, and we may not have sufficient recourse to recover our losses
from any such transfer or theft. It is possible that, through computer or human error, or through theft or criminal action, our bitcoin
rewards could be transferred in incorrect amounts or to unauthorized third parties, or to uncontrolled accounts. Further, according to
the SEC, at this time, there is no specifically enumerated U.S. or foreign governmental, regulatory, investigative or prosecutorial authority
or mechanism through which to bring an action or complaint regarding missing or stolen bitcoin. We are, therefore, presently reliant
on existing private investigative entities, such as Chain Analysis and Kroll to investigate any potential loss of our bitcoin assets.
These third-party service providers rely on data analysis and compliance of ISPs with traditional court orders to reveal information
such as the IP addresses of any attackers who may have targeted us. To the extent that we are unable to recover our losses from such
action, error or theft, such events could have a material adverse effect 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 of and potentially the
value of any bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account.
Our
interactions with a blockchain and mining pools may expose us to SDN or blocked persons or cause us to violate provisions of law that
did not contemplate distributive ledger technology.
The
Office of Financial Assets Control of the US Department of Treasury (“OFAC”) 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 with persons named on OFAC’s
SDN list or from countries on OFAC’s sanctioned countries’ list. We also rely on a third party mining pool service provider
for our mining revenue payments and other participants in the mining pool, unknown to us, may also be persons from countries on OFAC’s
SDN list or from countries on OFAC’s sanctioned countries list. Our Company’s policy prohibits any transactions with such
SDN individuals or persons from sanctioned countries, but we may not be adequately capable of determining the ultimate identity of the
individual with whom we transact with respect to selling bitcoin assets. Moreover, federal law prohibits any U.S. person from knowingly
or unknowingly possessing any visual depiction commonly known as child pornography. Recent media reports have suggested that persons
have imbedded such depictions on one or more blockchains. 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 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 ordinary shares.
Our
reliance primarily on a few models of miners may subject our operations to increased risk of mine failure.
The
performance and reliability of our miners and our technology is critical to our reputation and our operations. Because we currently use
MicroBT, Bitmain and Innosilicon miners, if there are issues with those machines, our entire system could be affected. Any system error
or failure may significantly delay response times or even cause our system to fail. Any disruption in our ability to continue mining
could result in lower yields and harm our reputation and business. Any exploitable weakness, flaw, or error common to MicroBT, Bitmain
and Innosilicon miners affects all our miners, if a defect other flaw is exploited, our entire mine could go offline simultaneously.
Any interruption, delay or system failure could result in financial losses, a decrease in the trading price of our ordinary shares and/or
damage to our reputation.
The
Company’s reliance on a third-party mining pool service provider for our mining revenue payouts may have a negative impact on the
Company’s operations.
We
use third–party mining pools to receive our mining rewards from the network. Mining pools allow miners to combine their processing
power, increasing their chances of solving a block and getting paid by the network. The rewards are distributed by the pool operator,
proportionally to our contribution to the pool’s overall mining power, used to generate each block. Should the pool operator’s
system suffer downtime due to a cyber-attack, software malfunction or other similar issues, it will negatively impact our ability to
mine and receive revenue. Furthermore, we are dependent on the accuracy of the mining pool operator’s record keeping to accurately
record the total processing power provided to the pool for a given bitcoin mining application in order to assess the proportion of that
total processing power we provided. While we have internal methods of tracking both our power provided and the total used by the pool,
the mining pool operator uses its own record-keeping to determine our proportion of a given reward. We have little means of recourse
against the mining pool operator if we determine the proportion of the reward paid out to us by the mining pool operator is incorrect,
other than leaving the pool. If we are unable to consistently obtain accurate proportionate rewards from our mining pool operators, we
may experience reduced reward for our efforts, which would have an adverse effect on our business and operations.
The
limited rights of legal recourse available to us and our lack of insurance protection for risk of loss of our digital assets exposes
us and our shareholders to the risk of loss of our digital assets for which no person may ultimately be held liable and we may not be
able to recover our losses.
The
digital assets held by us are not insured. Further, banking institutions will not accept our digital assets and they are therefore not
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”).
Therefore, a loss may be suffered with respect to our digital assets which is not covered by insurance and we may not be able to recover
any of our carried value in these digital assets if they are lost or stolen or suffer significant and sustained reduction in conversion
spot price. If we are not otherwise able to recover damages from a malicious actor in connection with these losses, our business and
results of operations may suffer, which may have a material negative impact on our share price.
If
regulatory changes or interpretations of our activities require our registration as a money services business (“MSB”) under
the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, or otherwise under state laws, we may incur significant
compliance costs, which could be substantial or cost-prohibitive. If we become subject to these regulations, our costs in complying with
them may have a material negative effect on our business and the results of our operations.
To
the extent that our activities cause us to be deemed an MSB under the regulations promulgated by FinCEN under the authority of the U.S.
Bank Secrecy Act, we may be required to comply with FinCEN regulations, including those that would mandate us to implement anti-money
laundering programs, make certain reports to FinCEN and maintain certain records.
To
the extent that our activities cause us to be deemed a “money transmitter” (“MT”) or equivalent designation,
under state law in any state in which we operate (currently, Nebraska, Georgia and Texas), we may be required to seek a license or otherwise
register with a state regulator and comply with state regulations that may include the implementation of anti-money laundering programs,
maintenance of certain records and other operational requirements. Such additional federal or state regulatory obligations may cause
us to incur extraordinary expenses, possibly affecting an investment in our securities in a materially adverse manner. Furthermore, the
Company and our service providers may not be capable of complying with certain federal or state regulatory obligations applicable to
MSBs and MTs. If we are deemed to be subject to and determine not to comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements,
we may act to leave a particular state or the U.S. completely. Any such action would be expected to materially adversely affect our operations.
Current
regulation of the exchange of bitcoins under the CEA by the CFTC is unclear; to the extent we become subject to regulation under the
CFTC in connection with our exchange of bitcoin, we may incur additional compliance costs, which may be significant.
Current
legislation, including the Commodities Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the “CEA”) is unclear with respect to the exchange
of bitcoins. Changes in the CEA or the regulations promulgated thereunder, as well as interpretations thereof and official promulgations
by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), which oversees the CEA, may impact the classification of bitcoins and
therefore may subject them to additional regulatory oversight by the CFTC.
Presently,
bitcoin derivatives are not excluded from the definition of a “commodity future” by the CFTC. We cannot be certain as to
how future regulatory developments will impact the treatment of bitcoins under the law. Bitcoins 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 or as
a commodity pool with the CFTC through the National 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 curtail our U.S. operations. Any such action would be expected to materially adversely
affect our operations. As of the date of this prospectus, no CFTC orders or rulings are applicable to our business.
Cryptocurrencies
face significant scaling obstacles that can lead to high fees or slow transaction settlement times.
Cryptocurrencies
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 cryptocurrencies is essential to the widespread acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a means
of payment, which widespread acceptance is necessary to the continued growth and development of our business. Many bitcoin networks face
significant scaling challenges. For example, cryptocurrencies are limited with respect to how many transactions can occur per second.
Participants in the bitcoin ecosystem debate potential approaches to increasing the average number of transactions per second that the
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 miner’s or 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 bitcoin transactions
will be effective, or how long they will take to become effective, which could adversely affect an investment in our securities.
The
price of cryptocurrencies may be affected by the sale of such cryptocurrencies by other vehicles investing in cryptocurrencies or tracking
bitcoin markets.
The
global market for bitcoin 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 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 cryptocurrencies or tracking bitcoin markets form and come to represent a significant proportion of the demand for cryptocurrencies,
large redemptions of the securities of those vehicles and the subsequent sale of cryptocurrencies by such vehicles could negatively affect
bitcoin prices and therefore affect the value of the bitcoin inventory we hold. Such events could have a material adverse effect 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 and potentially the value of any bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our
own account.
Because
there has been limited precedent set for financial accounting of bitcoin and other bitcoin assets, the determination that we have made
for how to account for bitcoin assets transactions may be subject to change.
Because
there has been limited precedent set for the financial accounting of cryptocurrencies and related revenue recognition and no official
guidance has yet been provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or the SEC,
it is unclear how companies may in the future be required to account for bitcoin transactions and assets and related revenue recognition.
A change in regulatory or financial accounting standards could result in the necessity to change our accounting methods and restate our
financial statements. Such a restatement could adversely affect the accounting for our newly mined bitcoin rewards and more generally
negatively impact our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operation. Such circumstances would have a material adverse
effect on our ability to continue as a going concern or to pursue our business strategy at all, which would have a material adverse effect
on our business, prospects or operations as well as and potentially the value of any cryptocurrencies we hold or expects to acquire for
our own account and harm investors.
There
are risks related to technological obsolescence, the vulnerability of the global supply chain for bitcoin hardware disruption, and difficulty
in obtaining new hardware which may have a negative effect on our business.
Our
mining operations can only be successful and ultimately profitable if the costs, including hardware and electricity costs, associated
with mining cryptocurrencies are lower than the price of a bitcoin. As our mining facility operates, our miners experience ordinary wear
and tear, and may also face more significant malfunctions caused by a number of extraneous factors beyond our control. To date, we have
purchased second-hand miners from third parties. The degradation of our miners will require us to, over time, replace those miners which
are no longer functional. Additionally, as the technology evolves, we may be required to acquire newer models of miners to remain competitive
in the market. Reports have been released which indicate that miner manufacturer or seller adjusts the prices of its miners according
to bitcoin prices, so the cost of new machines is unpredictable but could be extremely high. As a result, at times, we may obtain miners
and other hardware from third parties at premium prices, to the extent they are available. This upgrading process requires substantial
capital investment, and we may face challenges. Further, the global supply chain for bitcoin miners is presently heavily dependent on
China. The global reliance on China as a main supplier of bitcoin miners has been called into question in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Should similar outbreaks or other disruptions to the China-based global supply chain for bitcoin hardware on the spot market or otherwise
occur, we may not be able to obtain adequate replacement parts for our existing miners or to obtain additional miners from the manufacturer
or third parties on a timely basis. Such events could have a material adverse effect on our ability to pursue our business strategy,
which could have a material adverse effect on our business and the value of our ordinary shares.
The
bitcoin for which we mine, is subject to halving; the bitcoin reward for successfully uncovering a block will halve several times in
the future and their value may not adjust to compensate us for the reduction in the rewards we receive from our mining efforts.
Halving
is a process designed to control the overall supply and reduce the risk of inflation in cryptocurrencies using a Proof-of-Work consensus
algorithm. At a predetermined block, the mining reward is cut in half, hence the term “halving.” For bitcoin, the reward
was initially set at 50 bitcoin currency rewards per block and this was cut in half to 25 in November 28, 2012 at block 210,000 and again
to 12.5 on July 9, 2016 at block 420,000. The next halving for bitcoin occurred in May 2020 at block 630,000 when the reward was reduced
to 6.25. This process will reoccur until the total amount of bitcoin currency rewards issued reaches 21 million, which is expected around
2140. If the award of bitcoin rewards for solving blocks and transaction fees are not sufficiently high, we may not have an adequate
incentive to continue mining and may cease our mining operations. Halving may result in a reduction in the aggregate hash rate of the
bitcoin network as the incentive for miners decreases. Miners ceasing operations would reduce the collective processing power on the
network, which would adversely affect the confirmation process for transactions (i.e., temporarily decreasing the speed at which blocks
are added to a blockchain until the next scheduled adjustment in difficulty for block solutions) and make bitcoin networks more vulnerable
to a malicious actor or botnet obtaining control in excess of 50 percent of the processing power active on a blockchain, potentially
permitting such actor or botnet to manipulate a blockchain in a manner that adversely affects our activities. A reduction in confidence
in the confirmation process or processing power of the network could result and be irreversible. Such events could have a material adverse
effect on our ability to continue to pursue our business strategy at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business,
prospects or operations and potentially the value of any bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies we mine, whether now or in the future, or
otherwise acquire or hold for our own account. While bitcoin prices have had a history of price fluctuations around the halving of its
bitcoin rewards, there is no guarantee that the price change will be favorable or would compensate for the reduction in mining reward.
If a corresponding and proportionate increase in the trading price of bitcoin does not follow these anticipated halving events, the revenue
we earn from our mining operations would see a corresponding decrease, which would have a material adverse effect on our business and
operations.
The
impact of social media and influencers on the price for cryptocurrencies is uncertain.
Renowned
persons, including social media influencers, may publicly discuss their holdings (or the holdings of companies with which they are affiliated)
of bitcoin or their intent to buy or sell large quantities of bitcoin. This may have a dramatic impact on the price of bitcoin, both
up and down. At a minimum, these public statements delivered through social media, such as Twitter, may cause the price of bitcoin to
experience significant volatility. These episodes could have a material adverse impact on the value of our bitcoin holdings as well as
the prices of bitcoin that we may sell.
We
may not be able to realize the benefits of forks.
To
the extent that a significant majority of users and miners on a bitcoin network install software that changes the bitcoin network or
properties of a bitcoin, including the irreversibility of transactions and limitations on the mining of new bitcoin, the bitcoin network
would be subject to new protocols and software. However, if less than a significant majority of users and miners on the bitcoin network
consent to the proposed modification, and the modification is not compatible with the software prior to its modification, the consequence
would be what is known as a “fork” of the network, with one prong running the pre-modified software and the other running
the modified software. The effect of such a fork would be the existence of two versions of the bitcoin running in parallel yet lacking
interchangeability and necessitating exchange-type transaction to convert currencies between the two forks. Additionally, it may be unclear
following a fork which fork represents the original asset and which is the new asset. Different metrics adopted by industry participants
to determine which is the original asset include: referring to the wishes of the core developers of a bitcoin, blockchains with the greatest
amount of hashing power contributed by miners or validators; or blockchains with the longest chain. A fork in the network of a particular
bitcoin could adversely affect an investment in our Company or our ability to operate.
We
may not be able to realize the economic benefit of a fork, either immediately or ever, which could adversely affect an investment in
our securities. If we hold a bitcoin at the time of a hard fork into two cryptocurrencies, industry standards would dictate that we would
be expected to hold an equivalent amount of the old and new assets following the fork. However, we may not be able, or it may not be
practical, to secure or realize the economic benefit of the new asset for various reasons. For instance, we may determine that there
is no safe or practical way to custody the new asset, that trying to do so may pose an unacceptable risk to our holdings in the old asset,
or that the costs of taking possession and/or maintaining ownership of the new bitcoin exceed the benefits of owning the new bitcoin.
Additionally, laws, regulation or other factors may prevent us from benefitting from the new asset even if there is a safe and practical
way to custody and secure the new asset.
There
is a possibility of bitcoin mining algorithms transitioning to proof of stake validation and other mining related risks, which could
make us less competitive and ultimately adversely affect our business and the value of our shares.
The
protocol pursuant to which transactions are confirmed automatically on the bitcoin blockchain through mining is known as proof of work.
Proof of stake is an alternative method in validating cryptocurrency transactions. Should the bitcoin algorithm shift from a proof of
work validation method to a proof of stake method, mining would require less energy and may render any company that maintains advantages
in the current climate (for example, from lower priced electricity, processing, real estate, or hosting) less competitive. We, as a result
of our efforts to optimize and improve the efficiency of our bitcoin mining operations, may be exposed to the risk in the future of losing
the benefit of our capital investments and the competitive advantage we hope to gain form this as a result, and may be negatively impacted
if a switch to proof of stake validation were to occur. This may additionally have an impact on other various investments of ours. Such
events could have a material adverse effect 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 and potentially the value of any bitcoin or other
cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account.
To
the extent that the profit margins of bitcoin mining operations are not high, operators of bitcoin mining operations are more likely
to immediately sell bitcoin rewards earned by mining in the market, thereby constraining growth of the price of bitcoin that could adversely
impact us, and similar actions could affect other cryptocurrencies.
Over
the past several years, bitcoin mining operations have evolved from individual users mining with computer processors, graphics processing
units and first-generation ASIC servers. Currently, new processing power is predominantly added by incorporated and unincorporated “professionalized”
mining operations. Professionalized mining operations may use proprietary hardware or sophisticated ASIC machines acquired from ASIC
manufacturers. They require the investment of significant capital for the acquisition of this hardware, the leasing of operating space
(often in data centers or warehousing facilities), incurring of electricity costs and the employment of technicians to operate the mining
farms. As a result, professionalized mining operations are of a greater scale than prior miners and have more defined and regular expenses
and liabilities. These regular expenses and liabilities require professionalized mining operations to maintain profit margins on the
sale of bitcoin. To the extent the price of bitcoin declines and such profit margin is constrained, professionalized miners are incentivized
to more immediately sell bitcoin earned from mining operations, whereas it is believed that individual miners in past years were more
likely to hold newly mined bitcoin for more extended periods. The immediate selling of newly mined bitcoin greatly increases the trading
volume of bitcoin, creating downward pressure on the market price of bitcoin rewards.
The
extent to which the value of bitcoin mined by a professionalized mining operation exceeds the allocable capital and operating costs determines
the profit margin of such operation. A professionalized mining operation may be more likely to sell a higher percentage of its newly
mined bitcoin rapidly if it is operating at a low profit margin and it may partially or completely cease operations if its profit margin
is negative. In a low profit margin environment, a higher percentage could be sold more rapidly, thereby potentially depressing bitcoin
prices. Lower bitcoin prices could result in further tightening of profit margins for professionalized mining operations creating a network
effect that may further reduce the price of bitcoin until mining operations with higher operating costs become unprofitable forcing them
to reduce mining power or cease mining operations temporarily.
If
a malicious actor or botnet obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power on a bitcoin network, such actor or botnet could
manipulate blockchains to adversely affect us, which would adversely affect an investment in us or our ability to operate.
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 dedicated to mining a bitcoin, it may be able to alter blockchains on which
transactions of bitcoin 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 it could not generate
new units or transactions using such control. The malicious actor could “double-spend” its own bitcoin (i.e., spend the same
bitcoin 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 on the network or the bitcoin 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.
Although
there are no known reports of malicious activity or control of blockchains achieved through controlling over 50% of the processing power
on the network, it is believed that certain mining pools may have exceeded the 50% threshold in bitcoin. The possible crossing of the
50% threshold indicates a greater risk that a single mining pool could exert authority over the validation of bitcoin transactions. To
the extent that the bitcoin ecosystem, and the administrators of mining pools, do not act to ensure greater decentralization of bitcoin
mining processing power, the feasibility of a malicious actor obtaining control of the processing power will increase because the botnet
or malicious actor could compromise more than 50% mining pool 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 processing power to gain control
of the blockchain, may adversely affect an investment in our ordinary shares. 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 bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies
we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account, and harm investors.
We
are subject to risks associated with our need for significant electrical power. Government regulators may potentially restrict the ability
of electricity suppliers to provide electricity to mining operations, such as ours.
The
operation of a bitcoin or other bitcoin mine can require massive amounts of electrical power. Further, our mining operations can only
be successful and ultimately profitable if the costs, including electrical power costs, associated with mining a bitcoin are lower than
the price of a bitcoin. As a result, any mine we establish can only be successful if we can obtain sufficient electrical power for that
mine on a cost-effective basis, and our establishment of new mines requires us to find locations where that is the case. There may be
significant competition for suitable mine locations, and government regulators may potentially restrict the ability of electricity suppliers
to provide electricity to mining operations in times of electricity shortage or may otherwise potentially restrict or prohibit the provision
or electricity to mining operations. According to PRC Provisions on Supply and Use of Electricity (revised in 2019), excessive use of
electricity or failure to use electricity in accordance with the contract may result in stop of the power supply. Additionally, our miners
could be materially adversely affected by a power outage. PRC Electricity Law forbids users to build power plants without permission
of Electric Department of the State Council. Given the power requirement, it would not be feasible to run miners on back-up power generators
or purchase power from personal power plants in the event of a government restriction on electricity or a power outage.
Any
shortage of electricity supply or increase in electricity cost in a jurisdiction may negatively impact the viability and the expected
economic return for bitcoin mining activities in that jurisdiction. In addition, the significant consumption of electricity may have
a negative environmental impact, including contribution to climate change, which may give rise to public opinion against allowing the
use of electricity for bitcoin mining activities or government measures restricting or prohibiting the use of electricity for bitcoin
mining activities.
We
may not adequately respond to price fluctuations and rapidly changing technology, which may negatively affect our business.
Competitive
conditions within the bitcoin industry require that we use sophisticated technology in the operation of our business. The industry for
blockchain technology is characterized by rapid technological changes, new product introductions, enhancements and evolving industry
standards. New technologies, techniques or products could emerge that might offer better performance than the software and other technologies
we currently utilize, and we may have to manage transitions to these new technologies to remain competitive. We may not be successful,
generally or relative to our competitors in the bitcoin industry, in timely implementing new technology into our systems, or doing so
in a cost-effective manner. During the course of implementing any such new technology into our operations, we may experience system interruptions
and failures during such implementation. Furthermore, there can be no assurances that we will recognize, in a timely manner or at all,
the benefits that we may expect as a result of our implementing new technology into our operations. As a result, our business and operations
may suffer, and there may be adverse effects on the price of our ordinary shares.
Risks
Involving Intellectual Property
We
rely upon licenses of third party intellectual property rights and may be unable to protect our software codes.
We
actively use specific hardware and software for our bitcoin mining operation. In certain cases, source code and other software assets
may be subject to an open source license, as much technology development underway in this sector is open source. For these works, the
Company intends to adhere to the terms of any license agreements that may be in place.
We
do not currently own, and do not have any current plans to seek, any patents in connection with our existing and planned blockchain and
cryptocurrency related operations. We rely upon trade secrets, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights and other intellectual
property rights and expect to license the use of intellectual property rights owned and controlled by others. In addition, we have developed
and may further develop certain proprietary software applications for purposes of our cryptocurrency mining operation. Our open source
licenses may not afford us the protection we need to protect our intellectual property.
Our
internal systems rely on software that is highly technical, and, if it contains undetected errors, our business could be adversely affected.
Our
internal systems rely on software that is highly technical and complex. In addition, our internal systems depend on the ability of such
software to store, retrieve, process and manage immense amounts of data. The software on which we rely has contained, and may now or
in the future contain, undetected errors or bugs. Some errors may only be discovered after the code has been released for external or
internal use. Any errors, bugs or defects discovered in the software on which we rely could result in harm to our reputation, or liability
for damages, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial conditions.
We
may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.
We
regard trademarks, domain names, know-how, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and
we rely on a combination of intellectual property laws and contractual arrangements, including confidentiality and non-compete agreements
with our employees and others, to protect our proprietary rights. See “Business-Intellectual Property” and “Regulation—Regulation
on Intellectual Property Rights” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020. Thus, we cannot assure
you that any of our intellectual property rights would not be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or misappropriated, or such intellectual
property will be sufficient to provide us with competitive advantages. In addition, because of the rapid pace of technological change
in our industry, parts of our business rely on technologies developed or licensed by third parties, and we may not be able to obtain
or continue to obtain licenses and technologies from these third parties on reasonable terms, or at all.
Preventing
any unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly and the steps we take may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation
of our intellectual property. In the event that we resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, such litigation
could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our managerial and financial resources. We can provide no assurance that we will
prevail in such litigation. In addition, our trade secrets may be leaked or otherwise become available to, or be independently discovered
by, our competitors. To the extent that our employees or consultants use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us,
disputes may arise as to the rights in related know-how and inventions. Any failure in protecting or enforcing our intellectual property
rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We
may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims, which may be expensive to defend and may disrupt our business and operations.
We
cannot be certain that our operations or any aspects of our business do not or will not infringe upon or otherwise violate trademarks,
patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights held by third parties. We may be, from time to time in the future,
subject to legal proceedings and claims relating to the intellectual property rights of others. In addition, there may be third-party
trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights that are infringed by our products, services or other
aspects of our business without our awareness. Holders of such intellectual property rights may seek to enforce such intellectual property
rights against us in China, the United States or other jurisdictions. If any third-party infringement claims are brought against us,
we may be forced to divert management’s time and other resources from our business and operations to defend against these claims,
regardless of their merits. If we were found to have violated the intellectual property rights of others, we may be subject to liability
for our infringement activities or may be prohibited from using such intellectual property, and we may incur licensing fees or be forced
to develop alternatives of our own. As a result, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Risks
Related to Doing Business in China
Pursuant
to laws and regulations of PRC, there are two ways for foreign legal persons/entities to be considered to be engaging in operation activities
within the territory of China. One way is to establish a foreign-invested enterprise, that is incorporated, according to Foreign Investment
Law of PRC, within the territory of China and that is wholly or partly invested by a foreign investor. The organization form, institutional
framework and standard of conduct of a foreign-invested enterprise are subject to the provisions of the Company Law of the PRC and the
Partnership Enterprise Law of the PRC and other law related regulations. Another way to be deemed to be operating within China is to
complete the approval and registration procedures with the relevant regulatory authorities in accordance with the provisions of Administrative
Measures for the Registration of Enterprises of Foreign Countries (Regions) Engaging in Production and Operation Activities within the
Territory of China (Revised in 2020), or Order No.31. Notwithstanding the fact that we no longer have operations in China, our prior
operations may subject us to the statutes and regulations of China.
There
are risks to foreign investors in Chinese companies.
The
Chinese government implements the management systems of pre-establishment national treatment and negative list for foreign investment.
Pre-establishment national treatment refers to the treatment given to foreign investors and their investments during the investment access
stage, which is not lower than that given to their domestic counterparts; negative list refers to special administrative measures for
the access of foreign investment in specific fields as stipulated by the Chinese government. The Chinese government shall give national
treatment to foreign investment beyond the negative list.
Pursuant
to the Special Administrative Measures for Access of Foreign Investment (2020 Edition), or the 2020 Edition Negative List, issued by
The Ministry of Commerce of the PRC (the “MOFCOM”) and the NDRC on June 23, 2020 which came into effect on July 23, 2020,
our bitcoin mining business does not fall into the Negative List and is permitted for foreign investment as of the date hereof. The Negative
List will be revised from time to time.
We
may be subject to fines and penalties for not registering in China to do business.
According
to Registration of Enterprises of Foreign Countries (Regions) Engaging in Production and Operation Activities within the Territory of
China (“Order No.31”), foreign enterprises engaged in profit-making activities in China shall apply to the provincial market
regulatory administration, or the registration authorities, for registration upon the approval of the State Council and the competent
agencies authorized by the State Council, or the approving authorities. Without the approval of the approving authorities and the registration
approval of the registration authorities, foreign enterprises may not conduct any production and operation activities within the territory
of China, and foreign enterprises engaging in profit-making activities without proper authority may be subject to penalties, such as
warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal income or suspension of business for rectification on a case-by-case basis.
Our
business in China was not carried out through any Chinese subsidiaries. In China, we made profits from mining equipment stored in facilities
directly leased by Bit Digital Hong Kong. Bit Digital Hong Kong did not provide cloud mining services or similar services to any third
parties.
The
PRC government department does have the authority to issue licenses or approval in some industries directly to foreign companies, including
Hong Kong companies, which has been provided in Order No. 31. A foreign company, including a Hong Kong company, is permitted to be engaged
in production and operation within China in two ways--one is to obtain the license or approval, and the other is to establish a subsidiary
in the territory of China, otherwise it may lead to a punishment of a warning, fine, confiscation of income and/or suspension of business
for rectification. Furthermore, although Hong Kong is one of the special administrative districts of the PRC, generally, from the perspective
of foreign investment supervision, Hong Kong companies are treated as foreign companies, and most of the laws and regulations related
to the foreign investment also apply to Hong Kong. Considering that Bit Digital Hong Kong had already been engaged in Bitcoin mining
activities in the territory of China, and that Bit Digital Hong Kong had not obtained business licenses in relevant provinces, it would
be much more difficult for Bit Digital Hong Kong to obtain licenses directly than to establish a subsidiary in PRC. From the perspective
of compliance, the Company decided to initiate the process of forming a subsidiary to undertake operational activities in PRC. Bit Digital
Hong Kong had not obtained business licenses in relevant provinces where Bit Digital Hong Kong used to carry out business, which may
lead to a punishment of warning, fine, confiscation of income and/or suspension of business for rectification.
Changes
in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business
and results of operations.
Although
we are in the process of completing the migration of miners to the United States and/or Canada, our bitcoin mining business is worldwide.
We expect to continue to purchase bitcoin miners on the spot market in China. Accordingly, our business, prospects, financial condition
and results of operations may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally and
by continued economic growth in China as a whole. In March 2021, the government of China’s Inner Mongolia, where the Company used
to deploy miners, banned cryptocurrency mining in order to constrain growth in energy consumption. On May 21, 2021, the Financial Stability
and Development of the State Council of China proposed to “crack down on bitcoin mining and trading.” On June 9, 2021, Xinjiang
Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture Development and Reform Commission issued a notice on the immediate shutdown of enterprises engaged
in virtual currency mining. According to media reports, all enterprises engaged in Bitcoin mining in Sichuan province were cut off from
power in late June.
The
Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement,
level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented
measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and
the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China are still
owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development
by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through
allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential
treatment to particular industries or companies.
While
the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various
sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation
of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial
condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations.
In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate increases, to control the pace
of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, and since 2012, and in particular in 2020 as a result
of COVID-19, China’s economic growth slowed down. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our products
and services and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Uncertainties
in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.
The
PRC legal system is based on written statutes, and prior court decisions have limited precedential value. Since the PRC legal system
continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these
laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.
China
is one of the jurisdictions to implement strict foreign exchange control. As a matter of fact, the free flow of bitcoin blurs the boundary
of foreign exchange control. in some public speeches, officials of the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”)
have expressed concerns about the challenges of cryptocurrency to foreign exchange control. In the event regulators believe that the
circulation of bitcoin has a significant adverse impact on financial security, they may restrict the trading of bitcoin, as they have
done with the mining businesses, in its jurisdiction.
From
time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative
and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult
to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal
systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published
in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of
our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect our business
and impede our ability to continue our operations.
In
addition to the unified policies at the national level, the attitudes of the Chinese local or provincial governments towards mining enterprises
have also changed from time to time. In recent years, local governments in Inner Mongolia, Sichuan and Xinjiang have taken action to
inspect and clean up mining enterprises in their jurisdictions. These actions caused us to commence migration of miners out of China
in October 2020.
The
M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors,
which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The
M&A Rules discussed under “Business-Regulation” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and certain other regulations and
rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements in PRC that could make merger and acquisition
activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOFCOM be notified
in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. Moreover, the
Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the MOFCOM shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are
triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOFCOM that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and
acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through
which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are
subject to strict review by the MOFCOM, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring
the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary
businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions
could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOFCOM or its local counterparts,
may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our
market share.
PRC
regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability
and penalties under PRC law.
SAFE
promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to Domestic Resident’s Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through
Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, in July 2014, that requires PRC residents or entities to register with SAFE or its local
branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or
financing. In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle
undergoes material events relating to any change of basic information (including change of such PRC citizens or residents, name and operation
term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, or mergers or divisions. SAFE Circular 37 is issued
to replace the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents Engaging in Financing and Roundtrip
Investments via Overseas Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 75. SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving
the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment in February 2015, which took effect on June 1, 2015. This notice
has amended SAFE Circular 37 requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks rather than SAFE or its local branch
in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing.
Failure
to comply with the SAFE registration described above could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange
restrictions.
Some
of our shareholders, who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Company and who were known to us as being PRC residents, have completed
the foreign exchange registrations required in connection with our recent corporate restructuring. The remaining shareholders who directly
or indirectly hold shares in our Company and who are known to us as being PRC residents are currently processing such registrations.
However,
we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor
can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our
shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents or entities have complied with and will in the future make or obtain any applicable
registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations
could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities or affect our ownership structure,
which could adversely affect our business and prospects.
Any
failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive plans may subject the PRC
plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.
In
February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating
in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company, replacing earlier rules promulgated in March 2007. Pursuant to these rules,
PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year who participate in any stock
incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a domestic
qualified agent, which could be the PRC subsidiary of such overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures. In addition,
an overseas entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the
purchase or sale of shares and interests. We and our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who have resided
in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year and who have been granted options or other awards are subject to these regulations
because our company is an overseas listed company. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions.
See “Regulation-Regulations on Stock Incentive Plans” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020.
If
we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences
to us and our non-PRC shareholders.
Under
the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with a “de facto management
body” within the PRC is considered a resident enterprise and will be subject to the enterprise income tax on its global income
at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and
substantial control over and overall management of the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In
April 2009, the State Administration of Taxation issued a circular, known as Circular 82, (partly amended) which provides certain specific
criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore
is located in China. Although this circular only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups,
not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners like us, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the State Administration
of Taxation’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax
resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise
or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China
and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary
location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human
resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets,
accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at
least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC.
We
believe none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. See “Taxation — People’s
Republic of China Taxation” in our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-254060). However, the tax resident status of an
enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the
term “de facto management body.” As all of our management members are based in China, it remains unclear how the tax residency
rule will apply to our case. If the PRC tax authorities determine that we or any of our subsidiaries outside of China is a PRC resident
enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, then we or such subsidiary could be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 25% on its world-wide
income, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations.
Furthermore, if the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, gains realized
on the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares may be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises
or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if such gains are deemed
to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties
between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce
the returns on your investment in our ordinary shares.
Regulatory
bodies of the United States may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of our operations in China.
From
time to time, the Company may receive requests from certain U.S. agencies to investigate or inspect the Company’s operations or
to otherwise provide information. While the Company will comply with requests from these regulators, there is no guarantee that such
requests will be honored by those entities who provide services to us or with whom we associate, especially as those entities are located
in China. Furthermore, an on-site inspection of our facilities by any of these regulators may be limited or entirely prohibited. Such
inspections, though permitted by the Company and its affiliates, are subject to the unpredictability of the Chinese enforcers, and may
therefore be impossible to facilitate.
Enhanced
scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on the indirect transfer of equity in the
past and potential acquisitions we may pursue in the future.
The
PRC tax authorities have enhanced their scrutiny over the direct or indirect transfer of certain taxable assets, including, in particular,
equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise, by a non-resident enterprise by promulgating and implementing SAT Circular 59 and Circular
698, which became effective in January 2008, and a Circular 7 to replace some of the existing rules in Circular 698, which became effective
in February 2015.
Under
Circular 7, where a non-resident enterprise conducts an “indirect transfer” by transferring the equity interests of a PRC
“resident enterprise” indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, the non-resident enterprise,
being the transferor, may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax if the indirect transfer is considered to be an abusive use of company
structure without reasonable commercial purposes. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC tax at
a rate of up to 10%.
On
October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Nonresident
Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Circular 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017. The SAT Circular 37 further clarifies
the practice and procedure of the withholding of non-resident enterprise income tax. SAT Circular 698 was repealed from the date SAT
Circular 37 was enacted.
Where
a non-resident enterprise transfers taxable assets in China indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company,
which is an Indirect Transfer, the non-resident enterprise as either transferor or transferee, or the PRC entity whose equity is transferred,
may report such Indirect Transfer to the relevant tax authority. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority
may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose
of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such Indirect Transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income
tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently
at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. Both the transferor and the transferee may be subject
to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the transferor fails to pay the taxes. We face uncertainties
as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions where PRC taxable assets are involved, such as offshore
restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries and investments. Our Company may be subject to filing obligations or taxed
if our company is transferor in such transactions and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company is transferee in such
transactions, under Circular 7 and/or SAT Circular 37. For transfer of shares in our Company by investors who are non-PRC resident enterprises,
our PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the filing under SAT Circular 7 and/or Circular 37. As a result, we may be required
to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT Circular 7 and/or Circular 37 or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase
taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our Company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may
have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Fluctuations
in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
To
date, a large portion of our revenues and expenditures have been denominated in RMB, whereas our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar.
As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and RMB will affect the relative purchasing power in RMB terms
of our U.S. dollar assets. Our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar while the functional currency for our future PRC subsidiary and
consolidated variable interest entity is RMB. Gains and losses from the remeasurement of assets and liabilities that are receivable or
payable in RMB are included in our consolidated statements of operations. Periodic remeasurements have caused the U.S. dollar value of
our results of operations to vary with exchange rate fluctuations, and the U.S. dollar value of our results of operations will continue
to vary with exchange rate fluctuations. A fluctuation in the value of RMB relative to the U.S. dollar could reduce our profits from
operations and the translated value of our net assets when reported in U.S. dollars in our financial statements. This could have a negative
impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations as reported in U.S. dollars. If we decide to convert our RMB into
U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or for other business purposes, appreciation of
the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. In addition, fluctuations in
currencies relative to the periods in which the earnings are generated may make it more difficult to perform period-to-period comparisons
of our reported results of operations.
There
remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a flexible currency policy. Any significant appreciation or
depreciation of the RMB may materially and adversely affect our revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any
dividends payable on, our ordinary shares in U.S. dollars. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into RMB to
pay our operating expenses, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the RMB amount we would receive
from the conversion. Conversely, a significant depreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar may significantly reduce the U.S. dollar
equivalent of our earnings, which in turn could adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares.
Very
limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into
any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging
transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge
our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict
our ability to convert RMB into foreign currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on your
investment.
Governmental
control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our net revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.
The
PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency
out of China. We have received substantially all of our net revenues in RMB. Under our current corporate structure, our company in the
Cayman Islands may rely on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing
PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign
exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements.
Therefore, our future PRC subsidiary is able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us without prior approval from SAFE, subject to
the condition that the remittance of such dividends outside of the PRC complies with certain procedures under PRC foreign exchange regulations,
such as the overseas investment registrations by the beneficial owners of our Company who are PRC residents. However, approval from or
registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out
of China to pay capital expenses, such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. Therefore, our ability to support
any operating and capital expenditure commitments in China will depend upon our obtaining approval from or registration with appropriate
governmental authorities. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies or current
account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our
foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends to our shareholders.
Risks
Related to Our Ordinary Shares
The
trading price of our ordinary shares is subject to pricing factors that are not necessarily associated with traditional factors that
influence stock prices or the value of non-bitcoin assets such as revenue, cash flows, profitability, growth prospects or business activity
levels since the value and price, as determined by the investing public, may be influenced by future anticipated adoption or appreciation
in value of cryptocurrencies or blockchains generally, factors over which we have little or no influence or control.
Other
factors that could cause volatility in the market price of our ordinary shares include, but are not limited to:
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actual or anticipated fluctuations
in our financial condition and operating results or those of companies perceived to be similar to us;
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actual or anticipated changes
in our growth rate relative to our competitors;
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commercial success and
market acceptance of blockchain and bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies;
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actions by our competitors,
such as new business initiatives, acquisitions and divestitures;
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strategic transactions
undertaken by us;
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additions or departures
of key personnel;
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prevailing economic conditions;
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disputes concerning our
intellectual property or other proprietary rights;
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sales of our ordinary shares
by our officers, directors or significant shareholders;
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other actions taken by
our shareholders;
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future sales or issuances
of equity or debt securities by us;
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business disruptions caused
by earthquakes, tornadoes or other natural disasters;
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issuance of new or changed
securities analysts’ reports or recommendations regarding us;
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legal proceedings involving
our company, our industry or both;
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changes in market valuations
of companies similar to ours;
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the prospects of the industry
in which we operate;
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speculation or reports
by the press or investment community with respect to us or our industry in general;
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the level of short interest
in our shares; and
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other risks, uncertainties
and factors described in our Annual Report on Form 20-F.
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addition, the stock markets in general have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance
of issuers. These broad market fluctuations may negatively impact the price or liquidity of our ordinary shares. When the price of a
stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have sometimes instituted securities class action litigation against the issuer, and we
have been impacted in that way. See Item 4 - “Information on the Company - Legal Proceedings” in our Annual Report on Form
20-F for the year ending December 31, 2020 and the risk factor below titled “We are defendants in securities class action litigation
which could result in substantial costs and liabilities for the Company.” We, and some of our current and former officers and directors,
have been named as parties to various lawsuits arising out of, or related to, allegedly false and misleading statements made in prior
securities filings, and those lawsuits could adversely affect us, require significant management time and attention, result in significant
legal expenses or damages, and cause our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows to suffer.”
Our Chief Financial Officer and Chairman
currently have voting power to control all significant corporate actions.
Erke Huang, our Chief Financial Officer and a
director, and Zhahui Deng, our Chairman of the Board, collectively beneficially own 1,000,000 preferred shares, each having fifty (50)
votes, which equals approximately 93% of the voting power of our outstanding shares as of June 30, 2021 or approximately 48% of all votes
cast. The Board authorized the exchange by Messrs. Huang and Deng of 1,000,000 ordinary shares for an equivalent number of preferred shares,
in the form of a poison pill, to enable them to carry out the Company’s business plan without the threat of a hostile takeover.
Nevertheless, as a result of their shareholdings, Mr. Huang and Mr. Deng may be able to control the vote over decisions regarding mergers,
consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, the election of directors, and other significant corporate actions.
They may also take action that is not in the best interests of our other shareholders. This concentration of voting power may discourage
or delay our Company, which could deprive our shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of the sale
of our Company and might reduce the market price of our ordinary shares. These actions may be taken even if they are opposed by our other
shareholders.
We
may be unable to comply with the applicable continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market, which may adversely impact our
access to capital markets and may cause us to default certain of our agreements.
Our
ordinary shares are currently traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Nasdaq rules require us to maintain a minimum closing bid price of
$1.00 per ordinary share. The closing bid price of our ordinary shares fell below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive trading days in
November 2019, so we were not in compliance with Nasdaq’s rules for listing standards. Although we regained compliance, there can
be no assurance we will continue to meet the minimum bid price requirements or any other Nasdaq requirements in the future, in which
case our ordinary shares could be delisted.
In
the event that our ordinary shares are delisted from Nasdaq and are not eligible for quotation or listing on another market or exchange,
trading of our ordinary shares could be conducted only in the over-the-counter market or on an electronic bulletin board established
for unlisted securities, such as the OTC. In such event, it could become more difficult to dispose of, or obtain accurate price quotations
for, our ordinary shares, and there would likely also be a reduction in our coverage by securities analysts and the news media, which
could cause the price of our ordinary shares to decline further. In addition, our ability to raise additional capital may be severely
impacted if our shares are delisted from Nasdaq, which may negatively affect our business plans and the results of our operations.
If
securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish unfavorable research about our business, our share price and trading
volume could decline.
The
trading market for our ordinary shares will be influenced by whether industry or securities analysts publish research and reports about
us, our business, our market or our competitors and, if any analysts do publish such reports, what they publish in those reports. We
may not obtain or maintain analyst coverage in the future. Any analysts that do cover us may make adverse recommendations regarding our
shares, adversely change their recommendations from time to time and/or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors.
If analysts who may cover us in the future were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, or if analysts
fail to cover us or publish reports about us at all, we could lose (or never gain) visibility in the financial markets, which in turn
could cause the share price of our ordinary shares or trading volume to decline. Moreover, if our operating results do not meet the expectations
of the investor community, one or more of the analysts who cover our Company may change their recommendations regarding our Company,
and our share price could decline.
Our
ordinary shares may be thinly traded, and you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you need to sell your shares to
raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares.
Our
ordinary shares may become “thinly-traded”, meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our ordinary shares
at or near bid prices at any given time may be relatively small or non-existent. This situation may be attributable to a number of factors,
including the fact that we may not be well-known to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment
community that generate or influence sales volume, and that, even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse
and might be reluctant to follow a relatively unknown company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our shares until
such time as we became more seasoned. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our shares
is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally
support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. A broad or active public trading market for our ordinary shares may
not develop or be sustained.
We
are defendants in securities class actions litigation which could result in substantial costs and liabilities for the Company.
The
market for our ordinary shares may have, when compared to seasoned issuers, significant price volatility, and we expect that our share
price may continue to be more volatile than that of a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. In the past, plaintiffs have often initiated
securities class action litigation against a company following periods of volatility in the market price of its securities. On January
20, 2021, a securities class action lawsuit was filed against the Company and its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
titled Anthony Pauwels v. Bit Digital, Inc., Min Hu and Erke Huang (Case No. 1:21-cv-00515) (U.S.D.C. S.D.N.Y.). The class action
was brought on behalf of persons that purchased or acquired our ordinary shares between December 21, 2020 and January 8, 2021, a period
of volatility in our shares, as well as volatility in the price of bitcoin. We believe the complaints are based solely upon a research
article issued on January 11, 2021, which included false claims and to which the Company responded in a press release filed on Form 6-K
on January 19, 2021. On April 29, 2021, the Court consolidated several related cases under the caption In re Bit Digital, Inc. Securities
Litigation. Joseph Franklin Monkam Nitcheu was appointed as lead plaintiff. On July 6, 2021, the lead plaintiff filed a consolidated
class action complaint (the “Amended Complaint”). The Amended Complaint was still based upon the January 11, 2021 research
article and included additional information concerning our previously discontinued peer to peer lending business. While the outcome is
uncertain at this early point in time, we intend to seek dismissal of the lawsuit and will vigorously defend the action.
We
have not paid dividends in the past and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We
have never declared or paid any cash dividends with respect to our ordinary shares and do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the
foreseeable future. We currently plan to retain any future earnings to cover operating costs and otherwise fund the growth of our business.
We cannot assure you that we would, at any time, generate sufficient surplus cash that would be available for distribution to the holders
of our ordinary shares as a dividend. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our ordinary shares will be the sole source of gain
for the foreseeable future. There is no guarantee that our ordinary shares will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which
a shareholder purchased such shareholder’s shares.
You
may face difficulties in protecting your interests as a shareholder, as Cayman Islands law provides substantially less protection when
compared to the laws of the United States and it may be difficult for a shareholder of ours to effect service of process or to enforce
judgements obtained in the United States courts.
Our
corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and by the Companies Act (Revised)
of the Cayman Islands and common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take legal action against our directors and
us, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large
extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited
judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law. Decisions of the Privy Council (which is the final court
of appeal for British overseas territories such as the Cayman Islands) are binding on a court in the Cayman Islands. Decisions of the
English courts, and particularly the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Court of Appeal are generally of persuasive authority
but are not binding on the courts of the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors
under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in the United States.
In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provide significantly
less protection to investors. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action
before the United States federal courts. The Cayman Islands courts are also unlikely to impose liabilities against us in original actions
brought in the Cayman Islands, based on certain civil liability provisions of United States securities laws. It may be difficult for
a shareholder to enforce against us judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability
provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
As
a result of all of the above, our shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against us or our
officers, directors or major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States.
See “Description of Share Capital – Provisions in Corporate Law” below.
We
are currently a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and, as such, we are exempt from certain
provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.
We
are currently a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act and expect to remain as such through at
least 2021. As such, we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies. For example:
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we are not required to
provide as many Exchange Act reports, or as frequently, as a domestic public company;
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for interim reporting,
we are permitted to comply solely with our home country requirements, which are less rigorous than the rules that apply to domestic
public companies;
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we are not required to
provide the same level of disclosure on certain issues, such as executive compensation;
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we are exempt from provisions
of Regulation FD aimed at preventing issuers from making selective disclosures of material information;
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we are not required to
comply with the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security
registered under the Exchange Act;
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we are not required to
comply with Section 16 of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities
and establishing insider liability for profits realized from any “short-swing” trading transaction; and.
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we file annual reports
on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K as a foreign private issuer. As a result of our reduced reporting requirements, our shareholders
may not have access to certain information they may deem important.
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We
are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and we take advantage of certain exemptions from
disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies, which could make it more difficult to compare our performance with other
public companies and make our ordinary shares less attractive to investors.
We
are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. Section 102(b)(1)
of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until
private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class
of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. We have
elected to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that
are not “emerging growth companies”, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation
requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic
reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and
shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt
out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election
to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that, when a financial accounting
standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company,
can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our
financial statements with another public company that is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has
opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accountant standards
used. Because of these lessened regulatory requirements, our shareholders are left without information or rights available to shareholders
of more mature companies. If some investors find our ordinary shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading
market for our ordinary shares, and our share price may be more volatile.
We
incur significant costs as a result of being a public company and will continue to do so in the future, particularly after we cease to
qualify as an “emerging growth company.”
We
incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses as a public company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently
implemented by the SEC and the NASDAQ Capital Market, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as set forth above, and will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of
(1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) ending December 31, 2023, or (b) in which we have a total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07
billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our ordinary shares that is held
by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30th, and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0
billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced
reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. If we are no longer an emerging growth
company, we will incur additional costs which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
If
we are classified as a passive foreign investment company, United States taxpayers who own our ordinary shares may have adverse United
States federal income tax consequences.
A
non-U.S. corporation such as ourselves will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which is known as a PFIC, for any
taxable year if, for such year, either
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at least 75% of our gross
income for the year is passive income; or
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the average percentage
of our assets (determined at the end of each quarter) during the taxable year which produce passive income or which are held for
the production of passive income is at least 50%.
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Passive
income generally includes dividends, interest, rents and royalties (other than rents or royalties derived from the active conduct of
a trade or business) and gains from the disposition of passive assets.
If
we are determined to be a PFIC for any taxable year (or portion thereof) that is included in the holding period of a U.S. taxpayer who
holds our ordinary shares, the U.S. taxpayer may be subject to increased U.S. federal income tax liability and may be subject to additional
reporting requirements.
Depending
on the amount of any assets held for the production of passive income, it is possible that, for any taxable year, more than 50% of our
assets may be assets which produce passive income. We will make this determination following the end of any particular tax year. Although
the law in this regard is unclear, we treat our consolidated affiliated entities as being owned by us for United States federal income
tax purposes, not only because we exercise effective control over the operation of such entities but also because we are entitled to
substantially all of their economic benefits, and, as a result, we consolidate their operating results in our consolidated financial
statements. For purposes of the PFIC analysis, in general, a non-U.S. corporation is deemed to own its pro rata share of the gross income
and assets of any entity in which it is considered to own at least 25% of the equity by value.
For
a more detailed discussion of the application of the PFIC rules to us and the consequences to U.S. taxpayers if we were determined to
be a PFIC, see “Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation — Passive Foreign Investment Company” in our
Registration Statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-254060).
SPECIAL
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act about us and our industry that involve substantial risks
and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this document and the materials accompanying
this document are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. Frequently, but not
always, forward-looking statements are identified by the use of the future tense and by words such as “believes,” “expects,”
“anticipates,” “intends,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “predicts,”
“anticipates,” “future,” “plans,” “continues,” “estimates” or similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from those indicated by
such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may
cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any
future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date made and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including
the important factors incorporated by reference into this prospectus from our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and any subsequent
Current Reports on Form 6-K we file after the date of this prospectus, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference
into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act and in our other filings with the SEC, that may cause
our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
Because
forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and some
of which are beyond our control, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events
and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially
from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties
may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. Except as required
by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of any new information,
future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.