Derivative Liability and Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2021

Notes to Financial Statements

Derivative Liability and Fair Value Measurements

Note 12. - Derivative Liability and Far Value Measurement

Upon the issuance of the convertible promissory notes with variable conversion prices and fixed conversion prices with reset provisions, the Company determined that the features associated with the embedded conversion option embedded in the debentures should be accounted for at fair value, as a derivative liability, as the Company cannot determine if a sufficient number of shares would be available to settle all potential future conversion transactions.

At the issuance date of the convertible notes payable during the year ended August 31, 2021, the Company estimated the fair value of all embedded derivatives of $7,452,815 using the Black-Scholes Pricing Model based on the following assumptions: (1) dividend yield of 0%, (2) expected volatility of 311% to 378%, (3) risk-free interest rate of 0.04% to 0.21%, and (4) expected life of 0.75 years to 1.5 years.

On August 31, 2021, the Company estimated the fair value of the embedded derivatives of $4,747,615 using the Black Scholes Pricing Model based on the following assumptions: (1) dividend yield of 0%, (2) expected volatility of 307%, (3) risk-free interest rate of 0.05% to 0.07%, and (4) expected life of 0.1 to 1 years.

The Company adopted the provisions of ASC 825-10, Financial Instruments (“ASC 825-10”). ASC 825-10 defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required or permitted to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions, and risk of nonperformance. ASC 825-10 establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. ASC 825-10 establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value. 

• Level 1 — Observable inputs that reflect quoted market prices (unadjusted) for identical assets and liabilities in active markets;

• Level 2 — Observable inputs, other than quoted market prices, that are either directly or indirectly observable in the marketplace for identical or similar assets and liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets and liabilities; and

• Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity that are significant to the fair value of assets or liabilities.

All items required to be recorded or measured on a recurring basis are based upon Level 3 inputs.

To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement is disclosed and is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The Company recognizes its derivative liabilities as Level 3 and values its derivatives using the methods discussed below. While the Company believes that its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, it recognizes that the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different estimate of fair value at the reporting date. The primary assumptions that would significantly affect the fair values using the methods discussed are that of volatility and market price of the underlying common stock of the Company.

As of August 31, 2021, the Company did not have any derivative instruments that were designated as hedges.

Items recorded or measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the accompanying financial statements consisted of the following items as of August 31, 2021 and August 31, 2020:

	August 31, 2021		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Derivative liability	$	4,747,614	$	—	$	—	$	4,764,614

	August 31, 2020		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Derivative liability	$	1,125,803	$	—	$	—	$	1,125,803

 The following table provides a summary of changes in fair value of the Company’s Level 3 financial liabilities for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2021:

Balance, August 31, 2020	$	1,125,803
Transfers in due to issuance of convertible promissory notes		7,452,815
Transfers out due to repayments of convertible promissory notes		(1,850,488	)
Transfers out due to conversions of convertible promissory notes		(1,808,944	)
Change in fair value of derivative liability		(171,572	)
Balance, August 31, 2021	$	4,764,614

The total impact to the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the year ended August 31, 2021 was a gain of $2,022,060, representing the impact of retirement of derivative liabilities from payments on convertible promissory notes and the change in fair value of remaining derivative liabilities as of August 31, 2021.

Fluctuations in the Company’s stock price are a primary driver for the changes in the derivative valuations during each reporting period. As the stock price increases for each of the related derivative instruments, the value to the holder of the instrument generally increases, therefore increasing the liability on the Company’s balance sheet. Additionally, stock price volatility is one of the significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of each of the Company’s derivative instruments. The simulated fair value of these liabilities is sensitive to changes in the Company’s expected volatility. Increases in expected volatility would generally result in higher fair value measurement. A 10% change in pricing inputs and changes in volatilities and correlation factors would not result in a material change in our Level 3 fair value.