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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned and controlled subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company has prepared the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) applicable to interim financial information, which permit the omission of certain information to the extent it has not changed materially since the latest annual financial statements. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company for the periods presented. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future fiscal periods in 2024 or for the full year ending December 31, 2024.

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2024, as amended by Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (the “Annual Report”), filed with the SEC on May 24, 2024.
Use of Estimates and Assumptions
Use of Estimates and Assumptions
 
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant accounting estimates inherent in the preparation of the Company’s financial statements include fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination, estimates associated with the useful lives of property and equipment, realization of long-lived assets, valuation of derivative instruments, deferred income taxes, unrealized tax positions, and measurement of digital assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
The Company considers all highly liquid investments and other short-term investments with a maturity of three months or less, when purchased, to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains cash and cash equivalent balances at financial institutions that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). During March 2023, the Company began to participate, to the extent practicable, in insured cash sweep programs which “sweep” its deposits across multiple FDIC insured accounts, each with deposits of no more than $250.0 thousand. As of September 30, 2024, substantially all of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were FDIC insured.
Restricted Cash
Restricted Cash
 
Restricted cash as of September 30, 2024 principally represented those cash balances that support commercial letters of credit and are restricted from withdrawal.
Digital Assets
Digital Assets
 
On July 25, 2024, the Company adopted a full holding onto bitcoin (“HODL”) approach towards its bitcoin treasury policy, retaining all bitcoin mined in its operations, and may periodically make strategic open market purchases of bitcoin. As a result, bitcoin digital assets are included in non-current assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets due to the Company’s intent to retain and hold bitcoin. Kaspa digital assets held with the intent to fund operating expenses are included in current assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Proceeds from the sale of digital assets are included within investing activities in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Following the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-08, Accounting for and Disclosure of Crypto Assets, effective January 1, 2023, the Company measures digital assets at fair value with changes recognized in operating expenses on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company tracks its cost basis of digital assets by-wallet in accordance with the first-in-first-out method of accounting. Refer to Note 5 – Digital Assets, for further information.
Effective January 1, 2023, the Company early adopted ASU 2023-08, which requires entities to measure crypto assets at fair value with changes recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations each reporting period. The Company’s digital assets were within the scope of ASU 2023-08 and a cumulative-effect adjustment of $11.5 million as of the beginning of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 was recorded for the difference between the carrying amount of the Company’s digital assets and fair value.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Receivable
 
The Company acquired accounts receivable as a result of its acquisition of GC Data Center Equity Holdings, LLC on January 12, 2024, which consist of trade receivables. Refer to Note 3 - Acquisitions, for further information. The Company provides an allowance for credit losses equal to the estimated uncollectible amounts, based on historical and customer specific experience and current economic and market conditions.
Deposits
Deposits
 
In addition to owned and operated sites, the Company contracts with other service providers for hosting of its equipment, operational support in data centers where the Company’s equipment is deployed, and construction of data centers on leased sites. These arrangements typically require advance payments to vendors pursuant to the contractual obligations associated with these services. The Company classifies these payments as “Deposits” or “Long-term deposits” on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Derivatives
Derivatives

The Company enters into derivative contracts to manage its exposure to fluctuations in the price of bitcoin and energy costs and not for any other purpose. In addition, the Company evaluates its financing and service arrangements to determine whether certain arrangements contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives requiring bifurcation in accordance with Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) 815 - Derivatives and Hedging. Embedded derivatives that are required to be bifurcated from the host instrument or arrangement are accounted for and valued as separate financial instruments. There were no embedded derivatives requiring separation from the host instrument as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

The Company does not elect to designate derivatives as hedges for accounting purposes and as such, records derivatives at fair value with subsequent changes in fair value and settlements recognized in earnings. The Company classifies derivative assets or liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as current or non-current based on whether settlement of the instrument could be required within 12 months of the balance sheet date of the Balance Sheets and for derivatives with multiple settlements, based on the term of the contract.

Bitcoin Derivatives

From time to time the Company enters into derivative contracts to mitigate bitcoin market pricing volatility risk. During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recorded a $2.3 million loss on derivatives as a non-operating charge on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, all settled through cash payments. There were no derivative instruments to mitigate bitcoin market pricing volatility risk outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

Energy Derivatives

The Company acquired a commodity swap contract as a result of its acquisition of GC Data Center Equity Holdings, LLC on January 12, 2024, refer to Note 3 - Acquisitions, for further information. The commodity swap contract hedges price variability in electricity purchases and expires on December 31, 2027. The commodity swap contract
meets the definition of a derivative due to terms that provide for net settlement. As of September 30, 2024, the estimated fair value of the Company’s derivative liability instrument was $24.2 million, estimated using observable market-based inputs classified under Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The significant assumptions used in the discounted cash flow model to estimate fair value include the discount rate and electricity forward curves.
Property and Equipment
Property and Equipment
 
Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and impairment, as applicable. Property and equipment acquired through business combinations are measured at fair value at the acquisition date. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The Company’s property and equipment is primarily composed of digital asset mining rigs, which are largely homogeneous and have approximately the same useful lives. Accordingly, the Company utilizes the group method of depreciation for its digital asset mining rigs. The Company will update the estimated useful lives of its digital asset mining server group periodically if information on the operations of the mining equipment indicates changes are required. The Company will assess and adjust the estimated useful lives of its mining equipment when there are indicators that the productivity of the mining assets is longer or shorter than the assigned estimated useful lives.
Goodwill
Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not subject to amortization, and instead, assessed for impairment annually at the end of each fiscal year, or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount in accordance with ASC 350 - Intangibles - Goodwill and Other.

The Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether events or circumstances indicate it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, in which case a quantitative impairment test is not required.

As provided for by ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, the quantitative goodwill impairment test is performed by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill is not impaired. An impairment loss is recognized for any excess of the carrying amount of the reporting unit over its fair value up to the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Income tax effects from any tax-deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit are considered when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable.
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets

Intangible assets are recorded at cost less any accumulated amortization and any accumulated impairment losses. Intangible assets acquired through business combinations are measured at fair value at the acquisition date.

Intangible assets with finite lives are comprised of customer relationships and intellectual property and are amortized over their estimated useful lives on an accelerated basis over the projected pattern of economic benefits. Finite-lived intangible assets are reviewed for impairment annually, or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value has been reduced to less than its carrying amount.
Business Combinations
Business Combinations

The Company accounts for business combinations under the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC 805 - Business Combinations, by recognizing the identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, measured at the acquisition date fair value. The determination of fair value involves assumptions, estimates and judgments. The initial allocation of the purchase price is considered preliminary and
therefore subject to change until the end of the measurement period (up to one year from the acquisition date). Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net assets acquired. Contingent consideration is included within the purchase price and is initially recognized at fair value as of the acquisition date. Contingent consideration, classified as either an asset or a liability, is remeasured to fair value each reporting period, until the contingency is resolved. Changes in contingent consideration period-over-period are recognized in earnings.

Acquisition related expenses are recognized separately from the business combination and are expensed as incurred.
Investments
Investments

Investments, which may be made from time-to-time for strategic reasons, are included in non-current assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Refer to Note 8 - Investments, for further information.
Other Investments

Investments in which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence and does not have readily determinable fair values, are recorded at cost minus impairment, plus or minus changes from observable price changes in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer, in accordance with the measurement alternative described in ASC 321 - Investments – Equity Securities.

As part of the Company’s policy to maximize return on strategic investment opportunities, while preserving capital and limiting downside risk, the Company may at times enter into equity investments or Simple Agreements for Future Equity (“SAFE”). The nature and timing of the Company’s investments will depend on available capital at any particular time and the investment opportunities identified and available to the Company. However, the Company generally does not make investments for speculative purposes and does not intend to engage in the business of making investments.
Equity Method Investments
Equity Method Investments
The Company accounts for investments in which it owns between 20% and 50% of the common stock and has the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investee using the equity method of accounting in accordance with ASC 323 - Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures. Under the equity method, an investor initially records its investment in the investee at cost and adjusts the carrying amount of its investment to recognize its proportionate share of the earnings or losses of the investee after the date of investment.
Stock-based Compensation
Stock-based Compensation
 
The Company expenses stock-based compensation to employees and non-employees over the requisite service period based on the grant date fair value of the awards. Refer to Note 12 – Stockholders' Equity, for further information.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
 
Management reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.
Revenues
Revenues
 
The Company recognizes revenue under ASC 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The core principle of the revenue standard is that a reporting entity should recognize revenues to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Refer to Note 4 – Revenues, for further information.
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606. The core principle of the revenue standard is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The following five steps are applied to achieve that core principle:
 
Step 1: Identify the contract with the customer;

Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract;
Step 3: Determine the transaction price;

Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and

Step 5: Recognize revenue when the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

In order to identify the performance obligations in a contract with a customer, an entity must assess the promised goods or services in the contract and identify each promised good or service that is distinct. A performance obligation meets ASC 606’s definition of a “distinct” good or service (or bundle of goods or services) if both of the following criteria are met:

The customer can benefit from the good or service either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer (i.e., the good or service is capable of being distinct); and

The entity’s promise to transfer the good or service to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract (i.e., the promise to transfer the good or service is distinct within the context of the contract).

If a good or service is not distinct, the good or service is combined with other promised goods or services until a bundle of goods or services is identified that is distinct.

The transaction price is the amount of consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring promised goods or services to a customer. The consideration promised in a contract with a customer may include fixed amounts, variable amounts, or both. When determining the transaction price, an entity must consider the effects of all of the following:

Variable consideration

Constraining estimates of variable consideration

The existence of a significant financing component in the contract

Noncash consideration

Consideration payable to a customer

Variable consideration is included in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized under the accounting contract will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved.

The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis.

The transaction price allocated to each performance obligation is recognized when that performance obligation is satisfied, at a point in time or over time, as appropriate.

Application of the Five-Step Model to the Company’s Mining and Hosting Operations

The Company’s ongoing major or central operation is to provide bitcoin transaction verification services to the transaction requestor, in addition to the Bitcoin network through a Company-operated mining pool as the operator (“Operator”) (such activity, “mining”) and to provide a service of performing hash calculations to third-party pool operators alongside collectives of third-party bitcoin miners (such collectives, “mining pools”) as a participant (“Participant”).

On January 12, 2024, the Company acquired two operational bitcoin mining sites for the purpose of improving efficiencies and the scale of the Company’s mining operations. The Company provides hosting services to institutional-scale crypto mining companies at these sites. The Company will not be taking on any new hosting services customers at these locations and will transition to self-mining at these two sites as existing customer agreements expire or are terminated early. Refer to Note 3 - Acquisitions, for further information.
Mining Operator

As Operator, the Company provides transaction verification services to the transaction requestor, in addition to the Bitcoin network. Transaction verification services are an output of the Company’s ordinary activities; therefore, the Company views the transaction requestor as a customer and recognizes the transaction fees as revenue from contracts with customers under ASC 606. The Bitcoin network is not an entity such that it may not meet the definition of a customer; however, the Company has concluded that it is appropriate to apply ASC 606 by analogy to block rewards earned from the Bitcoin network. The Company is currently entitled to the block reward of 3.125 bitcoin, subsequent to the halving that occurred on April 19, 2024. Prior to the halving, the Company was entitled to the block reward of 6.25 bitcoin from each successful validation of a block. The Company is also entitled to the transaction fees paid by the transaction requester payable in bitcoin for each successful validation of a block. The Company assessed the following factors in the determination of the inception and duration of each individual contract to validate a block and satisfaction of its performance obligation as follows:

For each individual contract, the parties’ rights, the transaction price, and the payment terms are fixed and known as of the inception of each individual contract.

The transaction requestor and the Bitcoin network each have a unilateral enforceable right to terminate their respective contracts at any time without penalty.

For each of these respective contracts, contract inception and completion occur simultaneously upon block validation; that is, the contract begins upon, and the duration of the contract does not extend beyond, the validation of an individual blockchain transaction; and each respective contract contains a single performance obligation to perform a transaction validation service and this performance obligation is satisfied at the point-in-time when a block is successfully validated.

From September 2021 until May 2022, the Company engaged unrelated third-party mining enterprises (“pool participants”) to contribute hash calculations, and in exchange, remitted transaction fees and block rewards to pool participants on a pro rata basis according to each respective pool participant’s contributed hash calculations. The MaraPool wallet (owned by the Company as Operator) is recorded on the distributed ledger as the winner of proof of work block rewards and assignee of all validations and, therefore, the transaction verifier of record. The pool participants entered into contracts with the Company as Operator; they did not directly enter into contracts with the network or the requester and were not known verifiers of the transactions assigned to the pool. As Operator, the Company delegated mining work to the pool participants utilizing software that algorithmically assigned work to each individual miner. By virtue of its selection and operation of the software, the Company as Operator controlled delegation of work to the pool participants. This indicated that the Company directed the mining pool participants to contribute their hash calculations to solve in areas that the Company designated. Therefore, the Company determined that it controlled the service of providing transaction verification services to the network and requester. Accordingly, the Company recorded all of the transaction fees and block rewards earned from transactions assigned to MaraPool as revenue, and the portion of the transaction fees and block rewards remitted to MaraPool participants as cost of revenues.
In accordance with ASC 606-10-32-21, the Company measures the estimated fair value of the non-cash consideration (block reward and transaction fees) at contract inception, which is at the time the performance obligation to the requester and the network is fulfilled by successfully validating a block. The Company measures the non-cash consideration which is fixed as of the inception of each individual contract using the quoted spot rate for bitcoin determined using the Company’s primary trading platform for bitcoin at the time the Company successfully validates a block.

Expenses associated with providing bitcoin transaction verification services, such as hosting fees, electricity costs, and related fees are recorded as cost of revenues. Depreciation on digital asset mining equipment is also recorded as a component of cost of revenues.

Mining Participant

The Company participates in third-party operated mining pools. When the Company is a Participant in a third-party operated mining pool, the Company provides a service to perform hash calculations to the third-party pool operators. The Company considers the third-party mining pool operators to be its customers under Topic 606. Contract inception and the Company’s enforceable right to consideration begins when the Company commences providing hash calculation services to the mining pool operators. Each party to the contract has the unilateral right to terminate the contract at any time without any compensation to the other party for such termination. As such, the duration of a contract is less than a day and may be continuously renewed multiple times throughout the day. The implied renewal option is not a material right because there are no upfront or incremental fees in the initial contract and the terms, conditions, and compensation amount for the renewal options are at the then market rates.

The Company is entitled to non-cash compensation based on the pool operator’s payout model. The payout methodologies differ depending on the type of third-party operated mining pool. Full-Pay-Per-Share (“FPPS”) pools pay block rewards and transaction fees, less mining pool fees and Pay-Per-Share (“PPS”) pools pay block rewards less mining pool fees but no transaction fees. For FPPS and PPS pools, the Company is entitled to non-cash consideration even if a block is not successfully validated by the mining pool operators. Success-based mining pools pay a fractional share of the successfully mined block and transaction fees, reduced by pool operator expenses only if a block is successfully validated.

During 2023, the Company primarily participated in FPPS mining pools and, to a lesser extent, success-based mining pools. During 2022 and 2021, the Company primarily participated in success-based mining pools and, to a lesser extent, PPS mining pools.

FPPS Mining Pools

The Company primarily participates in mining pools that use the FPPS payout method for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company is entitled to compensation once it begins to perform hash calculations for the pool operator in accordance with the operator’s specifications over a 24-hour period beginning midnight UTC and ending 23:59:59 UTC on a daily basis. The non-cash consideration that the Company is entitled to for providing hash calculations to the pool operator under the FPPS payout method is made up of block rewards and transaction fees less pool operator expenses determined as follows:

The non-cash consideration in the form of a block reward is based on the total blocks expected to be generated on the Bitcoin network for the daily 24-hour period beginning midnight UTC and ending 23:59:59 UTC in accordance with the following formula: the daily hash calculations that the Company provided to the pool operator as a percent of the Bitcoin network’s implied hash calculations as determined by the network difficulty, multiplied by the total Bitcoin network block rewards expected to be generated for the same daily period.

The non-cash consideration in the form of transaction fees paid by transaction requestors is based on the share of total actual fees paid over the daily 24-hour period beginning midnight UTC and ending 23:59:59 UTC in accordance with the following formula: total actual transaction fees generated on the Bitcoin network during the 24-hour period as a percent of total block rewards the Bitcoin network actually generated during the same 24-hour period, multiplied by the block rewards the Company earned for the same 24-hour period noted above.

The block reward and transaction fees earned by the Company is reduced by mining pool fees charged by the operator for operating the pool based on a rate schedule per the mining pool contract. The mining pool fee is only incurred to the extent the Company performs hash calculations and generates revenue in accordance with the pool operator’s payout formula during the same 24-hour period beginning midnight UTC daily.
The above non-cash consideration is variable in accordance with paragraphs ASC 606-10-32-5 to 606-10-32-7, since the amount of block reward earned depends on the amount of hash calculations the Company performs; the amount of transaction fees the Company is entitled to depends on the actual Bitcoin network transaction fees over the same 24-hour period; and the operator fees for the same 24-hour period are variable since they are determined based on the total block rewards and transaction fees in accordance with the pool operator’s agreement. While the non-cash consideration is variable, the Company has the ability to estimate the variable consideration at contract inception with reasonable certainty without the risk of significant revenue reversal. The Company does not constrain this variable consideration because it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of revenue recognized from the contract will not occur when the uncertainty is subsequently resolved and recognizes the non-cash consideration on the same day that control is transferred, which is the same day as contract inception.

The Company measures the non-cash consideration based on the simple average daily spot rate of bitcoin determined using the Company’s primary trading platform for bitcoin over a 24-hour period beginning midnight UTC and ending 23:59:59 UTC on the day of contract inception. The Company recognizes non-cash consideration on the same day that control of the contracted service is transferred to the pool operator, which is the same day as the contract inception.

PPS Mining Pools

The Company participates in PPS pools that provide non-cash consideration similar to the FPPS pools except PPS pools do not include transaction fees, therefore, the non-cash consideration received by the Company is made up of block rewards less mining pool fees. While the non-cash consideration is variable, the Company has the ability to estimate the variable consideration at contract inception with reasonable certainty. The Company does not constrain this variable consideration because it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of revenue recognized from the contract will not occur when the uncertainty is subsequently resolved and recognizes the non-cash consideration on the same day that control is transferred, which is the same day as contract inception.

The Company measures the non-cash consideration based on the simple average daily spot rate of bitcoin determined using the Company’s primary trading platform for bitcoin over a 24-hour period beginning midnight UTC and ending 23:59:59 UTC on the day of contract inception. The Company recognizes non-cash consideration on the same day that control of the contracted service is transferred to the pool operator, which is the same day as the contract inception.

Success-based Mining Pools

The Company also participates, to a lesser extent, in third-party mining pools that pay rewards only when the pool successfully validates a block. For these pools, the Company only earns a reward when the third-party pool successfully mines a block and its reward is the fractional share of the successfully mined block and transaction fees, reduced by pool operator expenses, based on the proportion of hash calculations the Company performed for the mining pool operator to the total hash calculations performed by all mining pool participants in validating the block during the 24-hour period beginning at midnight UTC and ending 23:59:59 UTC daily.

Contract inception and the Company’s enforceable right to consideration begins when the Company commences the performance of hash calculations for the mining pool operator. The non-cash consideration is variable in accordance with paragraphs ASC 606-10-32-5 to 606-10-32-7 as it depends on whether the third-party mining pool successfully validates a block during each 24-hour period. In addition, other inputs such as the amount of hash calculations and the Company’s fractional share of consideration earned by the pool operator also cause variability. The Company does not have the ability to estimate whether a block will be successfully validated with reasonable certainty at contract inception. The Company constrains the variable consideration at contract inception because it is not probable that a significant reversal in the amount of revenue recognized from the contract will not occur when the uncertainty is subsequently resolved. Once a block is successfully validated, the constraint is lifted. The Company recognizes the non-cash consideration on the same day that control is transferred, which is the same day as contract inception.

The Company’s policy was to measure non-cash consideration based on the spot rate of bitcoin at the time the pool successfully validates a block, which was not in accordance with ASC 606-10-32-21 which requires measurement to coincide with contract inception. Additionally, this measurement was not consistent with the measurement of non-cash consideration for FPPS and PPS pools. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, the Company corrected this error and changed its measurement of non-cash consideration to the simple average daily spot rate of bitcoin determined using the Company’s primary trading platform for bitcoin on the date of contract inception, which is the same day that control of the contracted service (hash calculations) is transferred to the pool operator. The change in measurement did not have a material impact to the results of operations for any of the periods presented.
Expenses associated with providing hash calculation services to third-party operated mining pools, such as hosting fees, electricity costs, and related fees, are recorded as cost of revenues. Depreciation on digital asset mining equipment is also recorded as a component of cost of revenues.

Hosting Services

The Company operates two bitcoin mining sites, which were acquired on January 12, 2024, that provide hosting services to institutional-scale crypto mining companies. Hosting services include colocation and managed services. Colocation services include providing mining companies with sheltered data center space, electrical power, cooling, and internet connectivity. Managed services generally include providing customers with technical support and maintenance services, in addition to colocation services. The Company will not be taking on any new hosting services customers and will transition to self-mining at these two sites as existing customer agreements expire or are terminated early.

Colocation services revenue is recognized over time as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits of the Company’s performance. Managed services revenue is recognized at a point-in-time as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits of the Company’s performance. The transaction price for colocation services is variable based on the consumption of energy and the managed services price is a fixed rate per miner basis. The Company recognizes hosting services revenue to the extent that a significant reversal of such revenue will not occur. Hosting services customers are generally invoiced in advance of the month in which the Company satisfies its performance obligation, and deferred revenue is recorded for any upfront payments received in advance of the Company’s performance. The monthly transaction price is generally variable based on the amount of megawatt hours (“MWh”) consumed by the customers equipment and when other monthly contracted services are performed. At the end of each month, the customer is billed for the actual amount owed for services performed. The Company recognizes revenue for hosting services under the right-to-invoice practical expedient in ASC 606-10-55-18, which allows for the recognition of revenue over time as the Company’s right-to-invoice for final payment corresponds directly with the value of services transferred to the customer to-date.

Expenses associated with providing hosting services are recorded as cost of revenues and depreciation on hosting equipment is recorded as a separate component of cost of revenues.
Research and Development
Research and Development
Research and development costs consist primarily of contractor costs, equipment, supplies, personnel, and related expenses for research and development activities. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred in accordance with ASC 730 - Research and Development and are included in operating expenses on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
 
Effective Tax Rate

The effective tax rate (“ETR”) from continuing operations was 28.26% and 142.36% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, and 23.03% and 0.32% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. The difference between the U.S. statutory tax rate of 21% was primarily due to the change in valuation allowance as a result of current year activity.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company concluded, based upon all available evidence, it was more likely than not that it would have sufficient future taxable income to realize the Company’s federal and state deferred tax assets. As a result, the Company released its valuation allowance associated with deferred tax assets and recognized a corresponding benefit from income taxes on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company’s conclusion regarding the realizability of such deferred tax assets was based on the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities.

Income Tax in Interim Periods

The Company records its tax expense or benefit on an interim basis using an estimated annual effective tax rate. This rate is applied to the current period ordinary income or loss to determine the income tax provision or benefit allocated to the interim period. The income tax effects of unusual or infrequent items are excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate and are recognized in the impacted interim period.

Adjustments to the estimated annual effective income tax rate are recognized in the period when such estimates are revised.

Uncertainties

The Company files federal and state income tax returns. The 2020-2023 tax years generally remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and various state taxing authorities, although the Company is not currently under examination in any jurisdiction.

The Company does not currently expect any of its remaining unrecognized tax benefits to be recognized in the next twelve months.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 
The Company continually assesses any new accounting pronouncements to determine their applicability. When it is determined that a new accounting pronouncement may affect the Company’s financial reporting, the Company undertakes an analysis to determine any required changes to its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and assures that there are proper controls in place to ascertain that the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements properly reflect the change.

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. ASU 2023-09 requires entities to disclose specific rate reconciliations, amount of income taxes separated by federal and individual jurisdiction, and the amount of income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (benefit) disaggregated between federal, state, and foreign. The new standard is effective for the Company for its annual periods beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the standard.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. ASU 2023-07 is designed to improve the reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the Company’s chief operating decision–making group (the “CODM”). The new standard is effective for the
Company for its annual periods beginning January 1, 2024 and for interim periods beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the standard.
Fair Value Measurement
The Company measures certain financial and non-financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring or non-recurring basis. The Company uses a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date, essentially an exit price, based on the highest and best use of the asset or liability.
The levels of the fair value hierarchy are:
 
 Level 1:Observable inputs such as quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities
 Level 2:Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data
 Level 3:Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data, which require the use of the reporting entity’s own assumptions
 
The carrying amounts reported on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, other receivables, deposits, prepaid expenses and other current assets, property and equipment, advances to vendors, accounts payable, accrued expenses, and legal reserve payable approximate their estimated fair market value based on the short-term maturity of these instruments. Additionally, the carrying amounts reported on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for the Company’s term loan, operating lease liabilities and other long-term liabilities approximate fair value as the related interest rates approximate rates currently available to the Company.

Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety within the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level of input that is significant to their fair value measurement. The Company measures the fair value of its marketable securities and investments by taking into consideration valuations obtained from third-party pricing sources. The pricing services utilize industry standard valuation models, including both income and market-based approaches, for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly, to estimate fair value. These inputs included reported trades of and broker-dealer quotes on the same or similar securities, issuer credit spreads, benchmark securities and other observable inputs.
The Company includes the above money market funds and U.S. treasury bills in cash and cash equivalents on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company’s U.S. treasury bills have original remaining maturities of three months or less when purchased.

Effective January 1, 2023, the Company early adopted ASU 2023-08, measuring digital assets at fair value on a recurring basis. There were no transfers among Levels 1, 2 or 3 during the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
Net Income Per Share
Net income (loss) per share is calculated in accordance with ASC 260 - Earnings Per Share. Basic income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded net income (loss) and as such, the Company calculated the impact of dilutive common stock equivalents in determining diluted earnings per share.
Leases
The Company has operating and finance leases primarily for office space, mining facilities and land in the United States.

The Company also entered into an arrangement with Applied Digital Corporation for the use of energized cryptocurrency mining facilities under which the Company pays for electricity per megawatt based on usage. The Company has determined that it has embedded operating leases at two of the facilities governed by this arrangement that commenced in January and March 2023, and has elected not to separate lease and non-lease components. Payment for these two operating leases are entirely variable and are based on usage of electricity, and the Company therefore does not record a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset or lease liability associated with the leases.