DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 1: DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“RHM”, together with its subsidiaries, “Robinhood,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) was incorporated in the State of Delaware on November 22, 2013. Our most significant, wholly-owned subsidiaries are:

•RHF, a registered introducing broker-dealer;

•RHS, a registered clearing broker-dealer; and

•RHC, which provides users the ability to buy and sell cryptocurrencies.

Acting as the agent of the user, we facilitate the purchase and sale of options, cryptocurrencies, and equities through our platform by routing transactions through market makers, who are responsible for trade execution. Upon execution of a trade, users are legally required to purchase options, cryptocurrencies, or equities for cash from the transaction counterparty or to sell options, cryptocurrencies, or equities for cash to the transaction counterparty, depending on the transaction. Acting as agent, we facilitate and confirm trades only when there are binding, matched legal obligations from the user and the market maker on both sides of the trade. Our users have ownership of the securities, including those that collateralize margin loans, and cryptocurrencies transacted on our platform and, as a result, any such securities or cryptocurrencies owned by users are not presented in our consolidated balance sheets. We do not allow users to purchase cryptocurrency on margin. We hold cryptocurrency in custody for our users’ accounts in one or more omnibus cryptocurrency wallets.

Initial Public Offering

On August 2, 2021, we closed our IPO of 55.0 million shares of Class A common stock, including 2.6 million shares sold by selling shareholders, at a public offering price of $38.00 per share. On August 31, 2021, we sold an additional 4.4 million shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the option granted to the underwriters to purchase additional shares. The total net proceeds we received in the IPO were approximately $2.05 billion after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $90.8 million and offering expenses of $12.6 million. In connection with the completion of the IPO: 1) the Company filed its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”), which authorizes a total of 21 billion shares of Class A common stock, 700 million shares of Class B common stock, 7 billion shares of Class C common stock, and 210 million shares of preferred stock, 2) all shares of our outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock automatically converted into a total of 412.7 million shares of our common stock, 3) all 233.3 million previously outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, along with the 412.7 million shares of common stock mentioned above, were automatically reclassified into an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock (the “Reclassification”), 4) a total of 130.2 million shares of Class A common stock held by our founders and their related entities were exchanged for an equivalent number of shares of Class B common stock pursuant to the terms of certain exchange agreements, 5) all of our outstanding convertible notes automatically converted into 137.3 million shares of Class A common stock and 6) all warrants became exercisable at a strike price of $26.60 per share for an aggregate of 14.3 million shares of Class A common stock. As a result, following the completion of the IPO, we have three classes of authorized common stock: Class A common stock, Class B common stock, and Class C common stock, of which only Class A common stock and Class B common stock were outstanding as of December 31, 2021. See Note 12 for further information about the terms of our various classes of common stock.

Upon completion of the IPO, approximately $12.6 million of capitalized deferred offering costs were reclassified into stockholders’ equity as a reduction of the IPO proceeds. Additionally, upon our IPO, we

recognized $1.01 billion of share-based compensation expense related to restricted stock units (“RSUs”) for which the time-based vesting condition was satisfied or partially satisfied as the performance condition, a liquidity event, was satisfied. Upon the IPO, 24.6 million RSUs vested and 10.8 million shares of Class A common stock were withheld to meet the related tax withholding requirements.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of RHM and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience, and other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, which together form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Assumptions and estimates used in preparing our consolidated financial statements include those related to the determination of allowances for credit losses, the capitalization and estimated useful life of internally developed software, contingent liabilities, useful lives of property and equipment, the incremental borrowing rate used to determine the present value of lease payments, the valuation and recognition of share-based compensation, the valuation of the convertible notes and warrant liability, the valuation and estimated useful lives of acquired intangible assets, uncertain tax positions, accrued liabilities, and the recognition and measurement of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates and could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Segment Information

We operate and report financial information in one operating segment. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. All our revenues and substantially all of our assets are attributed to or located in the United States.

Revenue Recognition

Transaction-Based Revenues

We primarily earn transaction-based revenues from routing user orders for options, equities and cryptocurrencies to market makers when the performance obligation is satisfied, which is at the point in time when a routed order is executed by the market maker. The transaction price for options is on a per contract basis, while for equities it is primarily based on the bid-ask spread of the underlying trading activity. For cryptocurrencies, the transaction price is a fixed percentage of the notional order value. For each trade type, all market makers pay the same transaction price. Payments are collected monthly in arrears from each market maker.

Net Interest Revenues

Net interest revenues consist of interest revenues less interest expenses.

We earn and incur interest revenues and expense on securities lending transactions. We also earn interest on margin loans to users, which constitute the majority of receivables from users, net in the consolidated balance sheets, and on our segregated cash, cash and cash equivalents, and deposits with clearing organizations. We incur interest expenses in connection with our revolving credit facilities.

Other Revenues

Other revenues primarily consists of Robinhood Gold subscription fees. Our contract with users are for a term of 30 days and renew automatically each month. Subscription revenue is recognized ratably over the subscription period as the performance obligation is satisfied.

Other revenues also consist of proxy rebates and ACATS fees charged to users. Proxy rebates are revenues earned through our partnership with a third-party investor communications company. We provide certain shareholder information to the third-party company, which is used to send investor materials to shareholders, such as materials related to shareholder meetings and voting instruction forms. We earn a share of the revenue the third-party company receives from issuers, and recognize the revenue when the performance obligation of providing data is satisfied.

ACATS fees are charged to users for facilitating the transfer of part or all of their accounts to another broker-dealer. We recognize revenue when our performance obligation of administering the transfer is satisfied.

Concentrations of Revenue and Credit

Concentrations of Revenue

We derived transaction-based revenues from individual market makers in excess of 10% of total revenues, as follows:

	Year ended December 31,
	2019		2020		2021
Market maker:
Citadel Securities, LLC	29	%	34	%	22	%
Tai Mo Shan Limited(1)	—	%	—	%	15	%
Entities affiliated with Susquehanna International Group, LLP(2)	13	%	18	%	12	%
Entities affiliated with Wolverine Holdings, L.P.(3)	12	%	10	%	10	%
All others individually less than 10%	8	%	13	%	18	%
Total as percentage of total revenue:	62	%	75	%	77	%

________________

(1)Member of Jump Trading Group

(2)Consists of Global Execution Brokers, LP and G1X Execution Services, LLC

(3)Consists of Wolverine Execution Services, LLC and Wolverine Securities LLC

Concentrations of Credit

We are engaged in various trading and brokerage activities in which the counterparties primarily include broker-dealers, banks, and other financial institutions. In the event our counterparties do not fulfill their obligations, we may be exposed to risk. The risk of default depends on the creditworthiness of the counterparty. Default of a counterparty in equities and options trades, which are facilitated through clearinghouses, would generally be spread among the clearinghouse's members rather than falling entirely on us. It is our policy to review, as necessary, the credit standing of each counterparty.

Operating Expenses

Brokerage and Transaction

Brokerage and transaction costs primarily consist of broker-dealer transaction expenses (such as fees paid to centralized clearinghouses and regulatory fees), market data expenses, cash and share-

based compensation and benefits as well as allocated overhead for employees engaged in clearing and brokerage functions, and cash management transactions expenses (such as network fees and card processing fees).

Technology and Development

Technology and development costs primarily consist of cash and share-based compensation and benefits as well as allocated overhead for engineering, data science, and design personnel who support and improve our platform and develop new products, costs for cloud infrastructure services, and costs associated with computer hardware and software, including amortization of internally developed software.

Operations

Operations costs consist of customer service related expenses, including cash and share-based compensation and benefits as well as allocated overhead for employees engaged in customer support, and costs incurred to support and improve customer experience (such as third-party customer service vendors). Operations costs also include our provision for credit losses and fraud in connection with unrecoverable receivables due to Fraudulent Deposit Transactions and chargebacks for unauthorized debit card use.

Marketing

Marketing costs primarily consist of marketing incentive expenses associated with the Robinhood Referral Program, as well as digital marketing, brand marketing, and creative services costs for creation, production, and placement of advertisements and marketing content. Other marketing costs include cash credits we offer to users, which primarily relate to remediation for losses experienced by our users due to service interruptions on our platform and reimbursement of direct losses incurred by our users from allegedly unauthorized account activity. Marketing costs also include cash and share-based compensation and benefits as well as allocated overhead for employees engaged in the marketing function. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and were $90.9 million, $78.2 million and $100.5 million in the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

General and Administrative

General and administrative costs primarily consist of cash and share-based compensation and benefits as well as allocated overhead for certain executives and employees engaged in legal, finance, human resources, risk, and compliance. General and administrative costs also include legal expenses, settlements and penalties, business insurance, and other professional fees.

Employee Retirement Benefits

We offer a defined contribution 401(k) plan to full-time employees. Employees may elect to contribute to a traditional 401(k) plan, which qualifies as a deferred compensation arrangement under Section 401 of the Code. In this case, participating employees defer a portion of their pre-tax earnings. Employees may also contribute to a Roth 401(k) plan using post-tax dollars. We match employee contributions up to 3%, and have incurred $1.0 million, $3.5 million, and $9.5 million of expense related to matching for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs described in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 730, Research and Development, are expensed as incurred. Our research and development costs consist primarily of employee compensation and benefits for our engineering and research teams, including share-based compensation. Research and development costs recorded in operating expenses under

ASC 730 were $27.7 million, $52.2 million, and $437.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Share-based Compensation

Common Stock Fair Value

The fair value of our common stock is determined on the grant date using the closing price of our common stock, which is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

Prior to our IPO, the absence of an active market for our common stock required our board of directors to determine the fair value of our common stock for each grant date with respect to which awards were approved. Our board of directors considered numerous objective and subjective factors to determine the fair value of our common stock including: contemporaneous third-party valuations of our common stock, sales of our common and redeemable convertible preferred stock to third-party investors in arms-length transactions, our operating and financial performance, the valuation of comparable companies, the lack of marketability, and general and industry specific economic outlook, amongst other factors.

Stock Options

We estimate the fair value of stock options granted to employees using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of stock options is recognized as compensation on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Forfeitures are accounted for when they occur.

The Black-Scholes option-pricing model incorporates various assumptions in estimating the fair value of stock-based awards. In addition to the fair value of our common stock, these variables include:

Expected volatility—As we do not have sufficient trading history of our common stock, we estimate the volatility of our common stock on the date of grant based on the weighted-average historical stock price volatility of comparable publicly-traded companies over a period equal to the expected term of the award.

Expected term—We determine the expected term based on the average period the stock options are expected to remain outstanding using the simplified method, generally calculated as the midpoint of the stock options’ vesting term and contractual expiration period, as we do not have sufficient historical information to develop reasonable expectations about future exercise patterns and post-vesting employment termination behavior.

Risk-free interest rate—Based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve that corresponds with the expected term at the time of grant.

Expected dividend yield—We utilize a dividend yield of 0% as we have not paid, and do not anticipate paying, dividends on our common stock. 

Assumptions used in valuing non-employee stock options are generally consistent with those used for employee stock options with the exception that the expected term is over the contractual life.

Time-Based RSUs

We have granted Time-Based RSUs that vest upon the satisfaction of a time-based service condition. Prior to our IPO, our Time-Based RSUs vested based upon the satisfaction of both a time-based service condition and a performance-based condition, namely the occurrence of a liquidity event such as the IPO. The fair value of our RSUs is estimated based on the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. The time-based service condition for our awards is generally satisfied over four years. We record share-based compensation expense for Time-Based RSUs on an accelerated attribution method over the

requisite service period. The performance-based condition for our pre-IPO grants was satisfied upon the occurrence of the IPO in 2021, at which point we recorded a cumulative one-time share-based compensation expense determined using the awards’ grant-date fair value. Share-based compensation related to the remaining time-based service after the IPO is recorded over the remaining requisite service period. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, we had not recognized share-based compensation for awards with performance-based conditions because the qualifying event described above had not occurred and, therefore, could not be considered probable. No performance-based conditions exist for our post-IPO grants.

Market-Based RSUs

We have granted RSUs that vest upon the satisfaction of all the following conditions: time-based service conditions, performance-based conditions, and market-based conditions. The time-based service condition for these awards generally is satisfied over six years. The performance-based conditions are satisfied upon the occurrence of a qualifying event, as described above. The market-based conditions are satisfied upon our achievement of specified share prices.

For market-based awards, we determine the grant-date fair value utilizing a Monte Carlo valuation model, which incorporates various assumptions including expected stock price volatility, expected term, risk-free interest rates, expected date of a qualifying event, and expected capital raise percentage. We estimate the expected term based on various exercise scenarios, as these awards are not considered “plain vanilla.” We estimate the expected date of a qualifying event based on our expectation at the time of measurement of the award’s value.

We record share-based compensation expense for market-based equity awards on an accelerated attribution method over the requisite service period, and only if performance-based conditions are considered probable to be satisfied. We determine the requisite service period by comparing the derived service period to achieve the market-based condition and the explicit time-based service period, using the longer of the two service periods as the requisite service period. Upon the occurrence of our IPO in 2021, we recorded a cumulative one-time share-based compensation expense determined using the grant-date fair values. Share-based compensation related to remaining time-based service and market-based conditions to be met will be recorded over the remaining derived requisite service period.

Net Income (Loss) per Share

Basic and diluted earnings per share are computed using the two-class method, which considers participating securities as a separate class of shares. Our participating securities consist of all series of our redeemable convertible preferred stock. Under the two-class method, net loss is not allocated to the redeemable convertible preferred stock as the preferred stockholders do not have a contractual obligation to share in our losses.

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to our common stockholders, adjusted to exclude earnings allocated to participating securities, by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed on the basis of the weighted-average number of shares of common stock plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include deposits with banks and money market funds or highly liquid financial instruments with maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase. We maintain cash in bank accounts at financial institutions that exceed federally insured limits. We also maintain cash in money market funds which are not FDIC insured. We are subject to credit risk to the extent any financial institution with which we conduct business is unable to fulfill contractual obligations on our behalf. As we have not experienced any losses in such accounts and we believe that we have placed our cash on

deposit with financial institutions which are financially stable, we do not have an expectation of credit losses for these arrangements.

Cash and Securities Segregated Under Federal and Other Regulations

We are required to segregate cash and/or qualified securities for the exclusive benefit of customers and proprietary accounts of brokers in accordance with the provision of Rule 15c3-3 under the Exchange Act. We continually review the credit quality of our counterparties and have not experienced a default. As a result, we do not have an expectation of credit losses for these arrangements.

Restricted Cash

We are required to maintain restricted cash deposits to back letters of credit for certain property leases. We have no ability to draw on such funds as long as they remain restricted under the applicable agreements. Cash subject to restrictions that expire within one year is included in other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, current restricted cash balances were nil and $0.7 million.

Investments

We invest in marketable debt securities which are classified as available-for-sale and are initially recorded at fair value. These securities are comprised of asset-backed securities, commercial paper, corporate bonds and government bonds. We have elected the fair value option for our debt securities as we believe carrying these investments at fair value and taking changes in fair value through earnings best reflects their underlying economics. We elected to present interest earned on the debt securities as interest income.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

We apply fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities and non-financial assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the consolidated financial statements on a recurring basis. Fair value is defined as 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. In determining fair value, we may use various valuation approaches, including market, income and/or cost approaches. The fair value hierarchy requires us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. Fair value is a market-based measure considered from the perspective of a market participant. Accordingly, even when market assumptions are not readily available, our own assumptions reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The fair value measurement accounting guidance describes the following three levels used to classify fair value measurements:

Level 1 Inputs: unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that are accessible by us

Level 2 Inputs: quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in an active market, quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly

Level 3 Inputs: unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities

A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The carrying amounts of certain financial instruments approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature, which include cash, cash and securities segregated under federal and other regulations, receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations, receivables from users, net, deposits with clearing organizations, other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses, payable to users, securities loaned, and other current liabilities.

Receivables From Brokers, Dealers, and Clearing Organizations

Receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations include receivables from market makers for routing user orders for execution and other receivables from third-party brokers. These receivables are short term and settle within 30 days. We continually review the credit quality of our counterparties and have not experienced a default. As a result, we do not have an expectation of credit losses for these arrangements.

Receivables From Users, Net

Receivable from users, net is primarily made up of margin receivables. Margin receivables are adequately collateralized by users’ securities balances and are reported at their outstanding principal balance, net of an allowance for credit losses. We monitor margin levels and require users to deposit additional collateral, or reduce margin positions, to meet minimum collateral requirements and avoid automatic liquidation of their positions.

We apply the practical expedient based on collateral maintenance provisions in estimating an allowance for credit losses for receivables from users. We have no expectation of credit losses for receivables from users that are fully secured, where the fair value of the collateral securing the balance is equal to or in excess of the receivable amount. This is based on our assessment of the nature of the collateral, potential future changes in collateral values, and historical credit loss information relating to fully secured receivables. In cases where the fair value of the collateral is less than the outstanding receivable balance from a user, we recognize an allowance for credit losses in the amount of the difference, or unsecured balance, immediately.

The provision for credit losses is recorded as operations expense on the consolidated statement of operations. We write-off unsecured balances when the balance becomes outstanding for over 180 days or when we otherwise deem the balance to be uncollectible.

Deposits With Clearing Organizations

We are required to maintain collateral deposits with clearing organizations such as Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation and Options Clearing Corporation which allow us to use their security transactions services for trade comparison, clearance, and settlement. The clearing organizations establish financial requirements, including deposit requirements, to reduce their risk. The required level of deposits may fluctuate significantly from time to time based upon the nature and size of users’ trading activity and market volatility. We earn interest on these deposits which is included as net interest revenues in the consolidated statements of operations. As we have not experienced historic defaults, we do not have an expectation of credit losses for these arrangements.

Fractional Share Program

We operate our fractional share program for the benefit of our users and maintain an inventory of securities held exclusively for the fractional share program. This proprietary inventory is recorded within other current assets on our consolidated balance sheets.

When a user purchases a fractional share, we record the cash received for the user-held fractional share as pledged collateral and an offsetting liability to repurchase the shares as we concluded that we did not meet the criteria for derecognition under the accounting guidance. We measure our inventory of securities, user-held fractional shares and our repurchase obligation at fair value at each reporting period via the election of the fair value option, with realized and unrealized gains and losses, which totaled $3.0 million and $11.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, recorded in brokerage and transaction expenses in our consolidated statement of operations. We do not earn

revenue from our users when they purchase or sell fractional shares from us. We earn transaction-based revenue when shares are purchased from market makers to fulfill fractional share transactions.

Other Current Assets

Other current assets primarily includes prepaid expenses, securities owned by us for the Robinhood Referral Program and fractional share program, and other receivables. We classify prepayments made under contracts as prepaid expenses and expense them over the contract terms. These prepaid expenses include items such as prepayments on insurance, cloud infrastructure service costs, and software subscriptions. As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, prepaid expenses included in other current assets were $28.6 million and $92.0 million.

Robinhood Referral Program

The stock rewarded under this program is a share or shares, selected randomly from our previously purchased inventory of settled shares held exclusively for this program, which are included in other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets. Each stock reward is assigned at the time the reward is earned and each share cannot be associated with more than one reward at a time. Our inventory of settled shares is initially recorded at cost and marked to fair market value at each reporting period. As the inventory of shares are held specifically for the referral program and not as investments of the Company, gains and losses from changes in the fair market value of the shares are recorded within marketing expense in our consolidated statement of operations until the reward is claimed. Shares are derecognized when they are claimed by the user and delivered to the users’ account.

We record an accrued liability within other current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets at the time the bank account is linked with the expense recorded within marketing expense in our consolidated statement of operations. The liability is initially recorded at the fair market value of the assigned share or shares upon the reward being earned by the referred user (i.e., upon bank linkage) and marked to fair market value until claimed or reversed, with gains and losses also recorded within marketing expense. The liability is derecognized when the share is claimed by the user and delivered to the users’ account. If a user does not claim the stock reward within 60 days of being notified, such reward expires and the liability is reversed. We estimate the amount of unclaimed rewards expected at each reporting period, using historical trends and data, and adjust the accrued liability and marketing expense accordingly.

Property, Software, and Equipment

Property, software, and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is recorded on a straight-line basis over the useful life of the asset, which is as follows:

Property, Software, and Equipment	Useful Life
Computer equipment	3 years
Fixture and furniture	7 years
Tenant improvements	Shorter of estimated useful life or lease term
Internally developed software	3 years

Repairs and maintenance that do not enhance or extend the asset’s function and/or useful life are charged to expenses as incurred. When items are sold or retired, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gains or losses arising from such transactions are recognized.

Internally developed software is capitalized when preliminary development efforts are successfully completed and it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used as intended. Capitalized costs consist of salaries and payroll related costs for employees and fees paid to third-party

consultants who are directly involved in development efforts. Capitalized costs are amortized over the estimated useful life of the software on a straight-line basis and included in technology and development in the consolidated statements of operations. We expense software development costs as they are incurred during the preliminary project stage.

Other Non-Current Assets

Other non-current assets primarily includes right-of-use assets, net of accumulation of amortization, and prepaid expenses, for contract terms longer than 12 months. As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, non-current prepaid expenses included in other non-current assets were $8.2 million and $43.6 million.

Leases

We elected to apply the short-term lease measurement and recognition practical expedient to our leases where applicable, thus leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet; we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at the present value of the future lease payments at the lease commencement date for each lease. The interest rate used to determine the present value of the future lease payments is our incremental borrowing rate because the interest rate implicit in most of our leases is not readily determinable. Our incremental borrowing rate is estimated to approximate the interest rate that we would pay to borrow on a collateralized basis with similar terms and payments as the lease. Operating lease right-of-use assets also include any prepaid lease payments and lease incentives. Our lease agreements generally contain lease and non-lease components. Non-lease components, which primarily include payments for maintenance and utilities, are combined with lease payments and accounted for as a single lease component. We include the fixed non-lease components in the determination of the right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities. We record the amortization of the right-of-use asset and the accretion of lease liability as rent expense and allocate it as overhead in the consolidated statements of operations.

Business Combinations

We account for acquisitions of entities or asset groups that qualify as businesses in accordance with ASC 805, “Business Combinations”. The purchase price of the acquisition is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. The excess of the purchase price over those fair values is recorded as goodwill. During the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations. See Note 3 for further information.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired in a business combination and is allocated to reporting units expected to benefit from the business combination. We test goodwill for impairment at least annually, in the fourth quarter, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. We evaluate our reporting units when changes in our operating structure occur, and if necessary, reassign goodwill using a relative fair value allocation approach. In testing for goodwill impairment, we first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, we determine it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then additional impairment testing is not required. However, if we conclude otherwise, we proceed to a quantitative assessment.

The quantitative assessment compares the estimated fair value of a reporting unit to its book value, including goodwill. If the fair value exceeds book value, goodwill is considered not to be impaired and no additional steps are necessary. However, if the book value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss will be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. See Note 4 for further information.

Intangible Assets, Net

Intangible assets are carried at cost and amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. The Company evaluates the remaining estimated useful life of its intangible assets being amortized on an ongoing basis to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization. See Note 4 for further information.

Payables to Users

Payables to users represent users’ funds on deposit, and/or funds accruing to users as a result of settled trades and other security related transactions.

Securities Borrowed and Loaned

Securities borrowed and loaned result from transactions with other brokers, dealers, or financial institutions. Securities borrowing transactions require us to deposit cash with the lender whereas securities lending transactions result in us receiving cash collateral, with both requiring cash in an amount generally in excess of the market value of the securities. We earn interest revenue on cash collateral deposited with us, and can earn or incur additional revenue or expense for lending certain securities based on demand for that security. Substantially all of our securities borrowing and loan transactions have an open contractual term and, upon notice by either party, may be terminated within three business days. We manage risks associated with our securities lending and borrowing activities by requiring credit approvals for counterparties, by monitoring the market value of securities loaned and collateral values for securities borrowed on a daily basis and requiring additional cash as collateral for securities loaned or return of collateral for securities borrowed when necessary, and by participating in a risk-sharing program offered through the Options Clearing Corporation. Our securities lending transactions are subject to enforceable master netting arrangements with other broker-dealers, however we do not net securities lending transactions. We apply the practical expedient based on collateral maintenance provisions in estimating an allowance for credit losses for securities borrowed receivables.

Loss Contingencies

We are subject to claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of business, including arbitration, class actions and other litigation, some of which include claims for substantial or unspecified damages. We are also the subject of inquiries, investigations, and proceedings by regulatory and other governmental agencies. We review our lawsuits, regulatory inquiries and other legal proceedings on an ongoing basis and provide disclosures and record loss contingencies in accordance with the loss contingencies accounting guidance. We establish an accrual for losses at management’s best estimate when we assess that it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. If the reasonable estimate is a range and no amount within that range is considered a better estimate than any other amount, an accrual is recorded based on the bottom amount of the range. Accrual for loss contingencies are recorded in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets and expensed in general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. We monitor these matters for developments that would affect the likelihood of a loss and the accrued amount, if any, and adjust the amount as appropriate.

Cryptocurrencies

We act as an agent in the cryptocurrency transactions of our users. We have determined we are an agent because we do not control the cryptocurrency before delivery to the user, we are not primarily responsible for the delivery of cryptocurrency to our users, we are not exposed to risks arising from fluctuations of the market price of cryptocurrency before delivery to the customer, and we do not set the prices charged to users. After purchasing cryptocurrency on the platform, users are the legal owners of cryptocurrency held under custody by us and users have all the rights and benefits of ownership, including the rights to appreciation and depreciation of the cryptocurrency. Accordingly, the cryptocurrency we hold in custody on behalf of our users is not reflected on our consolidated balance sheets.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense is an estimate of current income taxes payable in the current fiscal year based on reported income before income taxes. Deferred income taxes reflect the effect of temporary differences and carryforwards that we recognize for financial reporting and income tax purposes at enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when taxes are actually paid or recovered.

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires recognition of deferred income tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements, but have not been reflected in our taxable income. Deferred tax assets are evaluated for future realization and reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent we believe that they will not be realized. We consider many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of our deferred tax assets including, but not limited to, historical cumulative loss experience and expectations of future earnings, tax planning strategies, and the carry-forward periods available for tax reporting purposes. Our judgment regarding future profitability may change due to many factors, including future market conditions and the ability to successfully execute business plans and/or tax planning strategies. Should there be a change in the ability to recover deferred tax assets, our tax provision would increase or decrease in the period in which the assessment is changed.

We recognize a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation, based on the technical merits. Income tax positions must meet a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold at the effective date to be recognized. We account for uncertain tax positions, including net interest and penalties, as a component of income tax expense or benefit. We make adjustments to these uncertain tax positions in accordance with applicable income tax guidance and based on changes in facts and circumstances. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters is different from the amounts recorded, such differences will affect the provision for income taxes in the period in which such determination is made and could have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements and operating results.

Reclassifications

Certain prior-year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation. The impact of these reclassifications is immaterial to the presentation of the financials.