UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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Bitcoin Depot Inc.
Annual Report on Form 10-K
Table of Contents
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PART I |
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Item 1. |
4 |
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Item 1A. |
17 |
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Item 1B. |
60 |
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Item 1C. |
60 |
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Item 2. |
61 |
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Item 3. |
62 |
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Item 4. |
62 |
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PART II |
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Item 5. |
62 |
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Item 6. |
63 |
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Item 7. |
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
64 |
Item 7A. |
82 |
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Item 8. |
82 |
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Item 9. |
Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
124 |
Item 9A. |
124 |
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Item 9B. |
125 |
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Item 9C. |
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections |
125 |
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PART III |
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Item 10. |
125 |
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Item 11. |
129 |
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Item 12. |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters |
132 |
Item 13. |
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence |
135 |
Item 14. |
141 |
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PART IV |
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Item 15. |
142 |
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Item 16. |
144 |
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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our and our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Bitcoin Depot Inc. (the “Company” or “Bitcoin Depot”). Some risks of achieving any of these forward-looking statements include:
If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that we do not presently know or that we currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
In addition, forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date hereof. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our assessments to change. We specifically disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our assessment as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.
These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, actual results or our performance of the Company may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
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You should read this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the documents that we reference in and have filed as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Our Business
Business Overview
Bitcoin Depot owns and operates the largest network of BTMs (or, "kiosks") across North America where customers can buy and sell Bitcoin. Bitcoin Depot helps power the digital economy for users of cash.
Our mission is to bring Crypto to the Masses TM. Digital means and systems dominate the way that consumers send money, make purchases, and invest; however, we believe that many people still utilize cash as their primary means of initiating a transaction, either as a necessity or as a preference. These individuals have largely been excluded from the digital financial system and associated technological advancements in our global and digitally interconnected society. Bitcoin Depot’s simple and convenient process to convert cash into Bitcoin via our BTMs and full-service mobile app enables not only these users, but also the broader public, to access the digital financial system.
As of December 31, 2023, our offerings included approximately 6,300 BTMs in retailer locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, our BDCheckout product, which is accepted at approximately 5,700 retail locations, and our mobile app. We maintain the leading position among cash-to-Bitcoin BTM operators in the U.S., representing an approximate 23% market share in the U.S., and a leading position in Canada. Our BTMs offer one-way exchange of cash-to-Bitcoin, with the limited exception of approximately 29 BTMs (representing less than 1% of our total kiosks as of December 31, 2023) which also provide customers the ability to sell Bitcoin to us in exchange for cash. Currently, we do not have plans to expand our users’ ability to sell Bitcoin to us in exchange for cash. We also operate a leading BTM device and transaction processing system, BitAccess, which provides software and operational capabilities to third-party BTM operators, which generates software revenue for the Company.
The charts below illustrate the number of BTMs and corresponding market shares for the leading BTM operators in the U.S. and Canada, as of December 31, 2023: (Note data is delayed from our actual active kiosks, please see Section 7, Management discussion and analysis for additional information regarding kiosk information.)
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(1) Source: Coinatmradar.com as of December 31, 2023. Figures only account for cash-to-Bitcoin ATMs, which results in the exclusion of LibertyX.
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Our diverse retail locations and intuitive transaction process make us a convenient option for our users, and our predictable minimum monthly rent payments to our retail partners where our kiosks are located make us an attractive option for these retailers. We have locations across the U.S. and Canada at, among others, the following type of retailers:
The following map illustrates the number of BTMs we operate by U.S. state and Canadian province as of March 11, 2024:
Both our revenue and transaction volumes have historically grown despite volatility in market prices for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and we expect this trend to continue as Bitcoin becomes increasingly accepted across the world.
Our focus on robust compliance procedures and ease of use of our BTMs has helped create a powerful compounding effect: the convenience and quality of our platform provides a seamless experience for users transacting at our BTMs; thereby driving increased traffic and business at our retail partners; attracting more retailers to partner with us; and in turn driving even more users to our BTMs. Our scale and leadership position has enabled us to develop a deeper understanding of our users’ needs and continually innovate and launch new products and services, such as BDCheckout, further enhancing the value of our platform.
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From our inception in July 2016 through December 31, 2023, we have completed more than 3.3 million user transactions, equating to approximately $2.3 billion in total transaction value. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we averaged approximately 21,824 monthly active users, which we define as the total number of unique customers. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we generated approximately $689.0 million of revenue, $88.6 million of gross profit (12.9% of gross profit margin), $1.5 million of net income and $56.3 million in Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP), which represented 14.7% of Adjusted Gross Profit Margin (non-GAAP) for the same period. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we generated approximately $646.8 million of revenue, $53.5 million of gross profit (8.3% of gross profit margin), $3.5 million of net income and $41.2 million in Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP), which represented 11.2% of Adjusted Gross Profit Margin (non-GAAP) for the same period. See the sections titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Key Business Metrics” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Non- GAAP Financial Measures” for information regarding our use of Gross Profit Margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Gross Profit and a reconciliation of such measures.
Our Products
As of December 31, 2023, we operated a portfolio of approximately 6,300 owned and leased kiosks across 48 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces. Within the United States, our kiosks and BDCheckout access points are located in zip codes containing approximately 52% of the U.S. population. While we are currently not operating kiosks in New York or Puerto Rico, we have obtained a license (or equivalent) to operate in Puerto Rico and have applied for the license required to operate in New York. See “—Government Regulation—Money transmission and virtual currency business activity” for more information.
BTM
Our kiosks are located in convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies, grocery chains and shopping malls across North America. Our largest deployment across a single retail chain is with Circle K, which accounted for approximately 1,300 of our total number of deployed kiosks as of December 31, 2023. We continuously monitor our BTM performance at each location, and at various times we relocate our BTMs to more profitable locations. The majority of our contracts contractually, allow us to move our BTMs with a limited notification to our retail partners. At December 31, 2023, we had approximately 900 BTMs with our logistics providers to redeploy to new locations.
Our kiosks are primarily manufactured and supplied by Genmega, a leading global ATM company. Our BTM suppliers load the operating software on to the kiosks prior to deployment. Because utilization is below that of typical cash ATMs, we believe that that the functional life of our kiosks is extended relative to manufacturer specifications. We have contracted with a network of providers to service our kiosks on an as-needed basis to support kiosk up-time, but our kiosks have typically not required frequent repair or maintenance.
We have found that a key factor affecting transaction volumes at any particular kiosk is its location. Our strategy in deploying our BTMs is to identify locations that are expected to generate high visibility and high transaction volume. Site selection for kiosk deployment is also determined based on an analysis of historical business trends, demographic data, and a determination of the proximity and density of competitors’ kiosks. The approximately 1,300 kiosks deployed at Circle K stores are a prime example of the types of locations that we seek when deploying our BTMs. In addition to the Circle K locations, we have also entered into agreements with a number of other retail partners.
Our retail deployments are secured through negotiation with our retail partners. Contract terms are generally similar across the portfolio of retail partners, such as payment terms, service level agreements, rent, placement, and access. These contracts provide a recurring and stable source of revenue for our retail partners over a typical initial term of approximately five years, although our terms vary because of negotiations at the time of execution. As of December 31, 2023, our contracts with our top 10 retail partners had a weighted average remaining life of 1.7 years. Many of our contracts include auto-renewal features providing for additional one-year terms following the expiration of the initial term. Such contracts may be terminated at either party’s option by giving proper notice in accordance with the subject contract. All contracts with over a 12-month term allow for kiosks to be removed at our discretion, except in one agreement. This agreement is associated with 25 BTMs, which has restrictions on the first nine months of the kiosk placement. The Company has recognized a floor space lease associated with these BTMs. This overall flexibility to move our BTMs allows us to not record a liability on the balance sheet related to these retail location leases.
The software that resides on the kiosk is designed to provide an intuitive user interface for our users. Upon using a Bitcoin Depot kiosk for the first time, users will be prompted to provide certain information for account creation and verification. Users are required to select from three ranges of cash amounts to be inserted in the kiosk for purchasing Bitcoin. The user then provides the address of their digital wallet by scanning a QR code; the user can create and use a Bitcoin Depot-branded wallet (un-hosted and non-custodial), or their other existing digital wallet. Bitcoin Depot’s branded wallet is facilitated through an unaffiliated third party. Bitcoin Depot
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utilizes this wallet infrastructure to offer users the ability to use an un-hosted non-custodial wallet within the Bitcoin Depot mobile app or through other third-party apps which allow access to non-custodial wallets. Bitcoin Depot is not liable for any losses users may experience because Bitcoin Depot does not have access to users’ wallets or their private keys. Cash is then inserted by the user into the kiosk, and the kiosk will confirm the dollar amount and other details of the transaction, including quantity of Bitcoin being purchased. Once the transaction is complete, the Bitcoin is electronically delivered to the user’s digital wallet and the user is provided with a physical receipt as well as a receipt via SMS text.
Prior to the time at which a user inserts cash in the BTM to purchase Bitcoin, Bitcoin Depot has control of such Bitcoin, and maintains such control until the transaction is completed at the kiosk and Bitcoin Depot initiates a transaction on the blockchain to send Bitcoin to the user. Bitcoin Depot never custodies a user’s Bitcoin. Bitcoin Depot takes custody of the user’s cash at the time the same is inserted into the BTM.
BDCheckout
Additionally, Bitcoin Depot sells Bitcoin without the use of kiosks at several thousand additional retailer locations through a relationship with a leading global payments technology company. This product, called BDCheckout, allows users similar functionality to our kiosks, enabling them to load cash into their accounts at the checkout counter at retailer locations, and then use those funds to purchase Bitcoin. The transaction is initiated on the Bitcoin Depot mobile app, which is available for download from major app stores for free. We believe that BDCheckout offers an attractive value proposition for retailers, providing fee income and potentially increasing shopper foot traffic, without Bitcoin Depot incurring upfront out-of-pocket hardware costs and certain operational expenses, such as rent.
The primary difference between a BDCheckout transaction and a BTM kiosk transaction is that the former is completed via interaction with a cashier at a retail location and relies more heavily on the use of the Bitcoin Depot mobile app, while the latter involves a user interfacing with a kiosk. From a third-party fee perspective, there is a $3.50 flat fee per BDCheckout transaction charged to the user in connection with the use of payment provider integrated network of retailers’ point-of-sale systems.
Bitcoin Depot’s costs associated with a BDCheckout transaction are lower than its costs associated with a BTM transaction, primarily due to significantly greater operating expenses associated with the BTMs, including cash collection fees and short-term lease payments to the retail locations where the kiosks are placed. However, the profitability of the two services is similar because of the higher markup that Bitcoin Depot applies to BTM transactions to support the higher costs associated therewith.
We regularly monitor official SEC releases and comments made by senior SEC officials, including Chairman Gensler, regarding the regulation of cryptocurrencies and related activities. Based on such statements, historical enforcement actions and existing regulations and laws, we have made the determination that our activities and the cryptocurrencies that we currently sell, which consists of only Bitcoin, do not subject us to SEC regulation, and thus we believe we are not required to be registered with the SEC as a broker dealer to support transactions which consist of only Bitcoin at our BTMs and via BDCheckout. We note that we have previously provided products and services related to Litecoin and Ethereum, however, based on a risk-based determination made after consideration of public statements by the SEC, historical enforcement actions, and existing regulations and laws in effect at the time, we have determined to limit our activities to Bitcoin only.
Industry Trends
The adoption of cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange has grown significantly since Bitcoin’s introduction in 2009 and cryptocurrency is continuing to become more mainstream among consumers. In 2023, centralized and decentralized exchanges reported nearly $82.0 trillion, in cryptocurrency trading volume, a 6.5% decrease from 2022 levels. According to New York Digital Investment Group LLC d/b/a NYDIG, Bitcoin alone was the third largest payment network in 2022 with over $3.0 trillion in transaction volume, next only to Visa and Mastercard and ahead of American Express and Discover, and an estimated 22% of the U.S. adult population owns cryptocurrency.
Several notable developments have contributed to this growth, including broader acceptance of cryptocurrency on payment platforms, the proliferation of financial products offering investors exposure to cryptocurrencies, and market participants looking for ways to simplify transactions for the everyday consumer.
At the same time, consumers have become attracted to the accessibility and user experience of BTMs as an entry ramp into the digital financial system. Several companies began to work on BTM prototypes as early as 2013, and the BTM market has shown rapid growth since then. According to Coin ATM Radar, from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2023, the total number of BTMs deployed grew from 968 to 33,936, representing a CAGR of approximately 84%, with the vast majority of BTMs now located in North
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America. According to Coin ATM Radar, as of December 31, 2023, 90% of installed BTMs worldwide reside in the U.S. and Canada, in which Bitcoin Depot had a market share of 23% and 11%, respectively. Many BTMs deployed around the world initially supported transacting only in Bitcoin. Our BTMs currently support transactions in Bitcoin.
Market Opportunity
Although U.S. consumers continued to use credit cards and debit cards for a majority of their payments, market studies indicate there is still a significant desire to utilize cash for various purposes in the U.S. The 2023 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, a study conducted by Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco found that while it has declined over time, the share of payments in cash was 18% in 2022, which was a decrease from the data in 2021. As of October 2022, the value of currency in circulation passed $2.23 trillion, a 28% increase compared to February 2020, but with slower growth since 2021. In addition, according to a study by Travis Credit Union conducted in 2020, 29% of U.S. adults sampled prefer to use cash to purchase goods. We believe a portion of this population finds obtaining cryptocurrencies through online cryptocurrency exchanges challenging and inconvenient and prefers to directly convert their cash to cryptocurrencies. The chart below shows the proportions of various methods of payments since 2016. The 2023 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice also shows that a significant percentage of person-to-person payments continue to be made in cash, and credit cards, the percentage of these payments made with credit cards has been steadily increasing compared to the prior years. According to a user survey we conducted, many of our users report that the reason they used our BTMs was to send cryptocurrency to others. This use case can represent a more efficient means of sending money for those who are using cash to make person-to-person payments, or an alternative means of sending money for those who are using mobile apps.
Share of payment instrument use for all payments (1)
(1) Source: 2023 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice;
For the most up-to-date figures please consult the links in the section titled “Market, Industry and Other Data.”
Our Competitive Strengths
We believe the below competitive strengths differentiate us from our competition and enhance our ability to compete.
We are the largest operator of BTMs in North America with an approximately 23% market share as of December 31, 2023, according to Coin ATM Radar. As of December 31, 2023, we have approximately 6,300 active kiosks across 48 states in the U.S. and 10
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provinces in Canada across convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies, grocery chains and shopping malls. Bitcoin Depot’s strategically placed network of BTMs and BDCheckout access points are located in zip codes addressing approximately 52% of the U.S. population. Our strong presence has given us increased visibility among users and retail partners and has helped drive user traffic to our kiosks.
In addition to offering intuitive user interfaces at our BTMs for transactions, we believe we offer a streamlined alternative to online exchanges for transacting in Bitcoin. Online exchanges can in certain instances require users to wait over three business days to convert money to Bitcoin, and they also require a user to have a bank account and therefore provide no cash conversion options. Our users can purchase Bitcoin without a bank account through our kiosks in typically under two minutes for new accounts and in under a minute for returning users. Our streamlined mobile app offers an easy way for our users to locate points-of-transaction, create a digital wallet, transfer Bitcoin between digital wallets and initiate BDCheckout transactions. We provide telephonic customer service almost around the clock to address questions or concerns from our users and to facilitate a smooth transaction process.
We have flexible hosting contract terms with our retail partners that offer location payments tied to a predictable minimum rate monthly rent (which, for certain locations, may be increased based on transaction volumes, thereby aligning partners’ success with our own performance). Based on our observations, our kiosks provide the benefit of driving additional foot traffic at retail locations, which as a result potentially drives additional business to our partners, thereby increasing their revenue.
We complete our customer KYC process prior to permitting a user to transact. We have invested in and maintain robust, multi-layer compliance procedures to evaluate potential users, open user accounts and monitor transactions at our BTMs. Our compliance team, comprised of 16 individuals, has over 100 years of combined experience in AML (Anti-Money Laundering), KYC (Know-Your-Customer), BSA (Bank Secrecy Act), and OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) compliance. The level of user verification for any given user transacting at our kiosks is generally based on the user’s proposed transaction volume with us. Generally, verification involves collecting users’ names, email addresses, phone numbers, driver’s licenses or other ID, social security numbers and photos of each user. Further, our BTMs take photos throughout the transaction process, which allows us to verify that users match the identifying information that has been provided during the KYC process. We utilize blockchain analysis and work with various third parties for transaction monitoring, case management and regulatory filings and reporting. We prioritize proactive reporting procedures in accordance with local, state, and federal requirements. Our compliance team routinely rejects user applicants that fail authentication requirements, and bans users from transacting at our kiosks and via BDCheckout when our compliance team discovers suspicious activity or when the users violate our terms of service (which can be accessed on our website) to which users agree prior to transacting at a BTM or during the BDCheckout transaction process, as applicable. These user bans represent approximately 4% of our overall transaction volumes in a given month. We do not believe there are any material challenges related to conducting KYC at a kiosk. We believe many of our retail partners have selected us to be their BTM provider based on our focus and commitment to robust compliance.
Our revenue has not been correlated to the price of Bitcoin historically, even in light of volatile Bitcoin prices. Based on our own user surveys, a majority of our users use our products and services for non-speculative purposes, including money transfers, international remittances, and online purchases, among others.
We use a sophisticated Bitcoin management process to reduce our exposure to volatility in Bitcoin prices by maintaining a relatively low balance (typically less than $1 million) of Bitcoin at any given time, which we believe differentiates us from our competition. We do not act as an agent or exchange for users in our transactions; we maintain balances of Bitcoin from which we satisfy our users’ demand from kiosk or BDCheckout transactions. As we send users Bitcoin, we replenish our Bitcoin balance on an ongoing basis to meet user demand. Our typical practice is to purchase Bitcoin through a liquidity provider such as Cumberland DRW. We replenish our Bitcoin only through purchases from leading Bitcoin liquidity providers and do not engage in any mining of Bitcoin ourselves. Our sophisticated replenishment process enables us to satisfy our users’ Bitcoin purchases with our own Bitcoin holdings, yet maintain relatively small balances of Bitcoin to effectively manage our principal risk.
We are led by a management team that built our business from the ground up to become the largest operator of BTMs in North America. Our founder and other executive officers bring extensive multidisciplinary experience in technology and business. We
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believe our management team has a competitive advantage in their ability to attract a highly talented pool of experienced engineers and seasoned industry professionals. We believe our management team’s expertise in this industry enables them to pursue attractive and opportunistic acquisition targets to further strengthen our competitive advantage.
Our Strategies
We intend to continue to grow our business by employing the following strategies:
We intend to continue to expand into more physical locations at our existing partners as well as build new partner relationships for further greenfield market penetration. Among existing partners, our kiosks are located in approximately 1,300 out of the over 9,000 total Circle K locations in the U.S. and Canada. Our broad footprint and user base presents us an opportunity to offer additional products and services in the future, which we believe will further strengthen and grow our user base. To expand into new geographies, we have applied for a license to operate in the state of New York, a market we believe could support thousands of kiosks, an estimate we adopted based on other states with more established BTM networks and comparable populations, such as Florida. Finally, approximately 92% of BTMs worldwide are in North America, according to Coin ATM Radar as of March 26, 2024, presenting an attractive international expansion opportunity for us. Various countries have begun accepting cryptocurrency as a legal form of payment, which we believe is going to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrency and offer us an opportunity to establish a presence in these countries.
We operate the largest network of BTMs in North America. We have generated positive net income and cash flow from operations during every year since our inception. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we generated revenue of approximately $689.0 million and $646.8 million, respectively, gross profit of $88.6 million and $53.5 million, respectively, and adjusted gross profit of $101.0 million and $72.3 million, respectively. We currently intend to reinvest the majority of the profits back in our business to continue to develop new products and services to address the needs of our users, such as BDCheckout, allowing us to achieve further brand recognition and brand loyalty and grow our user base.
We believe the BTM market is fragmented. We plan to opportunistically evaluate acquiring other kiosk operators and complementary businesses to support our operations and strategy. Provided we are able to secure appropriate opportunities, we intend to pursue inorganic growth in the form of strategic bolt-on acquisitions to build on our leading market position and to supplement our in-house capabilities in both hardware kiosks and software that run on these kiosks as well as any product or service that provides Bitcoin access in a retail setting. In addition, we continue to look for potential acquisitions to enhance our capabilities in areas such as cyber security and compliance, among others.
We launched BDCheckout in June 2022 and as of December 31, 2023, it is available at approximately 5,700 retail locations across North America, including convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies, grocery chains and shopping malls. BDCheckout enables our users to load cash into their accounts at the checkout counter at retailer locations, and then use those funds to purchase Bitcoin using the same fee structure in place at our kiosks, thereby lowering our required upfront capital expenditures and operating expenses and providing us with additional revenues from the sale of Bitcoin. For more information about how we generate our revenue, please see the section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Components of Results of Operations—Revenue.” We intend to fully capitalize on this by actively targeting our users with BDCheckout through online advertising and our free mobile app. We believe the expansion of BDCheckout to new locations across the U.S. and Canada will diversify our revenue streams as well as further grow our transaction volumes, revenue and profitability.
Recent Highlights
In March 2023, we announced a partnership agreement with GetGo® Café + Market, an innovative, food-first convenience store retailer with locations throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. We plan to install our BTMs into 125 GetGo® Café + Market stores in multiple metropolitan areas, strengthening our presence throughout the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.
In September 2023, the Company entered into an On-Site Agreement, with Tanger Management, the property manager for the outlet centers located throughout the United States and Canada. The agreement anticipates the placement of BTMs in 16 mall locations.
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In October 2023, we fostered a critical relationship, for the placement of our kiosks, with one of the foremost distributors in the ATM industry, CORD, underscoring our reputation as a formidable player in the market which has more than 3000+ ATMs in the US. We believe this partnership will expand our reach of connecting our BTMs with those that wish to own or operate BTMs.
In December 2023, we announced a partnership with MAPCO for kiosk placement, which encompasses 63 of their corporate locations. With MAPCO's expansive network of over 145+ locations spanning six states, this collaboration presents an opportunity to bolster our market presence and engage with a wider audience. Initially commencing with their corporate sites, we have laid a robust foundation for additional expansion. Furthermore, we have a strategic alliance with Majors Management that carries the potential to extend our reach to an additional 570+ franchisee locations, and 200+ corporate locations. This strategic alliance holds immense promise for expanding our market positions.
Entering January 2024, we signed a master placement agreement with EG America LLC, in one of the largest retail partner deals in the Company's history. With this agreement, we are set to install our BTMs in approximately 900+ locations, a significant leap forward in our expansion trajectory.
In February 2024, we were able to secure a deal with CEFCO for 72 out of their 200+ locations which marks a significant milestone for our company. This partnership not only expands our market reach but also diversifies us within the convenience store industry. By aligning with CEFCO, a reputable and rapidly growing chain, we gain access to a broader customer base and increase brand visibility.
Competition
We operate in a highly competitive industry with an increasing number of participants. Industries adjacent to the digital financial system are highly fragmented, quickly evolving, intensely competitive, and subject to growing global regulatory scrutiny and oversight.
There are several publicly traded companies that operate cash to Bitcoin ATMs, including Athena Bitcoin Inc. and Bitcoin Well Inc. We believe we do not have any direct, pure-play competitors, traded on major exchanges, who operate cash to Bitcoin ATMs at scale.
Several private companies and wholly-owned subsidiaries of other publicly traded companies may be considered to be our competitors, including BitNational, Bitstop, Byte Federal, Inc., Cash2Bitcoin.com, Coin Hub, Coin Flip Bitcoin ATMs, Coinme, Instacoin, Moon Inc., dba LibertyX, a division of NCR Atleos Corporation, Localcoin, NationalBitcoin ATM, and RockItCoin, among others.
Separately, given our mission to Bring Bitcoin to the Masses by enabling our users to transact on everyday activities using Bitcoin, from paying bills to sending money transfers to a variety of other use cases, other established payment processing and money transfer businesses may become our competitors, including PayPal, Block, Global Payments, Coinbase, Jack Henry, and MoneyGram, among others.
Sales and Marketing
Our sales team focuses principally on maintaining relationships with our existing retail partners and developing new relationships with national, regional and local retailers. The team is organized into groups that specialize in marketing to specific retail industry segments, which allows us to tailor our offering to the specific requirements of each retail partner. As of December 31, 2023, our sales and marketing teams consisted of 28 employees. Those who are exclusively focused on sales typically receive a combination of base salary and an incentive-based compensation.
In addition to targeting new business opportunities, our sales team supports our business initiatives by building and maintaining relationships with new retail partners. We seek to identify growth opportunities within each account by analyzing the retailer’s sales at each of its locations, foot traffic, and various demographic data to determine the best opportunities for new BTM placements.
Our marketing team is focused on attracting users to our BTMs as well as to our BDCheckout retail locations. Our marketing team primarily uses digital marketing tools, such as Google AdWords, to acquire and retain users but also deploys email, SEO, and physical marketing presences as applicable. Our marketing team also supports the sales team in attracting new retail partners.
Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks
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Although we believe our success depends upon our technical and marketing expertise more than our proprietary rights, our future success and ability to compete depend in part upon our proprietary technology. We have registered or filed applications for our primary trademarks. Most of our technology is not patented. Instead, we rely on a combination of contractual rights, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets to establish and protect our proprietary technology. We generally enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, third-party contractors, and retail partners. Access to, and distribution of, our source code is restricted, and the disclosure and use of other proprietary information is further limited. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties can attempt to copy or otherwise obtain, or use our products or technology. We cannot be certain that the steps taken in this regard will be adequate to prevent misappropriation of our technology or that our competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our technology in a manner that would avoid our intellectual property rights.
Research and Development
We invest in ongoing research to develop new software solutions and services and enhance existing solutions with additional functionality and features required to ensure regulatory compliance. Product-specific enhancements are largely user-driven with recommended enhancements formally gathered through survey results, strategic initiatives meetings and ongoing user contact. We also continually evaluate and implement process improvements that expedite the delivery of new products, services and enhancements to our users and reduce related costs. For instance, our research and development capabilities and efforts resulted in the successful launch and deployment of BDCheckout, recently at thousands of major retailers. Associated costs are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expense on the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) and Comprehensive Income (Loss) and are not material.
Our Retail Partners
In the U.S., we have contracts with approximately 56 major national and regional retailers, including convenience stores, supermarkets, drug stores, and other high-traffic retail chains, which represent approximately 2,200 BTMs. We also have BTMs in approximately 3,900 independent retail locations in the U.S. In Canada, we have contracts with one national merchant and approximately 100 independent merchants. Circle K is the largest retailer in our portfolio, representing approximately 27% and 32% of our total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The underlying retail agreement with Circle K has an initial term of five years. As of December 31, 2023, our contracts with Circle K have a weighted average remaining life of 1.5 years. Our other top ten retail partners (excluding Circle K) comprise 7.4% of our retail locations. Contracts with these nine other nine retail partners have a weighted average remaining life of 1.9 years as of December 31, 2023. Many of our contracts include auto-renewal features providing for additional one-year terms following the expiration of the initial term. Such contracts may be terminated at either party’s option by giving proper notice in accordance with the subject contract. The terms of our retail partner contracts vary because of negotiations at the time of execution. In addition, through BDCheckout, our users can now load cash into their accounts at the checkout counter at approximately 5,700 retailer locations, and then use those funds to purchase Bitcoin.
Our Vendors/Suppliers
Cumberland DRW
Cumberland DRW ("Cumberland") is one of our co-primary liquidity providers from whom we purchase Bitcoin that we sell to our users. We have had a relationship with Cumberland for over three years. Cumberland is a leading OTC liquidity provider in the digital financial system. The company has operations globally and is owned by DRW, a diversified principal trading firm with more than 25 years of experience in multiple asset classes around the world.
Abra
Abra is one of our co-primary liquidity providers from whom we purchase Bitcoin that we sell to our users. We have had a relationship with Abra for almost one year. Abra is a financial services and technology company that operates a cryptocurrency wallet service including a trading service for buying and selling cryptocurrencies and a service for earning interest on cryptocurrencies and stablecoins.
Genmega
Genmega is a global provider of kiosks and traditional cash ATMs and is currently the sole provider of our BTM kiosks. The company was founded over ten years ago and has cumulatively delivered more than 150,000 ATMs worldwide. Since 2016, Genmega has supplied more than 7,200 kiosks to us.
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Gemini
Gemini is an American cryptocurrency exchange and custodian that allows customers to buy, sell, and store digital assets. To place orders for Bitcoin on the Gemini exchange, we are required to have USD on account and available which facilitates the purchasing process. We maintain a minimum USD balance needed for anticipated Bitcoin purchases for the day. We replenish the account with USD as needed. Gemini is the sole cryptocurrency exchange with which we hold USD balances. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our average daily USD balance held in fiat wallets on the Gemini exchange was approximately $0.5 million.
Cash Transportation
We contract with large and reputable armored courier services to transport and transfer funds to and from our kiosks. We use leading armored couriers such as Loomis, Brinks and Garda in the U.S. and Canada to collect and transport cash. Under these arrangements, the armored couriers collect cash either on a regular schedule or pickups are initiated when cash in a particular kiosk has reached a specified threshold dollar amount, which we can track on a real-time basis. The armored couriers then confirm cash counts and our bank accounts are then credited.
ATM Operations
We contract with large and reputable service providers that support the various activities of our BTMs operations related to deployment, repairs and maintenance, and wireless communications. Operations vendors include, but are not limited to, Bibbeo, Burroughs, Cennox, DropPin, Fiserv, National Services, and OptConnect. We also supplement our vendors by insourcing some field activities with several employees who travel to various markets as needed.
Lease Providers
We utilize four major lessors to finance approximately 6,000 of our BTMs. We believe these lessors are experienced in lease transactions and have adequate equity reserves. We have been able to negotiate with several lease providers and are able to receive market rates for these lease arrangements. As of December 31, 2023, we have lease commitments to acquire all the kiosks for a bargain purchase option at the end the lease term.
User Transactions
We hold an amount of Bitcoin in a hot wallet that we own and send Bitcoin to users from that wallet when transactions are completed at a BTM or through BDCheckout. We replenish our hot wallet from time to time through open market purchases of Bitcoin with certain liquidity providers. When a user buys Bitcoin from us, the purchase price is based on the spot price of Bitcoin at the time of the user’s transaction. When a user sells Bitcoin to us, such Bitcoin is held in a Bitcoin Depot hot wallet for a period of time, which could be up to several days, until such Bitcoin is later sold through a liquidity provider to fund operations or is resold to users transacting at BTM kiosks or through BDCheckout; however, the volume of transactions of this type are de minimis. Our policy for transfers from our hot wallet (the private keys to which are stored in geographically dispersed locations throughout the U.S.) that do not involve fulfilling user purchases require dual approval by our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Transfers from our hot wallet to fulfill user purchases occur automatically through an application program interface that is secured by passwords and login credentials.
We do not custody Bitcoin for our kiosk users. Our relationship with our primary liquidity provider allows us to purchase Bitcoin to quickly replenish amounts sold to users, which means that we hold relatively small amounts of Bitcoin at any given time. Due to the minimal amount of Bitcoin held at any given time (typically less than $1 million), coupled with our high transaction volumes, we do not store Bitcoin in cold wallets.
Human Capital
As of December 31, 2023, we had 124 full-time employees, most of whom were in the U.S. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by collective bargaining agreements, and we have not experienced any work stoppages. We believe we have a positive relationship with our employees.
We believe that our success is driven by our employees. Our human capital strategy focuses on:
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: We recognize the value of diversity, equity and inclusion within our organization and strive to ensure that our workplace reflects the diverse communities in which we operate in order to promote collaboration, innovation, creativity and belonging. We are committed to recruiting and employing qualified candidates regardless of their gender or cultural background.
Employee Benefits: We believe in the importance of offering our employees competitive salaries and wages, together with comprehensive insurance options. We recognize the importance of comprehensive healthcare benefits, including medical, prescription drug, vision and dental, and employees and their family members are provided with tools and resources to assist in adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We offer medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, match 401K contributions up to 3%, and pay for a ClassPass membership.
Training and Talent Development: We are committed to the education of our employees and have committed to provide our employees with a variety of learning opportunities, including, but not limited to, technical skill development, soft skills development, workplace conduct guidance, and IT security training.
Facilities
Our principal executive offices and headquarters are located in leased premises at 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 750, Atlanta, Georgia, 30326, consisting of approximately 5,700 square feet. We also lease office space in Canada, located at 267 Richmond Rd, 3rd Fl., Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 6X3 and consisting of approximately 1,000 square feet. We believe that these facilities are generally suitable to meet our needs.
Seasonality and Inflation
We have typically experienced seasonality in the 4th quarter of the calendar year in our revenue and the related cost of cryptocurrency. We believe this trend is attributable to less business days in the quarter as a result of public holidays. Our costs of goods, services and labor and third-party services, have been impacted by the recent high inflationary environment. To date, we have been successful in managing these inflationary cost increases. There can be no assurance that our operating results will not continue to be affected by inflation in the future or that we will be successful in managing such cost increases.
Governmental Regulation
Currently, we operate in the U.S. and Canada in a complex and rapidly evolving regulatory environment and are subject to a wide range of laws, rules and regulations enacted by U.S. and Canadian federal, state, provincial, and local governments and regulatory authorities. At a high-level, this evolving regulatory environment currently is characterized by a heightened focus by regulators on the cryptocurrency industry and countering terrorist financing and anti-money laundering. The scope of laws, rules, and regulations that can impact our business, including many laws, rules, and regulations that were enacted prior to the creation of the digital financial system, are expansive and include certain of the requirements that apply to financial services, money transmission, privacy protection, cybersecurity, electronic payments, and securities and commodities regulation, as well as bespoke cryptocurrency laws that have been adopted in some jurisdictions. Notwithstanding the applicability of the above-described regulatory framework, currently we are not supervised or examined by any banking, securities or commodities regulator such as the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the SEC, or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
We monitor changes to the regulatory environment closely and invest significant resources in our legal and compliance teams to ensure that we are able to design and maintain appropriate compliance systems and practices. However, the complexity and evolving nature of our business and the significant uncertainty surrounding the regulation of the digital financial system and related industries, require us to exercise our judgment as to whether certain laws, rules, and regulations apply to us, and it is possible that regulators may disagree with our conclusions. New or changing laws and regulations, including changes to their interpretation or implementation, as well as our failure to appreciate that the laws and regulations apply to our business, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We regularly monitor official SEC releases and comments made by senior SEC officials, including Chairman Gensler, regarding the regulation of cryptocurrencies and related activities. Based on such statements, historical enforcement actions and existing regulations and laws, we have made the determination that our activities and the cryptocurrencies that we currently sell, which consists of only Bitcoin, do not subject us to SEC regulation (other than in connection with our status as a public company) and thus we believe we are not required to be registered with the SEC to support transactions which consist of only Bitcoin at our BTMs and via BDCheckout. We note that we have previously provided products and services related to Litecoin and Ethereum, however, based on a risk-based determination made after consideration of public statements by the SEC, historical enforcement actions, and existing regulations and laws in effect at the time, we have determined to limit our activities to Bitcoin only.
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Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing
We are subject to various anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing laws, including the BSA in the U.S. and similar laws and regulations in Canada. In the U.S. as a money services business registered with the FinCEN, the BSA requires us to develop, implement, and maintain a risk-based anti-money laundering program, provide an anti- money laundering-related training program, report suspicious activities and transactions, comply with certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and collect and maintain information about our users. In addition, the BSA requires us to comply with certain user due diligence requirements as part of our anti-money laundering obligations, including developing risk-based policies, procedures, and internal controls reasonably designed to verify each user’s identity. We have implemented a compliance program designed to prevent our kiosks, products and services from being used to facilitate money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit activity in countries, or with persons or entities, included on designated lists issued by the OFAC, and equivalent foreign authorities. Our compliance program includes policies, procedures, reporting protocols, training and internal controls, and is designed to address legal and regulatory requirements as well as to assist us in managing business risks associated with money laundering and terrorist financing.
Money transmission and virtual currency business activity
In the U.S., we have obtained licenses to operate as a money transmitter, or the equivalent, in the states where we understand such licenses or equivalent are required to conduct our business. In addition, we have applied for a BitLicense from the NYDFS. As a licensed money transmitter, we are subject to a range of legal obligations and requirements including bonding, net worth maintenance, customer notice and disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and obligations that apply to the safeguarding of third-party funds and crypto assets. In addition, the licensed entity within our corporate structure is subject to inspection and examination by the state licensing agencies and certain actions involving that entity, such as changes in controlling equity holders, board members, and senior management, may require regulatory approval.
Privacy and protection of user data
We are subject to a number of laws, rules, directives, and regulations relating to the collection, use, retention, security, processing, and transfer of personally identifiable information about our users and employees in the jurisdictions where we operate. We are subject to privacy and information safeguarding requirements under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the California Consumer Privacy Act in the U.S., as well as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act in Canada, which impose certain privacy protections and require the maintenance of a written, comprehensive information security program.
Our business relies on the processing of personal data in many jurisdictions and the movement of data across state and national borders. As a result, much of the personal data that we process, which may include certain financial information associated with individuals, is regulated by multiple privacy and data protection laws and, in some cases, the privacy and data protection laws of multiple jurisdictions. In many cases, these laws apply not only to third-party transactions, but also to transfers of information between or among us, our subsidiaries, and other parties with which we have commercial relationships.
Regulatory scrutiny of privacy, data protection, cybersecurity practices, and the processing of personal data is increasing in the U.S. and around the world. Regulatory authorities are continuously considering numerous new legislative and regulatory proposals and interpretive guidelines that may contain additional privacy and data protection obligations. Any expansion or changes in the application of these privacy, data protection and cybersecurity laws or other regulatory requirements could increase our compliance costs and have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Consumer protection
The FTC, the CFPB, and other U.S. federal, state, and local and foreign regulatory agencies regulate business activities, including money transfer services related to remittance or user-to-user transfers. These agencies, as well as certain other governmental bodies, including state attorneys general, have broad consumer protection mandates and discretion in enforcing consumer protection laws, including matters related to unfair or deceptive, and, in the case of the CFPB, abusive, acts or practices, or Unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices (“UDAAPs”), and they promulgate, interpret, and enforce rules and regulations that affect our business. The CFPB has enforcement authority to prevent an entity that offers or provides financial services or products to consumers in the United States from committing or engaging in UDAAPs, including the ability to engage in joint investigations with other agencies, issue subpoenas and civil investigative demands, conduct hearings and adjudication proceedings, commence a civil action, grant relief (e.g., limit activities or functions; rescission of contracts), and refer matters for criminal proceedings.
Additional regulatory developments
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Various regulatory authorities continue to evaluate and implement laws, rules and regulations governing a wide variety of issues, including cryptocurrencies, identity theft, account management guidelines, disclosure rules, cybersecurity, marketing, ESG performance, transparency, and reporting, including requirements related to overall corporate ESG disclosures and climate-related financial disclosures which may impact our business. For an additional discussion on the impact of governmental regulation on our business, please see “Risk Factors” included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Legal Proceedings
On January 13, 2023, Canaccord Genuity Corp. (“Canaccord”) commenced proceedings against Lux Vending, LLC and Bitcoin Depot Operating LLC (collectively, for purposes of this paragraph, “Lux Vending”) in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (the “Canaccord Claim”). The Canaccord Claim asserts that Canaccord is entitled to $23.0 million in fees alleged to be payable for breach of contract upon the closing of an alleged transaction pursuant to a previously terminated engagement letter between Lux Vending and Canaccord under which Canaccord was to provide certain financial advisory services. The claim also seeks an award for legal and other costs relating to the proceeding. Lux Vending denies the allegations made against it and intends to vigorously defend against them. The range of potential loss related to the identified claim is between $0 and the $23.0 million, the amount of damages that Canaccord is seeking in the lawsuit. The additional costs mentioned in the claim are not able to be estimated at this time. Apart from the initial exchange of pleadings, as of December 31, 2023, no further steps have been taken in the proceeding.
We are also party to various other legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of our business. We believe these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive office is located at 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 750, Atlanta, Georgia, 30326, which is where our records are kept and the principal business address for our executive officers. Our mailing address is 2870 Peachtree Road #327, Atlanta, Georgia, 30305 and our telephone number is (678) 435-9604.
Lux Vending, LLC was incorporated as a Georgia limited liability company on June 7, 2016. In connection with the Closing, Lux Vending, LLC merged with and into Bitcoin Depot Operating LLC, a Delaware limited liability Company, with Bitcoin Depot Operating LLC surviving the merger.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and related notes. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of or that we deem immaterial may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks occur, our business, operating results, financial condition, and future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. Many risks affect more than one category, and the risks are not in order of significance or probability of occurrence because they have been grouped by categories. In that event, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Summary of Risk Factors
The following is a summary of the principal risks that could adversely affect our business, operations and financial results.
Risks Related to our Business and Industry
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Risks Related to Government Regulation and Privacy Matters
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Other categories of risk discussed in more detail below include risks related to third parties, our management and employees, our capital structure and our tax receivables agreement.
Risks Related to our Business and Industry
Our transaction volume may be partially dependent on the prices of Bitcoin we sell, which can be volatile. If such prices decline, the volume of user transactions could decrease and our business, operating results, and financial condition would be adversely affected.
We generate substantially all of our revenue from the cash paid by customers to purchase Bitcoin from our kiosks. The number of user transactions and our transaction volumes may be partially dependent on the prices of Bitcoin, as well as the associated demand for buying, selling and trading Bitcoin, which can be and historically have been volatile. If such prices decline, the number of user transactions or our transaction volumes could decrease. As such, any such declines, or any declines in the price of Bitcoin or market liquidity for cryptocurrency generally, may result in lower total revenue to us. For example, from January 1, 2020 through March 2024, the trading price of Bitcoin appreciated significantly, from a low of approximately $3,800 per Bitcoin in March 2020, to a high of approximately $73,750 per Bitcoin in March 2024. The price and trading volume of any cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, is subject to significant uncertainty and volatility, depending on a number of factors, including:
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There is no assurance that any given cryptocurrency will maintain or increase in value or that there will be meaningful transaction volumes from our users. In the event that the price or trading of, or demand for, cryptocurrency declines, our business, operating results, and financial condition would be adversely affected.
Our long-term success depends on our ability to develop new and innovative products and services to address and keep pace with the rapidly evolving market for payments and financial services, and, if we are not able to implement successful enhancements and new features for our products and services, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Rapid and significant technological changes continue to confront the industries in which we operate, including developments in digital banking, mobile financial apps, ATMs and BTMs, and point-of-service solutions, as well as developments in cryptocurrency and in tokenization, which replaces sensitive data (e.g., payment card information) with symbols (tokens) to keep the data safe in the event that sensitive data is stolen or viewed by unauthorized third parties.
These new and evolving services and technologies may be superior to, impair, or render obsolete the products and services we currently offer or the technologies we currently use to provide them. Incorporating new technologies into our products and services may require substantial expenditures and take considerable time, and we may not be successful in realizing a return on these development efforts in a timely manner or at all. Our ability to develop new and innovative products and services may be inhibited by industry-wide standards, payment networks, existing and future laws and regulations, resistance to change from our users or third parties’ intellectual property rights. Our success will depend on our ability to develop new technologies and to adapt to technological changes and evolving industry standards. If we are unable to provide enhancements and new features for our products and services or to develop new and innovative products and services that achieve market acceptance or that keep pace with rapid technological developments and evolving industry standards, our business, operating results and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
We often rely not only on our own initiatives and innovations, but also on third parties, including some of our competitors, for the development of and access to new technologies and development of a robust market for these new products and technologies. Failure to accurately predict or to respond effectively to developments in our industry may significantly impair our business.
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In addition, because our BitAccess software is designed to operate with a variety of systems and devices, we need to continuously modify and enhance our products and services to keep pace with changes in technologies. Any failure of our BitAccess software to continue to operate effectively with new technologies could reduce our growth opportunities, the demand for our products and services, result in dissatisfaction of our users, and materially and adversely affect our business.
Our risk management efforts may not be effective, which could expose us to losses and liability and otherwise harm our business.
We offer payments and other products and services to a large number of users. We have programs designed to vet and monitor these users and the transactions we process for them as part of our risk management efforts, but such programs require continuous improvement and may not be effective in detecting and preventing fraud and illegitimate transactions. When our services are used to process illicit transactions, and we settle those funds to users and are unable to recover them, we suffer losses and liability. Additionally, illicit transactions can also expose us to governmental and regulatory enforcement actions.
The highly automated nature of, and liquidity offered by, our services make us and our users a target for illegal or improper uses, including scams and fraud directed at our users, fraudulent or illegal sales of goods or services, money laundering, and terrorist financing. Our risk management policies, procedures, techniques, and processes may not be sufficient to identify all risks to which we are exposed, to enable us to prevent or mitigate the risks we have identified, or to identify additional risks to which we may become subject in the future. Our current business, changing and uncertain economic, geopolitical, and regulatory environment, and anticipated domestic and international growth will continue to place significant demands on our risk management and compliance efforts, and we will need to continue developing and improving our existing risk management infrastructure, techniques, and processes.
We maintain insurance policies providing general liability, umbrella and excess liability coverage, each of which has an aggregate limit between $2 million to $5 million, as well as coverage relating to cyber-related incidents, having an aggregate policy limit of approximately $2 million. Typically, these insurance policies have one-year terms, and we are able to apply for term renewal at the end of each calendar year. With respect to termination provisions included in the subject policies, we have the option to terminate each policy by providing notice to the applicable provider and fulfilling our obligation to pay the minimum earned premium due under the applicable policy. While we maintain a program of insurance coverage for various types of liabilities, we may self-insure against certain business risks and expenses where we believe we can adequately self-insure against the anticipated exposure and risk or where insurance is either not available or deemed not cost-effective.
We obtain and process a large amount of sensitive user data. Any real or perceived improper use of, disclosure of, or access to such data could harm our reputation, as well as have an adverse effect on our business.
We obtain and process large amounts of sensitive data, including personal data related to our users and their transactions, such as their names, addresses, social security or tax identification numbers, copies of government-issued identification, facial recognition data (from scanning of photographs for identity verification), bank statements and transaction data. We face risks, including to our reputation, in the handling and protection of this data, and these risks will increase as our business expands, including through our acquisition of, and investment in, other companies and technologies. Federal, state, and international laws and regulations governing privacy, data protection, and e-commerce transactions require us to safeguard our users’, employees’, and service providers’ personal data.
We have administrative, technical, and physical security measures and controls in place and maintain an information security program. However, our security measures, or the security measures of companies we acquire, may be inadequate or breached as a result of third-party action, employee or service provider error, malfeasance, malware, phishing, hacking attacks, system error, trickery, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography, inadequate facility security or otherwise, and, as a result, someone may be able to obtain unauthorized access to sensitive information, including personal data, on our systems. We could be the target of a cyber security incident, which could result in harm to our reputation and financial losses. Additionally, our users have been and could be targeted in cyber security incidents like an account takeover, which could result in harm to our reputation and financial losses. Additionally, privacy and data protection laws are evolving, and these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our data handling safeguards and practices that could result in fines, lawsuits, and other penalties, and significant changes to our business practices and products and services. Our future success depends on the reliability and security of our products and services. To the extent that the measures we or any companies we acquire have taken prove to be insufficient or inadequate, or to the extent we discover a security breach suffered by a company we acquire following the closing of such acquisition, we may become subject to litigation, breach notification obligations, or regulatory or administrative sanctions, which could result in significant fines, penalties, damages, harm to our reputation, or loss of users. If our own confidential business information or sensitive user information were improperly disclosed, our business could be adversely affected. Additionally, a party who circumvents our security measures could, among other effects, appropriate user information or other proprietary data, cause interruptions in our operations, or expose users to hacks, viruses, and other disruptions.
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We face intense competition, and if we are unable to continue to compete effectively for any reason, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
The markets in which we compete are highly competitive, and we face a variety of current and potential competitors that may have larger and more established user bases and substantially greater financial, operational, marketing and other resources than we have. The digital financial system is highly innovative, rapidly evolving, and characterized by healthy competition, experimentation, changing user needs, frequent introductions of new products and services, and subject to uncertain and evolving industry and regulatory requirements. We expect competition to intensify as existing and new competitors introduce new products and services or enhance existing ones. We compete against a number of companies operating both within the U.S. and abroad, including traditional financial institutions, financial technology companies and brokerage firms that have entered the cryptocurrency market in recent years, digital and mobile payment companies offering overlapping features targeted at our users, and companies focused on cryptocurrency.
The products and services provided by our competitors are differentiated by features and functionalities, including brand recognition, user service, reliability, distribution network and options, price, speed, and convenience. Distribution channels such as online, mobile solutions, account deposit and kiosk-based services continue to evolve and impact the competitive environment for cryptocurrency transactions. For example, traditional financial institutions could offer competing cryptocurrency-related products and services to our existing and prospective users.
Our future growth depends on our ability to compete effectively in Bitcoin transaction-related services. For example, if our products and services do not offer competitive features and functionalities or if we do not keep up with technological advances, we may lose users to our competitors, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if we fail to charge our users comparable and appropriate transaction and other fees relative to our competitors, users may not use our services, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, transaction volume, where we face intense competition, could be adversely affected by pricing pressures between our services and those of some of our competitors, which could reduce the markup at which we sell Bitcoin to users and the separate flat transaction fee that we charge and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We have the ability to implement fee adjustments from time to time in response to competition and other factors. Fee reductions could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations in the short-term and may also adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations in the long-term if transaction volumes do not increase sufficiently in response.
Many innovative start-up companies and larger companies have made, and continue to make, significant investments in research and development, and we expect these companies to continue to develop similar or superior products and technologies that compete with our products and services. Further, more traditional financial and non-financial services businesses may choose to offer cryptocurrency-related services in the future as cryptocurrencies gain adoption. Our current and potential competitors may establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their resources.
Our existing competitors have, and our potential competitors are expected to have, various competitive advantages over us, such as:
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If we are unable to compete successfully, or if competing successfully requires us to take costly actions in response to the actions of our competitors, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Converting cash into cryptocurrency (and vice versa) involves risks, which could result in loss of user assets, user disputes and other liabilities, which could adversely impact our business.
To own, transfer and use a cryptocurrency on its underlying blockchain network, a person must have a private and public key pair associated with a network address, commonly referred to as a “wallet.” Each wallet is associated with a unique “public key” and “private key” pair, each of which is a string of alphanumerical characters. Our mobile app allows our users to receive and transfer Bitcoin using an un-hosted digital wallet (which can be created by a user via our mobile app) or by inputting the information for any other digital wallet. Also, some blockchain networks may require additional information to be provided in connection with any transfer of Bitcoin to or from a user’s wallet. A number of errors can occur in the process of converting cash into or transferring Bitcoin by way of our mobile platform, such as typos, mistakes, or the failure to include the information required by the blockchain network. For instance, a user may incorrectly enter the desired recipient’s public key. Alternatively, a user may transfer Bitcoin to a wallet address that such user does not own, control, or hold the private keys to. In addition, each wallet address is only compatible with the underlying blockchain network on which it is created. For instance, a Bitcoin wallet address can only be used to send and receive Bitcoin. If any Ethereum or other cryptocurrency is sent to a Bitcoin wallet address, or if any of the foregoing errors occur, all of the user’s sent cryptocurrency will be permanently and irretrievably lost with no means of recovery. We have encountered and expect to encounter similar incidents with our users. Such incidents could result in user disputes, damage to our brand and reputation, legal claims against us, and financial liabilities, any of which could adversely affect our business.
Disputes with our users could adversely impact our brand and reputation and our business, operating results, and financial condition.
From time to time we have been, and may in the future be, subject to claims and disputes with our users with respect to our products and services, such as regarding the execution and settlement of cryptocurrency trades, fraudulent or unauthorized transactions, account takeovers, deposits and withdrawals of cryptocurrency, failures or malfunctions of our systems and services, or other issues relating to our products and services. Additionally, the ingenuity of criminal fraudsters may cause our users to be subject to ongoing account takeovers and identity fraud issues. While we have taken measures to detect and reduce the risk of fraud, there is no guarantee that they will be successful and, in any case, require continuous improvement and optimization for continually evolving forms of fraud to be effective. There can be no guarantee that we will be successful in detecting and resolving these disputes or defending ourselves in any of these matters, and any failure may result in impaired relationships with our users, damage to our brand and reputation, and substantial fines and damages. In some cases, the measures we have implemented to detect and deter fraud have led to poor user experiences, including indefinite account inaccessibility for some of our users, which increases our user support costs and can compound damages. We could incur significant costs in compensating our users, such as if a transaction was unauthorized, erroneous, or fraudulent. We could also incur significant legal expenses resolving and defending claims, even those without merit. To the extent we are found to have failed to fulfill our regulatory obligations, we could also lose our authorizations, registrations or licenses or become subject to conditions that could make future operations more costly, impair our ability to grow, and adversely impact our operating results. We are subject to investigation and enforcement action by state, federal, and international consumer protection agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), state attorneys general in the U.S., the Canadian Office of Consumer Affairs, and other similar U.S. and Canadian government authorities, each of which monitors user complaints against us and, from time to time, escalates matters for investigation and potential enforcement against us.
While certain of our agreements with users contain arbitration provisions with class action waiver provisions that may limit our exposure to class action litigation, some federal, state, and foreign courts have refused or may refuse to enforce one or more of these provisions, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in enforcing these arbitration provisions, including the class action waiver provisions, in the future or in any given case. Legislative, administrative, or regulatory developments may directly or indirectly prohibit or limit the use of pre-dispute arbitration clauses and class action waiver provisions. Any such prohibitions or limitations on or discontinuation of the use of such arbitration or class action waiver provisions could subject us to additional lawsuits, including additional class action litigation, and significantly limit our ability to avoid exposure from class action litigation.
There are a number of risks associated with our non-U.S. operations that could adversely affect our business.
We provide products and services in the U.S. and Canada and may in the future expand in various international markets. Our ability to grow in international markets and our future results could be adversely affected by a number of factors, including:
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In the future, if a material portion of our revenue is generated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, we will be subject to risks associated with changes in the value of our revenues denominated in non-U.S. dollars. As exchange rates among the U.S. dollar and other currencies fluctuate, the impact of these fluctuations may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition as reported in U.S. dollars.
Our products and services may be exploited to facilitate illegal activity such as fraud, money laundering, gambling, tax evasion, and scams. If any of our users use our business to further such illegal activities, our business could be adversely affected.
Our products and services may be exploited to facilitate illegal activity including fraud, money laundering, gambling, tax evasion, and scams. We may be specifically targeted by individuals seeking to conduct fraudulent transfers, and it may be difficult or impossible for us to detect and avoid such transactions in certain circumstances. The use of our products and services for illegal or other illicit purposes could subject us to claims, individual and class action lawsuits, and government and regulatory investigations, prosecutions, enforcement actions, inquiries, or requests that could result in liability and reputational harm for us. Moreover, certain activities that may be legal in one jurisdiction may be illegal in another jurisdiction, and certain activities that are at one time legal may in the future be deemed illegal in the same jurisdiction. As a result, there is significant uncertainty and cost associated with detecting and monitoring transactions for compliance with local laws. In the event that a user is found responsible for intentionally or inadvertently violating the laws in any jurisdiction, we may be subject to governmental inquiries, enforcement actions, prosecuted, or otherwise held secondarily liable for aiding or facilitating such activities. Changes in law have also increased the penalties for money transmitters for
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certain illegal activities, and government authorities may consider increased or additional penalties from time to time. Government authorities may seek to bring legal action against money transmitters, including us, for involvement in the sale of infringing or allegedly infringing items. Any threatened or resulting claims could result in reputational harm, and any resulting liabilities, loss of transaction volume, or increased costs could harm our business.
Moreover, while fiat currencies can be used to facilitate illegal activities, cryptocurrencies are relatively new and, in many jurisdictions, may be lightly regulated or largely unregulated. Many types of cryptocurrencies have characteristics, such as the speed with which cryptocurrency transactions can be conducted, the ability to conduct transactions without the involvement of regulated intermediaries, the ability to engage in transactions across multiple jurisdictions, the irreversible nature of certain cryptocurrency transactions, and encryption technology that anonymizes these transactions, that make cryptocurrency susceptible to use in illegal activity. U.S. federal and state and foreign regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies, such as the Department of Justice, SEC, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, FTC, or the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), and various state securities and financial regulators have taken and continue to take legal action against persons and entities alleged to be engaged in fraudulent schemes or other illicit activity involving cryptocurrency. Facilitating transactions in cryptocurrency, including those that obscure the identities of the sender and/or receiver, may cause us to be at increased risk of liability arising out of anti-money laundering and economic sanctions laws and regulations.
Like many money service businesses, we face a variety of unique challenges when it comes to anti-money laundering compliance, which require us to implement compliance programs unique in comparison to a bank or large financial institution. Our kiosks operate in retail store fronts detached from the store’s core business operations which necessitates all Know Your Customer and anti-money laundering data collection to be automated at the kiosk without any interpersonal interactions. Further, individuals attempting to shield the ultimate beneficiary of these transactions often move funds from these transactions multiple times. In addition, we do not typically trace where the Bitcoin is sent following the delivery of the Bitcoin from Bitcoin Depot to the user which could make it easier for users to obscure the ultimate beneficiary or end use of the Bitcoin purchased from us, especially when those looking to commit fraud or launder money could present different or even fictitious, counterfeit, or altered identification on separate occasions.
While we have designed our risk management and compliance framework to detect significant illicit activities conducted by our potential or existing users, we cannot ensure that we will be able to detect all illegal or other illicit activity on our platform. If any of our users use our platform to further such illegal or other illicit activities, our business could be adversely affected.
If we fail to retain existing users or add new users, or if our users decrease their level of engagement with our products and services, our business, operating results, and financial condition may be significantly harmed.
Our success depends on our ability to retain existing users and attract new users to increase engagement with our products and services. To do so, we must continue to offer leading technologies and ensure that our products and services are secure, reliable, and engaging. We must also expand our products and services and offer competitive transaction and other fees in an increasingly crowded and price-sensitive market. There is no assurance that we will be able to continue to do so, that we will be able to retain our current users or attract new users, or keep our users engaged. Any number of factors can negatively affect user retention, growth, and engagement, including if:
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From time to time, certain of these factors have negatively affected user retention, growth, and engagement to varying degrees. If we are unable to maintain or increase our user base and user engagement, our revenue and financial results may be adversely affected. Any decrease in user retention, growth, or engagement could render our products and services less attractive to users, which may have an adverse impact on our revenue, business, operating results, and financial condition. If our user growth rate slows or declines, we will become increasingly dependent on our ability to maintain or increase levels of user engagement and monetization in order to drive growth of revenue.
Our products and services may be negatively characterized by consumer advocacy groups, the media or certain federal, state and local government officials, and if those negative characterizations become increasingly accepted by current or potential new users and/or our retail partners, or result in restrictions or limitations on the fees we charge to users, our reputation could be significantly impacted, which when coupled with required modifications to our fee model could result in decreased demand for our products and services and a corresponding decrease in our transaction volume, all of which could materially and adversely impact our business.
Certain media reports have asserted that laws and regulations regarding cryptocurrencies and related transactions and activities should be broader and more restrictive. In many cases, these media reports can focus on fees charged to users, which are often alleged to be higher than the fees typically charged by banks or similar institutions, as well as marketing tactics, which are alleged to target socioeconomically vulnerable communities. The fees and marketing strategies associated with our kiosks are from time to time characterized by consumer advocacy groups and media reports as predatory or abusive without discussing the numerous benefits to users. If the negative characterization of our marketing strategies and/or fee structure becomes increasingly accepted by current or potential new users or our retail partners, demand for our products and services could decrease, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If we are unable to quickly and effectively respond to such characterizations, or if there are modifications to our fee model, including as a result of changes in or the adoption of any laws or regulations imposing restrictions or limitations on the markup at which we sell Bitcoin to users, we may experience declines in user loyalty and transactions and our relationships with our retail partners may suffer, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, any actions by our competitors that are challenged by users, advocacy groups, the media or governmental agencies or entities as being abusive or predatory, could result in our products and services being perceived as unlawful or inappropriate activities or business practices, merely because we operate in the same general industries as such competitors. Such perception, whether or not accurate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our strategy and focus on delivering high-quality, compliant, easy-to-use, and secure Bitcoin-related services may not maximize short-term or medium-term financial results.
We have taken, and expect to continue to take, actions that we believe are in the best interests of our users and the long-term interests of our business, even if those actions do not necessarily maximize short-term or medium-term results. These include expending significant managerial, technical, and legal efforts on complying with laws and regulations that are applicable to our products and services and protecting our and our users’ data. For instance, our compliance personnel costs are approximately $2.0 million annually. Substantially all of our operating costs with respect to regulation and compliance are correlated with our transaction volumes, and mainly driven by payroll to employ a growing number of personnel to support the expansion of our business. We also focus on driving
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long-term engagement with our users through innovation and developing new industry-leading products and technologies. These decisions may not be consistent with the short-term and medium-term expectations of our stockholders and may not produce the long-term benefits that we expect, which could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Any significant disruption in our kiosks or software, information technology systems, or any of the blockchain networks related to our business, could result in a loss of users or funds and adversely impact our brand and reputation and our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Our reputation and ability to attract and retain users and grow our business depends on our ability to operate our products and services at high levels of reliability, scalability, and performance, including the ability to process and monitor, on a daily basis, the transactions that occur across multiple systems. Our kiosks and software, the ability of our users to transact in Bitcoin, and our ability to operate at a high level, are dependent on our ability to access the blockchain networks underlying the supported Bitcoin, for which access is dependent on our systems’ ability to access the internet. Further, the successful and continued operations of such blockchain networks will depend on a network of computers, miners, or validators, and their continued operations, all of which may be impacted by service interruptions.
Our kiosks and certain cryptocurrency and blockchain networks have experienced from time to time, and may experience in the future, service interruptions or degradation because of hardware and software defects or malfunctions, distributed denial-of-service and other cyberattacks, insider threats, break-ins, sabotage, human error, vandalism, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, and other natural disasters, power losses, disruptions in telecommunications services, fraud, military or political conflicts, terrorist attacks, computer viruses or other malware, or other events. In addition, extraordinary transactions or site usage could cause our kiosks to operate at an unacceptably slow speed or even fail.
If any of our kiosks are disrupted for any reason, our products and services may fail, resulting in unanticipated disruptions, slower response times and delays in our users’ transaction execution and processing, failed transactions, incomplete or inaccurate accounting, recording or processing of transactions, unauthorized transactions, loss of user information, increased demand on limited user support resources, user claims, complaints with regulatory organizations, lawsuits, or enforcement actions. A prolonged interruption in the availability or reduction in the availability, speed, or functionality of our products and services could harm our business. Significant or persistent interruptions in our services could cause current or potential users to believe that our kiosks or software are unreliable, leading them to switch to our competitors or to avoid or reduce the use of our products and services, and could permanently harm our reputation and brands. Moreover, to the extent that any system failure or similar event results in damages to our users, these users could seek significant compensation from us for their losses, and those claims, even if unsuccessful, would likely be time-consuming and costly for us to address. Problems with the reliability or security of our kiosks or software would harm our reputation, and damage to our reputation and the cost of remedying these problems could negatively affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Because we are a regulated money services business in certain jurisdictions, interruptions have resulted and in the future may result in regulatory scrutiny, and significant or persistent interruptions could lead to significant fines and penalties, and mandatory and costly changes to our business practices, and ultimately could cause us to lose existing licenses or banking and other relationships that we need to operate or prevent or delay us from obtaining additional authorizations, registrations or licenses that may be required for our business.
In addition, we are continually improving and upgrading our information systems and technologies. We also rely on technologies developed by others, and if we are unable to continue to obtain licenses for such technologies or licenses to substitute for similar technologies, our business could be adversely impacted. Implementation of new systems and technologies is complex, expensive, time-consuming, and may not be successful. If we fail to timely and successfully implement new information systems and technologies, or improvements or upgrades to existing information systems and technologies, or if such systems and technologies do not operate as intended, it could have an adverse impact on our business, internal controls (including internal controls over financial reporting), operating results, and financial condition.
Banks and financial institutions may not provide banking services, or may cut off services, to businesses that engage in Bitcoin and/or other cryptocurrency-related activities, or accept Bitcoin as payment, including financial institutions of investors in our securities, and we may be exposed to counterparty risk as a result.
Although a number of significant U.S. banks and investment institutions, such as Goldman Sachs, Citi Group, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America and BlackRock, have indicated they plan to begin allowing their customers to carry and invest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the acceptance and use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by banks is relatively uncommon and may never become mainstream. Indeed, a number of companies and individuals engaged in Bitcoin and/or other cryptocurrency-related activities have been unable to find banks or financial institutions that are willing to provide them with banking services. Similarly, a number of
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companies and individuals or businesses associated with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies may have had and may continue to have their existing banking services discontinued with financial institutions in response to government action, particularly in China, where the regulatory response to cryptocurrencies has been to exclude their use for ordinary consumer transactions within China. We also may be unable to obtain or maintain these services for our business. To date, we have not experienced such issues in finding banks or financial institutions willing to provide services to us that has had a material impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations. The difficulty that many businesses that provide Bitcoin and/or derivatives on other digital asset-related activities have and may continue to have in finding banks and financial institutions willing to provide them services may be decreasing the usefulness of cryptocurrency as a payment system and harming public perception of cryptocurrency and could decrease cryptocurrency’s usefulness and harm its public perception in the future.
The public perception of Bitcoin or cryptocurrency could be damaged if banks or financial institutions were to close the accounts of businesses engaging in Bitcoin and/or other cryptocurrency-related activities. This could occur as a result of compliance risk, cost, government regulation, or public pressure. The risk applies to securities firms, clearance and settlement firms, national stock and derivatives on commodities exchanges, the over-the-counter market and the Depository Trust Company. The adoption or implementation of similar policies, rules or regulations by these or similar entities could negatively affect our relationships with financial institutions and impede our ability to convert Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to fiat currencies. Such factors could have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue as a going concern or to pursue our strategy at all, which could ultimately have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, or operations and harm investors.
Due to unfamiliarity and some negative publicity associated with cryptocurrency-related businesses, existing and potential users may lose confidence in cryptocurrency-related products and services, which could negatively affect our business.
Cryptocurrency and related products and services are relatively new. Many of our competitors are unlicensed, unregulated, operate without supervision by any governmental authorities, and do not provide the public with significant information regarding their ownership structure, management team, corporate practices, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. As a result, users and the general public may lose confidence in cryptocurrency businesses, including regulated businesses like ours.
Since the inception of the digital financial system, numerous cryptocurrency businesses have been sued, investigated, or shut down due to fraud, manipulative practices, business failure, and security breaches. In many of these instances, customers of these businesses were not compensated or made whole for their losses. Larger businesses like us are more appealing targets for hackers and malware and may also be more likely to be targets of regulatory enforcement actions. For example, in May 2019, Binance, one of the world’s largest platforms, was hacked, resulting in losses of approximately $40 million, and in February 2021, Bitfinex settled a long-running legal dispute with the State of New York related to Bitfinex’s alleged misuse of over $800 million of customer assets. Further, in the first half of 2022, major cryptocurrency lending platforms declared bankruptcy, resulting in a loss of confidence in participants of the digital financial system and negative publicity surrounding cryptocurrency more broadly.
In addition, there have been reports that a significant amount of cryptocurrency trading volume on cryptocurrency businesses is fabricated and false in nature, with a specific focus on unregulated businesses located outside the U.S. Such reports may indicate that the market for cryptocurrency business activities is significantly smaller than otherwise understood.
We have entered into, and may in the future enter into, acquisitions, strategic investments, partnerships or relationships, entries into new businesses, joint ventures, divestitures, and other transactions which could fail to achieve strategic objectives, disrupt our ongoing operations or result in operating difficulties, divert the attention of management, liabilities and expenses, harm our business, and negatively impact our results of operations.
In pursuing our business strategy, we routinely conduct discussions and evaluate opportunities for possible acquisitions, strategic investments, partnerships and relationships, entries into new businesses, joint ventures, divestitures, and other transactions. We have in the past acquired or invested in, and we continue to seek to acquire or invest, in businesses, technologies, or other assets that we believe could complement or expand our business, including acquisitions of new lines of business that are adjacent to or outside of our existing products and services. As we grow, the pace and scale of our acquisitions may increase and may include larger acquisitions than we have done historically. The identification, evaluation, and negotiation of potential acquisition or strategic investment transactions may divert the attention of management and entail various expenses, whether or not such transactions are ultimately completed. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in identifying, negotiating, and consummating favorable transaction opportunities. In addition to transaction and opportunity costs, these transactions involve large challenges and risks, whether or not such transactions are completed, any of which could harm our business and negatively impact our results of operations, including risks that:
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Also, in the future we may choose to divest certain businesses, products, or services. If we decide to sell assets or a business, we may have difficulty obtaining terms acceptable to us in a timely manner, or at all. Additionally, we may experience difficulty separating out portions of, or entire, businesses, incur loss of revenue or experience negative impact on margins, or we may not achieve the desired strategic and financial benefits. Such potential transactions may also delay achievement of our strategic objectives, cause us to incur additional expenses, disrupt user or employee relationships, and expose us to unanticipated or ongoing obligations and liabilities, including as a result of our indemnification obligations. Further, during the pendency of a divestiture, we may be subject to risks such as a decline in the business to be divested, loss of employees, users, or suppliers and the risk that the transaction may not close, any of which would have a material adverse effect on the business to be divested and our retained business. If a divestiture is not completed for any reason, we may not be able to find another buyer on the same terms, and we may have incurred significant costs without the corresponding benefit.
Joint ventures and minority investments inherently involve a lesser degree of control over business operations, thereby potentially increasing the financial, legal, operational, regulatory, and/or compliance risks associated with the joint venture or minority investment. In addition, we may be dependent on joint venture partners, controlling stockholders, management, or other persons or entities who control them and who may have business interests, strategies, or goals that are inconsistent with ours. Business decisions or other actions or omissions of the joint venture partners, controlling stockholders, management, or other persons or entities who control them may adversely affect the value of our investment, result in litigation or regulatory action against us, and may otherwise damage our reputation and brand.
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Our business could be harmed if we are unable to accurately forecast demand for Bitcoin and to adequately manage our Bitcoin balances and kiosk inventory.
We invest broadly in our business, and such investments are partially driven by our expectations of the future success of Bitcoin. An inability to correctly forecast the success of Bitcoin could harm our business. For example, we must forecast kiosk inventory needs and expenses based on our estimates of future demand for Bitcoin and our products and services, and place orders for kiosks sufficiently in advance with our third-party suppliers. In addition, we must forecast demand for Bitcoin to maintain our holdings of Bitcoin at sufficient levels to meet customer needs, while minimizing the potential to hold Bitcoin at levels that could subject us to significant exposure to price volatility. Our ability to accurately forecast demand for Bitcoin and consequently, our products and services, could be affected by many factors, including an increase or decrease in demand for Bitcoin or for our competitors’ products or services, changes in general market or economic conditions, and business closures.
If we underestimate demand for our products or services, the suppliers of our kiosks may not be able to deliver sufficient quantities to meet the demand, and we may experience a shortage of kiosks for deployment. If we overestimate demand for our products and services, we may purchase or lease excess kiosks and the excess kiosks may become obsolete or out-of-date, which may result in write-downs or write-offs and the sale of excess kiosks at discounted prices, which could negatively impact our operating results and our business.
Cryptocurrency balances, including the cryptocurrency balances we maintain for our own account or cryptocurrency balances that may be maintained for us, and any investments in cryptocurrency, is subject to volatile market prices, impairment, and other risks of loss.
We had approximately $0.7 million and $0.5 million of cryptocurrency as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. The prices of cryptocurrencies have been highly volatile and may continue to be volatile in the future, including as a result of various associated risks and uncertainties. For example, the prevalence of cryptocurrency is a relatively recent trend, and the long-term adoption of cryptocurrency by investors, consumers, and businesses remains uncertain. The lack of a physical form, reliance on technology for creation, existence, and transactional validation, and decentralization may subject cryptocurrencies’ integrity to the threat of malicious attacks and technological obsolescence. We currently no longer hold any cryptocurrency as an investment, rather we only hold Bitcoin for operational purposes. To the extent the market value of the Bitcoin we hold continues to decrease relative to the purchase prices, our financial condition may be adversely impacted.
Moreover, cryptocurrencies are considered indefinite-lived intangible assets under applicable accounting rules, meaning that any decrease in its market value below our book value for such asset at any time subsequent to its acquisition will require us to recognize impairment charges, whereas we may make no upward revisions for any market price increases until a sale, which may adversely affect our operating results in any period in which such impairment occurs. We have recorded such impairment charges. If there are future changes in applicable accounting rules that require us to change the manner in which we account for our cryptocurrencies, there could be a material and adverse effect on our financial results and the market price of our Class A common stock.
Our failure to safeguard and manage our 3rd party operators' crypto assets could adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition.
We safeguard crypto assets on behalf of our third-party operators as defined by SAB 121.
We believe our policies, procedures, operational controls and controls over financial reporting, protect us from material risks surrounding the safeguarding of these assets and conflicts of interest. Our financial statements and disclosures, as a whole, are available through periodic filings on a quarterly basis, and compliant with annual audit requirements of Article 3 of Regulation S-X.
Any inability by us to maintain our safeguarding procedures, perceived or otherwise, could harm our business, operating results, and financial condition. Accordingly, we take steps to ensure third-party operator wallets are always secure. Third-party operator wallets are maintained in their own segregated wallet. We safeguard crypto assets using proprietary technology and operational processes. Crypto assets are not guaranteed by any government or government agency, however we have insurance against loss of these assets are insured under our insurance policy coverage as our own crypto assets for operational purposes.
Any material failure by us to maintain the necessary controls, policies, procedures or to manage the crypto assets we hold for our own operating purposes could also adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Our security technology is designed to prevent, detect, and mitigate inappropriate access to our systems, by internal or external threats. We believe we have developed and maintained administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to comply with applicable legal requirements and industry standards. However, it is nevertheless possible that hackers, employees or service providers acting contrary to our policies, or others could circumvent these safeguards to improperly access our systems or documents, or the systems or documents of our business partners, agents, or service providers, and improperly access, obtain, misuse third-party operator crypto
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assets and funds. The methods used to obtain unauthorized access, disable, or degrade service or sabotage systems are also constantly changing and evolving and may be difficult to anticipate or detect for long periods of time. Our ability to maintain insurance is also subject to the insurance carriers’ ongoing underwriting criteria. Any loss of third-party operators' crypto assets could result in a subsequent lapse in insurance coverage, which could cause a substantial business disruption, adverse reputational impact, inability to compete with our competitors, and regulatory investigations, inquiries, or actions. Additionally, transactions undertaken through our websites or other electronic channels may create risks of fraud, hacking, unauthorized access or acquisition, and other deceptive practices. Any security incident resulting in a compromise of third-party operator cryptocurrency assets could result in substantial costs to us and require us to notify impacted operators, and in some cases regulators, of a possible or actual incident, expose us to regulatory enforcement actions, including substantial fines, limit our ability to provide services, subject us to litigation, significant financial losses, damage our reputation, and adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition, and cash flows.
Our products and services may not function as intended due to undetected errors in our software, hardware, and systems, product defects, developmental delays, or due to security breaches or incidents or human error in administering these systems, which could damage user or third-party relations, decrease our potential profitability and expose us to liability, and materially and adversely affect our business.
Our software, hardware, systems, and processes may contain undetected errors or vulnerabilities that could have a material adverse effect on our business, particularly to the extent such errors or vulnerabilities are not detected and remedied quickly. We have from time to time found defects in our user-facing software and hardware, internal systems, and technical integrations with third-party systems, and new errors or vulnerabilities may be introduced in the future. If there are such errors or defects in our software, hardware, or systems, we may face negative publicity, government investigations, and litigation. Additionally, we rely on a limited number of component and product suppliers located outside of the U.S. to manufacture our products. If there are defects in the manufacture of our kiosks, we may face similar negative publicity, investigations, and litigation, and we may not be fully compensated by our suppliers for any financial or other liability that we suffer as a result. As our hardware and software services continue to increase in size and complexity, and as we integrate new, acquired subsidiaries with different technology stacks and practices, these risks may correspondingly increase as well.
In addition, we provide incremental releases of product and service updates and functional enhancements, which increase the possibility of errors. Any errors, data leaks, security breaches or incidents, disruptions in services, or other performance problems with our products or services caused by external or internal actors could hurt our reputation and damage our business. Software and system errors, or human error, could delay or inhibit settlement of payments, result in over settlement, cause reporting errors, or prevent us from collecting transaction- based fees, or negatively impact our ability to serve our users. Similarly, security breaches or incidents, which may be caused by or result from cyber-attacks by hackers or others, computer viruses, worms, ransomware, other malicious software programs, security vulnerabilities, employee or service provider theft, misuse or negligence, phishing, identity theft or compromised credentials, denial-of-service attacks, or other causes, could impact our business and disrupt the proper functioning of our products or services, cause errors, allow loss or unavailability of, unauthorized access to, or disclosure of, proprietary, confidential or otherwise sensitive information of ours or our users, and other destructive outcomes. Any of the foregoing issues could result in costly and time-consuming efforts to redesign and redistribute our products, give rise to regulatory inquiries and investigations, and result in lawsuits and other liabilities and losses, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business.
Cybersecurity threats continue to increase in frequency and sophistication; a successful cybersecurity attack could interrupt or disrupt our information technology systems or cause the loss of confidential or protected data which could disrupt our business, force us to incur excessive costs, cause reputational harm and adversely affect our business.
The size and complexity of our information systems make such systems potentially vulnerable to service interruptions or to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees or vendors, or from attacks by malicious third parties. Such attacks are of ever-increasing levels of sophistication and are made by groups and individuals with a wide range of motives and expertise. While we have invested in the protection of data and information technology, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent or quickly identify service interruptions or security breaches. We maintain cyber liability insurance; however, this insurance may not be sufficient to cover the financial, legal, business or reputational losses that may result from an interruption or breach of our systems. Any such interruption or breach of our systems could adversely affect our business operations and result in the loss of critical or sensitive confidential information or intellectual property and could result in financial, legal, business and reputational harm to us.
Litigation or investigations involving us, our agents or other contractual counterparties could result in material settlements, fines or penalties and may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have been, and in the future may be, subject to allegations and complaints that individuals or entities have used our products and services for fraud-induced money transfers, as well as certain money laundering activities, which may result in fines, penalties,
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judgments, settlements and litigation expenses. We also are the subject from time to time of litigation related to our business. The outcome of such allegations, complaints, claims and litigation cannot be predicted.
Regulatory and judicial proceedings and potential adverse developments in connection with ongoing litigation may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. There may also be adverse publicity associated with lawsuits and investigations that could decrease third-party and consumer use and acceptance of our products and services. Additionally, our business may be the subject of class action lawsuits including securities litigation, regulatory actions and investigations and other general litigation. The outcome of class action lawsuits, including securities litigation, regulatory actions and investigations and other litigation is difficult to assess or quantify but may include substantial fines and expenses, as well as the revocation of required authorizations, registrations or licenses or the loss of approved status, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, and results of operations or users’ confidence in our business. Plaintiffs or regulatory agencies in these lawsuits, actions or investigations may seek recovery of very large or indeterminate amounts, and the magnitude of these actions may remain unknown for substantial periods of time. The cost to defend or settle future lawsuits or investigations may be significant. In addition, improper activities, lawsuits or investigations involving third parties may adversely impact our business operations or reputation even if we are not directly involved.
Major bank failure or sustained financial market illiquidity, or illiquidity at our clearing, cash management and custodial financial institutions, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We face certain risks in the event of a sustained deterioration of financial market liquidity, as well as in the event of sustained deterioration in the liquidity, or failure, of our clearing, cash management and custodial financial institutions. In particular:
If financial liquidity deteriorates, there can be no assurance we will not experience an adverse effect, which may be material, on our ability to access capital and on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our recent rapid growth, including in our transaction volume, may not be indicative of our future growth. Our rapid growth also makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and may increase the risk that we will not be successful.
Our revenue was approximately $689.0 million in 2023 and $646.8 million in 2022. We have recently experienced significant growth in our transaction volume from the years ended December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023. However, even if our transaction volume continues to increase, we expect that our growth rate will decline in the future as a result of a variety of factors, including the increasing scale of our business, new entrants into the market and the maturation of the BTM operator industry. Overall growth of our transaction volume depends on a number of factors, and we may not successfully accomplish our objectives, which makes it difficult for us to forecast our future operating results. If the assumptions that we use to plan our business are incorrect or change in reaction to changes in our market, or if we are unable to maintain or grow transaction volumes, our stock price could be volatile, and it may be difficult to achieve and maintain profitability. Additionally, if we fail to address the risks and difficulties that we face, including those associated with the factors listed above as well as those described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section, our growth rate will be adversely affected. You should not rely on our results for any prior quarterly or annual periods as any indication of our future transaction volumes or revenue growth.
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The further development and acceptance of cryptocurrency networks and other cryptocurrencies, which represent a new and rapidly changing industry, are subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to predict and evaluate. The slowing or stopping of the development or acceptance of digital asset systems may adversely affect an investment in us.
Cryptocurrency that may be used to buy and sell goods and services, among other things, are a new and rapidly evolving industry which is subject to a high degree of uncertainty. The factors affecting the further development of the digital asset industry, as well as the digital asset networks, include:
We are, or may in the future, be susceptible to risks arising from disruptions in crypto asset markets. Such risks could potentially result in, among other things:
Additionally, although we are not directly connected to recent crypto market events, we may still suffer reputational harm due to our association with the cryptocurrency industry in light of the recent disruption in, or as a result of any future disruptions in, the crypto asset markets. Specifically, recent negative publicity stemming from these market disruptions and speculation of potential future disruptions increases our risk of reputational harm simply by association with the industry.
Further, any future market disruptions resulting in overall decreased interest in Bitcoin could harm our business. The prevalence of cryptocurrency is a relatively recent trend, and the long-term adoption of cryptocurrency by investors, consumers, and businesses remains uncertain.
The number of user transactions and our transaction volumes is partially dependent on the price of Bitcoin, as well as the associated demand for buying, selling, and trading Bitcoin, which can be and historically have been volatile. If such prices decline, the number of user transactions or our transaction volumes could decrease. As such, any such declines, or any declines in the price of Bitcoin or market liquidity for cryptocurrency generally, may result in lower total revenue to us due to an associated decrease in demand for our products and services. The price and trading volume of any cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, is subject to significant uncertainty and volatility, depending on a number of factors, as discussed elsewhere in this section under the subheading “—Our transaction volume may be partially dependent on the prices of Bitcoin we sell, which can be volatile. If such prices decline, the volume of user transactions could decrease and our business, operating results, and financial condition would be adversely affected.”
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Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, such as actual events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults, or non-performance by financial institutions or transactional counterparties, could adversely affect our current and projected business operations, our financial condition, and results of operations.
Actual events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance, or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. For example, on March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”), was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), as receiver. Similarly, on March 12, 2023, Signature Bank Corp. (“Signature”), and Silvergate Capital Corp. were each swept into receivership. Although a statement by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Federal Reserve and the FDIC indicated that all depositors of SVB would have access to all of their money after only one business day of closure, including funds held in uninsured deposit accounts, borrowers under credit agreements, letters of credit and certain other financial instruments with SVB, Signature or any other financial institution that is placed into receivership by the FDIC may be unable to access undrawn amounts thereunder. Although we are not a borrower under or party to any material letter of credit or any other such instruments with SVB, Signature or any other financial institution currently in receivership, and we are not a borrower under or party to any credit agreement with such institutions, if we enter into any such instruments and any of our lenders or counterparties to such instruments were to be placed into receivership, we may be unable to access such funds. In addition, if any of our partners, suppliers or other parties with whom we conduct business are unable to access funds pursuant to such instruments or lending arrangements with such a financial institution, such parties’ ability to pay their obligations to us or to enter into new commercial arrangements requiring additional payments to us could be adversely affected. In this regard, counterparties to SVB credit agreements and arrangements, and third parties such as beneficiaries of letters of credit (among others), may experience direct impacts from the closure of SVB and uncertainty remains over liquidity concerns in the broader financial services industry. Similar impacts have occurred in the past, such as during the 2008 to 2010 financial crisis.
Inflation and rapid increases in interest rates have led to a decline in the trading value of previously issued government securities with interest rates below current market interest rates. Although the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve Board have announced a program to provide up to $25 billion of loans to financial institutions secured by certain of such government securities held by financial institutions to mitigate the risk of potential losses on the sale of such instruments, widespread demands for customer withdrawals or other liquidity needs of financial institutions for immediate liquidity may exceed the capacity of such program. Additionally, we regularly maintain cash balances at third-party financial institutions in excess of the FDIC standard insurance limit, and there is no guarantee that the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve Board will provide access to uninsured funds in the future in the event of the closure of such banks or financial institutions, or that they would do so in a timely fashion.
Our access to funding sources and other credit arrangements in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our current and projected future business operations could be significantly impaired by factors that affect us, any financial institutions with which we enter into credit agreements or arrangements directly, or the financial services industry or economy in general. These factors could include, among others, events such as liquidity constraints or failures, the ability to perform obligations under various types of financial, credit or liquidity agreements or arrangements, disruptions or instability in the financial services industry or financial markets, or concerns or negative expectations about the prospects for companies in the financial services industry. These factors could involve financial institutions or financial services industry companies with which we have financial or business relationships but could also include factors involving financial markets or the financial services industry generally. We have not materially modified or updated our policies and practices as they relate to our banking partners and related counterparties in light of the recent financial services industry instability.
The results of events or concerns that involve one or more of these factors could include a variety of material adverse effects on our current and projected business operations and our financial condition and results of operations. These risks include, but may not be limited to, the following:
In addition, investor concerns regarding the U.S. or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit
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and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult for us to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any decline in available funding or access to our cash and liquidity resources could, among other risks, adversely impact our ability to meet our operating expenses or other obligations, financial or otherwise, result in breaches of our financial and/or contractual obligations or result in violations of federal or state wage and hour laws. Any of these impacts, or any other impacts resulting from the factors described above or other related or similar factors, could have material adverse effects on our liquidity and our current and/or projected business operations and financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, any further deterioration in the macroeconomic economy or financial services industry could lead to losses or defaults by our partners, vendors or suppliers, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our current and/or projected business operations and results of operations and financial condition. For example, a partner may fail to make payments when due, default under their agreements with us, become insolvent or declare bankruptcy, or a supplier may determine that it will no longer deal with us as a customer. In addition, a vendor or supplier could be adversely affected by any of the liquidity or other risks that are described above as factors that could result in material adverse effects on us, including but not limited to delayed access or loss of access to uninsured deposits or loss of the ability to draw on existing credit facilities involving a troubled or failed financial institution. The bankruptcy or insolvency of any partner, vendor or supplier, or the failure of any partner to make payments when due, or any breach or default by a partner, vendor or supplier or the loss of any significant supplier relationships, could cause us to suffer material losses and may have a material adverse effect on our business.
If we are unable to adequately protect our brands and the intellectual property rights related to our existing and any new or enhanced products and services, or if we infringe on the rights of others, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our brands are important to our business. We utilize trademark registrations in the countries we operate and other tools to protect our brands. Our business would be harmed if we were unable to adequately protect our brands and the value of our brands was to decrease as a result.
We rely on a combination of patent, trademark and copyright laws, trade secret protection and confidentiality and license agreements to protect the intellectual property rights related to our products and services. We also investigate the intellectual property rights of third parties to prevent our infringement of those rights. We may be subject to third-party claims alleging that we infringe their intellectual property rights or have misappropriated other proprietary rights. We may be required to spend resources to defend such claims or to protect and police our own rights, including maintenance costs as well as expenses associated with sending and responding to demand letters and with administrative proceedings or litigation. We cannot be certain of the outcome of any such allegations. Some of our intellectual property rights may not be protected by intellectual property laws, particularly in foreign jurisdictions.
The loss of our intellectual property protection, the inability to secure or enforce intellectual property protection or to successfully defend against claims of intellectual property infringement could harm our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operation.
BitAccess provides operating software to third-party BTM operators to run their machines, which could lead to access to information about the operations of our competitors, giving us an anti-competitive advantage that could result in a higher risk of litigation if sufficient controls are not in place.
BitAccess provides operating software to multiple BTM operators. Through our acquisition of BitAccess, we supply software to some of our competitors. If a party (whether internal, external, an affiliate or unrelated third-party) is able to circumvent our data security systems or those of the competitors to whom we supply software, or engage in cyber-attacks, such party could obtain our competitors’ proprietary information, the loss, theft or inaccessibility of, unauthorized access to, or improper use or disclosure of, our competitors’ data and/or significant interruptions in our competitors’ operations. Further, if sufficient controls are not in place, or if we fail to implement adequate data security practices or fail to comply with our policies or otherwise suffer a network or other security breach, our competitors’ information may be improperly (even if inadvertently) accessed, used or disclosed. If any of the foregoing were to occur, we could potentially have visibility into the operations of our competitors, which may give us an unfair, anti-competitive advantage. As a result, we could be subject to claims of alleged infringement, misappropriation, or other violations of the intellectual property rights of our competitors or other third parties in the operation of our business, including for our use of our competitors’ or other third-party intellectual property rights or our internally developed or acquired intellectual property and technologies. Consequently, this could lead to a higher litigation risk in the future. We maintain a comprehensive portfolio of insurance policies to
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meet both our legal obligations and to cover perceived risks within our business, but we cannot know whether our coverage and the deductibles under these policies are adequate to protect us against the aforementioned risks that we face.
We are subject to economic and geopolitical risk, business cycles, and the overall level of consumer, business and government spending, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
The cryptocurrency payments technology industry depends heavily on the overall level of consumer, business and government spending. We are exposed to general economic conditions that affect consumer confidence, spending, and discretionary income and changes in consumer purchasing habits. A sustained deterioration in general economic conditions in the markets in which we operate, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressure or interest rate fluctuations may adversely affect our financial performance by reducing demand for cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency-based services and thereby reducing transaction volumes. A reduction in transaction volumes could result in a decrease in our revenues and profits.
A downturn in the economy could force retailers or financial institutions to close or petition for bankruptcy protection, resulting in lower revenue and earnings for us. We also have a certain amount of fixed costs, such as rents, debt service, and salaries, which could limit our ability to quickly adjust costs and respond to changes in our business and the economy. Changes in economic conditions could also adversely affect our future revenues and profits and cause a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
In addition, our business, growth, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by instability or changes in a country’s or region’s economic conditions; inflation; changes in laws or regulations or in the interpretation of existing laws or regulations, whether caused by a change in government or otherwise; increased difficulty of conducting business in a country or region due to actual or potential political or military conflict; or action by the U.S. or foreign governments that may restrict our ability to transact business in a foreign country or with certain foreign individuals or entities. A possible slowdown in global trade caused by increasing tariffs or other restrictions could decrease consumer or corporate confidence and reduce consumer, government and corporate spending in countries inside or outside the U.S., which could adversely affect our operations. Climate-related events, including extreme weather events and natural disasters and their effect on critical infrastructure in the U.S. or internationally, could have similar adverse effects on our operations, users, or third-party suppliers.
We depend on major mobile operating systems and third-party platforms. If Google Play, the Apple App Store, or other platforms prevent users from downloading our mobile app, our ability to grow may be adversely affected.
We rely upon third-party platforms for the distribution of certain products and services. Our mobile app is provided as a free application through both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The Google Play Store and Apple App Store are global application distribution platforms and the main distribution channels for our mobile app. As such, the promotion, distribution, and operation of our mobile app is subject to the respective platforms’ terms and policies for application developers, which are very broad and subject to frequent changes and re-interpretation.
The terms and conditions under which we access these distribution platforms may contain restrictions related to cryptocurrencies that could be broadly construed, and if construed to encompass the functionality of our mobile app, could limit the nature and scope of services that can be offered. If our products and services are found to be in violation of any such terms and conditions, we may no longer be able to offer our products and services through such third-party platforms. There can be no guarantee that third-party platforms will continue to support our mobile application, or that users will be able to continue to use our products and services. Any changes, bugs, technical or regulatory issues with third-party platforms, our relationships with mobile manufacturers and carriers, or changes to their terms of service or policies could degrade our app’s functionalities, reduce or eliminate our ability to distribute our app, give preferential treatment to competitive products and services, limit our ability to deliver high quality offerings, or impose fees or other charges, any of which could affect usage of our products and services and harm our business.
If miners or validators of Bitcoin demand high transaction fees, our operating results may be adversely affected.
Miners and validators are individuals or entities who operate a computer or group of computers that add new transactions to blocks, and verify blocks created by other miners. Miners collect transaction fees and are rewarded with new tokens for their services, which such fees and rewards can be unpredictable. When a user buys Bitcoin from a kiosk, miner fees incurred to process the withdrawal transaction on the underlying blockchain network are an inherent component of the transaction costs. If the block rewards for miners on any blockchain network are not sufficiently high to incentivize miners, miners may demand higher transaction fees, or collude to reject low transaction fees and force users to pay higher fees. Although we generally attempt to pass miner fees through to our users, we may incur from time to time, reduced margins related to higher miner fees in excess of what we expect when we charge a transaction fee to our users, resulting in adverse impacts on our operating results.
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We rely on search engines, social networking sites, and other web-based platforms to attract a meaningful portion of our users, and if those search engines, social networking sites and other web-based platforms change their listings or policies regarding advertising, or increase their pricing or suffer problems, it may limit our ability to attract new users.
Many users locate our website and kiosks through internet search engines, such as Google, and advertisements on social networking sites and other web-based platforms. If we are listed less prominently or fail to appear in search results for any reason, downloads of our mobile application, and visits to our website and kiosks, could decline significantly, and we may not be able to replace this traffic. Search engines revise their algorithms from time to time in an attempt to optimize their search results. If the search engines on which we rely for algorithmic listings modify their algorithms, we may appear less prominently or not at all in search results, which could result in reduced traffic to our website or kiosks that we may not be able to replace. Additionally, if the costs of search engine marketing services, such as Google AdWords, increase, we may incur additional marketing expenses, we may be required to allocate a larger portion of our marketing spend to this channel or we may be forced to attempt to replace it with another channel (which may not be available at reasonable prices, if at all), and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Furthermore, competitors may in the future bid on search terms that we use to drive traffic to our website and engagement with current and potential users. Such actions could increase our marketing costs and result in decreased traffic to our website or use of our application and kiosks. In addition, search engines, social networking sites and other web-based platforms may change their advertising policies from time to time. If any change to these policies delays or prevents us from advertising through these channels, it could result in reduced traffic to our website or use of our application and kiosks. Additionally, new search engines, social networking sites and other web-based platforms may develop in specific jurisdictions or more broadly that reduce traffic on existing search engines, social networking sites and other web-based platforms. Moreover, the use of voice recognition technology such as Alexa, Google Assistant, Cortana, or Siri may drive traffic away from search engines, potentially resulting in reduced traffic to our website or use of our application and kiosks. If we are not able to achieve awareness through advertising or otherwise, we may not achieve significant traffic to our website, mobile application or kiosks.
The nature of our business requires the application of complex financial accounting rules. If financial accounting standards undergo significant changes, our operating results could be adversely affected.
The accounting rules and regulations that we must comply with are complex and subject to interpretation by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”), the SEC, and various bodies formed to promulgate and interpret appropriate accounting principles. A change in these principles or interpretations could have a significant effect on our reported financial results, and may even affect the reporting of transactions completed before the announcement or effectiveness of a change. For example, on March 31, 2022, the staff of the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121, or SAB 121, which represents a significant change regarding how a company safeguarding crypto assets held for its platform users reports such crypto assets on its balance sheet and requires retrospective application as of January 1, 2022. Moreover, recent actions and public comments from the FASB and the SEC have focused on the integrity of financial reporting and internal controls. In addition, many companies’ accounting policies are being subjected to heightened scrutiny by regulators and the public. Further, there has been limited precedent for the financial accounting of crypto assets and related valuation and revenue recognition. Currently, we account for the crypto assets we hold for operating purposes as intangible assets with indefinite useful lives, which requires us to measure these crypto assets at cost less impairment. As a result of the high volatility in the crypto economy and of crypto asset prices, which may continue to experience significant declines, we may continue to record impairment charges on the crypto assets we hold in a particular period.
In December 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2023-08, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Crypto Assets (ASU 2023-08): Accounting for and Disclosure of Crypto Assets, which represents a significant change in how entities that hold crypto assets will account for certain of those holdings. ASU 2023-08 will require us to measure crypto assets that meet the scope criteria at fair value and to reflect changes in fair value in net income each reporting period. The amendments in ASU 2023-08 will also require us to present crypto assets measured at fair value separately from other intangible assets on the balance sheet and changes in the fair value measurement of crypto assets separately from changes in the carrying amounts of other intangible assets on the income statement. The amendments in ASU 2023-08 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted.
Uncertainties in or changes to regulatory or financial accounting standards could result in the need to change our accounting methods and restate our financial statements and impair our ability to provide timely and accurate financial information, which could adversely affect our financial statements, result in a loss of investor confidence, and more generally impact our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Risks Related to Government Regulation and Privacy Matters
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Any failure to obtain or maintain necessary money transmission registrations and licenses could adversely affect our operations.
We currently operate in states where we have obtained the requisite licenses to the extent that the laws and regulations of such states clearly indicate that a license is required or where state regulators have advised us that we need a license to operate. In the U.S., we are registered as a money services business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“FinCEN”) and are currently also licensed to operate as a money transmitter in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. In Canada, we are registered with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada ("FINTRAC") as a money services business. We have applied for a BitLicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services and have money transmitter license applications pending in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. We also currently operate in states where we do not believe we are required, or have been informed by the relevant jurisdiction that we are not required, to obtain money transmitter licenses or any other required licenses. This belief is based on our analysis of the applicable laws and regulations and/or our communications with the regulators in the relevant jurisdiction. We plan to apply for money transmitter or virtual currency licenses or their equivalents in additional jurisdictions as needed. As we obtain additional licenses, we may be required to bear ongoing costs to comply with the requirements of the additional states or jurisdictions. If our licenses are not renewed, we are denied licenses in additional states or jurisdictions where we choose to apply for a license, or jurisdictions that have previously not required a license require a license in the future, we could be forced to seek a license or change our business practices.
As a money services business and a money transmitter, we are subject to a range of legal obligations and requirements including bonding, net worth maintenance, user notice and disclosure, reporting, recordkeeping and cybersecurity requirements, and obligations that apply to the safeguarding of third-party funds and crypto assets. In addition, the licensed entity within our corporate structure is subject to inspection and examination by the state licensing agencies and certain actions involving that entity, such as changes in controlling equity holders, board members, and senior management, may require regulatory approval. Further, if we were found by these regulators to be in violation of any applicable laws, rules, or regulations, we could be subject to fines, penalties, lawsuits, and enforcement actions, additional compliance requirements, increased regulatory scrutiny of our business, restriction of our operations, or damage to our reputation or brand. Regulatory requirements are constantly evolving, and we cannot predict whether we will be able to meet changes to existing regulations or the introduction of new regulations without such compliance harming our business, financial condition, and operating results.
Certain jurisdictions have enacted rules that require money transmitters, money services businesses, or virtual currency businesses to establish and maintain transaction monitoring, filtering, scanning and cybersecurity programs. Wherever we are subject to these rules, we are required to adopt business practices that require additional expenditures and impact our operating results.
Additionally, if federal, state, or international regulators were to take actions that limit or prohibit us or our business partners from continuing to operate our business or their businesses as currently operated, whether by imposing additional requirements, compliance obligations or sanctions, such actions could harm our business. Any change to our business practices that makes our service less attractive to users or prohibits use of our services by residents of a particular jurisdiction could decrease our transaction volume and harm our business.
We are subject to an extensive and highly evolving regulatory landscape and any adverse changes to, or our failure to comply with, any laws, rules, and regulations could adversely affect our brand, reputation, business, operating results, and financial condition.
Our business is subject to extensive laws, rules, regulations, policies, orders, determinations, directives, and legal and regulatory interpretations and guidance in the markets in which we operate. The scope of laws, rules, and regulations that can impact our business is expansive and includes certain of the requirements that apply to financial services, money transmission, privacy protection, cybersecurity, electronic payments, securities and commodities regulation, data governance, data protection, fraud detection, marketing (including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991), civil rights (including the Americans with Disabilities Act, which generally requires, among other things, that our BTMs be accessible to individuals with disabilities, such as visually- impaired persons), competition, bankruptcy, tax, anti-bribery, economic and trade sanctions, anti-money laundering, and counter-terrorist financing as well as bespoke cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency laws that have been adopted in some jurisdictions that can impact cryptocurrency custody, exchange, and transfer, cross-border and domestic cryptocurrency transmission.
Many of these legal and regulatory regimes were adopted prior to the advent of the internet, mobile technologies, cryptocurrencies, and related technologies. As a result, some applicable laws, rules and regulations do not contemplate or address unique issues associated with cryptocurrencies or the digital financial system, are subject to significant uncertainty, and vary widely across U.S. federal, state, and local and international jurisdictions. These legal and regulatory regimes evolve frequently and may be modified, interpreted, and applied in an inconsistent manner from one jurisdiction to another, and may conflict with one another. Moreover, the complexity and evolving nature of our business and the significant uncertainty surrounding the regulation of cryptocurrencies and the
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digital financial system requires us to exercise our judgment as to whether certain laws, rules, and regulations apply to us, and it is possible that governmental bodies and regulators may disagree with our conclusions. For example, in light of the regulatory uncertainty around what digital assets qualify as “securities” under U.S. federal securities laws, we elected to only transact in Bitcoin and stop offering transactions of Litecoin and Ethereum.
To the extent we have not complied with such laws, rules, and regulations, we could be subject to significant fines, revocation of authorizations, registrations or licenses, limitations on our products and services, whistleblower complaints, reputational harm, and other regulatory consequences, each of which may be significant and could adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.
In addition to existing laws, rules and regulations, various governmental and regulatory bodies, including legislative and executive bodies, in the U. S. and in other jurisdictions may adopt new laws, rules, regulations and regulatory requirements. For example, we could become subject to laws, regulations or other regulatory action imposing restrictions, disclosure requirements or limitations on the transaction fees that we are able to charge our users for Bitcoin transactions, including the markup at which we sell Bitcoin to users and the separate flat transaction fee that we charge. As a result, we may not be able to sell Bitcoin at a profitable margin, which would adversely affect our revenue and financial condition. Furthermore, new interpretations of existing laws, rules, and regulations may be issued by such bodies or the judiciary, which may adversely impact the development of the digital financial system as a whole and our legal and regulatory status in particular by changing how we operate our business, how our products and services are regulated, and what products or services we and our competitors can offer, requiring changes to our compliance and risk mitigation measures, imposing new registration or licensing requirements, or imposing a total ban on certain Bitcoin transactions, as has occurred in certain jurisdictions in the past.
We are subject to ongoing supervision, examination, oversight, and reviews and currently are, and expect in the future, to be subject to investigations and inquiries, by U.S. federal and state regulators, and foreign financial service regulators. As a result of findings from these reviews and examinations, regulators have, are, and may in the future require us to take certain actions, including amending, updating, or revising our compliance policies and procedures from time to time, limiting the kinds of users that we provide services to, changing, terminating, or delaying our registrations or licenses and the introduction of our existing or new product and services, and undertaking further external audits. From time to time, we may receive examination reports citing violations of rules and regulations, inadequacies in existing compliance programs, and requiring us to enhance certain practices with respect to our compliance program, including user due diligence, transaction monitoring, training, and regulatory reporting and recordkeeping. Implementing appropriate measures to properly remediate these examination findings may require us to incur significant costs, and if we fail to properly remediate any of these examination findings, we could face civil litigation, significant fines, damage awards, forced removal of certain employees including members of our executive team, barring of certain employees from participating in our business in whole or in part, revocation of existing authorizations, registrations or licenses, limitations on existing and new products and services, reputational harm, negative impact to our existing relationships with regulators, exposure to criminal liability, or other regulatory consequences. Further, we believe increasingly strict legal and regulatory requirements and additional regulatory investigations and enforcement, any of which could occur or intensify, may continue to result in changes to our business practices, as well as increased costs, and supervision and examination for ourselves and our service providers. Moreover, new laws, rules, regulations, or interpretations may result in additional litigation, regulatory investigations, and enforcement or other actions, including preventing or delaying us from offering certain products or services offered by our competitors or could impact how we offer such products and services. Adverse changes to, or our failure to comply with, any laws, rules, and regulations have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on our reputation and brand and our business, operating results, and financial condition.
It may become illegal to acquire, own, hold, sell, or use Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, participate in blockchains or utilize cryptocurrencies in other countries, which would adversely affect us.
Although currently the use of cryptocurrencies generally is not restricted in most countries, countries such as China and Russia have taken harsh regulatory actions to curb the use of cryptocurrencies and may continue to take regulatory actions in the future that could severely restrict the right to acquire, own, hold, sell or use cryptocurrencies or to exchange them for fiat currency. In September 2021, China instituted a blanket ban on all cryptocurrency transactions and mining, including services provided by overseas cryptocurrency exchanges in mainland China, effectively making all cryptocurrency-related activities illegal in China. In other nations, including Russia, it is illegal to accept payment in cryptocurrency for consumer transactions, and banking institutions are barred from accepting deposits of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. In January 2022, the Central Bank of Russia called for a ban on cryptocurrency activities ranging from mining to trading. While our operations are currently limited to the U.S. and Canada, such restrictions may adversely affect our growth potential or us if the restrictions limit the large-scale use of cryptocurrency or if the use of cryptocurrency becomes
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confined to certain regions globally. Such circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition.
The theft, loss, or destruction of private keys required to access any Bitcoin may be irreversible. If we are unable to access our private keys or if we experience a hack or other data loss relating to our ability to access any Bitcoin, it could cause regulatory scrutiny, reputational harm, and other losses.
Bitcoin is generally accessible only by the possessor of the unique private key relating to the digital wallet in which the Bitcoin is held. While blockchain protocols typically require public addresses to be published when used in a transaction, private keys must be safeguarded and kept private to prevent a third-party from accessing the Bitcoin held in the applicable wallet. To the extent that any of the private keys relating to our wallets containing Bitcoin held for our own account or our users’ private keys relating to their un-hosted wallets is lost, destroyed, or otherwise compromised or unavailable, and no backup of the private key is accessible, we or our users will be unable to access the Bitcoin held in the related wallet. Further, we cannot provide assurance that our or our users’ wallets will not be hacked or otherwise compromised. Cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies have been, and may in the future be, subject to security breaches, hacking, or other malicious activities. Any loss of private keys relating to, or any hack or other compromise of, digital wallets used to store our users’ Bitcoin could adversely affect our users’ ability to access or sell their Bitcoin, as well as result in loss of user trust in us. As such, any loss of private keys due to a hack, employee or service provider misconduct or error, or other compromise by third parties could hurt our brand and reputation, result in significant losses, and adversely impact our business. The balance in Bitcoin Depot’s hot wallets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, was approximately $0.7 million. The average balance in Bitcoin Depot’s hot wallets during the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, was $0.6 million and $0.3 million, respectively.
The digital financial system is novel. As a result, policymakers are just beginning to consider what a regulatory regime for cryptocurrencies should look like and the elements that would serve as the foundation for such a regime. If we are unable to effectively react to future proposed legislation and regulation of cryptocurrencies or cryptocurrency businesses, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected.
The digital financial system is novel. As a result, many policymakers are just beginning to consider what a regulatory regime for cryptocurrency should look like and the elements that would serve as the foundation for such a regime. As cryptocurrency has grown in both popularity and market size, various U.S. federal, state, and local and foreign governmental organizations, consumer protection agencies, and public advocacy groups have been examining the operations of cryptocurrency networks, users and platforms, with a focus on how cryptocurrencies can be used to launder the proceeds of illicit activities, fund criminal or terrorist enterprises, and the safety and soundness of platforms and other service providers that hold cryptocurrencies for users. Many of these entities have called for heightened regulatory oversight, and have proposed legislation and regulations, undertaken enforcement actions and/or issued consumer advisories describing the risks posed by cryptocurrencies to users and investors. The impacts of such potential and proposed heightened regulatory oversight are not yet known.
For example, in Connecticut, Substitute House Bill 6752 concerns digital assets, authorizes the state banking commissioner to adopt, amend and rescind regulations, forms and orders governing the business use of digital assets, defines virtual currency address, virtual currency kiosk and virtual currency wallet, and establishes certain requirements applicable to owners or operators of virtual currency kiosks. Additionally, on October 13, 2023, Governor Newsom signed the California Digital Financial Assets Law and Senate Bill 401, which together will regulate virtual currency activities within the state when the laws become fully effective on July 1, 2025 with some provisions becoming effective beginning January 1, 2024. Although the governor has acknowledged that certain aspects of the laws are ambiguous, these pending additions to the California Financial Code aim to regulate digital financial asset transaction kiosks (a “crypto kiosk”), including by imposing the following: (i) for operators that permit customers to maintain fiat currency balances, limiting to $1,000 per day the amount of funds that the operator can accept from, or dispense to a California resident at its crypto kiosks effective January 1, 2024; (ii) limiting the direct and indirect charges an operator may collect from a customer for a single transaction to the greater of $5 or 15% of the dollar equivalent of the digital assets involved in the transaction effective January 1, 2025; (iii) requiring that specific information (including the amount of fees, expenses and charges, as well as any spread between the dollar price of the digital asset charged to the customer and the dollar price for that asset listed by a digital asset exchange) be disclosed both prior to a transaction and on transaction receipts printed by crypto kiosks following the transaction, effective January 1, 2025; and (iv) requiring operators to provide the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (the “DFPI”) with a list of all locations of the crypto kiosks that the operator owns, operates or manages in California, which the DFPI would publish on the DFPI’s website effective July 1, 2025. Although we believe we will be able to comply with the new California laws (as well as similar laws in New York state) when it becomes effective, final regulations have not yet been published and may prove to be more challenging than expected for compliance.
In addition, other state agencies may propose and adopt new regulations (or interpret existing regulations) in ways that could result in significant adverse changes in the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies, regardless of whether these or other new laws are adopted. Competitors, including providers of traditional financial services, have spent years cultivating professional relationships with
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relevant policymakers on behalf of their industry so that those policymakers may understand that industry, the current legal landscape affecting that industry, and the specific policy proposals that could be implemented to responsibly develop that industry. The lobbyists working for these competitors have similarly spent years developing and working to implement strategies to advance these industries. Members of the digital financial system have started to engage policymakers directly and with the help of external advisors and lobbyists, but this work is still in a relatively nascent stage. As a result, our industry may not be able to adequately engage with legislators regarding new laws, rules, and regulations that may be proposed and adopted in the U.S. and internationally, or regarding interpretations of existing laws, rules, and regulations that may be interpreted in new ways, that harm the digital financial system or digital asset businesses, and which could in turn adversely impact our business.
Our obligations to comply with the laws, rules, regulations, and policies of a variety of jurisdictions may increase and we may be subject to inquiries, investigations, and enforcement actions by U.S. and non-U.S. regulators and governmental authorities, including those related to sanctions, export control, and anti-money laundering.
If we expand our non-U.S. activities, we may become obligated to comply with additional laws, rules, regulations, policies, and legal interpretations of both the jurisdictions in which we operate and those into which we offer products and services on a cross-border basis. For instance, financial regulators outside the U.S. have in recent months significantly increased their scrutiny of digital asset exchanges, such as by requiring digital asset exchanges operating in their local jurisdictions to be regulated and licensed under local laws. Moreover, laws regulating financial services, the internet, mobile technologies, cryptocurrencies, and related technologies outside of the U.S. are evolving, extensive and could impose different, more specific, or even conflicting obligations on us, as well as broader liability. In addition, we are required to comply with laws, rules, and regulations related to economic sanctions and export controls enforced by U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and U.S. anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws, rules, and regulations enforced by FinCEN and certain state financial services regulators. U.S. sanctions and export control laws and regulations generally restrict dealings by persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction with certain jurisdictions that are the target of comprehensive embargoes, currently the Crimea Region, the Donetsk People’s Republic of Ukraine, the Luhansk People’s Republic of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria, as well as with persons, entities, and governments identified on certain prohibited party lists. Moreover, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S., the E.U., the United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions have imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia and Belarus and persons and entities associated with Russia and Belarus. There can be no certainty regarding whether such governments or other governments will impose additional sanctions, or other economic or military measures against Russia or Belarus.
We have an Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) compliance program in place that includes monitoring of IP addresses to identify prohibited jurisdictions and of blockchain addresses that have either been identified by OFAC as prohibited or that otherwise are believed by us to be associated with prohibited persons or jurisdictions. Nonetheless, there can be no guarantee that our compliance program will prevent transactions with particular persons or addresses or prevent every potential violation of OFAC sanctions, and our expansion into additional jurisdictions may subject us to additional risks related to use of our services by sanctioned persons.
From time to time, we have submitted voluntary disclosures to OFAC or responded to administrative subpoenas from OFAC. Certain of these voluntary self-disclosures are currently under review by OFAC. To date, none of those proceedings has resulted in a monetary penalty or finding of violation. Any present or future government inquiries relating to sanctions could result in negative consequences for us, including costs related to government investigations, financial penalties, and harm to our reputation. The impact on us related to such matters could be substantial. Although we have implemented controls and are working to implement additional controls and screening tools designed to prevent sanctions violations, there is no guarantee that we will not inadvertently provide access to our products and services to sanctioned parties or jurisdictions in the future.
Regulators worldwide frequently study each other’s approaches to the regulation of the digital financial system. Consequently, developments in any jurisdiction may influence other jurisdictions. New developments in one jurisdiction may be extended to additional services and other jurisdictions. As a result, the risks created by any new law or regulation in one jurisdiction are magnified by the potential that they may be replicated, affecting our business in another place or involving another service. Conversely, if regulations diverge worldwide, we may face difficulty adjusting our products, services, and other aspects of our business with the same effect.
The complexity of U.S. federal and state and international regulatory and enforcement regimes could result in a single event prompting numerous overlapping investigations and legal and regulatory proceedings by multiple government authorities across different jurisdictions. Any of the foregoing could, individually or in the aggregate, harm our reputation, damage our brands and business, and adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. Due to the uncertain application of existing laws, rules, and regulations, it may be that, despite our regulatory and legal analysis concluding that certain products and services are currently unregulated, such products or services may indeed be subject to financial regulation, licensing, or authorization obligations that we have not obtained or with which we have not complied. As a result, we are at a heightened risk of enforcement action, litigation,
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regulatory, and legal scrutiny which could lead to sanctions, cease and desist orders, or other penalties and censures which could significantly and adversely affect our continued operations and financial condition.
Complex and evolving U.S. and international laws, rules and regulation regarding privacy and data protection could result in claims, changes to our business practices, penalties, increased cost of operations, or otherwise harm our business.
We are subject to requirements relating to data privacy and the collection, processing, storage, transfer, and use of data under U.S. federal, state and foreign laws. For example, the FTC routinely investigates the privacy practices of companies and has commenced enforcement actions against many, resulting in multi-million dollar settlements and multi-year agreements governing the settling companies’ privacy practices. The California Consumer Protection Act, which became effective on January 1, 2020, imposes heightened data privacy requirements on companies that collect information from California residents. If we are unable to meet any such requirements, we may be subject to significant fines or penalties. As the number of jurisdictions enacting privacy and related laws increases and the scope of these laws and enforcement efforts expands, we will increasingly become subject to new and varying requirements. Failure to comply with existing or future data privacy laws, rules, regulations and requirements, including by reason of inadvertent disclosure of personal information, could result in significant adverse consequences, including reputational harm, civil litigation, regulatory enforcement, costs of remediation, increased expenses for security systems and personnel, and harm to our users. These consequences could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, we make information available to certain U.S. federal and state, as well as certain foreign, government agencies in connection with regulatory requirements to assist in the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing and pursuant to legal obligations and authorizations. In recent years, we have experienced increasing data sharing requests by these agencies, particularly in connection with efforts to prevent terrorist financing or reduce the risk of identity theft. During the same period, there has also been increased public attention to the corporate use and disclosure of personal information, accompanied by legislation and regulations intended to strengthen data protection, information security, and consumer privacy. These regulatory goals may conflict, and the law in these areas may not be consistent or settled. While we believe that we are compliant with our regulatory responsibilities, the legal, political, and business environments in these areas are rapidly changing, and subsequent legislation, regulation, litigation, court rulings or other events could expose us to increased program costs, liability and reputational damage that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are subject to compliance with U.S. anti-money laundering laws, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and numerous laws and regulations. Failure to comply with these laws could result in material settlements, fines, penalties, and increased operating costs, all of which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are considered a money services business in the U.S. under the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001. As such, we are subject to reporting, recordkeeping and anti-money laundering provisions in the U.S. as well as other jurisdictions. Many of these laws are evolving, with requirements that may be unclear and inconsistent across jurisdictions, making compliance challenging. Subsequent legislation, regulation, litigation, court rulings or other events could expose us to increased program costs, liability and reputational damage. During 2017 and 2018, there were significant regulatory reviews and actions taken by U.S. and other regulators and law enforcement agencies against banks, money services businesses and other financial institutions related to money laundering. We are also subject to regulatory oversight and enforcement by FinCEN. Any determination that we have violated any anti-money-laundering laws could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are also subject to regulations imposed by the FCPA in the U.S. and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions. To the extent we expand our non-U.S. operations, we could experience a higher risk associated with the FCPA and similar anti-bribery laws than other companies. Since 2016, there has been an increase in regulatory reviews and enforcement actions taken by the U.S. and other regulators related to antibribery laws, along with increased scrutiny on payments to and relationships with, foreign entities and individuals. Any investigation or negative finding in connection with such laws could result in significant fines or internal compliance cost, and could also harm our reputation, which would result in a negative impact on our business.
Future developments in tax laws or regulations regarding the treatment and reporting of cryptocurrencies for U.S. and foreign tax purposes could adversely impact our tax expense and liabilities, reporting obligations, liquidity, and business.
Due to the new and evolving nature of cryptocurrencies and the absence of comprehensive legal and tax guidance with respect to digital asset products and transactions, many significant aspects of the U.S. and foreign tax treatment of transactions involving cryptocurrencies, such as the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies, are uncertain, and it is unclear whether, when and what guidance may be issued in the future on the treatment of digital asset transactions for U.S. and foreign income tax purposes.
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In 2014, the IRS released Notice 2014-21, discussing certain aspects of “virtual currency” for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, in particular, stating that such virtual currency (i) is “property,” (ii) is not “currency” for purposes of the rules relating to foreign currency gain or loss, and (iii) may be held as a capital asset. In 2019, the IRS released Revenue Ruling 2019-24 and a set of “Frequently Asked Questions” (which have been periodically updated), that provide additional guidance, including guidance to the effect that, under certain circumstances, hard forks of digital currencies are taxable events giving rise to ordinary income and guidance with respect to the determination of the tax basis of virtual currency. However, this guidance does not address other significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax treatment of cryptocurrencies and related transactions.
There continues to be uncertainty with respect to the timing, character and amount of income inclusions for various digital asset transactions. Although we believe our treatment of digital asset transactions for federal income tax purposes is consistent with existing guidance provided by the IRS and existing U.S. federal income tax principles, because of the rapidly evolving nature of digital asset innovations and the increasing variety and complexity of digital asset transactions and products, it is possible the IRS and various U.S. states may disagree with our treatment of certain digital asset transactions for U.S. tax purposes, which could adversely affect our users and our business. Similar uncertainties exist in the foreign markets in which we operate, affecting our non-U.S. user base, and these uncertainties and potential adverse interpretations of tax law could affect our non-U.S. users and the vitality of our platforms outside of the U.S. There can be no assurance that the IRS, the U.S. state revenue agencies or other foreign tax authorities, will not alter their respective positions with respect to cryptocurrencies in the future or that a court would uphold the treatment set forth in existing guidance. It also is unclear what additional guidance may be issued in the future on the treatment of existing digital asset transactions and future digital asset innovations for purposes of U.S. tax or other foreign tax regulations. Any such alteration of existing IRS, U.S. state and foreign tax authority positions or additional guidance regarding digital asset products and transactions could result in adverse tax consequences for holders of cryptocurrencies and could have an adverse effect on the value of cryptocurrencies and the broader cryptocurrency markets. Future technological and operational developments that may arise with respect to cryptocurrencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of cryptocurrency for U.S. and foreign tax purposes. The uncertainty regarding tax treatment of digital asset transactions impacts our users, and could adversely impact our business, including if the volume of cryptocurrency transactions decreases due to adverse tax effect.
The ongoing military action between Russia and Ukraine could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
On February 24, 2022, Russian military forces launched a military action in Ukraine, and sustained conflict and disruption in the region is likely. Although the length, impact and outcome of the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine is highly unpredictable, this conflict could lead to significant market and other disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices and supply of energy resources, increases in inflation and interest rates, instability in financial markets, supply chain interruptions, political and social instability, labor shortages, changes in consumer or purchaser preferences as well as increase in cyberattacks and espionage.
The situation is rapidly evolving and the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and other countries may implement additional sanctions, export controls or other measures against Russia, Belarus and other countries, regions, officials, individuals or industries in the respective territories. Such sanctions and other measures, as well as the existing and potential further responses from Russia or other countries to such sanctions, tensions and military actions, could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are actively monitoring the situation in Ukraine and assessing its impact on our business. To date we have not experienced any material interruptions in our infrastructure, supplies, technology systems or networks needed to support our operations. We are unable to predict the progress or outcome of the conflict in Ukraine or its impacts in Ukraine, Russia or Belarus as the conflict, and any resulting government reactions, are rapidly developing and beyond our control. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions could be significant and could potentially have a substantial impact on the global economy and our business for an unknown period of time. Any of the above mentioned factors could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risks Related to Third Parties
We currently rely on third-party service providers and their systems for certain aspects of our operations, and any interruptions in services provided by these third parties may impair our ability to support our users.
We rely on third parties and their systems in connection with many aspects of our business, including our kiosk manufacturers, our retail partners, logistics providers, and banks; cloud computing services and data centers that provide facilities, infrastructure, website functionality and access, components, and services, including databases and data center facilities and cloud computing; as well as third parties that provide outsourced user service, compliance support and product development functions, which are critical to our operations. Because we rely on third parties to provide these services and systems and to facilitate certain of our business activities,
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we face increased operational risks. We do not directly manage the operation of any of these third parties, including their data center facilities that we use. These third parties may be subject to financial, legal, regulatory, and labor issues, cybersecurity incidents, break-ins, computer viruses, denial-of-service attacks, sabotage, theft, acts of vandalism, privacy breaches, service terminations, disruptions, interruptions, and other misconduct. They are also vulnerable to damage or interruption from human error, power loss, telecommunications failures, fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), and similar events. For example, on February 24, 2021, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s payments network experienced an outage, which had the potential to result in reduced functionality for certain of our products. In addition, these third parties may breach their agreements with us, disagree with our interpretation of contract terms or applicable laws and regulations, refuse to continue or renew these agreements on commercially reasonable terms or at all, fail or refuse to process transactions or provide other services adequately, take actions that degrade the functionality of our services, impose additional costs or requirements on us or our users, or give preferential treatment to competitors. There can be no assurance that third parties that provide services to us or to our users on our behalf will continue to do so on acceptable terms, or at all. If any third parties do not adequately or appropriately provide their services or systems or perform their responsibilities to us or our users on our behalf, such as if third-party service providers close their data center facilities without adequate notice, are unable to restore operations and data, fail to perform as expected, or experience other unanticipated problems, we may be unable to procure alternatives in a timely and efficient manner and on acceptable terms, or at all, and we may be subject to business disruptions, losses or costs to remediate any of the deficiencies, user dissatisfaction, reputational damage, legal or regulatory proceedings, or other adverse consequences which could harm our business.
Many of our kiosks and key components to these kiosks are procured from a single or limited number of suppliers. Thus, we are at risk of shortage, price increases, tariffs, changes, delay, or discontinuation of these kiosks or components, which could disrupt and materially and adversely affect our business.
Due to our reliance on the components or products produced by certain of our suppliers, we are subject to the risk of shortages and long lead times or other disruptions in the supply of certain components or products. Our ongoing efforts to identify alternative manufacturers for the assembly of our products and for many of the single-sourced components used in our products may not be successful. In the case of off-the-shelf and other hardware components of our kiosk-based equipment, we are subject to the risk that our suppliers may discontinue or modify them, or that the components may cease to be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. We have in the past experienced, and may in the future experience, component shortages or delays or other problems in product assembly, and the availability of these components or products may be difficult to predict. For example, our manufacturers may experience temporary or permanent disruptions in their manufacturing operations due to equipment breakdowns, labor strikes or shortages, natural disasters, the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, component or material shortages, cost increases, acquisitions, insolvency, bankruptcy, business shutdowns, trade restrictions, changes in legal or regulatory requirements, or other similar problems. The current global supply chain disruptions and shortages, in particular with respect to integrated circuits, have affected our supply chain and resulted in low levels of inventory for some of our hardware products. Therefore, our suppliers may be unable to timely fulfill orders for some hardware products. These hardware shortages could negatively affect our ability to deploy our kiosks and serve our users, and if such shortages continue for an extended period of time, could materially and adversely impact our financial results.
Additionally, various sources of supply-chain risk, including strikes or shutdowns at delivery ports or loss of or damage to our products while they are in transit or storage, intellectual property theft, losses due to tampering, third- party vendor issues with quality or sourcing control, failure by our suppliers to comply with applicable laws and regulation, potential tariffs or other trade restrictions, or other similar problems could limit or delay the supply of our products or harm our reputation. In the event of a shortage or supply interruption from suppliers of these components, such as the current global shortage of integrated circuits, we may not be able to develop alternate sources quickly, cost-effectively, or at all. Any interruption or delay in manufacturing, component supply, any increases in component costs (or prices charged by our vendors generally), or the inability to obtain these parts or components from alternate sources at acceptable prices and within a reasonable amount of time, would harm our ability to provide our products and services to users. This could harm our relationships with our users and retail partners, prevent us from acquiring new users and merchants, and materially and adversely affect our business.
A substantial portion of our kiosks are placed with a small number of retailers today. The expiration, termination or renegotiation of any of these contracts with our top retail partners or if one or more of our top retail partners were to cease doing business with us or substantially reduce its dealings with us, could cause our revenues to decline significantly and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted.
For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we derived approximately 27% and 32.0%, respectively, of our total revenue from kiosks placed at the locations of our largest retail partner, Circle K, under individual corporate and franchisee lease agreements.
Because a significant portion of our kiosks are placed with a small number of retailers, a portion of our future revenues and operating income depends upon the successful continuation of our relationship with our top retail partners and the loss of any of our largest retail
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partners, a decision by any one of them to reduce the number of our kiosks placed in their locations, or a decision to sell or close their locations could result in a decline in our revenues or otherwise adversely impact our business operations. Furthermore, if their financial conditions were to deteriorate in the future, and as a result, one or more of these retail partners were required to close a significant number of their store locations, our revenues would be significantly impacted.
Additionally, these retail partners may elect not to renew their contracts when they expire. Even if our major contracts are extended or renewed, the renewal terms may be less favorable to us than the current contracts. If any of our largest retail partners enters bankruptcy proceedings and rejects its contract with us, fails to renew its contract upon expiration, or if the renewal terms with any of them are less favorable to us than under our current contracts, it could result in a decline in our revenues and profits and have a material adverse impact on our operations and cash flows.
Risks Related to our Management and Employees
Our management team has limited experience managing a public company.
Our management team has limited experience managing a publicly traded company, interacting with public company investors, and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage our transition to being a public company subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the federal securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. These new obligations and constituents require significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business, which could adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.
The loss of one or more of our key personnel, or our failure to attract and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future, could adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition.
We operate in a relatively new industry that is not widely understood and requires highly skilled and technical personnel. We believe that our future success is highly dependent on the talents and contributions of our senior management team, members of our executive team, and other key employees across product, engineering, risk management, finance, compliance and legal, and marketing. Our future success depends on our ability to attract, develop, motivate, and retain highly qualified and skilled employees. Due to the nascent nature of the digital financial system, the pool of qualified talent is extremely limited, particularly with respect to executive talent, engineering, risk management, and financial regulatory expertise. We face intense competition for qualified individuals from numerous software and other technology companies. To attract and retain key personnel, we incur significant costs, including salaries and benefits and equity incentives. Even so, these measures may not be enough to attract and retain the personnel we require to operate our business effectively. The loss of even a few key employees or senior leaders, or an inability to attract, retain and motivate additional highly skilled employees required for the planned expansion of our business could adversely impact our operating results and impair our ability to grow.
Our officers, directors, employees, and large stockholders may encounter potential conflicts of interests with respect to their positions or interests in cryptocurrencies, entities, and other initiatives and digital asset-related businesses, which could adversely affect our business and reputation.
Certain of our officers, directors, and employees are involved with or active investors in certain digital asset-related businesses, such as cryptocurrency miners, as well as active investors in digital asset projects themselves, and may make investment decisions that favor projects that they have personally invested in. Our largest stockholders may also make investments in these digital asset projects. Similarly, certain of our directors, officers, employees, and large stockholders may hold cryptocurrencies that we are considering supporting, and may be more supportive of such listing notwithstanding legal, regulatory, and other issues associated with such cryptocurrencies. While we have instituted policies and procedures to limit and mitigate such risks, there is no assurance that such policies and procedures will be effective, or that we will be able to manage such conflicts of interests adequately. If we fail to manage these conflicts of interests, or we receive unfavorable media coverage with respect to actual or perceived conflicts of interest, our business may be harmed and the brand, reputation and credibility of our company may be adversely affected.
Risks Related to our Organizational Structure and the Tax Receivable Agreement
We are a holding company. Our sole material asset is our interests in BT HoldCo, and we are accordingly dependent upon distributions from BT HoldCo to pay taxes, make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and cover our corporate and other overhead expenses.
We are a holding company and have no material assets other than our ownership of equity interests in BT HoldCo. As such, we do not have any independent means of generating revenue or cash flow, and our ability to pay taxes and operating expenses or declare and
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pay dividends in the future, if any, is dependent upon the financial results and cash flows of BT HoldCo and its subsidiaries (including BT OpCo), and distributions we receive from BT HoldCo.
BT HoldCo is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, generally will not be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income taxation. Instead, taxable income will be allocated to the unitholders of BT HoldCo. Furthermore, BT OpCo is disregarded as an entity separate from BT HoldCo for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, we are required to pay income taxes on our allocable share of any net taxable income of BT HoldCo, which includes income of BT OpCo. To the extent BT HoldCo has available cash, we generally intend to cause BT HoldCo to make pro rata distributions to its unitholders, including us, in an amount at least sufficient to allow us to cover our tax obligations, to satisfy our payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement and to cover our corporate and other overhead expenses. There can be no assurance that BT HoldCo and its subsidiaries (including BT OpCo) will generate sufficient cash flow to distribute funds to us, or that applicable state law and contractual restrictions, including negative covenants in any financing agreements of BT HoldCo or its subsidiaries (including BT OpCo), will permit such distributions. To the extent that we need funds and BT HoldCo or its subsidiaries (including BT OpCo) are restricted from making such distributions under applicable law or under the terms of any financing agreements, or are otherwise unable to provide such funds, it could materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition.
We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq rules and, as a result, we qualify for, and currently and may in the future rely on, certain exemptions from Nasdaq’s corporate governance requirements. As such, you may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such requirements.
Because Brandon Mintz (through his ownership interests in BT Assets) owns a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock, we qualify as a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of Nasdaq. Under the Nasdaq rules, a listed company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by another person or group of persons acting together is a controlled company and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:
These requirements will not apply to us as long as we remain a controlled company. We currently rely on two of these exemptions. As a result, we will not have a fully independent compensation committee or a fully independent nominating and corporate governance committee. We may in the future also rely on the other exemptions so long as we qualify as a controlled company. To the extent we rely on any of these exemptions, holders of shares of Class A common stock will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq.
Brandon Mintz and his affiliates (including BT Assets) own a substantial majority of the common stock and have the right to appoint a majority of our board members, and his interests may conflict with those of other stockholders.
Holders of our voting stock will vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our stockholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law or the Amended and Restated Charter. As a result of BT Assets’ majority ownership, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of Nasdaq corporate governance standards and BT Assets will be able to substantially influence matters requiring stockholder or board approval, including the election of directors, approval of any potential acquisition of us, changes to our organizational documents, significant corporate transactions, and certain decisions we make with respect to directing the manager of BT HoldCo. In particular, for so long as BT Assets continues to own a majority of our voting stock, Brandon Mintz, through BT Assets, will be able to substantially influence matters requiring stockholder or board approval, including the election of directors, approval of any potential acquisition of us, changes to our organizational documents, significant corporate transactions, and certain board decisions with respect to the management of BT HoldCo. This concentration of ownership makes it unlikely that any other holder or group of holders of common stock or Preferred Stock will be able to affect the way we and BT HoldCo are managed or the direction of our business. Furthermore, the concentration of ownership could deprive you of an opportunity to receive a premium for your shares of Class A common stock as part of a sale of us and ultimately might adversely affect the trading price of the Class A common stock to the extent investors perceive a disadvantage in owning stock of a company with a controlling stockholder. The interests of BT Assets and Brandon Mintz with respect to matters potentially or actually involving
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or affecting us, such as future acquisitions, financings, and other corporate opportunities and attempts to acquire us, may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders.
For example, the interests of BT Assets may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders in light of the Tax Receivable Agreement and its ownership of the BT HoldCo Preferred Units. In particular, BT Assets’ right to receive payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement could influence its decisions regarding whether and when to support the disposition of assets, the incurrence or refinancing of new or existing indebtedness, the timing or amount of distributions by BT HoldCo or the termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement and acceleration of our obligations thereunder. The determination of future tax reporting positions, the structuring of future transactions and the handling of any challenge by any taxing authority to our tax reporting positions may take into consideration tax or other interests of BT Assets, including the effect of such positions on our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement and with respect to the amount of tax distributions, which may differ from our interests or the interests of our other stockholders. In addition, BT Assets’ ownership of the BT HoldCo Preferred Units and the right to receive distributions pursuant thereto could influence decisions regarding the timing or amount of distributions by BT HoldCo, and BT Assets’ interests in connection with such matters may differ from the interests of our other stockholders. These decisions could adversely affect our liquidity or financial condition.
We are required to make payments to BT Assets under the Tax Receivable Agreement for certain Tax Attributes, and no such payments will be made to any party other than BT Assets. The amounts of such payments could be significant.
In connection with the closing of the Merger, we entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement with BT HoldCo and BT Assets. Pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement, we are generally required to pay BT Assets 85% of the amount of savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state, local, and foreign income taxes that we actually realize, or in certain circumstances are deemed to realize, as a result of certain Tax Attributes, including:
The payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are our obligations and not obligations of BT HoldCo. For purposes of the Tax Receivable Agreement, we will generally be treated as realizing a tax benefit from the use of a Tax Attribute on a “with and without” basis, by comparing our actual tax liability to the amount we would have been required to pay had we not been able to utilize any of the Tax Attributes. The amounts payable, as well as the timing of any payments, under the Tax Receivable Agreement are dependent upon significant future events, including (but not limited to) the timing of the exchanges of BT HoldCo Common Units and surrender of a corresponding number of shares of Class V common stock, the price of the Class A common stock at the time of each exchange, the extent to which such exchanges are taxable transactions, the depreciation and amortization periods that apply to any increase in tax basis resulting from such exchanges, the types of assets held by BT HoldCo and BT OpCo, the amount and timing of taxable income we generate in the future, the U.S. federal income tax rate then applicable and the portion of our payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement that constitute imputed interest or give rise to depreciable or amortizable tax basis.
Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement generally will be based on the tax reporting positions that we determine (with the amount of subject payments determined in consultation with an advisory firm and subject to BT Assets’ review and consent). The IRS or another taxing authority may challenge all or any part of a position taken with respect to Tax Attributes or the utilization thereof, as well as other tax positions that we take, and a court may sustain such a challenge. In the event that any Tax Attributes initially claimed or utilized by us are disallowed, BT Assets will not be required to reimburse us for any excess payments that may previously have been made pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement, for example, due to adjustments resulting from examinations by taxing authorities. Rather, any excess payments made to BT Assets will be applied against and reduce any future cash payments otherwise required to be made by us to BT Assets under the Tax Receivable Agreement, after the determination of such excess. However, a challenge to any Tax Attributes initially claimed or utilized by us may not arise for a number of years following the initial time of such payment. Moreover, even if a challenge arises earlier, any such excess cash payment may be greater than the amount of future cash payments that we might otherwise be required to make under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement. As a result, there might not
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be future cash payments against which such excess can be applied and we could be required to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement in excess of our actual savings in respect of the Tax Attributes, which could materially impair our financial condition.
We expect that the payments that we will be required to make under the Tax Receivable Agreement could be substantial. There can be no assurance that we will be able to finance our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Moreover, the payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement will not be conditioned upon BT Assets having a continued ownership interest in us.
In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated or significantly exceed the actual benefits we realize, if any, in respect of the Tax Attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement.
The Tax Receivable Agreement provides that, in the case of certain early termination events (including certain changes of control, material breaches, or at our option subject to the approval of a majority of our independent directors), we will be required to make a lump-sum cash payment to BT Assets equal to the present value of all forecasted future payments that would have otherwise been made under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which lump-sum payment would be based on certain assumptions, including that we will have sufficient future taxable income to fully utilize the Tax Attributes over certain specified time periods and that all BT HoldCo Common Units that had not yet been exchanged for Class A common stock, Class M common stock, or cash are deemed exchanged.
Accordingly, as a result of these assumptions, the required lump-sum payment may be significantly in advance of, and could materially exceed, the realized future tax benefits to which the payment relates. Consequently, our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement could have a material and adverse impact on Bitcoin Depot’s liquidity and financial condition and could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control. For example, in connection with the preparation of the proxy statement filed in connection with the Business Combination, we previously estimated that, if we had experienced a change of control or the Tax Receivable Agreement had otherwise been terminated immediately after the closing of the Merger, the estimated lump-sum payment would have been approximately $90.2 million. This estimated lump-sum payment was based on certain assumptions and was calculated using a discount rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus 100 basis points, applied against an undiscounted liability of approximately $134.6 million (based on the 21% U.S. federal corporate income tax rate and an estimated state and local income tax rate). These amounts are estimates and were prepared for informational purposes only. The actual amount of such lump-sum payment could vary significantly. There can be no assurance that we will be able to finance such lump-sum payment. In addition, to the extent that we are unable to make such lump-sum payment for any reason, the unpaid amounts will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid.
In the event that our payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are accelerated upon certain changes of control, the consideration payable to holders of Class A common stock could be substantially reduced.
If we experience a change of control (as defined under the Tax Receivable Agreement), our obligation to make the lump-sum payment required under the Tax Receivable Agreement could result in holders of Class A common stock receiving substantially less consideration in connection with a change of control transaction than they would receive in the absence of such obligation. Further, BT Assets is not required to have a continued equity interest in us or BT HoldCo in order to receive payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement and therefore may not have an equity interest in us at the time of any such change of control. Accordingly, the interests of BT Assets may conflict with those of the holders of Class A common stock.
If BT HoldCo were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we and BT HoldCo might be subject to potentially significant tax inefficiencies, and we would not be able to recover payments previously made by us under the Tax Receivable Agreement even if the corresponding Tax Attributes were subsequently determined to have been unavailable due to such status.
We and BT HoldCo intend to operate such that BT HoldCo does not become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A “publicly traded partnership” is a partnership the interests of which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof. Under certain circumstances, exchanges of BT HoldCo Common Units pursuant to the BT HoldCo Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement or other transfers of BT HoldCo Common Units could cause BT HoldCo to be treated as a publicly traded partnership. Applicable U.S. Treasury regulations provide for certain safe harbors from treatment as a publicly traded partnership, and we intend to operate such that exchanges or other transfers of BT HoldCo Common Units qualify for one or more such safe harbors.
If BT HoldCo were to become a publicly traded partnership, significant tax inefficiencies might result for us and for BT HoldCo, including as a result of our inability to file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return with BT HoldCo. In addition, we would no longer receive the benefit of certain increases in tax basis received as a result of our acquisition of BT HoldCo Common Units from BT Assets, and we would not be able to recover any payments previously made by us under the Tax Receivable Agreement, even if
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the corresponding Tax Attributes were subsequently determined to have been unavailable due to BT HoldCo’s status as a publicly traded partnership.
In certain circumstances, BT HoldCo will be required to make tax distributions to the BT HoldCo unitholders (including us) and the tax distributions that BT HoldCo will be required to make may be substantial. To the extent we receive tax distributions in excess of our tax liabilities and obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement and do not distribute such cash balances as dividends on shares of Class A common stock, BT Assets could benefit from such accumulated cash balances if it exchanges its BT HoldCo Common Units pursuant to the BT HoldCo Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement.
BT HoldCo is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, taxable income will generally be allocated to the BT HoldCo unitholders (including us). The BT HoldCo Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement requires tax distributions be made by BT HoldCo to the BT HoldCo unitholders (including us), on a pro rata basis, to the extent funds of BT HoldCo are legally available for distribution and such distribution would not be prohibited under any credit facility or any other agreement to which BT HoldCo or any of its subsidiaries is a party, in each case, as determined by us in our reasonable discretion. Tax distributions will be made on a quarterly basis to each unitholder based on such unitholder’s allocable share of the taxable income of BT HoldCo and an assumed tax rate (and, in our case, taking into account our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement). The assumed tax rate will be the highest combined federal, state, and local tax rate that may potentially apply to a corporate or individual taxpayer (whichever is higher), taking into account certain assumptions and without regard to the actual final tax liability of any unitholder.
As a result of (i) potential differences in the amount of net taxable income allocable to us and to BT Assets, (ii) the lower maximum tax rate applicable to corporations than individuals, and (iii) the use of an assumed tax rate in calculating BT HoldCo’s tax distribution obligations, we may receive distributions significantly in excess of our actual tax liabilities and our obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. We will have no obligation to distribute such cash balances to our stockholders. If we do not distribute such cash balances as dividends on shares of Class A common stock and instead, for example, hold such cash balances or lend them to BT HoldCo, BT Assets would benefit from any value attributable to such accumulated cash balances as a result of its right to acquire shares of Class A common stock, Class M common stock or, at our election, an amount of cash equal to the fair market value thereof, in exchange for its BT HoldCo Common Units.
If we are deemed an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act applicable restrictions could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
An issuer will generally be deemed to be an “investment company” for purposes of the Investment Company Act if:
We believe that we are engaged primarily in the business of operating BTMs that allow users to purchase Bitcoin with cash and not primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting, or trading in securities. We do not propose to engage primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting, or trading in securities. Accordingly, we do not believe that BT Assets is, or that BT OpCo, BT HoldCo, or Bitcoin Depot will be, an “orthodox” investment company as described in the first bullet point above. Furthermore, Bitcoin Depot will treat each of BT OpCo and BT HoldCo as a majority-owned subsidiary for purposes of the Investment Company Act. Therefore, we believe that less than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis following the closing of the Merger comprise assets that could be considered investment securities. Accordingly, we do not believe that Bitcoin Depot, BT HoldCo, or BT OpCo will be an inadvertent investment company by virtue of the 40% inadvertent investment company test as described in the second bullet point above. In addition, we believe we will not be an investment company under section 3(b)(1) of the Investment Company Act because we will be primarily engaged in a non-investment company business.
The Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder contain detailed parameters for the organization and operations of investment companies. Among other things, the Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder limit or prohibit transactions with affiliates, impose limitations on the issuance of debt and equity securities, prohibit the issuance of stock options, and impose certain governance requirements. Following the closing of the Merger, we have continued and intend to continue to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act. However, if anything were to happen that would cause us to be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, requirements imposed by the Investment Company Act, including limitations on our capital structure, ability to transact business with affiliates (including BT HoldCo and BT
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OpCo) and ability to compensate key employees, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as currently conducted, impair the agreements and arrangements between and among BT OpCo, us or our senior management team, or any combination thereof and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders will be subject to the discretion of our board of directors and may be limited by our holding company structure and applicable provisions of Delaware law.
As a holding company, we are dependent upon the ability of BT OpCo to generate earnings and cash flows and distribute them to us (through BT HoldCo) so that we may pay our obligations and expenses (including our taxes and payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement) and pay to our stockholders any dividends that our board of directors may declare, in its sole discretion, in the future. See “—We are not obligated to, and do not intend to pay dividends on any class of our common stock for the foreseeable future. Our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders will be subject to the discretion of our board of directors and may be limited by our holding company structure, our financing arrangements and applicable provisions of Delaware law.” We expect to cause BT HoldCo to make distributions to its members. However, the ability of BT HoldCo to make such distributions to holders of its BT HoldCo Common Units is subject to its operating results, cash requirements and financial condition, restrictive covenants in our debt instruments, preferential distributions to the holders of the BT HoldCo Preferred Units, and applicable Delaware law (which may limit the amount of funds available for distribution to its members). Our ability to declare and pay dividends to our stockholders is likewise subject to Delaware law (which may limit the amount of funds available for dividends). If, as a consequence of these various limitations and restrictions, we are unable to generate sufficient distributions from our business, we may not be able to make, or may be required to reduce or eliminate, the payment of future dividends, if any, on Class A common stock or Class M common stock.
Risks Related to our Indebtedness
We are party to debt agreements (and we may in the future become party to new debt agreements) that could restrict our operations and impair our financial condition. The agreements governing our indebtedness will impose restrictions on us that limit the discretion of management in operating our business and that, in turn, could impair our ability to meet our obligations under our debt.
The agreements governing our Term Loan include restrictive covenants that, among other things, restrict our ability to:
In addition, our Term Loan includes other restrictions. Our failure to comply with the terms and covenants of our indebtedness could lead to a default under the terms of the governing documents, which would entitle the lenders to accelerate the indebtedness and declare all amounts owed due and payable.
As of December 31, 2023, our total indebtedness, excluding unamortized debt discounts and debt issuance costs of $3.2 million, was $24.3 million, including the accrual for the current note payable exit fee. In connection with the consummation of the Merger, we amended and restated our existing credit agreement, which provided BT OpCo with a $20.8 million term loan. We may also incur significant additional indebtedness in the future. See Note 25 - Subsequent Events in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Our substantial indebtedness could have adverse consequences, including:
We may be unable to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness and financial commitments.
Our ability to make scheduled payments on or to refinance our indebtedness and financial commitments depends on our financial condition and operating performance, which are subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions including financial, business and other factors beyond our control. We may be unable to generate sufficient cash flow to permit us to pay the principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness.
If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund debt and other obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure our indebtedness. Our ability to restructure or refinance indebtedness will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any refinancing of indebtedness could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our operations. The terms of existing or future debt instruments may restrict us from adopting some of these alternatives. In addition, any failure to service our debt would likely result in a reduction of our credit rating, which could harm our ability to incur additional indebtedness. If we face substantial liquidity problems, we might be required to sell assets to meet debt and other obligations. Our debt restricts our ability to dispose of assets and dictates our use of the proceeds from such disposition.
We may not be able to consummate dispositions, and the proceeds of any such disposition may be inadequate to meet obligations. We may be unable to access adequate funding as a result of a decrease in lender commitments due to an unwillingness or inability on the part of lending counterparties to meet their funding obligations and the inability of other lenders to provide additional funding to cover a defaulting lender’s portion. As a result, we may be unable to execute our business plan, make acquisitions or otherwise conduct operations, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Increases in interest rates could adversely affect our business.
We require continued access to capital. Our business and operating results can be harmed by factors such as the availability, terms of, and cost of capital, increases in interest rates, or a reduction in credit rating. These changes could cause our cost of doing business to increase, limit our ability to pursue acquisition opportunities, reduce cash flow, and place us at a competitive disadvantage. Recent and continuing disruptions and volatility in the global capital markets may lead to a contraction in credit availability impacting our ability to finance our operations. A significant reduction in cash flows from operations or the availability of credit could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Securities
The market price of our Class A common stock may be volatile, and could decline significantly and rapidly. Market volatility may affect the value of an investment in our Class A common stock and could subject us to litigation.
The market price of our Class A common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to the risk factors described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and others beyond our control, including:
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Furthermore, the stock market has recently experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies and financial services, cryptocurrency and technology companies in particular. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general macroeconomic, political and market conditions such as recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, may negatively impact the market price of our Class A common stock. In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. Securities litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could harm our business.
An active, liquid trading market for our Class A common stock may not develop or be sustained, which may adversely affect the value of our Class A common stock.
Upon the closing of the Merger, our Class A common stock commenced trading on Nasdaq under the symbol “BTM.” An active trading market for our shares may not develop or be sustained, which in turn would likely have a material adverse effect on the value of our Class A common stock. The market price of our Class A common stock may decline below the initial public offering price, and you may not be able to sell your shares of our Class A common stock at or above the price you paid, or at all. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling shares and may impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using our shares as consideration.
The class structure of our Common Stock has the effect of concentrating voting control within Brandon Mintz and his affiliates (including BT Assets), which limits or precludes your ability to influence corporate matters.
Shares of Class M common stock and Class V common stock each have ten votes per share, and shares of Class A common stock and Class O common stock each have one vote per share. Because of the ten-to-one voting ratio between the Class M common stock and the Class V common stock, on the one hand, and all other classes of our voting stock, on the other hand, the holder(s) of Class V common stock collectively holds more than a majority of the combined voting power of our common stock, and therefore such holders are able to control all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval. In the event Brandon Mintz and his affiliates (including, without limitation, BT Assets) cease to beneficially own in the aggregate (directly or indirectly) a number of shares of Class M common stock and Class V common stock that, in the aggregate, is at least 20% of the voting power represented by the shares of Class V common stock held by them, in the aggregate, as of immediately after the closing, (i) each of the then-outstanding shares of Class M common stock will automatically convert, on a one-for-one basis, into one fully paid and non-assessable share of Class A common stock and (ii) each of the then-outstanding shares of Class V common stock will automatically convert, on a one-for-one basis, into one fully paid and non-assessable share of Class O common stock, in each case without any further action required on the part of Bitcoin Depot or any other person.
Any purported transfer or assignment of shares of Class O common stock or Class V common stock which is not permitted by or otherwise provided for under the Amended and Restated Charter will be null and void and not recognized or given effect. Transfers by holders of shares of Class M common stock will generally result in those shares converting to Class A common stock, subject to limited exceptions. Such conversions of shares of Class M common stock to shares of Class A common stock upon transfer will have the effect, over time, of increasing the relative voting power of those other holders of shares of Class M common stock (if any) who retain their shares in the long-term. However, because of the nature of the relative voting power of classes of our common stock, the
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holders of Class V common stock and Class M common stock, notwithstanding conversions of shares thereof conversions, may continue to control a majority of the combined voting power of our outstanding capital stock.
We are not obligated to, and do not intend to pay dividends on any class of our common stock for the foreseeable future. Our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders will be subject to the discretion of our board of directors and may be limited by our holding company structure, our financing arrangements and applicable provisions of Delaware law.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on any class of common stock, are not obligated to pay, and do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We anticipate that for the foreseeable future we will retain all of our future earnings for use in the development of our business and for general corporate purposes. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Our payment of any dividends will be subject to contractual and legal restrictions and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant.
Our Amended and Restated Charter contains an exclusive forum provision for certain claims, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our Amended and Restated Charter provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, and unless we provide consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, employee or stockholder to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our Amended and Restated Charter or our Amended and Restated Bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, provided that this provision, including for any “derivative action,” will not apply to suits to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
Moreover, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all claims brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder and the Amended and Restated Charter provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America are, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum. Our decision to adopt an exclusive forum provision followed a decision by the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware holding that such provisions are facially valid under Delaware law. While there can be no assurance that federal or state courts will follow the holding of the Delaware Supreme Court or determine that the exclusive forum provision should be enforced in a particular case, application of the exclusive forum provision means that suits brought by our stockholders to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act must be brought in federal court and cannot be brought in state court. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all claims brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. The exclusive forum provision applies to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act to the fullest extent permitted by law. Accordingly, actions by our stockholders to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder must be brought in federal court. Our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in any of our securities will be deemed to have notice of and consented to our exclusive forum provisions. These provisions may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum they find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in the Amended and Restated Charter to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Anti-takeover provisions contained in our Amended and Restated Charter, our Amended and Restated Bylaws and provisions of Delaware law could impair a takeover attempt.
Our Amended and Restated Charter, Amended and Restated Bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable by our board of directors and therefore depress the trading price of shares of Class A common stock. Among other things, the class structure of our common stock provides holders of Class M common stock and Class V common stock with the ability to significantly influence the outcome of matters requiring stockholder approval, even if they own significantly less than a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Further, our Amended and Restated Charter and Amended and Restated Bylaws include provisions (i) providing our directors with the exclusive ability (subject to the rights of holders of any series of preferred stock) to fill a vacancy on the board of directors; (ii) authorizing our
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board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used, among other things, to institute a rights plan that would have the effect of significantly diluting the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, likely preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by our board of directors; (iii) after we no longer qualify as a “controlled company” under applicable Nasdaq listing rules, limiting stockholders’ ability (a) to call special meetings of stockholders, (b) to require special meetings of stockholders to be called and (c) to take action by written consent; (iv) requiring advance notice of stockholder proposals for business to be conducted at meetings of our stockholders and for nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors; and (v) not permitting cumulative voting rights. These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in our management.
As a Delaware corporation, we would normally be subject to certain provisions of Delaware law, including Section 203 of the DGCL, which prevents certain stockholders holding more than 15% of our outstanding capital stock from engaging in certain business combinations without the approval of our board of directors or the holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding voting stock not held by such stockholder. We expressly elect not to be subject to Section 203 of the DGCL in our Amended and Restated Charter.
Any provision of our Amended and Restated Charter, Amended and Restated Bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our capital stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for shares of Class A common stock.
A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are restricted from immediate resale but may be sold into the market in the near future. This, as well as other future sales of Class A common stock in the public market, or the perception that any such sales may occur, could cause the market price of Class A common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well, and any additional capital raised by us through the sale of equity or convertible securities may dilute your ownership in us.
A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are restricted from immediate resale but may be sold into the market in the near future. Subject to certain limitations and exceptions, BT Unitholders may exchange their BT Units, together with shares of Class V common stock or Class O common stock, for shares of Class M common stock or Class A common stock, respectively (on a one-for-one basis, subject to conversion rate adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassification and other similar transactions) and then transfer those shares of Class M common stock (which, in that, case automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock) or sell those shares of Class A common stock. This could cause the market price of the Class A common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well. Sales of a substantial number of shares of Class A common stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of the Class A common stock. We may file additional registration statements to provide for the resale from time to time of restricted shares issued in connection with closing of the Merger. As restrictions on resale end and the registration statements are available for use, the market price of the Class A common stock could decline if the holders of currently restricted shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them.
Warrants will become exercisable for Class A common stock, which would increase the number of shares eligible for future resale in the public market and result in further dilution to our stockholders.
Outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 43,848,750 shares of Class A common stock are exercisable in accordance with the terms of the Warrant Agreement governing those securities. These Public Warrants and Private Placement Warrants are exercisable for $11.50 per share at any time. To the extent such Warrants are exercised, additional shares of Class A common stock will be issued, which will result in further dilution to the holders of shares of Class A common stock and increase the number of shares of Class A common stock eligible for resale in the public market. Sales of substantial numbers of such shares in the public market or the fact that such Warrants may be exercised could adversely affect the market price of shares of Class A common stock.
The Private Placement Warrants are identical to the Public Warrants except as otherwise set forth herein that: (i) the Company may not elect to redeem the Private Placement Warrants; (ii) the Private Placement Warrants (including the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by Sponsor; (iii) they may be exercised by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees on a cashless basis; and (iv) the Private Placement Warrants (including the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the Private Placement Warrants) are entitled to registration rights.
The Warrants may not be “in the money” or expire worthless, and we may redeem unexpired Public Warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your Public Warrants worthless.
The exercise price for each Warrant is $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment, which is greater than the market price of our Class A common stock, which was $1.90 per share based on the closing price on March 28, 2024. There can be no assurance that the Warrants will be “in the money” prior to their expiration and, as such, the Warrants may expire worthless.
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We also have the ability to redeem outstanding Public Warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per Public Warrant, provided that the last reported sale price of Class A common stock for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the Public Warrant holders equals or exceeds $18.00 per share and provided certain other conditions are met. If and when the Public Warrants become redeemable, we may exercise its redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. Redemption of the outstanding Public Warrants could force you (i) to exercise your Public Warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so; (ii) to sell your Public Warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your Public Warrants; or (iii) to accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding Public Warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your Public Warrants. In addition, such redemption may occur at a time when the Public Warrants are “out of the money,” in which case you would lose any potential embedded value from a subsequent increase in the value of our Class A common stock had your Public Warrants remained outstanding.
We may issue preferred stock whose terms could adversely affect the voting power or value of the Class A common stock.
The Amended and Restated Charter authorizes us to issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more classes or series of preferred stock having such designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights, including preferences over our common stock respecting dividends and distributions, as our board of directors may determine. On June 30, 2023, in connection with the closing of the Merger, we issued 4,300,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock in a private placement to entities affiliated with Shaolin in connection with the previously announced PIPE Financing. As of December 31, 2023, 825,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock have been converted into Class A common stock. Although the Series A Preferred Stock do not carry voting rights (other than in relation to amendments to the certificate of designation itself or as required by the DGCL), the terms of one or more additional classes or series of preferred stock could adversely impact the voting power or value of our Class A common stock. For example, we might grant holders of preferred stock the right to elect some number of our directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences we might assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of the Class A common stock.
Each share of Series A Preferred Stock (i) ranks senior to our common stock with respect to dividends, distributions, redemptions, and payments upon liquidation or dissolution, (ii) is entitled to participate in any distributions or dividends made to holders of Class A common stock, (iii) does not have voting rights (other than in relation to amendments to the certificate of designation itself or as required by the DGCL), (iv) is initially convertible at any time at the election of the holder into one share of Class A common stock, subject to accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, and (v) be entitled to customary anti-dilution protections.
The Company has identified material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. If it is unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, it may not be able to accurately report its financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence and materially and adversely affect its business and operating results, and it may face litigation as a result.
In connection with the preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022, management of the Company identified material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. The material weaknesses had not been remediated as of December 31, 2023 and additional material weaknesses have been identified as of December 31, 2023. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. The material weaknesses identified related to (i) the fact that the Company did not have formalized system of internal control over financial reporting in place to ensure that risks are properly assessed, controls are properly designed and implemented and internal controls are properly monitored and functioning, (ii) the Company's reliance on IT systems and the use of service organizations to initiate, process, and record transactions, for which it did not evaluate or test the respective control objectives and data provided by the service organizations, and did not maintain a sufficient complement of formally documented general IT controls over access, segregation of duties, security, and change management, (iii) the Company’s lack of technical accounting resources to analyze and apply technical accounting considerations, (iv) the Company having insufficient controls in place to prevent potential unauthorized activity related to cryptocurrencies, and (v) ineffective reconciliation controls over cash in transit. Management of the Company has concluded that these material weaknesses arose because, as a private company, the Company did not have the necessary business processes, personnel and related internal controls necessary to satisfy the accounting and financial reporting requirements of a public company.
Effective internal controls are necessary to provide reliable financial reports and prevent fraud, and material weaknesses could limit the ability to prevent or detect a misstatement of accounts or disclosures that could result in a material misstatement of annual or interim financial statements. To address the material weaknesses, the Company will need to add personnel as well as implement
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additional financial reporting processes. Management of the Company intends to continue to take steps to remediate the material weaknesses described above through hiring additional qualified accounting and financial reporting personnel, further enhancing their accounting processes, and by monitoring the respective controls. Management will not be able to fully remediate these material weaknesses until these steps have been completed and the controls have been operating effectively for a sufficient period of time. These remediation measures may be time consuming and costly and there is no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects or that the actions that management may take in the future will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to the material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting or that they will prevent or detect potential future material weaknesses. The Company’s current controls and any new controls that management develops may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in the business and weaknesses in disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement could harm the operating results or cause the Company to fail to meet the reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements for prior periods.
The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm is not required to attest to the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting until after the Company is no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. At such time, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which the internal control over financial reporting is documented, designed or operating. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting that will eventually be required to be included in Bitcoin Depot’s periodic reports that are filed with the SEC. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in Bitcoin Depot’s reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of the Class A common stock. In addition, we will not be able to continue to be listed on Nasdaq, which could have an adverse effect on the liquidity of your investment.
General Risk Factors
Adverse economic conditions may adversely affect our business.
Our performance is subject to general economic conditions, and their impact on the digital asset markets and our users. The U.S. and other key international economies have experienced cyclical downturns from time to time in which economic activity declined resulting in lower consumption rates, restricted credit, reduced profitability, weaknesses in financial markets, bankruptcies, and overall uncertainty with respect to the economy. The impact of general economic conditions on the digital financial system is highly uncertain and dependent on a variety of factors, including market adoption of cryptocurrencies, global trends in the digital financial system, central bank monetary policies, and other events beyond our control. Geopolitical developments, such as military conflicts and wars, trade wars and foreign exchange limitations can also increase the severity and levels of unpredictability globally and increase the volatility of global financial and digital asset markets. To the extent that conditions in the general economic and cryptocurrency markets materially deteriorate, our ability to attract and retain users may suffer.
Investors’ expectations of our performance relating to environmental, social, and governance factors may impose additional costs and expose us to new risks.
There is an increasing focus from certain investors, employees, users and other stakeholders concerning corporate responsibility, specifically related to environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) matters, or ESG. Some investors may use these non-financial performance factors to guide their investment strategies and, in some cases, may choose not to invest in us if they believe our policies and actions relating to corporate responsibility are inadequate. The growing investor demand for measurement of non-financial performance is addressed by third-party providers of sustainability assessment and ratings on companies. The criteria by which our corporate responsibility practices are assessed may change due to the constant evolution of the sustainability landscape, which could result in greater expectations of us and cause us to undertake costly initiatives to satisfy such new criteria. If we elect not to or are unable to satisfy such new criteria, investors may conclude that our policies and actions with respect to corporate social responsibility are inadequate. We may face reputational damage in the event that we do not meet the ESG standards set by various constituencies.
Furthermore, if our competitors’ corporate social responsibility performance is perceived to be better than ours, potential or current investors may elect to invest with our competitors instead. In addition, in the event that we communicate certain initiatives and goals regarding ESG matters, we could fail, or be perceived to fail, in our achievement of such initiatives or goals, or we could be criticized for the scope of such initiatives or goals. If we fail to satisfy the expectations of investors, employees, and other stakeholders or our initiatives are not executed as planned, our reputation and business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely impacted.
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We may be adversely affected by natural disasters, pandemics, such as COVID-19, and other catastrophic events, and by man-made problems such as geopolitical conflicts and terrorism, that could disrupt our business operations, and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us from a serious disaster.
Natural disasters or other catastrophic events may also cause damage or disruption to our operations, international commerce, and the global economy, and could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. Our business operations are subject to interruption by natural disasters, fire, power shortages, and other events beyond our control. In addition, our non-U.S. operations expose us to risks associated with public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics, which could harm our business and cause our operating results to suffer. For example, the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the precautionary measures that we have adopted have resulted, and could continue to result, in difficulties or changes to our user support, or create operational or other challenges, any of which could adversely impact our business and operating results. Further, acts of terrorism, labor activism or unrest, and other geopolitical conflicts or unrest, including the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, could cause disruptions in our business or the businesses of our partners or the economy as a whole. In the event of a natural disaster, including a major earthquake, blizzard, or hurricane, or a catastrophic event such as a fire, power loss, or telecommunications failure, we may be unable to continue our operations and may endure system interruptions, reputational harm, delays in development of our products and services, lengthy interruptions in service, breaches of data security, and loss of critical data, all of which could have an adverse effect on our future operating results. We do not maintain insurance sufficient to compensate us for the potentially significant losses that could result from disruptions to our services. Additionally, all the aforementioned risks may be further increased if we do not implement a disaster recovery plan or our disaster recovery plans prove to be inadequate. To the extent natural disasters or other catastrophic events concurrently impact data centers we rely on in connection with processing transactions, users will experience significant delays in withdrawing funds, or in the extreme we may suffer loss of user funds.
Climate change could negatively impact our business long-term.
Global climate change may have an increasingly adverse impact on our business continuity and our ability to keep our employees safe and provide for our users and retail partners. We consider potential risks related to weather as part of our operations strategy and have business continuity and disaster recovery plans in place. However, they may not adequately protect us from serious disasters and adverse impacts. In addition, climate change events could have an impact on critical infrastructure in the U.S. and internationally, which has the potential to disrupt our business, our third-party suppliers, and the business of retail partners. They may also cause us to experience higher losses, attrition, and additional costs to maintain or resume operations.
We have operations all over the world and our BTM kiosks in California, Texas and Florida are particularly vulnerable to climate change effects. In 2021, the west coast of the U.S. experienced historic wildfires; a winter storm in Texas led to massive power outages; and multiple hurricanes formed over the U.S. gulf coast — all of which caused significant destruction to the affected regions. We anticipate that similar weather events will continue to bring significant annual destruction in vulnerable areas. The long-term effects of climate change could have significant repercussions for the global economy and cause significant financial and physical damages.
The requirements of being a public company, including maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, may strain our resources, divert management’s attention, and affect our ability to attract and retain executive management and qualified board members.
As a public company we have and will continue to incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses. Additionally, we are subject to reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the rules subsequently implemented by the SEC, the rules and regulations of the listing standards of Nasdaq, and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Stockholder activism, the current political and social environment and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which has and will likely continue to result in additional compliance costs and could impact the manner in which we operate our business in ways we cannot currently anticipate. Compliance with these rules and regulations may strain our financial and management systems, internal controls, and employees. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and operating results. Moreover, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures, and internal control, over financial reporting. In order to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures, and internal control, over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. If we encounter material weaknesses or deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting, we may not detect errors on a timely basis and our consolidated financial statements may be materially misstated. Effective internal control is necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and is important to prevent fraud.
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For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with certain reporting requirements, including those relating to accounting standards and disclosure about our executive compensation, that apply to other public companies.
We are classified as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. For as long as we are an emerging growth company, which may be up to five full fiscal years, unlike other public companies, we will not be required to, among other things: (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (ii) comply with any new requirements adopted by the PCAOB requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer; (iii) provide certain disclosures regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies; or (iv) hold nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation. We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years (until January 1, 2027), although we will lose that status sooner if we have more than $1.235 billion of revenues in a fiscal year, have $700.0 million or more in market value of Class A common stock held by non-affiliates, or issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period.
To the extent that we rely on any of the exemptions available to emerging growth companies, you will receive less information about our executive compensation and internal control over financial reporting than issuers that are not emerging growth companies. Additionally, we intend to take advantage of the extended transition periods for the adoption of new or revised financial accounting standards under the JOBS Act until we are no longer an emerging growth company. Our election to use the transition periods permitted by this election may make it difficult to compare our financial statements to those of non-emerging growth companies and other emerging growth companies that have opted out of the extended transition periods permitted under the JOBS Act and who will comply with new or revised financial accounting standards.
If some investors find Class A common stock to be less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for Class A common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
We might require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available.
We have funded our operations since inception primarily through debt, financing lease arrangements, and revenue generated by our operations. While we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and availability under our debt financing agreements are sufficient to meet our working capital needs and planned capital expenditures, and to service our debt, there is no guarantee that this will continue to be true in the future. We cannot be certain when or if our operations will generate sufficient cash to fully fund our ongoing operations or the growth of our business. We intend to continue to make investments in our business to respond to business opportunities and challenges, including developing new products and services, enhancing our operating infrastructure, expanding our non-U.S. operations, and acquiring complementary businesses and technologies, all of which may require us to secure additional funds. In the future, we may also require additional capital due to refinancing needs, regulatory surety bond requirements, or unforeseen circumstances and may decide to engage in equity, equity-linked or debt financings, or enter into additional debt financing agreements for any of the foregoing reasons. We may not be able to secure any such additional financing on terms favorable to us, in a timely manner or at all.
Changes by any rating agency to our outlook or credit rating could negatively affect the value of any debt securities of ours as well as our equity securities, and increase our borrowing costs. If our credit ratings are downgraded or other negative action is taken, our ability to obtain additional financing in the future on favorable terms or at all could be adversely affected. In the event of a downgrade of our credit rating or if other negative action is taken, our ability to obtain additional financing may be adversely affected and any future debt offerings or credit arrangements we propose to enter into may be on less favorable terms or terms that may not be acceptable to us. In addition, even if debt financing is available, the cost of additional financing may be significantly higher than our current debt. If we incur additional debt, the debt holders would have rights senior to holders of Class A common stock to make claims on our assets, and the terms of any debt could restrict our operations, including our ability to pay dividends on Class A common stock. Furthermore, we have authorized the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock. If we issue additional equity securities or other securities convertible into equity, including convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could experience dilution in their percentage ownership of our company, and any such securities could have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our currently authorized and issued Class A common stock.
The trading prices for Class A common stock may be highly volatile, which may reduce our ability to access capital on favorable terms or at all. In addition, a slowdown or other sustained adverse downturn in the general economic or digital asset markets could adversely affect our business and the value of the Class A common stock. Because our decision to raise capital in the future will depend on numerous considerations, including factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, or nature of any future issuances of securities. As a result, our stockholders bear the risk of future issuances of debt or equity securities reducing the value of the Class A common stock and diluting their interests. Our inability to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms
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satisfactory to us, when we require it, could significantly limit our ability to continue supporting our business growth and responding to business challenges.
Key business metrics and other estimates are subject to inherent challenges in measurement, and our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected by real or perceived inaccuracies in those metrics.
We regularly review key business metrics, including installed kiosks, returning user transaction count, median transaction size and BDCheckout locations, and other measures to evaluate growth trends, measure our performance, and make strategic decisions. These key metrics are calculated using internal company data based on the activity we measure (and may be compiled from multiple systems) and have not been validated by an independent third-party. While these numbers are based on what we believe at the time to be reasonable estimates for the applicable period of measurement, there are inherent challenges in such measurements. If we fail to maintain an effective analytics platform, our key metrics calculations may be inaccurate, and we may not be able to identify those inaccuracies. We regularly review our processes for calculating these metrics, and from time to time we make adjustments to improve their accuracy. Additionally, certain of our key business metrics are measured at a point in time and as our products and internal processes for calculating these metrics evolve over time, a previously reported number could fluctuate. We generally will not update previously disclosed key business metrics for any such inaccuracies or adjustments that are immaterial.
If our estimates or judgment relating to our critical accounting policies prove to be incorrect, our operating results could be adversely affected.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, and equity, and the amount of revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant estimates and judgments involve the identification and evaluation of tax positions and valuation of embedded derivatives, among others. Our operating results may be adversely affected if our assumptions change or if actual circumstances differ from those in our assumptions, which could cause our operating results to fall below the expectations of analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the trading price of the Class A common stock.
The nature of our business requires the application of complex financial accounting rules. If financial accounting standards undergo significant changes, our operating results could be adversely affected.
The accounting rules and regulations that we must comply with are complex and subject to interpretation by the FASB, the SEC, and various bodies formed to promulgate and interpret appropriate accounting principles. A change in these principles or interpretations could have a significant effect on our reported financial results, and may even affect the reporting of transactions completed before the announcement or effectiveness of a change. For example, on March 31, 2022, the staff of the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121, or SAB 121, which represents a significant change regarding how a company safeguarding cryptocurrencies held for its platform users reports such cryptocurrencies on its balance sheet and requires retrospective application as of January 1, 2022. Moreover, recent actions and public comments from the FASB and the SEC have focused on the integrity of financial reporting and internal controls. In addition, many companies’ accounting policies are being subjected to heightened scrutiny by regulators and the public.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy
Identifying, assessing, and managing material risks associated with “cybersecurity threats,” as such term is defined in Item 106(a) of Regulation S-K, is important to Bitcoin Depot. Among the risks we strive to address and mitigate are the disruption of our business operations and the loss of personal and confidential data due to cybersecurity incidents, fraud, or extortion.
We integrate the identification, assessment, and management of cybersecurity risks into our overall risk management systems and processes. We detect and address such risks from cybersecurity threats in several ways, including through third-party assessments, internal governance, risk and compliance, participation in industry groups to obtain intel, IT audits, and IT security reviews. To protect
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against, detect, and respond to cybersecurity incidents, we, among other things, leverage intrusion prevention and detection systems, perform penetration testing, conduct employee training, monitor emerging laws and regulations related to data protection and information security, and implement appropriate changes to comply with the identified emerging laws and regulations. To effectuate these processes, we regularly engage third-party auditors and advisors to assess our cybersecurity programs and ensure compliance with applicable guidelines, standards, and industry best practices.
Senior management, including our Bitcoin Depot’s Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Cybersecurity Operations Director, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel are responsible for implementing these security measures, as well as being involved in all aspects of cybersecurity incident response and data breach management processes. Bitcoin Depot’s incident management plan provides a roadmap for responding to and categorizing incidents. Bitcoin Depot’s IT and cybersecurity teams collaborate with other company stakeholders to develop strategies for mitigating and responding to identified cybersecurity events.
Our cybersecurity threat and risk management processes also involve assessing third-party risks. We maintain a Vendor Management Policy pursuant to which we assign a risk rating and assess third-party risks by conducting cybersecurity due diligence on our vendors, suppliers, and other entities with whom we do business. Due diligence includes, as appropriate, either requiring proof of security standard compliance or satisfactory responses to our Vendor Assessment Security Questionnaire. We also evaluate the cyber practices of, and cybersecurity risks associated with, the engagement of third-party service providers, including when we negotiate cybersecurity and data privacy contract terms, such as those relating to information security and audit rights.
Although we constantly evaluate cyber risks, we are unaware of any prior cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our business strategy, results of operations, or financial conditions.
Cybersecurity Governance
Our Board of Directors and management prioritize cybersecurity. Although our full Board of Directors is generally responsible for cybersecurity risk management, it has assigned principal oversight responsibility of risks from cybersecurity threats to our Audit Committee. As described above, management is also responsible for assessing and managing risks from cybersecurity threats, and designated management personnel, including our Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Cybersecurity Operations Director, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary meet quarterly as a Risk Committee to determine cybersecurity matters to be shared with the Audit Committee. The Risk Committee provides the Audit Committee updates on such matters on at least a quarterly basis. The Audit Committee reports cybersecurity risks to the full Board during quarterly meetings.
The members of senior management involved in managing our material risks from cybersecurity threats, including our Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Cybersecurity Operations Director, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary are experienced in data security matters and financial reporting matters. Our Chief Information Security Officer has more than 20 years of experience in information technology and has served in multiple technology executive roles, including security-compliance-related roles and holds a degree in Computer Information Systems from Harding University. Our Chief Technology Officer holds a computer science degree and Master of Engineering in Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has held engineering roles in multiple financial technology companies. Our Cybersecurity Operations Director holds a Master of Science degree in computer engineering as well as a Master of Science degree in information assurance, both from Iowa State University. He has led the security operations centers for large, global data management software company, as well as a large payment processing company. Additionally, he has led audits and penetration tests as the senior manager of a consulting company. Prior to entering into the private sector, he served as a police officer where he was a detective, specializing in computer crimes and forensics. Our Chief Financial Officer has over 30 years of experience in financial statement reporting and auditing. Our General Counsel has significant experience advising on cybersecurity matters and data protection matters and building out cybersecurity and data privacy compliance program across business lines in the financial services industry.
Item 2. Properties
Our principal executive offices and headquarters are located in leased premises at 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 750, Atlanta, Georgia, 30326, consisting of approximately 5,700 square feet. We also lease office space in Canada, located at 267 Richmond Rd, 3rd Fl., Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 6X3, consisting of approximately 1,000 square feet. We believe that these facilities are suitable to meet our needs.
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Item 3. Legal Proceedings
On January 13, 2023, Canaccord Genuity Corp. (“Canaccord”) commenced proceedings against the Company by filing a claim with the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, Ontario which named Bitcoin Depot as the defendant. Canaccord is a financial services firm in Canada that the Company previously had hired to perform advisory services related to a potential initial public offering in Canada or sales transaction. The claim asserts that Bitcoin Depot breached the contract by terminating the contract to avoid paying fees for their services and that Canaccord is entitled to $22.3 million in damages equivalent to the fees alleged to be payable for breach of contract that would have been owed upon the closing of a transaction to acquire control, the sale of substantially all the Company’s assets, or a merger transaction pursuant to the previously terminated engagement letter for advisory services. Canaccord proposes that the amount of fees would be calculated on the total cash transaction value of the business combination of $880.0 million. The claim also seeks an award for legal and other costs relating to the proceeding. On October 25, 2023, Canaccord amended its claim against the Company to increase the demand amount to $23.0 million which is an additional $0.7 million. Canaccord did not present evidence or statements to support the reason for the increased demand amount. In March 2024, the Canaccord matter moved into the discovery phase.
We are also party to various other legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of our business. We believe these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity. See Note 24 - Commitments and Contingencies in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information for Common Stock
Our Class A common stock currently trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BTM”.
Our Warrants currently trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “BTMWW”.
No other classes of our equity securities are listed or traded on any stock exchange.
Holders of Record
As of, April 9, 2024, there were 43 registered holders of record of our Class A common stock and 9 registered holders of record of our Class B common stock. As of the filing date, there were 24 registered holders of record of our listed Warrants. Since many of our shares of Class A common stock and Warrants are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders represented by these record holders.
Dividend Policy
We have not paid any cash dividends on the Class A common stock to date (or any other outstanding class of common stock). As a holding company, our ability to pay dividends depends on our receipt of cash dividends from our operating subsidiaries. We may retain future earnings, if any, in order to pursue our business plan, cover operating costs and otherwise remain competitive. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors that the board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, under Delaware law, our board of directors may declare dividends only to the extent of our surplus (which is defined as total assets at fair market value minus total liabilities, minus statutory capital) or, if there is no surplus, out of our net profits for the then-current and/or immediately preceding fiscal year. In addition, our ability to pay dividends may be limited by covenants of any existing and future outstanding indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur.
Holders of our Class A Preferred stock would participate in any dividend declared on our Class A common stock on an as converted basis.
Stock Performance Graph
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N/A
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
On September 22, 2023, the Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program providing for repurchases of up to $10 million of the Company’s outstanding Class A common stock through June 30, 2024. Repurchases of shares are made in accordance with applicable securities laws and may be made from time to time in the open market or by negotiated transactions, including through entry into 10b5-1 trading plans. The amount and timing of repurchases are based on a variety of factors, including stock price, regulatory limitations, debt agreement limitations, and other market and economic factors. The share repurchase plan does not require the Company to repurchase any specific number of shares, and the Company may terminate the repurchase plan at any time. The Company purchased 120,644 shares of our Class A common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2023 and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 on the open market. The following table provides information regarding purchases of our securities made by us for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
SHARE REPURCHASES AND DIVIDENDS
Following are our monthly share repurchases for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023:
Period |
Total Number of Shares Purchased |
|
Average Price Paid Per Share |
|
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs |
|
Approximate Dollar Value of |
|
||||
2023 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
October |
|
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
November |
|
44,842 |
|
$ |
2.27 |
|
|
44,842 |
|
|
9,898,209 |
|
December |
|
75,802 |
|
$ |
2.31 |
|
|
75,802 |
|
|
9,723,106 |
|
Item 6.
[Reserved]
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following discussion and analysis contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in the section titled Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” and “Bitcoin Depot” refer to Bitcoin Depot Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Business Overview
Bitcoin Depot owns and operates the largest network of Bitcoin ATMs (“BTMs”) across North America where customers can buy and sell Bitcoin. Bitcoin Depot helps power the digital economy for users of cash.
Our mission is to bring Crypto to the Masses. Digital means and systems dominate the way that consumers send money, make purchases, and invest; however, many people continue to utilize cash as their primary means of initiating a transaction, either as a necessity or as a preference. These individuals have largely been excluded from the digital financial system and associated technological advancements in our global and digitally interconnected society. Bitcoin Depot’s simple and convenient process to convert cash into Bitcoin via our BTMs and feature-rich mobile app enables not only these users, but also the broader public, to access the digital financial system.
As of December 31, 2023, our offerings included approximately 6,300 BTMs in retailer locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, our BDCheckout product, which is accepted at approximately 5,700 retail locations, and our mobile app. We maintain a leading position among cash-to-Bitcoin BTM operators in the U.S. and Canada.
Kiosk Network and Retailer Relationships
Bitcoin Depot operates a network of kiosks that allow users to purchase Bitcoin with cash and with respect to 29 kiosks allows them to sell us Bitcoin for cash. Upon using a Bitcoin Depot kiosk for the first time, users will be prompted to provide certain information for account creation and verification. Users are required to select from three ranges of cash amounts to be inserted in the kiosk for purchasing Bitcoin. The user then provides the address of their digital wallet by scanning a QR code or manually inputting their unique wallet address; the user can create and use a Bitcoin Depot-branded wallet (un-hosted and non-custodial), or their own other existing digital wallet. Cash is then inserted by the user into the kiosk, and the kiosk will confirm the dollar amount and other details of the transaction, including quantity of Bitcoin being purchased. Once the transaction is complete, the Bitcoin is electronically delivered to the user’s digital wallet and the user is provided with a physical receipt as well as a receipt via SMS text.
Bitcoin Depot’s largest BTM deployment as of December 31, 2023 is with Circle K, a convenience store chain of over 9,000 stores in North America and over 4,800 stores in Europe and other international markets. We are the exclusive provider and operator of BTMs for Circle K in the U.S. and Canada, and as of December 31, 2023, we have installed our BTMs in approximately 1,300 Circle K stores. We also have kiosks deployed in other convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies, and shopping malls.
Cryptocurrencies
Our revenues, $689.0 million and $646.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, have not been correlated to the price of Bitcoin historically, even in light of volatile Bitcoin prices. For example, our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 grew by 6.5% year-over-year, while the market price of Bitcoin increased by 155% during the same period. Based on our own user surveys, a majority of our users use our products and services for non-speculative purposes, including money transfers, international remittances, and online purchases, among others.
We use a sophisticated Bitcoin management process to reduce our exposure to volatility in Bitcoin prices by maintaining a relatively low balance (typically less than $0.8 million) of Bitcoin at any given time, which we believe differentiates us from our competition. Our typical practice is to purchase Bitcoin through a liquidity provider such as Cumberland DRW or Abra. We replenish our Bitcoin only through purchases from leading Bitcoin liquidity providers and do not engage in any mining of Bitcoin ourselves. Our sophisticated replenishment process enables us to satisfy our users’ Bitcoin purchases with our own Bitcoin holdings yet maintain relatively small balances of Bitcoin to effectively manage our principal risk. There are two main components of the working capital required in our operations. On the Bitcoin side, we maintain Bitcoin in our hot wallets to fulfill orders from users while we are automatically placing orders with liquidity providers and exchanges to replenish the Bitcoin we have sold to users. The second
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component to working capital is the cash that accumulates in the BTM kiosks. As users insert cash into the BTM kiosks, cash accumulates until armored carriers collect the cash and process it back to our bank accounts. While not required, we typically maintain a variable level of cash in the BTM kiosks at all times. As of December 31, 2023, cash in the BTM kiosks was approximately 21.2% of average monthly revenues.
BitAccess and BDCheckout
In July 2021, we acquired BitAccess, and in the second quarter of 2022, we launched BDCheckout. BitAccess added new software features to our BTMs and positions us to service new channels of users while eventually having full control over our own software capabilities. All of our BTMs use the BitAccess software. The acquisition also diversified our revenue streams into software offerings and generated significant savings in transaction processing fees and reduced other operating expenses. BitAccess revenues from third-party customers from the date of acquisition have not been material and the launch of BDCheckout has not yet had a meaningful impact on our results of operations.
The Merger
On June 30, 2023, we consummated the Merger. GSRM’s stockholders approved the Merger at a special meeting of the stockholders held on June 28, 2023 (the “Special Meeting”).
Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, the following occurred:
Regulatory Environment
We operate internationally and in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment characterized by a heightened focus by regulators globally on all aspects of the payments industry, including countering terrorist financing, anti-money laundering, privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection. The laws and regulations applicable to us, including those enacted prior to the advent of digital payments, are continuing to evolve through legislative and regulatory action and judicial interpretation. New or changing laws and regulations, including changes to their interpretation and implementation, as well as increased penalties and enforcement actions
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related to non-compliance, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. See “Governmental Regulations” and “Legal Proceedings” in Part I, Item I.
Key Business Metrics
We monitor and evaluate the following key business metrics to measure performance, identify trends, develop and refine growth strategies and make strategic decisions. We believe these metrics and measures are useful to facilitate period-to-period comparisons of our business, and to facilitate comparisons of our performance to that of our competitors.
Our key metrics are calculated using internal company data based on the activity we measure on our platform and may be compiled from multiple systems. While the measurement of our key metrics is based on what we believe to be reasonable methodologies and estimates, there are inherent challenges and limitations in measuring our key metrics. The methodologies used to calculate our key metrics require judgment and we regularly review our processes for calculating these key metrics, and from time to time, we may make adjustments to improve their accuracy or relevance.
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Three Months Ended |
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December 31 |
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September 30 |
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June 30 |
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March 31 |
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December 31 |
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September 30 |
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June 30 |
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March 31 |
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December 31 |
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September 30 |
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June 30 |
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March 31 |
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December 31 |
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September 30 |
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June 30 |
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March 31 |
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2023 |
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2022 |
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2021 |
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2020 |
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Installed kiosks (at period end) |
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6,334 |
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6,404 |
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6,351 |
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6,441 |
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6,530 |
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6,787 |
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6,955 |
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6,711 |
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6,220 |
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4,520 |
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2,811 |
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1,859 |
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1,061 |
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671 |
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159 |
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127 |
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Returning user transaction count |
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8.3 |
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9.1 |
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9.2 |
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10.0 |
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10.5 |
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11.2 |
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11.5 |
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11.9 |
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12.3 |
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11.5 |
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11.8 |
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12.2 |
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12.0 |
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12.3 |
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14.0 |
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13.8 |
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Median kiosk transaction size (in $) |
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200 |
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200 |
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200 |
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200 |
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200 |
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180 |
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|
170 |
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|
176 |
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|
168 |
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|
160 |
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|
160 |
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|
140 |
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|
140 |
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100 |
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70 |
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90 |
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BDCheckout locations (at period end) (1) (3) |
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5,681 |
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5,681 |
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5,195 |
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2,754 |
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8,661 |
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8,661 |
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8,395 |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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