UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
OR
For the fiscal year ended
OR
OR
Date of event requiring this shell company report:
For the transition period from to
Commission file number:
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
c/o Creative Consultants (Hong Kong) Limited
(Address of principal executive offices)
c/o Creative Consultants (Hong Kong) Limited
(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ( |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each
of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
☐ Yes ☒
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
☐ Yes ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ | |||
| Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial
reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or
issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section
12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction
of an error to previously issued financial statements.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
| ☒ | International Financial Reporting Standards as issued | Other ☐ | ||
| by the International Accounting Standards Board ☐ |
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.
☐ Item 17 ☐ Item 18
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
☐ Yes
Table of Contents
i
Conventions Used in this Annual Report
Except where the context otherwise requires and for purposes of this annual report on Form 20-F only, “we,” “us,” “our company,” “Company,” “our” and “AGM Holdings” refer to:
| ● | AGM Group Holdings Inc., a British Virgin Islands company limited by shares (“AGM Holdings”); | |
| ● | AGM Canada Holdings Limited., a corporation incorporated in British Columbia, Canada (“AGM Canada”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings; | |
| ● | AGM Defi Tech Limited., a Hong Kong SAR limited company (“AGM Defi Tech”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings; | |
| ● | AGM Defi Lab Pte Limited, a Singapore company (“AGM Defi Lab”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings; | |
| ● | AGM Electronic Technology Limited, a Hong Kong SAR company (“AGM Electronic”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings; | |
| ● | AGM Technology Limited, a Hong Kong SAR limited company (“AGM HK” when individually referenced) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings; | |
| ● | AGM Software Service LTD, a British Virgin Islands company limited by shares (“AGM Software” when individually referenced) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings; | |
| ● | Beijing Bixin Electronic Technology Co., Ltd, a company formed under the laws of People’s Republic of China (“Beijing Bixin”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Defi Tech; | |
| ● | Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd., a company formed under the laws of People’s Republic of China (“Beijing Keen Sense”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Defi Tech; | |
| ● | AGM Tianjin Construction Development Co., Ltd. (“AGM Tianjin”) (also referred to as 天津安高盟建设发展有限公司 in China), formerly known as AGM Tianjin Construction Development Co., Ltd. (or 深圳安高盟金融科技服务有限公司 in China), a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (“WFOE”) formed under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM HK; | |
| ● | Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd. (“AGM Beijing”) (also referred to as 北京安高盟科技服务有限公司 in China), a PRC company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Tianjin; | |
| ● | Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (“Nanjing Lucun”), a PRC company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM HK; and | |
| ● | Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Beijing Branch (“Nanjing Lucun Beijing Branch”), a branch office of Nanjing Lucun established pursuant to the laws of the PRC. |
This annual report contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollar amounts at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. The Consolidated Balance Sheets balances, with the exception of equity at December 31, 2023 and 2022, were translated at RMB7.0827 and RMB6.9646 to $1.00, respectively. The equity accounts were stated at their historical rate. The average translation rates applied to the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss/Income and the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were RMB7.0467 RMB6.7261, and RMB6.4515to $1.00, respectively.
We obtained the industry and market data used in this annual report or any document incorporated by reference from industry publications, research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties and our own internal estimates based on our management’s knowledge and experience in the markets in which we operate. We did not, directly or indirectly, sponsor or participate in the publication of such materials, and these materials are not incorporated in this annual report other than to the extent specifically cited in this annual report. We have sought to provide current information in this annual report and believe that the statistics provided in this annual report remain up-to-date and reliable, and these materials are not incorporated in this annual report other than to the extent specifically cited in this annual report.
ii
SPECIAL CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain matters discussed in this annual report may constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation, those discussed under “Item 3. Key Information—Risk Factors,” “Item 4. Information on the Company,” “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects,” and elsewhere in this annual report, as well as factors which may be identified from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or in the documents where such forward-looking statements appear. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.
The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report reflect our views and assumptions only as of the date this annual report is signed. Except as required by law, we assume no responsibility for updating any forward-looking statements.
iii
PART I
Item 1. Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
Item 2. Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
Item 3. Key Information
Overview
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Please carefully consider the risks discussed under “Item 3. Key Information – D. Risk Factors” in this annual report beginning on page 11. We provide the following disclosure to help investors better understand our operations in China and the associated risks.
AGM Group Holdings Inc., or AGM, is a holding company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, or the BVI. As a holding company with no material operations, AGM conducts a substantial majority of its operations through its subsidiaries established in the People’s Republic of China, or the PRC or China. However, neither the holding company nor any of the Company’s Chinese subsidiaries conduct any operations through contractual arrangements with a variable interest entity based in China. Investors in our Class A ordinary shares should be aware that they may never directly hold equity interests in the PRC operating entities, but rather purchasing equity solely in AGM Group Holdings Inc., our BVI holding company. Furthermore, shareholders may face difficulties enforcing their legal rights under United States securities laws against our directors and officers who are located outside of the United States. See “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us” on page 30 of this annual report.
Corporate Structure
Our equity structure is a direct holding structure. Below is a chart illustrating our corporate structure:
1
Transfers of Cash Among Subsidiaries
Within our direct holding structure, the cross-border transfer of funds within our corporate entities is legal and compliant with the laws and regulations of the PRC. After the foreign investors’ funds enter AGM, the funds can be directly transferred to the PRC operating companies through its subsidiaries. Specifically, AGM is permitted under the BVI laws to provide funding to our subsidiaries in the PRC, Hong Kong and Singapore through loans or capital contributions without restrictions on the amount of the funds, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration, approval and filing requirements. Each of our subsidiaries in the Hong Kong and Singapore is also permitted under the laws of Hong Kong and Singapore to provide funding to AGM through dividend distribution without restrictions on the amount of the funds. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to the Company only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. As of the date hereof, there have not been any transfers, dividends or distributions made between the holding company, its subsidiaries, and to investors. Furthermore, as of the date hereof, no cash generated from one subsidiary is used to fund another subsidiary’s operations and we do not anticipate any difficulties or limitations on our ability to transfer cash between subsidiaries. We have also not installed any cash management policies that dictate the amount of such funds and how such funds are transferred. For the foreseeable future, we intend to use the earnings for our business operations and as a result, we do not intend to distribute earnings or pay any cash dividends. See “Transfers of Cash to and from Our Subsidiaries” on page 5 of this annual report.
Regulatory Permissions
Because our operations are primarily located in the PRC and Hong Kong through our subsidiaries, we are subject to certain legal and operational risks associated with our operations in China, including changes in the legal, political and economic policies of the Chinese government, the relations between China and the United States, or Chinese or United States regulations may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain, and therefore, these risks may result in a material change in our operations and the value of our Class A ordinary shares, or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. We do not believe that our subsidiaries are directly subject to these regulatory actions or statements, as we have not implemented any monopolistic behavior and our business does not involve the collection of user data or implicate cybersecurity. As of the date hereof, no relevant laws or regulations in the PRC explicitly require us to seek approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, or any other PRC governmental authorities for future offerings, nor has our BVI holding company or any of our subsidiaries received any inquiry, notice, warning or sanctions regarding previous offerings from the CSRC or any other PRC governmental authorities. However, since these statements and regulatory actions by the PRC government are newly published and official guidance and related implementation rules have not been issued, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC, or other PRC regulatory authorities may in the future promulgate laws, regulations or implementing rules that requires our company or any of our subsidiaries to obtain regulatory approval from Chinese authorities before future offerings in the U.S. In other words, although the Company is currently not required to obtain permission from any of the PRC federal or local government to obtain such permission and has not received any denial to list on the U.S. exchange, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly; our ability to offer, or continue to offer, securities to investors would be potentially hindered and the value of our securities might significantly decline or be worthless, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry or by intervene or interruption by PRC governmental authorities, if we or our subsidiaries (i) do not receive or maintain such permissions or approvals, (ii) inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, or (iv) any intervention or interruption by PRC governmental with little advance notice.
2
Summary of Risk Factors
Investing in our Class A ordinary shares involves significant risks. Below please find a summary of the principal risks we face, organized under relevant headings. These risks are discussed more fully under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” beginning on page 11 of this annual report.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
| ● | Our business could be materially harmed by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted, and poses risks to, our business, the nature and extent of which are highly uncertain and unpredictable” on page 16 of this annual report); |
| ● | We might require additional capital to support business growth (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – We might require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on acceptable terms, if at all” on page 16 of this annual report); |
| ● | Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential customer information or our failure or the perception by our customers that we failed to comply with privacy laws or properly address privacy concerns could harm our business and standing with our customers (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential customer information or our failure or the perception by our customers that we failed to comply with privacy laws or properly address privacy concerns could harm our business and standing with our customers” on page 17 of this annual report); |
| ● | Our bitcoin mining machine business faces a number of uncertainties in technology, regulations and operations (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Business and Industry – Significant contributors to the bitcoin network could propose amendments to its protocols and software which, if accepted and authorized, could negatively impact our business and operations” on page 11 of this annual report). |
Risks Related to Doing Business in China (for a more detailed discussion, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” on page 21 of this annual report)
| ● | We may rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our Class A ordinary shares (see “Risk Factors – We are a holding company, and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our Class A ordinary shares” on page 21 of this annual report); |
| ● | The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if our holding company or subsidiaries were required to obtain approval or filing in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors (see “Risk Factors –The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if our holding company or subsidiaries were required to obtain approval or filing in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors” on page 22 of this annual report); |
| ● | The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China (see “Risk Factors – The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China” on page 25 of this annual report); |
| ● | China’s legal system is evolving and has inherent uncertainties that could limit the legal protection available to you (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us” on page 30 of this annual report); |
| ● | We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption law (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption law” on page 33 of this annual report); |
3
| ● | The regulation of Internet website operators in China is subject to interpretation, and our operation of online trading platform and education programs could be harmed if we are deemed to have violated applicable laws and regulations (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – The regulation of Internet website operators in China is subject to interpretation, and our operation of online trading platform and education programs could be harmed if we are deemed to have violated applicable laws and regulations” on page 34 of this annual report); |
| ● | The recent joint statement by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or the “PCAOB,” proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to the trading of our Class A ordinary shares (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to the trading of our Class A ordinary shares” on page 35 of this annual report); |
| ● | The filing, approval or other administration requirements of the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our future offshore offering under PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to complete the filing procedure with the CSRC and obtain such approval or complete such filing, as applicable (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – The filing, approval or other administration requirements of the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our future offshore offering under PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to complete the filing procedure with the CSRC and obtain such approval or complete such filing, as applicable” on page 27 of this annual report); |
Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Class A Ordinary Shares China (for a more detailed discussion, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” on page 21 of this annual report)
| ● | The dual-class structure of our ordinary shares has the effect of concentrating voting control with certain shareholders, including our executive officers, employees and directors and their affiliates, which will limit your ability to influence the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Class A Ordinary Shares – The dual-class structure of our ordinary shares has the effect of concentrating voting control with certain shareholders, including our executive officers, employees and directors and their affiliates, which will limit your ability to influence the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control” on page 38 of this annual report); |
| ● | The laws of the British Virgin Islands provide little protection for minority shareholders, so minority shareholders will have little or no recourse if they are dissatisfied with the conduct of our affairs (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Class A Ordinary Shares – The laws of the British Virgin Islands provide little protection for minority shareholders, so minority shareholders will have little or no recourse if they are dissatisfied with the conduct of our affairs” on page 38 of this annual report); |
| ● | The market price of our Class A ordinary shares may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Class A Ordinary Shares – The trading price of our Class A Ordinary Shares has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile; you might not be able to sell your shares at or above the price that you paid for them and we may not be able to stop the decline of our stock price” on page 39 of this annual report); |
| ● | The exercise of the warrants issued on December 14, 2021 may further dilute the Class A ordinary shares and adversely impact the price of our Class A ordinary shares (see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Class A Ordinary Shares – The exercise of the warrants issued on December 14, 2021 may further dilute the ordinary shares and adversely impact the price of our Class A ordinary shares” on page 41 of this annual report). |
4
Legal and Operational Risks of Operating in the PRC
Because our operations are primarily located in the PRC and Hong Kong through our subsidiaries, we are subject to certain legal and operational risks associated with our operations in China, including changes in the legal, political and economic policies of the Chinese government, the relations between China and the United States, or Chinese or United States regulations may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain, and therefore, these risks may result in a material change in our operations and the value of our Class A ordinary shares, or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. We do not believe that our subsidiaries are directly subject to these regulatory actions or statements, as we have not implemented any monopolistic behavior and our business does not involve the collection of user data or implicate cybersecurity. As of the date of this annual report, no relevant laws or regulations in the PRC explicitly require us to seek approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, or any other PRC governmental authorities for future offerings, nor has our BVI holding company or any of our subsidiaries received any inquiry, notice, warning or sanctions regarding previous offerings from the CSRC or any other PRC governmental authorities. However, since these statements and regulatory actions by the PRC government are newly published and official guidance and related implementation rules have not been issued, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC, or other PRC regulatory authorities may in the future promulgate laws, regulations or implementing rules that requires our company or any of our subsidiaries to obtain regulatory approval from Chinese authorities before future offerings in the U.S.
For a more detailed discussion, see “- Transfers of Cash to and from Our Subsidiaries”, “- Implications of Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act”, “- PRC Regulatory Permissions” and “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China” beginning on page 21 of this annual report.
Transfers of Cash to and from Our Subsidiaries
AGM Group Holdings Inc. is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China and Hong Kong primarily through our subsidiaries in China, Hong Kong SAR and Singapore. We may rely on dividends to be paid by our subsidiaries in Singapore, China and Hong Kong SAR to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. If our subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.
Our equity structure is a direct holding structure. Within our direct holding structure, the cross-border transfer of funds within our corporate entities is legal and compliant with the laws and regulations of the PRC. After the foreign investors’ funds enter AGM, the funds can be directly transferred to the PRC operating companies through its subsidiaries. Specifically, AGM Group Holdings Inc. is permitted under the BVI laws to provide funding to our subsidiaries in Singapore, China and Hong Kong SAR through loans or capital contributions without restrictions on the amount of the funds, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration, approval and filing requirements. AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited are also permitted under the laws of Hong Kong to provide funding to AGM Group Holdings Inc. through dividend distribution without restrictions on the amount of the funds. As of the date hereof, there have not been any transfers, dividends or distributions made between the holding company, its subsidiaries, and to investors.
5
We currently intend to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, for the operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors after considering our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, contractual requirements, business prospects and other factors the Board of Directors deems relevant, and subject to the restrictions contained in any future financing instruments.
Subject to the BVI Business Companies Act and our bylaws, our Board of Directors may authorize and declare a dividend to shareholders at such time and of such an amount as they think fit if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that immediately following the dividend the value of our assets will exceed our liabilities and we will be able to pay our debts as they become due.
Under the current practice of the Inland Revenue Department of Hong Kong, no tax is payable in Hong Kong in respect of dividends paid by us. The laws and regulations of the PRC do not currently have any material impact on transfer of cash from AGM Group Holdings Inc. to AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited, or from AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited to AGM Group Holdings Inc. There are no restrictions or limitation under the laws of Hong Kong imposed on the conversion of HK dollar into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of Hong Kong or across borders and to U.S investors.
Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our subsidiaries in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. Each of such entity in China is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund the employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at the discretion of its board of directors. Although the statutory reserves can be used, among other ways, to increase the registered capital and eliminate future losses in excess of retained earnings of the respective companies, the reserve funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of liquidation.
To address persistent capital outflows and the RMB’s depreciation against the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2016, the People’s Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, have implemented a series of capital control measures in the subsequent months, including stricter vetting procedures for China-based companies to remit foreign currency for overseas acquisitions, dividend payments and shareholder loan repayments. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls and our PRC subsidiaries’ dividends and other distributions may be subject to tightened scrutiny in the future. The PRC government also imposes controls on the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. Therefore, we may experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency for the payment of dividends from our profits, if any. Furthermore, if our subsidiaries in the PRC incur debt on their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments. If we or our subsidiaries are unable to receive all of the revenues from our operations, we may be unable to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares.
Cash dividends, if any, on our Class A ordinary shares will be paid in U.S. dollars. If we are considered a PRC tax resident enterprise for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders may be regarded as China-sourced income and as a result may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10.0%.
6
In order for us to pay dividends to our shareholders, we will rely on payments made from our PRC subsidiaries, i.e., Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd. to AGM Defi Tech Limited, AGM Tianjing Construction Development Co., Ltd. and Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. to AGM Technology Limited, and from AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited to AGM Group Holdings Inc. Certain payments from our PRC subsidiaries in Hong Kong are subject to PRC taxes, including business taxes and VAT.
During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, our PRC subsidiaries have not made any transfers or distributions. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, no cash or asset transfers have occurred among the Company and its subsidiaries. We do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, no cash generated from one subsidiary is used to fund another subsidiary’s operations and we do not anticipate any difficulties or limitations on our ability to transfer cash between subsidiaries. We do not have any cash management policies that dictate the amount of such funds and how such funds are transferred.
Implications of Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act
On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. An identified issuer will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. On June 22, 2021, United States Senate has passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, legislation entitled “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (the “Consolidated Appropriations Act”) was signed into law by President Biden, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the HFCA Act by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions. On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, the Ministry of Finance of the PRC (the “MOF”), and the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol (the “Protocol”), governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB Board determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB Board will consider the need to issue a new determination.
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Each of TPS Thayer LLC, the independent registered public account firm that issued the audit report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 included elsewhere in this annual report, and KCCW Accountancy Corp., the independent registered public account firm that issued the audit report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 included elsewhere in this annual report, and GGF CPA LTD, the independent registered public account firm that issued the audit report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 included elsewhere in this annual report, as auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and firms registered with the PCAOB, are subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess such auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards. TPS Thayer LLC is headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis. KCCW Accountancy Corp. is headquartered in Los Angeles, California , and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis. GGF CPA LTD is headquartered in Guangzhou, China. While GGF CPA LTD is based in the PRC, it is registered with PCAOB and subject to PCAOB inspection. In the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely the GGF CPA LTD because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading of our securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA, and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities. None of TPS Thayer LLC, KCCW Accountancy Corp. or GGF CPA LTD is subject to the determinations as to the inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021. However, as more stringent criteria have been imposed by the SEC and the PCAOB, recently, which would add uncertainties to future offerings, and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. See “The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to the trading of our Class A ordinary shares” on page 35 of this annual report.
PRC Regulatory Permissions
As of the date of this annual report, we and our operating subsidiaries have received all material permissions and approvals required for our operations in compliance with the relevant PRC laws and regulations in the PRC, including the business licenses of our operating subsidiaries. The following table provides details on the licenses and permissions held by our PRC subsidiaries.
| Approval | Recipient | Issuing body | Validity | |||
| Business License | Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd. | Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation | October 20, 2051 | |||
| Business License | AGM Tianjing Construction Development Co., Ltd. | Tianjing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation | October 12, 2065 | |||
| Business License | Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. | Nanjing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation | Indefinite | |||
| Business License | Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd. | Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation | November 12, 2035 |
The business license is a permit issued by Administration for Market Regulation that allows the company to conduct specific business within the government’s geographical jurisdiction. Each of our PRC subsidiaries has received its business license. As of the date hereof, except for the business licenses mentioned here, AGM Group Holdings Inc. and our PRC subsidiaries are not required to obtain any other permissions or approvals from any Chinese authorities to operate the business. However, applicable laws and regulations may be tightened, and new laws or regulations may be introduced to impose additional government approval, license, and permit requirements. If we or our subsidiaries fail to obtain and maintain such approvals, licenses, or permits required for our business, inadvertently conclude that such approval is not required, or respond to changes in the regulatory environment, we or our subsidiaries could be subject to liabilities, penalties, and operational disruption, which may materially and adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and the value of our Class A ordinary shares, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless.
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The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors (the “M&A Rules”), adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, include, among other things, provisions that purport to require that an offshore special purpose vehicle, formed for the purpose of an overseas listing of securities through acquisitions of domestic enterprises in China or assets and controlled by enterprises or individuals in China, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, pursuant to the M&A Rules and other PRC laws, the CSRC published on its official website relevant guidance regarding its approval of the listing and trading of special purpose vehicles’ securities on overseas stock exchanges, including a list of application materials. However, substantial uncertainty remains regarding the scope and applicability of the M&A Rules to offshore special purpose vehicles.
On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in accordance with the Law. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. These opinions and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. As of the date hereof, no official guidance or related implementation rules have been issued. As a result, the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities remain unclear on how they will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. We cannot assure that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of these opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all.
Pursuant to Cybersecurity Review Measures which were issued on December 28, 2021 and became effective on February 15, 2022, network platform operators holding over one million users’ personal information must apply with the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review before any public offering at a foreign stock exchange. However, given the Cybersecurity Review Measures were relatively new, there are substantial uncertainties as to the interpretation, application and enforcement of the Cybersecurity Review Measures. It remains uncertain whether we should apply for cybersecurity review prior to any offshore offering and that we would be able to complete the applicable cybersecurity review procedures in a timely manner, or at all, if we are required to do so. In addition, on November 14, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) published the Administration Regulations on Network Data Security (Draft for Comments), or the Draft Measures for Network Data Security, which provides that data processors conducting the following activities shall apply for cybersecurity review: (i) merger, reorganization or separation of Internet platform operators that have acquired a large number of data resources related to national security, economic development or public interests affects or may affect national security; (ii) overseas listing of data processors processing over one million users’ personal information; (iii) listing in Hong Kong which affects or may affect national security; (iv) other data processing activities that affect or may affect national security. In addition, the Draft Measures for Network Data Security also require Internet platform operators to establish platform rules, privacy policies and algorithm strategies related to data, and solicit public comments on their official websites and personal information protection related sections for no less than 30 working days when they formulate platform rules or privacy policies or makes any amendments that may have significant impacts on users’ rights and interests. The CAC solicited comments on this draft, but there is no timetable as to when it will be enacted.
We believe that we will not be subject to the Cybersecurity Review Measures that became effective on February 15, 2022 under the CAC, because we currently do not have over one million users’ personal information and do not anticipate that we will be collecting over one million users’ personal information in the foreseeable future, which we understand might otherwise subject us to the Cybersecurity Review Measures. We are also not subject to network data security review by the CAC if the Draft Measures for Network Data Security are enacted as proposed, since we currently do not have over one million users’ personal information and do not collect data that affects or may affect national security and we do not anticipate that we will be collecting over one million users’ personal information or data that affects or may affect national security in the foreseeable future, which we understand might otherwise subject us to the Draft Measures for Network Data Security.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated Trial Administrative Measures of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the “Overseas Listing Trial Measures”) and five relevant guidelines, which became effective on March 31, 2023. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, PRC domestic companies that seek to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either in direct or indirect means, are required to fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC and report relevant information. The Overseas Listing Trial Measures provides that an overseas listing or offering is explicitly prohibited, if any of the following: (1) such securities offering and listing is explicitly prohibited by provisions in laws, administrative regulations and relevant state rules; (2) the intended securities offering and listing may endanger national security as reviewed and determined by competent authorities under the State Council in accordance with law; (3) the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing, or its controlling shareholder(s) and the actual controller, have committed relevant crimes such as corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property or undermining the order of the socialist market economy during the latest three years; (4) the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing is currently under investigations for suspicion of criminal offenses or major violations of laws and regulations, and no conclusion has yet been made thereof; or (5) there are material ownership disputes over equity held by the domestic company’s controlling shareholder(s) or by other shareholder(s) that are controlled by the controlling shareholder(s) and/or actual controller.
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The Overseas Listing Trial Measures also provides that if the issuer meets both the following criteria, the overseas securities offering and listing conducted by such issuer will be deemed as indirect overseas offering by PRC domestic companies: (1) 50% or more of any of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent fiscal year is accounted for by domestic companies; and (2) the issuer’s main business activities are conducted in China, or its main place(s) of business are located in China, or the majority of senior management staff in charge of its business operations and management are PRC citizens or have their usual place(s) of residence located in China. Where an issuer submits an application for initial public offering to competent overseas regulators, such issuer must file with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted. In addition, the Overseas Listing Trial Measures provide that the direct or indirect overseas listings of the assets of domestic companies through one or more acquisitions, share swaps, transfers or other transaction arrangements shall be subject to filing procedures in accordance with the Overseas Listing Trial Measures. The Overseas Listing Trial Measures also requires subsequent reports to be filed with the CSRC on material events, such as change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer(s) who have completed overseas offerings and listings.
At a press conference held for these new regulations (“Press Conference”), officials from the CSRC clarified that the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas on or before March 31, 2023 shall be deemed as existing issuers (the “Existing Issuers”). Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filling procedures immediately, and they shall be required to file with the CSRC upon occurrences of certain subsequent matters such as follow-on offerings of securities. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures and the Press Conference, the existing domestic companies that have completed overseas offering and listing before March 31, 2023, such as us, shall not be required to perform filing procedures for the completed overseas securities issuance and listing. However, from the effective date of the regulation, any of our subsequent securities offering in the same overseas market or subsequent securities offering and listing in other overseas markets shall be subject to the filing requirement with the CSRC within three working days after the offering is completed or after the relevant application is submitted to the relevant overseas authorities, respectively. If it is determined that any approval, filing or other administrative procedures from other PRC governmental authorities is required for any future offering or listing, we cannot assure you that we can obtain the required approval or accomplish the required filings or other regulatory procedures in a timely manner, or at all. If we fail to fulfill filing procedure as stipulated by the Trial Measures or offer and list securities in an overseas market in violation of the Trial Measures, the CSRC may order rectification, issue warnings to us, and impose a fine of between RMB1,000,000 and RMB10,000,000. Persons-in-charge and other persons that are directly liable for such failure shall be warned and each imposed a fine from RMB500,000 to RMB5,000,000. Controlling shareholders and actual controlling persons of us that organize or instruct such violations shall be imposed a fine from RMB1,000,000 and RMB10,000,000.
On February 24, 2023, the CSRC published the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration”), which came into effect on March 31, 2023. The Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration requires that, in the process of overseas issuance and listing of securities by domestic entities, the domestic entities, and securities companies and securities service institutions that provide relevant securities service shall strictly implement the provisions of relevant laws and regulations and the requirements of these provisions, establish and improve rules on confidentiality and archives administration. Where the domestic entities provide with or publicly disclose documents, materials or other items related to the state secrets and government work secrets to the relevant securities companies, securities service institutions, overseas regulatory authorities, or other entities or individuals, the companies shall apply for approval of competent departments with the authority of examination and approval in accordance with law and report the matter to the secrecy administrative departments at the same level for record filing. Where there is unclear or controversial whether or not the concerned materials are related to state secrets, the materials shall be reported to the relevant secrecy administrative departments for determination. However, there remain uncertainties regarding the further interpretation and implementation of the Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration.
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As of the date of this annual report, we and our PRC subsidiaries are not required to obtain, nor have we or our PRC subsidiaries received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions regarding obtaining approval or permission from the CSRC or the CAC or any other entity that is required to approve our PRC subsidiaries’ operations or required for us to offer securities to foreign investors under any currently effective PRC laws, regulations, and regulatory rules. If it is determined that we are subject to filing requirements imposed by the CSRC under the Overseas Listing Regulations or approvals from other PRC regulatory authorities or other procedures, including the cybersecurity review under the revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, for our future offshore offerings, it would be uncertain whether we can or how long it will take us to complete such procedures or obtain such approval and any such approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or delay in completing such procedures or obtaining such approval for our offshore offerings, or a rescission of any such approval if obtained by us, would subject us to sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities for failure to file with the CSRC or failure to seek approval from other government authorization for our offshore offerings. These regulatory authorities may impose fines and penalties on our operations in China, limit our ability to pay dividends outside of China, limit our operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from our offshore offerings into China or take other actions that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, as well as the trading price of our ordinary shares. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities also may take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt our offshore offerings before settlement and delivery of the securities offered. Consequently, if investors engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, they do so at the risk that settlement and delivery may not occur. In addition, if the CSRC or other regulatory authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals or accomplish the required filing or other regulatory procedures for our prior offshore offerings, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties or negative publicity regarding such approval requirement could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, reputation, and the trading price of our ordinary shares.
See “The filing, approval or other administration requirements of the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our future offshore offering under PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to complete the filing procedure with the CSRC and obtain such approval or complete such filing, as applicable.” on page 27 of this annual report.
For more details, see “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Doing Business in China – The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if our holding company or subsidiaries were required to obtain approval or filing in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors” on page 22 of this annual report.
3.A. [Reserved]
3.B. Capitalization and Indebtedness
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
3.C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
3.D. Risk Factors
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Significant contributors to the bitcoin network could propose amendments to its protocols and software which, if accepted and authorized, could negatively impact our business and operations.
A small group of individuals contribute to the Bitcoin Core Project on GitHub.com, which is a leading source of quasi-governance that works to ensure that the bitcoin blockchain remains decentralized and governed by consensus. According to its website, “Bitcoin Core is an open source project which maintains and releases Bitcoin client software called ‘Bitcoin Core.’ It is a direct descendant of the original Bitcoin software client released by Satoshi Nakamoto after he published the famous Bitcoin whitepaper.” Bitcoin Core is powered by an open-source development community, but it is maintained by a small group of maintainers and leading contributors.
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This group of contributors is currently headed by Wladimir J. van der Laan, the current lead maintainer. These individuals can propose refinements or improvements to the bitcoin network’s source code through one or more software upgrades that alter the protocols and software that govern the bitcoin network and the properties of bitcoin, including the irreversibility of transactions and limitations on the mining of new bitcoin. Proposals for upgrades and discussions relating thereto take place on online forums. For example, there is an ongoing debate regarding altering the blockchain by increasing the size of blocks to accommodate a larger volume of transactions.
The open-source structure of the bitcoin network protocol may result in inconsistent and perhaps even ineffective changes to the bitcoin protocol. Failed upgrades or maintenance to the protocol could damage the bitcoin network, which could adversely affect our business and the results of our operations.
The bitcoin network operates based on an open-source protocol maintained by contributors, largely on the Bitcoin Core project on GitHub. As an open source project, bitcoin is not represented by an official organization or authority. As the bitcoin network protocol is not sold and its use does not generate revenues for contributors, contributors are generally not compensated for maintaining and updating the bitcoin network protocol. Although the MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative funds the current maintainer Wladimir J. van der Laan, among others, this type of financial incentive is not typical. The lack of guaranteed financial incentive for contributors to maintain or develop the bitcoin network and the lack of guaranteed resources to adequately address emerging issues with the bitcoin network may reduce incentives to address the issues adequately or in a timely manner. Changes to a digital asset network which we sell mining machine on may adversely affect an investment in us.
If demand for bitcoin declines, or if another cryptocurrency replaces bitcoin as the most prominent cryptocurrency, our business and the results of our operations could suffer materially.
Although bitcoin is presently the most prominent cryptocurrency, it is possible that another cryptocurrency could supplant it as the most prominent cryptocurrency, which could have a materially negative effect of the demand for bitcoin and, therefore, on its conversion spot price. Alternatively, the demand for bitcoin may fall for other reasons unknown to the Company.
Our ability to adopt technology in response to changing security needs or trends poses a challenge to the safekeeping of our digital assets.
The history of digital asset exchanges has shown that exchanges and large holders of digital assets must adapt to technological change in order to secure and safeguard their digital assets. We rely on third party storage solutions and “cold storage” of our digital wallets to safeguard our digital assets from theft, loss, destruction, or other issues relating to hackers and technological attack; however, malicious actors may be able to intercept our digital assets in the process of selling them. Further, we may move our digital assets to various exchanges to exchange them for fiat currency, which will require us to rely on the security protocols of these exchanges to safeguard our digital assets. While these exchanges purport to be secure, and while we believe them to be so, no security system is perfect and malicious actors may be able to intercept our digital assets while we are in the process of selling them via such exchanges. Given the growth in their size and their relatively unregulated nature, we believe these exchanges will become a more appealing target for malicious actors. To the extent we are unable to identify and mitigate or stop new security threats, our machines may be subject to theft, loss, destruction, or other attack, which could adversely affect an investment in us.
We have an evolving business model which is subject to various uncertainties.
As bitcoin assets may become more widely available, we expect the services and products associated with them to evolve. In order to stay current with the industry, our business model may need to evolve as well. From time to time, we may modify aspects of our business model relating to our strategy. We cannot offer any assurance that these or any other modifications will be successful or will not result in harm to our business. We may not be able to manage growth effectively, which could damage our reputation, limit our growth and negatively affect our operating results. Further, we cannot provide any assurance that we will successfully identify all emerging trends and growth opportunities in this business sector, and we may lose out on those opportunities. Such circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations.
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The development and acceptance of cryptographic and algorithmic protocols governing the issuance of and transactions in cryptocurrencies is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate.
The use of cryptocurrencies to, among other things, buy and sell goods and services and complete transactions, is part of a new and rapidly evolving industry that employs bitcoin assets based upon a computer-generated mathematical and/or cryptographic protocol. Large-scale acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a means of payment has not, and may never, occur. The growth of this industry in general, and the use of bitcoin, in particular, is subject to a high degree of uncertainty, and the slowing or stopping of the development or acceptance of developing protocols may occur unpredictably. The factors include, but are not limited to:
| ● | continued worldwide growth in the adoption and use of cryptocurrencies as a medium to exchange; | |
| ● | governmental and quasi-governmental regulation of cryptocurrencies and their use, or restrictions on or regulation of access to and operation of the network or similar bitcoin systems; | |
| ● | changes in consumer demographics and public tastes and preferences; |
| ● | the maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the network; | |
| ● | the increased consolidation of contributors to the bitcoin blockchain through mining pools; | |
| ● | the availability and popularity of other forms or methods of buying and selling goods and services, including new means of using fiat currencies; |
| ● | the use of the networks supporting cryptocurrencies for developing smart contracts and distributed applications; | |
| ● | general economic conditions and the regulatory environment relating to cryptocurrencies; and | |
| ● | negative consumer sentiment and perception of bitcoin specifically and cryptocurrencies generally. |
The outcome of these factors could have negative effects on our ability to continue as a going concern or to pursue our business strategy at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations as well as potentially negative effect on the value of any bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies we mine or otherwise acquire or hold for our own account, which would harm investors in our securities.
Banks and financial institutions may not provide banking services, or may cut off services, to businesses that engage in bitcoin-related activities or that accept cryptocurrencies as payment, including financial institutions of investors in our securities.
A number of companies that engage in bitcoin and/or other bitcoin-related activities have been unable to find banks or financial institutions that are willing to provide them with bank accounts and other services. Similarly, a number of companies and individuals or businesses associated with cryptocurrencies may have had and may continue to have their existing bank accounts closed or services discontinued with financial institutions in response to government action, particularly in China, where regulatory response to cryptocurrencies has been to exclude their use for ordinary consumer transactions within its jurisdiction.
Subject to such restrictions, we also may be unable to obtain or maintain these services for our business. The difficulty that many businesses that provide bitcoin and/or derivatives on other bitcoin-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 cryptocurrencies as a payment system and harming public perception of cryptocurrencies and could decrease their usefulness and harm their public perception in the future.
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If any person, institution or a pool of them acting in concert obtains control of more than 50% of the processing power active on the Bitcoin network, such person, institution or a pool of them could prevent new transactions from gaining confirmations, halt payments between users, and reverse previously completed transactions, which would erode user confidence in Bitcoin.
If the award of Bitcoins for solving blocks and transaction fees for recording transactions are not sufficiently high to incentivize miners, miners may cease expending processing power to solve blocks. Miners ceasing operations would reduce the collective processing power on the Bitcoin network, which would adversely affect the confirmation process for transactions and make the Bitcoin network more vulnerable to any person, institution or a pool of them which has obtained over 50% control over the computing power on the Bitcoin network. In such event, such person, institution or a pool of them could prevent new transactions from gaining confirmation, halt payments between users, and reverse previously completed transactions. Such changes or any reduction in confidence in the confirmation process or processing power of the Bitcoin network may erode user confidence in Bitcoin, which would decrease the demand for our mining machines.
The administrators of the Bitcoin network’s source code could propose amendments to the Bitcoin network’s protocols and software that, if accepted and authorized by the Bitcoin network’s community, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The Bitcoin network is based on a cryptographic, algorithmic protocol that governs the end-user-to-end-user interactions between computers connected to the Bitcoin network. A loosely organized group can propose amendments to the Bitcoin network’s source code through one or more software upgrades that alter the protocols and software that govern the Bitcoin network and the properties of Bitcoins, including the irreversibility of transactions and limitations on the mining of new Bitcoins. To the extent that a significant majority of the users and miners on the Bitcoin network install such software upgrade(s), the Bitcoin network would be subject to new protocols and software that may render our products less desirable, which in turn may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. If less than a significant majority of the users and miners on the Bitcoin network install such software upgrade(s), the Bitcoin network could “fork.”
The acceptance of Bitcoin network software patches or upgrades by a significant, but not overwhelming, percentage of the users and miners in the Bitcoin network could result in a “fork” in the blockchain, resulting in the operation of two separate networks that cannot be merged. The existence of forked blockchains could erode user confidence in Bitcoin and could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Bitcoin is based on open-source software and has no official developer or group of developers that formally controls the Bitcoin network. Any individual can download the Bitcoin network software and make any desired modifications, which are proposed to users and miners on the Bitcoin network through software downloads and upgrades. However, miners and users must consent to those software modifications by downloading the altered software or upgrade implementing the changes; otherwise, the changes do not become part of the Bitcoin network. Since the Bitcoin network’s inception, changes to the Bitcoin network have been accepted by the vast majority of users and miners, ensuring that the Bitcoin network remains a coherent economic system. However, a developer or group of developers could potentially propose a modification to the Bitcoin network that is not accepted by a vast majority of miners and users, but that is nonetheless accepted by a substantial population of participants in the Bitcoin network. In such a case, a fork in the blockchain could develop and two separate Bitcoin networks could result, one running the pre-modification software program and the other running the modified version. An example is the introduction of a cryptocurrency known as “Bitcoin cash” in mid-2017. This kind of split in the Bitcoin network could erode user confidence in the stability of the Bitcoin network, which could negatively affect the demand for our products. Our marketing efforts to help grow our business may not be effective.
If our marketing efforts are not successful in promoting awareness of our clients, or if we are not able to cost-effectively manage our marketing expenses, our results of operations could be adversely affected. If our marketing efforts are successful in increasing awareness of our business, this could also lead to increased public scrutiny of our business and increase the likelihood of third parties bringing legal proceedings against us. Any of the foregoing risks could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Acceptance and/or widespread use of bitcoin is uncertain.
Currently, there is a relatively limited use of any bitcoin in the retail and commercial marketplace, thus contributing to price volatility that could adversely affect an investment in our securities. Banks and other established financial institutions may refuse to process funds for bitcoin transactions, process wire transfers to or from bitcoin exchanges, bitcoin-related companies or service providers, or maintain accounts for persons or entities transacting in bitcoin. Conversely, a significant portion of bitcoin demand is generated by investors seeking a long-term store of value or speculators seeking to profit from the short- or long-term holding of the asset. Price volatility undermines any bitcoin’s role as a medium of exchange, as retailers are much less likely to accept it as a form of payment. Market capitalization for a bitcoin as a medium of exchange and payment method may always be low.
The relative lack of acceptance of bitcoins in the retail and commercial marketplace, or a reduction of such use, limits the ability of end users to use them to pay for goods and services. Such lack of acceptance or decline in acceptances could have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue as a going concern or to pursue our business strategy at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations.
The development and acceptance of competing blockchain platforms or technologies may cause consumers to use alternative distributed ledgers or other alternatives.
The development and acceptance of competing blockchain platforms or technologies may cause consumers to use alternative distributed ledgers or an alternative to distributed ledgers altogether. Our business utilizes presently existent digital ledgers and blockchains and we could face difficulty adapting to emergent digital ledgers, blockchains, or alternatives thereto. This may adversely affect us and our exposure to various blockchain technologies and prevent us from realizing the anticipated profits from our investments. Such circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue as a going concern or to pursue our business strategy at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations.
We may not adequately respond to price fluctuations and rapidly changing technology, which may negatively affect our business.
Competitive conditions within the bitcoin industry require that we use sophisticated technology in the operation of our business. The industry for blockchain technology is characterized by rapid technological changes, new product introductions, enhancements and evolving industry standards. New technologies, techniques or products could emerge that might offer better performance than the software and other technologies we currently utilize, and we may have to manage transitions to these new technologies to remain competitive. We may not be successful, generally or relative to our competitors in the bitcoin industry, in timely implementing new technology into our systems, or doing so in a cost-effective manner. During the course of implementing any such new technology into our operations, we may experience system interruptions and failures during such implementation. Furthermore, there can be no assurances that we will recognize, in a timely manner or at all, the benefits that we may expect as a result of our implementing new technology into our operations. As a result, our business and operations may suffer, and there may be adverse effects on the price of our common stock.
We are dependent on our major customers for the majority of our revenues. The loss of one or more significant customers could adversely affect our financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, five customers accounted for 39%, 15%, 14%, 10% and 10% of the Company’s revenues. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, five customers accounted for 20%, 19%, 14%, 13% and 12% of the Company’s revenues, respectively. If we were to lose any key alliances over a relatively short period of time or if one of our largest customers fails to pay or delays in paying a significant amount of our outstanding receivables, we could experience an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. Additionally, changes in ownership of our customers may result in the loss of, or reduction in, business from those customers, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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We are dependent on a limited number of suppliers, and delays in deliveries or increases in the cost could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our ability to meet our customers’ demand for our service depends upon obtaining adequate supplies on a timely basis. We have established relationships with a limited number of suppliers. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, four suppliers accounted for 25%, 21%, 20% and 18% of the Company’s total cost of revenues. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, two suppliers accounted for 75% and 11% of the Company’s total cost of revenues. Should any of our current suppliers be unable to deliver their service or otherwise fail to deliver in a timely manner and at acceptable prices and quality, we would have to identify and quality replacements from alternative sources of supply. However, the process of qualifying new suppliers for complex components is also lengthy and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, increase in costs may adversely impact demand for our services or the results of our business operations.
Any failure to offer high-quality product support may adversely affect our relationships with our customers and our financial results.
In deploying and using our solutions, our customers depend on our support services team to resolve complex technical and operational issues. We may be unable to respond quickly enough to accommodate short-term increases in customer demand for product support. We also may be unable to modify the nature, scope and delivery of our product support to compete with changes in product support services provided by our competitors. Increased customer demand for product support, without corresponding revenue, could increase costs and adversely affect our operating results. Our sales are highly dependent on our business reputation and on positive recommendations from our existing customers. Any failure to maintain high-quality product support, or a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality product support, could adversely affect our reputation, our ability to sell our solutions to existing and prospective customers, our business, operating results, and financial position.
We might require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on acceptable terms, if at all.
We intend to continue to make investments to support our business growth and may require additional funds to respond to business challenges, including the need to develop new features or enhance our existing solutions, improve our operating infrastructure or acquire complementary businesses and technologies. Accordingly, we may need to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our Class A ordinary shares. Any debt financing secured by us in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. In addition, we may not be able to obtain additional financing on terms favorable to us, or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth and to respond to business challenges could be significantly impaired.
Our financial and operating performance may be adversely affected by epidemics, natural disasters and other catastrophes.
Our business could be materially and adversely affected by the outbreak of epidemics including but not limited to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), swine influenza, avian influenza, middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV). Our financial and operating performance may be adversely affected by epidemics such as the on-going COVID-19, natural disasters and other catastrophes. Our business could be materially and adversely affected in the event that the slowdown or suspension carries for a long period of time. The restrictive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected and slowed down the national economic development. Any prolonged restrictive measures in order to control the contagious disease or other adverse public health developments in China or our targeted markets may have a material and adverse effect on our business operations.
Similarly, natural disasters, wars (including the potential of war), terrorist activity (including threats of terrorist activity), social unrest and heightened travel security measures instituted in response, and travel-related accidents, as well as geopolitical uncertainty and international conflict, will affect travel volume and may in turn have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, we may not be adequately prepared in contingency planning or recovery capability in relation to a major incident or crisis, and as a result, our operational continuity may be adversely and materially affected, which in turn may harm our reputation.
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If we are not able to continue to innovate or if we fail to adapt to changes in our industry, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.
The software industry is characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, new service introductions and changing customer demands. Furthermore, our competitors are constantly developing innovations in online marketing, communications, social networking and other services to enhance users’ online experience. We continue to invest significant resources in our infrastructure, research and development and other areas in order to introduce more content and enhance our existing services that will attract more users to our software. The changes and developments taking place in our industry may also require us to re-evaluate our business model and adopt significant changes to our long-term strategies and business plan. Our failure to innovate and adapt to these changes would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to maintain existing clients, attract new clients or broaden our market, our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.
We intend to continue to dedicate significant resources to our user acquisition efforts, including establishing new acquisition channels, particularly as we continue to grow and introduce new services. The overall number of users may be affected by several factors, including our brand recognition and reputation, the effectiveness of our risk control, the efficiency of our platform, the macroeconomic environment and other factors. Currently, we promote our brand through direct communications with schools and learning centers. However, we do we have sufficient human resource to market our services, which will result in an increase in operation cost. If we are unable to broaden our market or attract new users, or if the existing users do not continue to use our software, we might be unable to increase our revenues as we expect, and our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.
If we do not compete effectively, our results of operations could be harmed.
The market of software is in rapid growth due to rapid growth of actual and predicted demand. The market, thus, has become more competitive. For our commodity trading platform, we compete with traditional financial institutions and other online trading platforms. For our education software, we compete with schools and learning centers and online education programs. Our competitors operate with different business models, have different cost structures or participate selectively in different market segments. They may ultimately prove more successful or more adaptable to new regulatory, technological and other developments. Some of our current and potential competitors have significantly more financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sale and support of their platforms. Our competitors may also have longer operating histories, more extensive customer bases, greater brand recognition and brand loyalty and broader partner relationships than us. Additionally, a current or potential competitor may acquire one or more of our existing competitors or form a strategic alliance with one or more of our competitors. Our competitors may be better at developing new services, offering more attractive investment returns or lower fees, responding faster to new technologies and undertaking more extensive and effective marketing campaigns. In response to competition and in order to grow or maintain the client base, we may have to offer more content and features in the software or charge lower fees, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. If we are unable to compete with such companies and meet the need for innovation in our industry, the demand for our service could stagnate or substantially decline, we could experience reduced revenues or our services could fail to achieve or maintain more widespread market acceptance, any of which could harm our business and results of operations.
If we fail to promote and maintain our brand in an effective and cost-efficient way, our business and results of operations may be harmed.
We believe that developing and maintaining awareness of our brand effectively is critical to attracting new and retaining existing clients. Successful promotion of our brand and our ability to attract clients depend largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts and the success of the channels we use to promote our services. It is likely that our future marketing efforts will require us to incur significant additional expenses. These efforts may not result in increased revenues in the immediate future or at all and, even if they do, any increases in revenues may not offset the expenses incurred. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand while incurring substantial expenses, our results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected, which may impair our ability to grow our business.
Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential customer information or our failure or the perception by our customers that we failed to comply with privacy laws or properly address privacy concerns could harm our business and standing with our customers.
We collect, store, process, and use certain personal information and other user data in our business. A significant risk associated with our business is the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks. The perception of privacy concerns, whether or not valid, may adversely affect our business and results of operations. We must ensure that any processing, collection, use, storage, dissemination, transfer and disposal of data for which we are responsible complies with relevant data protection and privacy laws. The protection of our customer, employee and company data is critical to us. We rely on commercially available systems, software, tools and monitoring to provide secure processing, transmission and storage of confidential customer information. Despite the security measures we have in place, our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, may be vulnerable to security breaches, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced or lost data, programming or human errors, or other similar events. Any security breach, or any perceived failure involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, as well as any failure or perceived failure to comply with laws, policies, legal obligations or industry standards regarding data privacy and protection, whether by us or our vendors, could damage our reputation, expose us to litigation risk and liability, subject us to negative publicity, disrupt our operations and harm our business. We cannot assure you that our security measures will prevent security breaches or that failure to prevent them will not have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, we do not carry cybersecurity insurance to compensate for any losses that may result from any breach of security. Therefore, our results of operations or financial condition may be materially adversely affected if our existing general liability policies did not cover a security breach.
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New lines of business or new services may subject us to additional risks.
From time to time, we may implement new lines of business or offer new services within existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new services, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new services may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business or a new service. Furthermore, any new line of business and/or new service could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of internal controls. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business or new services could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.
We regard our trademarks, copyrights, domain names, know-how, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on a combination of intellectual property laws and contractual arrangements, including confidentiality, invention assignment and non-compete agreements with our employees and others to protect our proprietary rights. We have purchased and registered with the National Copyright Administration of PRC certain copyrights. See “Item 4. Information on the Company – Intellectual Property.” Despite these measures, any of our intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or misappropriated, or such intellectual property may not be sufficient to provide us with competitive advantages. In addition, because of the rapid pace of technological change in our industry, parts of our business rely on technologies developed or licensed by third parties, and we may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses and technologies from these third parties on reasonable terms, or at all.
It is often difficult to register, maintain and enforce intellectual property rights in China. Statutory laws and regulations are subject to judicial interpretation and enforcement and may not be applied consistently due to the lack of clear guidance on statutory interpretation. Confidentiality, invention assignment and non-compete agreements may be breached by counterparties, and there may not be adequate remedies available to us for any such breach. Accordingly, we may not be able to effectively protect our intellectual property rights or to enforce our contractual rights in China. Preventing any unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly and the steps we take may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property. In the event that we resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, such litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our managerial and financial resources. We can provide no assurance that we will prevail in such litigation. In addition, our trade secrets may be leaked or otherwise become available to, or be independently discovered by, our competitors. To the extent that our employees or consultants use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related know-how and inventions. Any failure in protecting or enforcing our intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims, which may be expensive to defend and may disrupt our business and operations.
We cannot be certain that our operations or any aspects of our business do not or will not infringe upon or otherwise violate trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights held by third parties. We may be from time to time in the future subject to legal proceedings and claims relating to the intellectual property rights of others. In addition, there may be third-party trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights that are infringed by our services or other aspects of our business without our awareness. Holders of such intellectual property rights may seek to enforce such intellectual property rights against us in China, the United States or other jurisdictions. If any third-party infringement claims are brought against us, we may be forced to divert management’s time and other resources from our business and operations to defend against these claims, regardless of their merits.
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Additionally, the application and interpretation of China’s intellectual property right laws and the procedures and standards for granting trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights in China are still evolving and are uncertain, and we cannot assure you that PRC courts or regulatory authorities would agree with our analysis. If we were found to have violated the intellectual property rights of others, we may be subject to liability for our infringement activities or may be prohibited from using such intellectual property, and we may incur licensing fees or be forced to develop alternatives of our own. As a result, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
From time to time, we may evaluate and potentially consummate strategic investments or acquisitions, which could require significant management attention, disrupt our business and adversely affect our financial results.
We may evaluate and consider strategic investments, combinations, acquisitions or alliances to further increase the value of our services and better serve our clients. These transactions could be material to our financial condition and results of operations if consummated. If we are able to identify an appropriate business opportunity, we may not be able to successfully consummate the transaction and, even if we do consummate such a transaction, we may be unable to obtain the benefits or avoid the difficulties and risks of such transaction.
Strategic investments or acquisitions will involve risks commonly encountered in business relationships, including:
| ● | difficulties in assimilating and integrating the operations, personnel, systems, data, technologies, products and services of the acquired business; | |
| ● | inability of the acquired technologies, products or businesses to achieve expected levels of revenue, profitability, productivity or other benefits; | |
| ● | difficulties in retaining, training, motivating and integrating key personnel; | |
| ● | diversion of management’s time and resources from our normal daily operations; | |
| ● | difficulties in successfully incorporating licensed or acquired technology and rights into our services; |
| ● | difficulties in maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies within the combined organizations; | |
| ● | difficulties in retaining relationships with clients, employees and suppliers of the acquired business; | |
| ● | risks of entering markets in which we have limited or no prior experience; | |
| ● | regulatory risks, including remaining in good standing with existing regulatory bodies or receiving any necessary pre-closing or post-closing approvals, as well as being subject to new regulators with oversight over an acquired business; | |
| ● | assumption of contractual obligations that contain terms that are not beneficial to us, require us to license or waive intellectual property rights or increase our risk for liability; | |
| ● | failure to successfully further develop the acquired technology; | |
| ● | liability for activities of the acquired business before the acquisition, including intellectual property infringement claims, violations of laws, commercial disputes, tax liabilities and other known and unknown liabilities; | |
| ● | potential disruptions to our ongoing businesses; and | |
| ● | unexpected costs and unknown risks and liabilities associated with strategic investments or acquisitions. |
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We may not make any investments or acquisitions, or any future investments or acquisitions may not be successful, may not benefit our business strategy, may not generate sufficient revenues to offset the associated acquisition costs or may not otherwise result in the intended benefits. In addition, we cannot assure you that any future investment in or acquisition of new businesses or technology will lead to the successful development of new or enhanced services or that any new or enhanced services, if developed, will achieve market acceptance or prove to be profitable.
Our business depends on the continued efforts of our senior management. If one or more of our key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, our business may be severely disrupted.
Our business operations depend on the continued services of our senior management, particularly the executive officers named in this annual report. While we have provided different incentives to our management, we cannot assure you that we can continue to retain their services. If one or more of our key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all, our future growth may be constrained, our business may be severely disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel. In addition, although we have entered into confidentiality and non-competition agreements with our management, there is no assurance that any member of our management team will not join our competitors or form a competing business. If any dispute arises between our current or former officers and us, we may have to incur substantial costs and expenses in order to enforce such agreements in China or we may be unable to enforce them at all.
Competition for employees is intense, and we may not be able to attract and retain the qualified and skilled employees needed to support our business.
We believe our success depends on the efforts and talent of our employees, including software engineering, financial and marketing personnel. Our future success depends on our continued ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain qualified and skilled employees. Competition for highly skilled technical, and financial personnel is extremely intense. We may not be able to hire and retain these personnel at compensation levels consistent with our existing compensation and salary structure. Some of the companies with which we compete for experienced employees have greater resources than we have and may be able to offer more attractive terms of employment.
A lack of insurance could expose us to significant costs and business disruption.
We have not yet purchased insurance to cover our assets and property of our business, which could leave our business inadequately protected from loss. If we were to incur substantial losses or liabilities due to fire, explosions, floods, other natural disasters or accidents or business interruption, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, Insurance companies in China currently do not offer as extensive an array of insurance products as insurance companies in more developed economies. Currently, we do not have any business liability or disruption insurance to cover our operations. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured business disruptions may result in our incurring substantial costs.
We have identified material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal control, we may be unable to accurately report our operating results, meet our reporting obligations or prevent fraud.
As required by Form 20-F, our management is required to assess the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and include a report in our annual report on Form 20-F. In preparing our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, our management identified material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in the standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States, and other significant deficiencies. 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 the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weakness identified is the lack of personnel with appropriate levels of accounting knowledge and experience to address complex U.S. GAAP accounting issues and to prepare and review financial statements and related disclosures under U.S. GAAP. This material weakness remained as of December 31, 2023. As a result of inherent limitations, our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements, errors or omissions.
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In addition, once we cease to be a “non- accelerated filer” as such term is defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”), we will be subject to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, pursuant to which our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal controls or the level at which our controls are documented, designed, operated or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation.
During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we may identify other weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Generally, if we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements, errors or omissions in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, and harm our results of operations. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
We are a holding company, and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our Class A ordinary shares.
We are a BVI holding company and conduct substantially all of our business through our subsidiaries in China. Although neither the holding company nor any of the Company’s Chinese subsidiaries conduct any operations through contractual arrangements with a variable interest entity based in China, we may rely on dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. If our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.
Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, wholly foreign-owned enterprises are required to set aside at least 10% of their accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital.
Our PRC subsidiaries generate primarily all of their revenue in Renminbi, which is not freely convertible into other currencies. As a result, any restriction on currency exchange may limit the ability of any one of our PRC subsidiaries to use its Renminbi revenues to pay dividends to us. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls, and more restrictions and substantial vetting process may be put forward by SAFE for cross-border transactions falling under both the current account and the capital account. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
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In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law, or EIT, and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC resident enterprises are incorporated. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
Pursuant to the Arrangement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, the 10% withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC entity. However, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and certain requirements must be satisfied, including, without limitation, that (a) the Hong Kong entity must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong entity must directly hold no less than 25% share ownership in the PRC entity during the 12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. In current practice, a Hong Kong entity must obtain a tax resident certificate from the Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiaries to their immediate holding companies, AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited. As of the date hereof, Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd., AGM Tianjing Construction Development Co., Ltd. and Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co. Ltd. currently do not have plans to declare and pay dividends to AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited and we have not applied for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited intend to apply for the tax resident certificate when Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd., AGM Tianjing Construction Development Co., Ltd. and Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co. Ltd. plan to declare and pay dividends to them. When Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd., AGM Tianjing Construction Development Co., Ltd. and Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co. Ltd. plan to declare and pay dividends to AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited and when we intend to apply for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority, we plan to inform the investors through SEC filings, such as a current report on Form 6-K, prior to such actions.
The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if our holding company or subsidiaries were required to obtain approval or filing in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors.
The Chinese government has exercised and can continue to exercise substantial control to intervene on virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership, and as a result, it can influence the manner in which we must conduct our business activities and effect material changes in our operations or the value of the Class A ordinary shares we are registering in this resale. Under the current government leadership, the government of the PRC has been pursuing reform policies which have adversely affected China-based operating companies whose securities are listed in the United States, with significant policies changes being made from time to time without notice. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business, or the enforcement and performance of our contractual arrangements with borrowers in the event of the imposition of statutory liens, death, bankruptcy or criminal proceedings. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.
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Given recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, any such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law, or the Opinions, which was made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, will be taken to deal with the risks and incidents of China-concept overseas listed companies. As of the date hereof, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions from PRC government authorities in connection with the Opinions.
On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, or the SCNPC, promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals carrying out data activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or used. The PRC Data Security Law also provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data an information.
In early July 2021, regulatory authorities in China launched cybersecurity investigations with regard to several China-based companies that are listed in the United States. The Chinese cybersecurity regulator announced on July 2 that it had begun an investigation of Didi Global Inc. (NYSE: DIDI) and two days later ordered that the company’s app be removed from smartphone app stores. On July 5, 2021, the Chinese cybersecurity regulator launched the same investigation on two other Internet platforms, China’s Full Truck Alliance of Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YMM) and Boss of KANZHUN LIMITED (Nasdaq: BZ). On July 24, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly released the Guidelines for Further Easing the Burden of Excessive Homework and Off-campus Tutoring for Students at the Stage of Compulsory Education, pursuant to which foreign investment in such firms via mergers and acquisitions, franchise development, and variable interest entities are banned from this sector.
On August 17, 2021, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Protection of the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure, or the Regulations, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Regulations supplement and specify the provisions on the security of critical information infrastructure as stated in the Cybersecurity Review Measures. The Regulations provide, among others, that protection department of certain industry or sector shall notify the operator of the critical information infrastructure in time after the identification of certain critical information infrastructure.
On August 20, 2021, the SCNPC promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law of the PRC, or the Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect in November 2021. As the first systematic and comprehensive law specifically for the protection of personal information in the PRC, the Personal Information Protection Law provides, among others, that (i) an individual’s consent shall be obtained to use sensitive personal information, such as biometric characteristics and individual location tracking, (ii) personal information operators using sensitive personal information shall notify individuals of the necessity of such use and impact on the individual’s rights, and (iii) where personal information operators reject an individual’s request to exercise his or her rights, the individual may file a lawsuit with a People’s Court.
As such, the Company’s business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. The Company could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. The Company may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. Additionally, the governmental and regulatory interference could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether the Company will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Although the Company is currently not required to obtain permission from any of the PRC federal or local government to obtain such permission and has not received any denial to list on the U.S. exchange, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry.
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On December 28, 2021, the CAC, the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), and several other administrations jointly issued the revised Measures for Cybersecurity Review, or the Revised Review Measures, which became effective and has replaced the existing Measures for Cybersecurity Review on February 15, 2022. According to the Revised Review Measures, if an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users intends to list in a foreign country, it must apply for a cybersecurity review. Based on a set of Q&A published on the official website of the State Cipher Code Administration in connection with the issuance of the Revised Review Measures, an official of the said administration indicated that an online platform operator should apply for a cybersecurity review prior to the submission of its listing application with non-PRC securities regulators. Given the recency of the issuance of the Revised Review Measures and their pending effectiveness, there is a general lack of guidance and substantial uncertainties exist with respect to their interpretation and implementation. For example, it is unclear whether the requirement of cybersecurity review applies to follow-on offerings by an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users where the offshore holding company of such operator is already listed overseas. Furthermore, the CAC released the Administration Regulations on Network Data Security (Draft for Comments), or the Draft Measures for Network Data Security in November 2021 for public consultation, which among other things, stipulates that a data processor listed overseas must conduct an annual data security review by itself or by engaging a data security service provider and submit the annual data security review report for a given year to the municipal cybersecurity department before January 31 of the following year. If the Draft Measures for Network Data Security are enacted in the current form, we, as an overseas listed company, will be required to carry out an annual data security review and comply with the relevant reporting obligations.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated Trial Administrative Measures of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the “Overseas Listing Trial Measures”) and five relevant guidelines, which became effective on March 31, 2023. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, PRC domestic companies that seek to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either in direct or indirect means, are required to fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC and report relevant information. The Overseas Listing Trial Measures provides that an overseas listing or offering is explicitly prohibited, if any of the following: (1) such securities offering and listing is explicitly prohibited by provisions in laws, administrative regulations and relevant state rules; (2) the intended securities offering and listing may endanger national security as reviewed and determined by competent authorities under the State Council in accordance with law; (3) the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing, or its controlling shareholder(s) and the actual controller, have committed relevant crimes such as corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property or undermining the order of the socialist market economy during the latest three years; (4) the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing is currently under investigations for suspicion of criminal offenses or major violations of laws and regulations, and no conclusion has yet been made thereof; or (5) there are material ownership disputes over equity held by the domestic company’s controlling shareholder(s) or by other shareholder(s) that are controlled by the controlling shareholder(s) and/or actual controller.
The Overseas Listing Trial Measures also provides that if the issuer meets both the following criteria, the overseas securities offering and listing conducted by such issuer will be deemed as indirect overseas offering by PRC domestic companies: (1) 50% or more of any of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent fiscal year is accounted for by domestic companies; and (2) the issuer’s main business activities are conducted in China, or its main place(s) of business are located in China, or the majority of senior management staff in charge of its business operations and management are PRC citizens or have their usual place(s) of residence located in China. Where an issuer submits an application for initial public offering to competent overseas regulators, such issuer must file with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted. In addition, the Overseas Listing Trial Measures provide that the direct or indirect overseas listings of the assets of domestic companies through one or more acquisitions, share swaps, transfers or other transaction arrangements shall be subject to filing procedures in accordance with the Overseas Listing Trial Measures. The Overseas Listing Trial Measures also requires subsequent reports to be filed with the CSRC on material events, such as change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer(s) who have completed overseas offerings and listings.
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At a press conference held for these new regulations (“Press Conference”), officials from the CSRC clarified that the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas on or before March 31, 2023 shall be deemed as existing issuers (the “Existing Issuers”). Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filling procedures immediately, and they shall be required to file with the CSRC upon occurrences of certain subsequent matters such as follow-on offerings of securities. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures and the Press Conference, the existing domestic companies that have completed overseas offering and listing before March 31, 2023, such as us, shall not be required to perform filing procedures for the completed overseas securities issuance and listing. However, from the effective date of the regulation, any of our subsequent securities offering in the same overseas market or subsequent securities offering and listing in other overseas markets shall be subject to the filing requirement with the CSRC within three working days after the offering is completed or after the relevant application is submitted to the relevant overseas authorities, respectively. If it is determined that any approval, filing or other administrative procedures from other PRC governmental authorities is required for any future offering or listing, we cannot assure you that we can obtain the required approval or accomplish the required filings or other regulatory procedures in a timely manner, or at all. If we fail to fulfill filing procedure as stipulated by the Trial Measures or offer and list securities in an overseas market in violation of the Trial Measures, the CSRC may order rectification, issue warnings to us, and impose a fine of between RMB1,000,000 and RMB10,000,000. Persons-in-charge and other persons that are directly liable for such failure shall be warned and each imposed a fine from RMB500,000 to RMB5,000,000. Controlling shareholders and actual controlling persons of us that organize or instruct such violations shall be imposed a fine from RMB1,000,000 and RMB10,000,000.
On February 24, 2023, the CSRC published the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration”), which came into effect on March 31, 2023. The Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration requires that, in the process of overseas issuance and listing of securities by domestic entities, the domestic entities, and securities companies and securities service institutions that provide relevant securities service shall strictly implement the provisions of relevant laws and regulations and the requirements of these provisions, establish and improve rules on confidentiality and archives administration. Where the domestic entities provide with or publicly disclose documents, materials or other items related to the state secrets and government work secrets to the relevant securities companies, securities service institutions, overseas regulatory authorities, or other entities or individuals, the companies shall apply for approval of competent departments with the authority of examination and approval in accordance with law and report the matter to the secrecy administrative departments at the same level for record filing. Where there is unclear or controversial whether or not the concerned materials are related to state secrets, the materials shall be reported to the relevant secrecy administrative departments for determination. However, there remain uncertainties regarding the further interpretation and implementation of the Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration.
We have been closely monitoring the development in the regulatory landscape in China, particularly regarding the requirement of filings or approvals, including on a retrospective basis, from the CSRC, the CAC or other PRC authorities with respect to this offering. If any filings, approval, review, or other procedure is in fact required, we are not able to guarantee that we will obtain such filings, approval or complete such review or other procedure timely or at all. For any approval that we may be able to obtain, it could nevertheless be revoked and the terms of its issuance may impose restrictions on our operations and offerings relating to our securities. Currently, we are not required to seek approval from or make filings to the CSRC, or any other PRC governmental authorities for our overseas listing plan, nor have we received any inquiry, notice, warning or sanctions regarding our planned overseas listing from the CSRC or any other PRC governmental authorities as of the date of this annual report. See also “- The filing, approval or other administration requirements of the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our future offshore offering under PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to complete the filing procedure with the CSRC and obtain such approval or complete such filing, as applicable.”
The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the anti-monopoly law enforcement agency be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise.
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For example, the M&A Rules require that MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, if (i) any important industry is concerned, (ii) such transaction involves factors that impact or may impact national economic security, or (iii) such transaction will lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise which holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand. Moreover, the PRC Anti-Monopoly Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress effective 2008 requires that transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds (i.e., during the previous fiscal year, (i) the total global turnover of all operators participating in the transaction exceeds RMB10 billion and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB400 million within China, or (ii) the total turnover within China of all the operators participating in the concentration exceeded RMB2 billion, and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB400 million within China) must be cleared by the anti-monopoly enforcement authority before they can be completed. In addition, in 2011, the General Office of the State Council promulgated a Notice on Establishing the Security Review System for Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, also known as Circular 6, which officially established a security review system for mergers and acquisitions of domestic enterprises by foreign investors. Further, MOFCOM promulgated the Regulations on Implementation of Security Review System for the Merger and Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, effective 2011, to implement Circular 6. Under Circular 6, a security review is required for mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors having “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions by which foreign investors may acquire the “de facto control” of domestic enterprises with “national security” concerns. Under the foregoing MOFCOM regulations, MOFCOM will focus on the substance and actual impact of the transaction when deciding whether a specific merger or acquisition is subject to security review. If MOFCOM decides that a specific merger or acquisition is subject to a security review, it will submit it to the Inter-Ministerial Panel, an authority established under Circular 6 led by the National Development and Reform Commission, and MOFCOM under the leadership of the State Council, to carry out security review. The regulations prohibit foreign investors from bypassing the security review by structuring transactions through trusts, indirect investments, leases, loans, control through contractual arrangements or offshore transactions. There is no explicit provision or official interpretation stating that the merging or acquisition of a company engaged in the internet content business requires security review, and there is no requirement that acquisitions completed prior to the promulgation of the Security Review Circular are subject to MOFCOM review.
In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from MOFCOM or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions. We believe that it is unlikely that our business would be deemed to be in an industry that raises “national defense and security” or “national security” concerns. However, MOFCOM or other government agencies may publish explanations in the future determining that our business is in an industry subject to the security review, in which case our future acquisitions in China, including those by way of entering into contractual control arrangements with target entities, may be closely scrutinized or prohibited.
You may have difficulty enforcing judgments obtained against us.
We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. Virtually all of our assets and a substantial portion of our current business operations are conducted in the PRC. In addition, almost all of our directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. A substantial portion of the assets of these persons is located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for you to bring an action against these individuals within the United States. It may also be difficult for you to enforce the U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts, including judgments based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors, many of whom are not residents in the United States, and whose significant part of assets are located outside of the United States.
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In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the British Virgin Islands or the PRC, respectively, would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state. In addition, it is uncertain whether such British Virgin Islands or PRC courts would entertain original actions brought in the courts of the British Virgin Islands or the PRC against us or such persons predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state.
The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the Chinese Civil Procedure Law. Chinese courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the Chinese Civil Procedure Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or in reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other agreements with the British Virgin Islands or the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. As a result, it is uncertain whether a Chinese court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in either of these two jurisdictions.
The United States and the British Virgin Islands do not have a treaty providing for reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts of the United States in civil and commercial matters and that a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any general or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the U.S. federal securities laws, may not be enforceable in the British Virgin Islands. A final and conclusive judgment obtained in U.S. federal or state courts under which a sum of money is payable as compensatory damages (i.e., not being a sum claimed by a revenue authority for taxes or other charges of a similar nature by a governmental authority, or in respect of a fine or penalty or multiple or punitive damages) may be the subject of an action on a debt in the court of the British Virgin Islands.
The filing, approval or other administration requirements of the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our future offshore offering under PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to complete the filing procedure with the CSRC and obtain such approval or complete such filing, as applicable.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors (the “M&A Rules”), adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, include, among other things, provisions that purport to require that an offshore special purpose vehicle, formed for the purpose of an overseas listing of securities through acquisitions of domestic enterprises in China or assets and controlled by enterprises or individuals in China, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, pursuant to the M&A Rules and other PRC laws, the CSRC published on its official website relevant guidance regarding its approval of the listing and trading of special purpose vehicles’ securities on overseas stock exchanges, including a list of application materials. However, substantial uncertainty remains regarding the scope and applicability of the M&A Rules to offshore special purpose vehicles.
We believe that the CSRC’s approval is not required for the trading of our Class A ordinary shares on Nasdaq in the context of future offerings, given that: (i) our PRC subsidiary was incorporated as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise by means of direct investment rather than by merger or acquisition of equity interest or assets of a PRC domestic company owned by PRC companies or individuals as defined under the M&A Rules that are our beneficial owners; (ii) the CSRC currently has not issued any definitive rule or interpretation concerning whether offerings like ours under our past offerings are subject to the M&A Rules; and (iii) no provision in the M&A Rules clearly classifies contractual arrangements as a type of transaction subject to the M&A Rules.
However, there remain some uncertainties as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted or implemented in the context of an overseas offering and its opinions summarized above are subject to any new laws, rules and regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations in any form relating to the M&A Rules. We cannot assure you that relevant PRC government agencies, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as we do. If it is determined that CSRC approval is required for future offerings, we may face sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies for failure to seek CSRC approval for future offerings. These sanctions may include fines and penalties on our operations in the PRC, limitations on our operating privileges in the PRC, delays in or restrictions on the repatriation of the proceeds from future offerings into the PRC, restrictions on or prohibition of the payments or remittance of dividends by our PRC subsidiary, or other actions that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. Furthermore, the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt future offerings before the settlement and delivery of the Class A ordinary shares that we may offer in the future.
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On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in accordance with the Law. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. These opinions and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. As of the date hereof, no official guidance or related implementation rules have been issued. As a result, the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities remain unclear on how they will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. We cannot assure that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of these opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all.
Pursuant to Cybersecurity Review Measures which were issued on December 28, 2021 and became effective on February 15, 2022, network platform operators holding over one million users’ personal information must apply with the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review before any public offering at a foreign stock exchange. However, given the Cybersecurity Review Measures were relatively new, there are substantial uncertainties as to the interpretation, application and enforcement of the Cybersecurity Review Measures. It remains uncertain whether we should apply for cybersecurity review prior to any offshore offering and that we would be able to complete the applicable cybersecurity review procedures in a timely manner, or at all, if we are required to do so. In addition, on November 14, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) published the Administration Regulations on Network Data Security (Draft for Comments), or the Draft Measures for Network Data Security, which provides that data processors conducting the following activities shall apply for cybersecurity review: (i) merger, reorganization or separation of Internet platform operators that have acquired a large number of data resources related to national security, economic development or public interests affects or may affect national security; (ii) overseas listing of data processors processing over one million users’ personal information; (iii) listing in Hong Kong which affects or may affect national security; (iv) other data processing activities that affect or may affect national security. In addition, the Draft Measures for Network Data Security also require Internet platform operators to establish platform rules, privacy policies and algorithm strategies related to data, and solicit public comments on their official websites and personal information protection related sections for no less than 30 working days when they formulate platform rules or privacy policies or makes any amendments that may have significant impacts on users’ rights and interests. The CAC solicited comments on this draft, but there is no timetable as to when it will be enacted.
We believe that we will not be subject to the Cybersecurity Review Measures that became effective on February 15, 2022 under the CAC, because we currently do not have over one million users’ personal information and do not anticipate that we will be collecting over one million users’ personal information in the foreseeable future, which we understand might otherwise subject us to the Cybersecurity Review Measures. We are also not subject to network data security review by the CAC if the Draft Measures for Network Data Security are enacted as proposed, since we currently do not have over one million users’ personal information and do not collect data that affects or may affect national security and we do not anticipate that we will be collecting over one million users’ personal information or data that affects or may affect national security in the foreseeable future, which we understand might otherwise subject us to the Draft Measures for Network Data Security.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated Trial Administrative Measures of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the “Overseas Listing Trial Measures”) and five relevant guidelines, which became effective on March 31, 2023. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, PRC domestic companies that seek to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either in direct or indirect means, are required to fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC and report relevant information. The Overseas Listing Trial Measures provides that an overseas listing or offering is explicitly prohibited, if any of the following: (1) such securities offering and listing is explicitly prohibited by provisions in laws, administrative regulations and relevant state rules; (2) the intended securities offering and listing may endanger national security as reviewed and determined by competent authorities under the State Council in accordance with law; (3) the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing, or its controlling shareholder(s) and the actual controller, have committed relevant crimes such as corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property or undermining the order of the socialist market economy during the latest three years; (4) the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing is currently under investigations for suspicion of criminal offenses or major violations of laws and regulations, and no conclusion has yet been made thereof; or (5) there are material ownership disputes over equity held by the domestic company’s controlling shareholder(s) or by other shareholder(s) that are controlled by the controlling shareholder(s) and/or actual controller.
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The Overseas Listing Trial Measures also provides that if the issuer meets both the following criteria, the overseas securities offering and listing conducted by such issuer will be deemed as indirect overseas offering by PRC domestic companies: (1) 50% or more of any of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent fiscal year is accounted for by domestic companies; and (2) the issuer’s main business activities are conducted in China, or its main place(s) of business are located in China, or the majority of senior management staff in charge of its business operations and management are PRC citizens or have their usual place(s) of residence located in China. Where an issuer submits an application for initial public offering to competent overseas regulators, such issuer must file with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted. In addition, the Overseas Listing Trial Measures provide that the direct or indirect overseas listings of the assets of domestic companies through one or more acquisitions, share swaps, transfers or other transaction arrangements shall be subject to filing procedures in accordance with the Overseas Listing Trial Measures. The Overseas Listing Trial Measures also requires subsequent reports to be filed with the CSRC on material events, such as change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer(s) who have completed overseas offerings and listings.
At a press conference held for these new regulations (“Press Conference”), officials from the CSRC clarified that the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas on or before March 31, 2023 shall be deemed as existing issuers (the “Existing Issuers”). Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filling procedures immediately, and they shall be required to file with the CSRC upon occurrences of certain subsequent matters such as follow-on offerings of securities. According to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures and the Press Conference, the existing domestic companies that have completed overseas offering and listing before March 31, 2023, such as us, shall not be required to perform filing procedures for the completed overseas securities issuance and listing. However, from the effective date of the regulation, any of our subsequent securities offering in the same overseas market or subsequent securities offering and listing in other overseas markets shall be subject to the filing requirement with the CSRC within three working days after the offering is completed or after the relevant application is submitted to the relevant overseas authorities, respectively. If it is determined that any approval, filing or other administrative procedures from other PRC governmental authorities is required for any future offering or listing, we cannot assure you that we can obtain the required approval or accomplish the required filings or other regulatory procedures in a timely manner, or at all. If we fail to fulfill filing procedure as stipulated by the Trial Measures or offer and list securities in an overseas market in violation of the Trial Measures, the CSRC may order rectification, issue warnings to us, and impose a fine of between RMB1,000,000 and RMB10,000,000. Persons-in-charge and other persons that are directly liable for such failure shall be warned and each imposed a fine from RMB500,000 to RMB5,000,000. Controlling shareholders and actual controlling persons of us that organize or instruct such violations shall be imposed a fine from RMB1,000,000 and RMB10,000,000.
On February 24, 2023, the CSRC published the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration”), which came into effect on March 31, 2023. The Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration requires that, in the process of overseas issuance and listing of securities by domestic entities, the domestic entities, and securities companies and securities service institutions that provide relevant securities service shall strictly implement the provisions of relevant laws and regulations and the requirements of these provisions, establish and improve rules on confidentiality and archives administration. Where the domestic entities provide with or publicly disclose documents, materials or other items related to the state secrets and government work secrets to the relevant securities companies, securities service institutions, overseas regulatory authorities, or other entities or individuals, the companies shall apply for approval of competent departments with the authority of examination and approval in accordance with law and report the matter to the secrecy administrative departments at the same level for record filing. Where there is unclear or controversial whether or not the concerned materials are related to state secrets, the materials shall be reported to the relevant secrecy administrative departments for determination. However, there remain uncertainties regarding the further interpretation and implementation of the Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration.
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As of the date of this annual report, we and our PRC subsidiaries have obtain the requisite licenses and permits from the PRC government authorities that are material for the business operations of our PRC subsidiaries. In addition, as of the date of this annual report, we and our PRC subsidiaries are not required to obtain, nor have we or our PRC subsidiaries received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions regarding obtaining approval or permission from the CSRC or the CAC or any other entity that is required to approve our PRC subsidiaries’ operations or required for us to offer securities to foreign investors under any currently effective PRC laws, regulations, and regulatory rules. If it is determined that we are subject to filing requirements imposed by the CSRC under the Overseas Listing Regulations or approvals from other PRC regulatory authorities or other procedures, including the cybersecurity review under the revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, for our future offshore offerings, it would be uncertain whether we can or how long it will take us to complete such procedures or obtain such approval and any such approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or delay in completing such procedures or obtaining such approval for our offshore offerings, or a rescission of any such approval if obtained by us, would subject us to sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities for failure to file with the CSRC or failure to seek approval from other government authorization for our offshore offerings. These regulatory authorities may impose fines and penalties on our operations in China, limit our ability to pay dividends outside of China, limit our operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from our offshore offerings into China or take other actions that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, as well as the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities also may take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt our offshore offerings before settlement and delivery of the securities offered. Consequently, if investors engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, they do so at the risk that settlement and delivery may not occur. In addition, if the CSRC or other regulatory authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals or accomplish the required filing or other regulatory procedures for our prior offshore offerings, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties or negative publicity regarding such approval requirement could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, reputation, and the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares.
The PRC laws and regulations governing the Company’s business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain. Any changes in such PRC laws and regulations as well as in the PRC economic, political, and social conditions may have a material and adverse effect on the PRC economy, and in turn the Company’s business.
There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the PRC laws and regulations, including but not limited to the laws and regulations governing the Company’s business, or the enforcement and performance of the Company’s arrangements with customers in the event of the imposition of statutory liens, death, bankruptcy, and criminal proceedings. The Company and any future subsidiaries are considered foreign persons or foreign funded enterprises under the PRC laws, and as a result, the Company is required to comply with the PRC laws and regulations. These laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty.
Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.
The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil law system may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.
In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, the PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules may not be uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, the regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.
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In particular, PRC laws and regulations concerning the businesses that we are involved in are developing and evolving. Although we have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to our business operations and avoid conducting any non-compliant activities under the applicable laws and regulations, the PRC governmental authorities may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating the industry in the future. We cannot assure you that our practice would not be deemed to violate any new PRC laws or regulations relating to the industry. Moreover, developments in the industry may lead to changes in PRC laws, regulations and policies or in the interpretation and application of existing laws, regulations and policies that may limit or restrict online reading marketplaces like us, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations.
Adverse changes in political and economic policies of the PRC government could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China, which could reduce the demand for our services and materially and adversely affect our competitive position.
Substantially all of our business operations and R&D are conducted in China. Accordingly, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects are subject to economic, political and legal developments in China. Although the Chinese economy is no longer a planned economy, the PRC government continues to exercise significant control over China’s economic growth through direct allocation of resources, monetary and tax policies, and a host of other government policies such as those that encourage or restrict investment in certain industries by foreign investors, control the exchange between RMB and foreign currencies, and regulate the growth of the general or specific market. These government involvements have been instrumental in China’s significant growth in the past 30 years. In response to the recent global and Chinese economic downturn, the PRC government has adopted policy measures aimed at stimulating the economic growth in China. We voluntarily ceased our forex trading brokerage business and suspended all activities on AGMTrade, a trading network platform, to ensure compliance with PRC laws, regulations and policies. While we do not foresee our business will be further restricted or affected by the PRC laws and regulations, we may need to further revise our business model to remain compliant. If any aspect of the PRC government’s policies limits the growth of our industry or otherwise negatively affects our business, our growth rate or strategy, our results of operations could be adversely affected as a result.
A severe or prolonged downturn in the Chinese or global economy could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese or global economy may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In particular, general economic factors and conditions in China or worldwide, including the general interest rate environment and unemployment rates, may affect our customer’s participation in forex trading. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including the United States and China. If present Chinese and global economic uncertainties persist, many of our customers may reduce the service they require from us. Adverse economic conditions could also reduce the number of customers seeking our service, as well as their ability to make payments. Should any of these situations occur, our net revenues will decline, and our business and financial conditions will be negatively impacted. Additionally, continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs.
General economic, political and social conditions affect the United States, Europe and other global markets and our business. In particular, U.S., European and other global markets, as well as our access to financing, may be affected by factors, including economic growth or its sustainability, persistent inflation, supply chain disruptions, employment levels, work stoppages, labor shortages and labor disputes, labor costs, wage stagnation, energy prices, oil, gas and fuel prices, fluctuations or other significant changes in both debt and equity capital markets and currencies, liquidity of the global financial markets, the growth of global trade and commerce, trade policies, the availability and cost of capital and credit (including as a result of increased interest rates) and investor sentiment and confidence. Additionally, global markets may be adversely affected by the current or anticipated impact of cyber incidents or campaigns, military conflict, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as the Hamas-Israel conflict and rising tensions between China and Taiwan and the relationship between China and the United States, or other geopolitical uncertainty and instability. The ongoing spread of variants of infectious diseases, such as the COVID-19 virus, may interrupt, or delay, our clinical trial activities, regulatory reviews, manufacturing activities and supply chain. The COVID-19 outbreak delayed enrollment in our clinical trials due to prioritization of hospital resources towards the outbreak or other factors, and some patients may be unwilling to enroll in our trials or be unable to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services, which would delay our ability to conduct clinical trials or release clinical trial results and could delay our ability to obtain regulatory approvals and commercialize our product candidates. Any sudden or prolonged market downturn in the United States or elsewhere could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, including capital and liquidity levels.
In addition, continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access capital markets to meet liquidity needs.
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Labor laws in the PRC may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
On June 29, 2007, the PRC government promulgated a new labor law, namely, the Labor Contract Law of the PRC, which became effective on January 1, 2008, which was further amended on December 28, 2012 (effective July 1, 2013). The Labor Contract Law imposes greater liabilities on employers and significantly affects the cost of an employer’s decision to reduce its workforce. Further, it requires certain terminations be based upon seniority and not merit. In the event we decide to significantly change or decrease our workforce, the Labor Contract Law could adversely affect our ability to enact such changes in a manner that is most advantageous to our business or in a timely and cost-effective manner, thus materially and adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations. The Labor Contract Law also mandates that employers provide social welfare packages to all employees, increasing our labor costs. To the extent competitors from outside China are not affected by such requirements, we could be at a comparative disadvantage.
Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a “Resident Enterprise” of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC stockholders.
China passed an Enterprise Income Tax Law (the “EIT Law”) and implementing rules, both of which became effective on January 1, 2008. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with “de facto management bodies” within China is considered a “resident enterprise,” meaning that it can be treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. The implementing rules of the EIT Law define de facto management as “substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting, and properties” of the enterprise.
On April 22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation of China issued the Notice Concerning Relevant Issues Regarding Cognizance of Chinese Investment Controlled Enterprises Incorporated Offshore as Resident Enterprises pursuant to Criteria of de facto Management Bodies, or the Notice, further interpreting the application of the EIT Law and its implementation to offshore entities controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group. Pursuant to the Notice, an enterprise incorporated in an offshore jurisdiction and controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group will be classified as a “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise” if (i) its senior management in charge of daily operations reside or perform their duties mainly in China; (ii) its financial or personnel decisions are made or approved by bodies or persons in China; (iii) its substantial assets and properties, accounting books, corporate stamps, board and stockholder minutes are kept in China; and (iv) at least half of its directors with voting rights or senior management are often resident in China. A resident enterprise would be subject to an enterprise income tax rate of 25% on its worldwide income and must pay a withholding tax at a rate of 10% when paying dividends to its non-PRC stockholders. However, it remains unclear as to how tax authorities will determine tax residency based on the facts of each case.
If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such as non-China source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Currently, approximately 82% of our revenue is non-China source income, so could be adversely affected. Second, under the EIT Law and its implementing rules, dividends paid to us from our PRC subsidiaries would qualify as “tax-exempt income.” Finally, it is possible that future guidance issued with respect to the new “resident enterprise” classification could result in a situation in which a 10% withholding tax is imposed on dividends we pay to our non-PRC stockholders and with respect to gains derived by our non-PRC stockholders from transferring our shares.
PRC regulations relating to investments in offshore companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC-resident beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to liability or penalties, limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries or limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits.
The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the former circular commonly known as “SAFE Circular 75” promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing. Moreover, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirement could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls. According to the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Policies for the Foreign Exchange Administration of Direct Investment (the “2015 Notice”) released on February 13, 2015 by SAFE, local banks will examine and handle foreign exchange registration for overseas direct investment, including the initial foreign exchange registration and amendment registration, under SAFE Circular 37 from June 1, 2015.
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We have not filed SAFE Circular 37 reports on behalf of our shareholders who are PRC residents before. The failure of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents to register or amend their SAFE registrations in a timely manner pursuant to SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, or the failure of future beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, may subject such beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to fines and legal sanctions. Furthermore, it is unclear how SAFE Circular 37 and the 2015 Notice, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant PRC government authorities, we cannot predict how these regulations will affect our business operations or future strategy. Failure to register or comply with relevant requirements may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries and limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to our company. These risks may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A change in the trading rules of the trading exchanges could adversely affect our revenue and profitability.
We are under the supervision of various trading exchanges such as the China Financial Futures Exchange, which provide trading platforms and set trading model and rules for all participants on the exchanges. Those exchanges formulate their trading rules covering various aspects of trading, including but not limited to, commission and fee rates, leverage ratio, trade settlement procedures, membership qualifications, risk control mechanism, as well as information management. Those trading exchanges usually adjust their trading rules in response to changing market conditions and changes to these rules may adversely affect our revenue or business. In addition, futures companies have discretion to set the fee rates and the adjustments of the fee rates will have an impact on our income and profitability.
We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption law.
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and other laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials and political parties by U.S. persons and issuers as defined by the statute for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We are also subject to Chinese anti-corruption laws, which strictly prohibit the payment of bribes to government officials. We have operations, agreements with third parties, and make sales in China, which may experience corruption. Our activities in China create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one of the employees, consultants or distributors of our company, because these parties are not always subject to our control. We are in the process of implementing an anticorruption program, which prohibits the offering or giving of anything of value to foreign officials, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. The anticorruption program also requires that clauses mandating compliance with our policy be included in all contracts with foreign sales agents, sales consultants and distributors and that they certify their compliance with our policy annually. It further requires that all hospitality involving promotion of sales to foreign governments and government-owned or controlled entities be in accordance with specified guidelines. In the meantime, we believe to date we have complied in all material respects with the provisions of the FCPA and Chinese anti-corruption law.
However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees, consultants or distributors of our Company may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA or Chinese anti-corruption law may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions, and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could negatively affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the government may seek to hold our Company liable for successor liability FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire.
Since our operations and assets are located in the PRC, shareholders may find it difficult to enforce a U.S. judgment against the assets of our company, our directors and executive officers.
Our operations and assets are located in the PRC. In addition, most of our executive officers and directors are non-residents of the U.S., and substantially all the assets of such persons are located outside the U.S. As a result, it could be difficult for investors to effect service of process in the U.S., or to enforce a judgment obtained in the U.S. against us or any of these persons.
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Regulatory bodies of the United States may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of our operations in China.
From time to time, we may receive requests from certain U.S. agencies to investigate or inspect our operations, or to otherwise provide information. While we will be compliant with these requests from these regulators, there is no guarantee that such requests will be honored by those entities who provide services to us or with whom we associate, especially as those entities are located in China. Furthermore, an on-site inspection of our facilities by any of these regulators may be limited or entirely prohibited. Such inspections, though permitted by us and our affiliates, are subject to the capricious nature of Chinese enforcers, and may therefore be impossible to facilitate.
The regulation of Internet website operators in China is subject to interpretation, and our operation of online trading platform and education programs could be harmed if we are deemed to have violated applicable laws and regulations.
The interpretation and application of existing Chinese laws and regulations, the stated positions of the main governing authority, the MIIT, and the possibility of adopting new laws or regulations have created significant uncertainties regarding the legality of the businesses and activities of Chinese companies with Internet operations. In particular, according to the Internet Information Services Administrative Measures promulgated by the State Council on September 25, 2000, the activities of Internet content providers are regulated by various Chinese governmental authorities, including, the MOE, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the General Administration of Press and Publication, or GAPP, and the Ministry of Culture, or MOC, depending on the specific activities conducted by the Internet content provider. In addition, MIIT promulgated a notice titled “Notice on Strengthening Management of Foreign Investment in Operating Value-Added Telecom Services” on July 13, 2006, which prohibits PRC Internet content providers from leasing, transferring or selling their ICP licenses or providing facilities or other resources to foreign investors. The notice states that PRC Internet content providers (or their shareholders) should directly own the trademarks and domain names for websites operated by them, as well as servers and other infrastructure used to support these websites and a PRC Internet content provider’s failure to comply with the notice by November 1, 2006 may result in revocation of its ICP license.
Except for our corporate website (www.agmprime.com), we only have contractual control over our websites, as the domains are held by our subsidiaries. Among the subsidiaries which holds domain names, AGM Beijing is subject to the PRC laws and regulations. AGM Beijing has submitted ICP filings with the MIIT for all the domain names it holds. However, AGM Beijing may be deemed to be providing commercial internet information services, which would require AGM Beijing to obtain an ICP License. An ICP License is a value-added telecommunications business operating license required for provision of commercial internet information services. Furthermore, as we are providing service through mobile applications to mobile device users, it is uncertain if AGM Beijing will be required to obtain a separate operating license in addition to the ICP License. Although we believe that not obtaining an ICP License or such separate license is in line with the current market practice, there can be no assurance that we will not be required to apply for an operating license for our mobile applications in the future.
Dividends payable to our foreign investors and gains on the sale of our Class A ordinary shares by our foreign investors may become subject to PRC tax law.
Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation regulations issued by the State Council, a 10% PRC withholding tax is applicable to dividends payable to investors that are non-resident enterprises, which do not have an establishment or place of business in the PRC or which have such establishment or place of business but the dividends are not effectively connected with such establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends are derived from sources within the PRC. Similarly, any gain realized on the transfer of our Class A ordinary shares by such investors is also subject to PRC tax at a current rate of 10%, subject to any reduction or exemption set forth in relevant tax treaties, if such gain is regarded as income derived from sources within the PRC. If we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid on our Class A ordinary shares, and any gain realized from the transfer of our Class A ordinary shares, would be treated as income derived from sources within the PRC and would as a result be subject to PRC taxation. See “Item 4. Information on the Company – Regulation — Regulations on Tax.” Furthermore, if we are deemed a PRC resident enterprise, dividends payable to individual investors who are non-PRC residents and any gain realized on the transfer of our Class A ordinary shares by such investors may be subject to PRC tax at a current rate of 20%, subject to any reduction or exemption set forth in applicable tax treaties. It is unclear whether if we or any of our subsidiaries established outside China are considered a PRC resident enterprise, holders of our Class A ordinary shares would be able to claim the benefit of income tax treaties or agreements entered into between China and other countries or areas. If dividends payable to our non-PRC investors, or gains from the transfer of our Class A ordinary shares by such investors are subject to PRC tax, the value of your investment in our Class A ordinary shares may decline significantly.
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Restrictions on currency exchange may limit PRC investors’ ability to make investment.
In response to the persistent capital outflow in China and RMB’s depreciation against U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2016, the PBOC and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, have implemented a series of capital control measures over recent months, including stricter vetting procedures for Chinese citizens to transfer foreign currency overseas and for China-based companies to remit foreign currency for overseas acquisitions, dividend payments and shareholder loan repayments. For instance, on January 26, 2017, SAFE issued the Notice of State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Improving the Check of Authenticity and Compliance to Further Promote Foreign Exchange Control, or the SAFE Circular 3, which stipulates several capital control measures with respect to the outbound remittance of profit from domestic entities to offshore entities, including (i) under the principle of genuine transaction, banks shall check board resolutions regarding profit distribution, the original version of tax filing records and audited financial statements; and (ii) domestic entities shall hold income to account for previous years’ losses before remitting the profits. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls, and more restrictions and substantial vetting process may be put in place by SAFE for cross-border transactions falling under both the current account and the capital account. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC investors to make capital contribution or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow.
The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to the trading of our Class A ordinary shares.
On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets.
On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in “Restrictive Market”, (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or board of director for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.
On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the Company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are prohibited to trade on a U.S. stock exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC announced that it had adopted interim final amendments to implement congressionally mandated submission and disclosure requirements of the Act. The interim final amendments will apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report on Forms 10-K, 20-F, 40-F or N-CSR with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction. The SEC will implement a process for identifying such a registrant and any such identified registrant will be required to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that it is not owned or controlled by a governmental entity in that foreign jurisdiction, and will also require disclosure in the registrant’s annual report regarding the audit arrangements of, and governmental influence on, such a registrant.
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On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a bill which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, and on December 29, 2022, legislation entitled “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (the “Consolidated Appropriations Act”) was signed into law by President Biden, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the HFCA Act by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading.
On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction.
On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCA Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China of the People’s Republic of China, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in mainland China; and (2) Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in Hong Kong.
On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, the Ministry of Finance of the PRC (the “MOF”), and the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol (the “Protocol”), governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB Board determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB Board will consider the need to issue a new determination.
Each of TPS Thayer LLC, the independent registered public account firm that issued the audit report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 included elsewhere in this annual report, KCCW Accountancy Corp., the independent registered public account firm that issued the audit report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 included elsewhere in this annual report, and GGF CPA LTD, the independent registered public account firm that issued the audit report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 included elsewhere in this annual report, as an auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and firms registered with the PCAOB, are subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess such auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards. TPS Thayer LLC is headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis. KCCW Accountancy Corp. is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis. GGF CPA LTD is headquartered in Guangzhou, China. While GGF CPA LTD is based in the PRC, it is registered with PCAOB and subject to PCAOB inspection. In the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely the GGF CPA LTD because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading of our securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA, and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities. None of TPS Thayer LLC, KCCW Accountancy Corp. or GGF CPA LTD is subject to the determinations as to the inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021.
However, as more stringent criteria have been imposed by the SEC and the PCAOB, recently, which would add uncertainties to future offerings, and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. In the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely the Company’s auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the Company’s securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities. It remains unclear what the SEC’s implementation process related to the above rules will entail or what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or Nasdaq will take to address these issues and what impact those actions will have on U.S. companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities listed on a U.S. stock exchange. In addition, the above amendments and any additional actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create some uncertainty for investors, the market price of our Class A ordinary shares could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we and our auditor are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement or being required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant expense and management time.
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Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.
The PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the legal system in China, including risks and uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws and that rules and regulations in China can change quickly with little advance notice, and the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.
Therefore, these risks may result in a material change in business operations, significant depreciation of the value of our Class A ordinary shares, or a complete hinderance of our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors. Recently, the Chinese government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a VIE structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange.
Although we have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to our business operations, including the regulatory principles raised by the CBRC, and avoiding conducting any activities that may be deemed as illegal fund-raising, forming capital pool or providing guarantee to investors under the current applicable laws and regulations, the PRC government authority may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating the direct lending service industry in the future. We cannot assure you that our practices would not be deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations relating to illegal fund-raising, forming capital pools or the provision of credit enhancement services. Moreover, we cannot rule out the possibility that the PRC government will institute a license requirement covering our industry at some point in the future. If such a licensing regime were introduced, we cannot assure you that we would be able to obtain any newly required license in a timely manner, or at all, which could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.
From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy, than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.
The Opinions recently issued by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future.
Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions, which were made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies. These opinions proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, to deal with the risks and incidents facing China-based overseas-listed companies and the demand for cybersecurity and data privacy protection. The aforementioned policies and any related implementation rules to be enacted may subject us to additional compliance requirement in the future. As the Opinions were recently issued, official guidance and interpretation of the Opinions remain unclear in several respects at this time. Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will remain fully compliant with all new regulatory requirements of the Opinions or any future implementation rules on a timely basis, or at all.
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Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Class A Ordinary Shares
The dual-class structure of our ordinary shares has the effect of concentrating voting control with certain shareholders, including our executive officers, employees and directors and their affiliates, which will limit your ability to influence the outcome of important transactions, including a change in control.
Under our memorandum and articles of association, we are authorized to issue 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of $0.001 par value per share and 200,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of $0.001 par value per share. As of the date of this annual report, there are 24,254,842 Class A ordinary shares and 2,100,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Each of our Class B ordinary shares has five (5) votes per share, and each of our Class A ordinary shares has one (1) vote per share. Because of the five-to-one voting ratio between our Class B ordinary shares and Class A ordinary shares, the holders of our Class B ordinary shares collectively control a majority of the combined voting power of our ordinary shares and therefore are able to control all matters submitted to our shareholders for approval even when the shares of Class B ordinary shares represent a minority of all outstanding shares of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. These holders of our Class B ordinary shares may also have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests. The directors and executive officers beneficially own a majority of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares and all of the outstanding Class B ordinary shares as of the date hereof. As of the date hereof, our directors and executive officers directly and indirectly hold an aggregate of approximately 12.52% of the combined voting power of Class A and Class B ordinary shares. Our directors and executive officers have voting and dispositive power of all the outstanding Class B ordinary shares. Mr. Wenjie Tang, our former CEO, holds approximately 38.12% of the combined voting power of Class A and Class B ordinary shares. This concentrated control may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change in control of our company, could deprive our shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their ordinary shares as part of a sales of our company and might ultimately affect the market price of our Class A Ordinary Shares.
British Virgin Islands companies may not be able to initiate shareholder derivative actions, thereby depriving shareholders of the ability to protect their interests.
British Virgin Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. The circumstances in which any such action may be brought, and the procedures and defenses that may be available in respect to any such action, may result in the rights of shareholders of a British Virgin Islands company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States. Accordingly, shareholders may have fewer alternatives available to them if they believe that corporate wrongdoing has occurred. The British Virgin Islands courts are also unlikely to recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts in the United States based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities law; and to impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the British Virgin Islands, based on certain liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature. There is no statutory recognition in the British Virgin Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the British Virgin Islands will generally recognize and enforce the non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits. This means that even if shareholders were to sue us successfully, they may not be able to recover anything to make up for the losses suffered.
The laws of the British Virgin Islands provide little protection for minority shareholders, so minority shareholders will have little or no recourse if they are dissatisfied with the conduct of our affairs.
Under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, there is little statutory law for the protection of minority shareholders other than the provisions of the BVI Business Companies Act (the “BVI Act”) dealing with shareholder remedies. The principal protection under statutory law is that shareholders may bring an action to enforce the company’s memorandum and articles of association. Shareholders are entitled to have the affairs of the company conducted in accordance with the general law and the company’s memorandum and articles of association.
There are common law rights for the protection of shareholders that may be invoked, largely dependent on English company law, since the common law of the British Virgin Islands for business companies is limited. Under the general rule pursuant to English company law known as the rule in Foss v. Harbottle, a court will generally refuse to interfere with the management of a company at the insistence of a minority of its shareholders who express dissatisfaction with the conduct of the company’s affairs by the majority or the board of directors. However, every shareholder is entitled to have the affairs of the company conducted properly according to law and the constituent documents of the corporation. As such, if those who control the company have persistently disregarded the requirements of company law or the provisions of the company’s memorandum and articles of association, then the courts will grant relief. Generally, the areas in which the courts will intervene are the following: (1) an act complained of which is outside the scope of the authorized business or is illegal or not capable of ratification by the majority; (2) acts that constitute fraud on the minority where the wrongdoers control the company; (3) acts that infringe on the personal rights of the shareholders, such as the right to vote; and (4) where the company has not complied with provisions requiring approval of a special or extraordinary majority of shareholders, which are more limited than the rights afforded minority shareholders under the laws of many states in the United States.
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The trading price of our Class A Ordinary Shares has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile; you might not be able to sell your shares at or above the price that you paid for them and we may not be able to stop the decline of our stock price.
The trading price of our Class A ordinary shares has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile, and may be influenced by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control; you might not be able to sell your shares at or above the price that you paid for them. Factors that could cause volatility in the market price of our common stock include, but are not limited to:
| ● | actual or anticipated fluctuations in our revenue and other operating results; | |
| ● | the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure to meet these projections; | |
| ● | actions of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors; | |
| ● | announcements by us or our competitors of significant services or features, technical innovations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments; | |
| ● | price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole; | |
| ● | other events or factors, including those resulting from war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events |
In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. Stock prices of many companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In the past, stockholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, and adversely affect our business.
We are a “foreign private issuer,” and our disclosure obligations differ from those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. As a result, we may not provide you the same information as U.S. domestic reporting companies or we may provide information at different times, which may make it more difficult for you to evaluate our performance.
We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result, we are not subject to the same requirements as U.S. domestic issuers. Under the Exchange Act, we will be subject to reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. For example, we will not be required to issue quarterly reports or proxy statements. We will not be required to disclose detailed individual executive compensation information. Furthermore, our directors and executive officers will not be required to report equity holdings under Section 16 of the Exchange Act and will not be subject to the insider short-swing profit disclosure and recovery regime.
As a foreign private issuer, we will also be exempt from the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) which, generally, are meant to ensure that select groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an issuer before other investors. However, we will still be subject to the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act. Since many of the disclosure obligations imposed on us as a foreign private issuer differ from those imposed on U.S. domestic reporting companies, you should not expect to receive the same information about us and at the same time as the information provided by U.S. domestic reporting companies.
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Additionally, as a company listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we are subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the British Virgin Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. We have followed and intend to follow British Virgin Islands corporate governance practices in lieu of the corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market that listed companies must obtain its shareholders’ approval of certain transactions other than public offerings (Nasdaq rule 5635(d)). As a result of our reliance on the “foreign private issuer” exemptions, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of our business, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, you may only receive a return on your investment in our Class A ordinary shares if the market price of our Class A ordinary shares increases.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and divert management’s attention.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the listing requirements of the securities exchange on which we list, and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Despite recent reforms made possible by the JOBS Act, compliance with these rules and regulations will nonetheless increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and operating results.
As a result of disclosure of information in this annual report and in filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition will become more visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business and operating results could be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and adversely affect our business, brand and reputation and results of operations.
We also expect that being a public company and these new rules and regulations will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our Board of Directors, particularly to serve on our Audit Committee and Compensation Committee, and qualified executive officers.
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The obligation to disclose information publicly may put us at a disadvantage to competitors that are private companies.
As a publicly listed company, we are required to file periodic reports with the SEC upon the occurrence of matters that are material to our company and shareholders. In some cases, we will need to disclose material agreements or results of financial operations that we would not be required to disclose if we were a private company. Our competitors may have access to this information, which would otherwise be confidential. This may give them advantages in competing with our company. Similarly, as a U.S.-listed public company, we will be governed by U.S. laws that our competitors, which are mostly private Chinese companies, are not required to follow. To the extent compliance with U.S. laws increases our expenses or decreases our competitiveness against such companies, our public listing could affect our results of operations.
The exercise of the Warrants issued on December 14, 2021 may further dilute the Class A ordinary shares and adversely impact the price of our Class A ordinary shares.
As of the date of this annual report, we had 24,254,842 Class A ordinary shares outstanding. Up to an additional 1,652,175 Class A ordinary shares (approximately 6.81% of our issued and outstanding shares) may be issued pursuant to the exercise of the warrants issued on December 14, 2021. Such issuance will cause a reduction in the proportionate ownership and voting power of all other shareholders. Additionally, we cannot assure you that the holders of such warrants will be able to sell the Class A ordinary shares at a price per shares that is equal to or greater than the exercise price paid by such holders.
Securities analysts may not cover our Class A ordinary shares and this may have a negative impact on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares.
The trading market for our Class A ordinary shares will depend, in part, on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over independent analysts (provided that we have engaged various non-independent analysts). We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by independent securities and industry analysts. If no independent securities or industry analysts commence coverage of us, the trading price for our Class A ordinary shares would be negatively impacted. If we obtain independent securities or industry analyst coverage and if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our Class A ordinary shares, changes their opinion of our Class A ordinary shares or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our share price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our Class A ordinary shares could decrease and we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price and trading volume of our Class A ordinary shares to decline.
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Item 4. Information on the Company
4.A. History and Development of the Company
AGM Group Holdings Inc. (“AGM Holdings”) was incorporated on April 27, 2015 under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”).
AGM Technology Limited (“AGM HK”) was incorporated on May 21, 2015 under the laws of Hong Kong. AGM HK is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings and its principal activity is providing our core service to customers.
AGM Tianjin Construction Development Co., Ltd. (“AGM Tianjin”) was incorporated on October 13, 2015 in Shenzhen under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. AGM Tianjing a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM HK. AGM Tianjin was incorporated for the purpose of being a holding company for the equity interests in PRC. AGM Tianjin did not conduct any operations or own any material assets or liabilities except for cash, insignificant expense and 100% of the equity interests in AGM Beijing.
Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd. (“AGM Beijing”) was incorporated on November 13, 2015 in Beijing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. AGM Beijing is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Tianjin and its principal activities include software design, technology transfer, technology consulting, technology promotion and data processing AGM Beijing holds an ICP filing for our online trading platform and education programs. AGM Beijing was incorporated in Beijing because almost all of our employees were and still are located in Beijing. In order to comply with the PRC law regarding employee’s social benefits, which are regulated separately in each city or province, it is more practical for us to locate our office in Beijing so that we can pay for the employees’ social benefits with the local government agency.
AGM Software Service LTD (“AGM Software”) was incorporated on June 14, 2017 under the laws of BVI. AGM Software is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings and its principal activity will be assisting AGM HK in providing our core technology services to customers.
On July 26, 2019, AGM Holdings acquired 100% of the equity interest in Anyi Network, Inc. (“Anyi Network”), and in consideration therefor, AGM Holdings paid $400,000 in cash and issued an aggregate of 475,000 Class A ordinary shares of AGM Holdings to the shareholders of Anyi Network.
On April 16, 2019, AGMTrade UK LTD (“AGM UK”), a wholly owned subsidiary incorporated on July 18, 2017, was dissolved under the laws of England and Wales. On November 20, 2019, AGM Trade Global PTY LTD (“AGM Australia”), a wholly owned subsidiary incorporated on July 25, 2017, was dissolved under the laws of Australia. On October 8, 2019, AGM Holdings transferred its 100% ownership of AGMClub Service Limited (“AGMClub”), a Hong Kong company incorporated on August 14, 2017. On August 15, 2019, AGM Global Asset Management Limited (“AGM Global”), a wholly owned subsidiary acquired on May 24, 2018, was dissolved under the laws of Cayman Islands. AGM UK, AGM Australia, AGMClub and AGM Global were for business development purposes. They are holding companies and have not engaged any substantial businesses. As the business strategies developed, AGM Holdings wound up AGM UK, AGM Australia, AGMClub and AGM Global.
On May 19, 2020, Nanjing XinGaoMeng Software Technology Co., Ltd. (“AGM Nanjing”), an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary incorporated on September 28, 2016, was dissolved under the laws of PRC. AGM Nanjing was a holding company and did not have any substantial assets or liabilities
On December 14, 2020, AGM Holdings sold all the equity interest of Anyi Network by entering into a share purchase agreement with certain buyers, pursuant to which the Company sold to the buyers 100% equity interest in Anyi Network in exchange for a total consideration of $8,000,000, payable in the form of canceling 475,000 Class A ordinary shares of AGM Holdings held by the buyers, valued at $16.00 per share, and payment of $400,000 in cash. The disposition of Anyi Network includes the disposition of the subsidiaries of Anyi Network.
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On October 19, 2020, AGM Tianjin International Financial Leasing Co. Ltd. (“AGM Leasing”) was incorporated in the People’s Republic of China under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. AGM Leasing is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM HK and a wholly foreign-owned entity under the PRC laws. AGM Leasing was incorporated for the purpose of conducting financial leasing services for the Company. AGM Leasing did not conduct any operations or own any material assets or liabilities. AGM Leasing was dissolved in July 2021.
On June 17, 2021, Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (“Nanjing Lucun”) was incorporated in the People’s Republic of China under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Nanjing Lucun is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM HK and a wholly foreign-owned entity under the PRC laws. Nanjing Lucun was incorporated for the purpose of producing high-performance hardware and computing equipment. On November 24, 2022, Nanjing Lucun established a branch in Beijing.
On July 30, 2021, AGM Defi Tech Limited (“AGM Defi Tech”) was incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong. AGM Defi Tech is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings and its principal activity is to provide software development and consulting services in Asian areas.
On August 8, 2021, AGM Defi Lab Pte Limited (“AGM Defi Lab”) was incorporated under the laws of Singapore. AGM Defi Lab is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings and its principal activity is to provide software development and consulting services in Asian areas.
On October 21, 2021, Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Keen Sense”) was incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Beijing Keen Sense is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Defi Tech and a wholly foreign-owned entity under the PRC laws. Beijing Keen Sense was incorporated for the purpose of hiring personnel and talents in fintech and blockchain areas and provide related development and research services.
On January 26, 2024, AGM Electronic Technology Limited (“AGM Electronic”) was incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong. AGM Electronic is a wholly owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings.
On April 17, 2024, AGM Canada Holdings Limited (“AGM Canada”) was incorporated under the laws of British Columbia, Canada. AGM Canada is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings.
On April 26, 2024, Beijing Bixin Electronic Technology Co., Ltd (“Beijing Bixin”) was incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Beijing Bixin is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Electronic.
Transfers of Cash to and from Our Subsidiaries
AGM Group Holdings Inc. is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China and Hong Kong primarily through our subsidiaries in China, Hong Kong SAR and Singapore. We may rely on dividends to be paid by our subsidiaries in Singapore, China and Hong Kong SAR to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. If our subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.
Our equity structure is a direct holding structure. Within our direct holding structure, the cross-border transfer of funds within our corporate entities is legal and compliant with the laws and regulations of the PRC. After the foreign investors’ funds enter AGM, the funds can be directly transferred to the PRC operating companies through its subsidiaries. Specifically, AGM Group Holdings Inc. is permitted under the BVI laws to provide funding to our subsidiaries in Singapore, China and Hong Kong SAR through loans or capital contributions without restrictions on the amount of the funds, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration, approval and filing requirements. AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited are also permitted under the laws of Hong Kong to provide funding to AGM Group Holdings Inc. through dividend distribution without restrictions on the amount of the funds. As of the date hereof, there have not been any transfers, dividends or distributions made between the holding company, its subsidiaries, and to investors.
We currently intend to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, for the operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors after considering our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, contractual requirements, business prospects and other factors the Board of Directors deems relevant, and subject to the restrictions contained in any future financing instruments.
Subject to the BVI Business Companies Act and our bylaws, our Board of Directors may authorize and declare a dividend to shareholders at such time and of such an amount as they think fit if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that immediately following the dividend the value of our assets will exceed our liabilities and we will be able to pay our debts as they become due.
Under the current practice of the Inland Revenue Department of Hong Kong, no tax is payable in Hong Kong in respect of dividends paid by us. The laws and regulations of the PRC do not currently have any material impact on transfer of cash from AGM Group Holdings Inc. to AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited, or from AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited to AGM Group Holdings Inc. There are no restrictions or limitation under the laws of Hong Kong imposed on the conversion of HK dollar into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of Hong Kong or across borders and to U.S investors.
Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our subsidiaries in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. Each of such entity in China is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund the employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at the discretion of its board of directors. Although the statutory reserves can be used, among other ways, to increase the registered capital and eliminate future losses in excess of retained earnings of the respective companies, the reserve funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of liquidation.
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To address persistent capital outflows and the RMB’s depreciation against the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2016, the People’s Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, have implemented a series of capital control measures in the subsequent months, including stricter vetting procedures for China-based companies to remit foreign currency for overseas acquisitions, dividend payments and shareholder loan repayments. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls and our PRC subsidiaries’ dividends and other distributions may be subject to tightened scrutiny in the future. The PRC government also imposes controls on the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. Therefore, we may experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency for the payment of dividends from our profits, if any. Furthermore, if our subsidiaries in the PRC incur debt on their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments. If we or our subsidiaries are unable to receive all of the revenues from our operations, we may be unable to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares.
Cash dividends, if any, on our Class A ordinary shares will be paid in U.S. dollars. If we are considered a PRC tax resident enterprise for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders may be regarded as China-sourced income and as a result may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10.0%.
In order for us to pay dividends to our shareholders, we will rely on payments made from our PRC subsidiaries, i.e., Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd. to AGM Defi Tech Limited, AGM Tianjing Construction Development Co., Ltd. and Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. to AGM Technology Limited, and from AGM Defi Tech Limited and AGM Technology Limited to AGM Group Holdings Inc. Certain payments from our PRC subsidiaries in Hong Kong are subject to PRC taxes, including business taxes and VAT.
During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, our PRC subsidiaries have not made any transfers or distributions. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, no cash or asset transfers have occurred among the Company and its subsidiaries. We do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, no cash generated from one subsidiary is used to fund another subsidiary’s operations and we do not anticipate any difficulties or limitations on our ability to transfer cash between subsidiaries. We do not have any cash management policies that dictate the amount of such funds and how such funds are transferred.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive office is at c/o Creative Consultants (Hong Kong) Limited, Room 1502-3 15/F., Connaught Commercial Building, 185 Wanchai Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. The telephone number of our principal executive offices is +86-010-65020507. Our registered office and our registered agent’s office in the British Virgin Islands are both at OMC Chambers, Wickhams Cay 1, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Our registered agent in the United States is Vcorp Agent Services, Inc. We maintain a website at www.agmprime.com. We do not incorporate the information on our website into this annual report and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this annual report.
4.B. Business Overview
We are a technology company. Our products and services include: 1) technology hardware research and development, manufacture, and sales; 2) a futures trading solution catering to clients using MetaTrader 5; and 3) a foreign exchange (“Forex”) trading system that provides services to financial institutions outside of China. Our mission is to become one of the key participants and contributors in the global technology hardware supply chain and fintech blockchain ecosystem.
Technology hardware research and development, manufacture, and sales
In the third quarter of 2021, we formed the company’s new growth strategy and the decision to enter into the ASIC chip research and development to be conducted through AGM HK. In August 2021, we announced the launch of our first ASIC crypto Miner - KOI MINER C16 (“C16”). C16 is equipped with the C3012 chip made by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.’s N+1 process. C16 has a hash rate up to 113 TH/s and a power efficiency ratio of 30 J/T, supporting the mining of Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and other cryptocurrencies.
The competition of cryptocurrencies mining equipment has grown intense in recent years. Our main competitors are Bitmain, a multinational semiconductor company, Canaan, a supercomputing solutions provider, and MicroBT, a technology company based on block chain and artificial intelligence, all of which are located in China and have both ASIC research and development capacities and deep supply chain connections in China.
C16’s parameters have surpassed our competitors’ models, including: Antminer S19 pro of Bitmain, which has a power consumption of 3250W and hash rate of 104TH/S, and AvalonMiner1246 of Canaan, which has an A1246 hash rate of 90TH/S, power consumption of 3420W and power efficiency of 38J/T, and Whatminer M30S ++ of MicroBT, which has a hash rate of 112TH/S, power consumption of 3472 W and power efficiency of 31 J/T. Since the launch of C16, we have received orders from buyers in the United States, Canada and Europe.
Futures trading system
In September 2019, we completed our development of a futures trading software which integrates future trading API with MetaTrader 5, a well-known and advanced trading software. However, during the third quarter of 2020, most futures brokers started to accept a new third-party software API connection method in order to comply with newly enacted futures regulations and policies in China about the trading terminal API pass-through regulation, which requires “pass through monitoring”. Brokers will need to know exactly who to use API from what third-party software since, traditionally, brokers did not need to collect such information. All other software products on the market are required to comply with the new rule. Accordingly, we were obligated to upgrade and transform the system to enable this new API connection method. We completed the upgrading and transformation of the system at the end of first quarter of 2021. We plan to conduct new trials and improve the solutions based on feedbacks. This service is currently managed through AGM Defi Tech.
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Forex trading system
Prior to September 2018, we provided Forex trading services, including computer program technical support and solution services and trading platform application services, through a combination of in-house developed systems and applications, and the licensed trading platform MetaTrader. In addition, we were engaged in Forex trading brokerage business and generated revenue from gains and losses from trades and Forex brokerage fees and commissions. At the time, our clients were retail clients and brokerage firms located in China. We voluntarily discontinued the Forex trading system due to a policy position by the PRC government that would no longer support the Forex trading related business and would restrain certain accounts holding the deposits payable. In December 2021, we commenced the sale of our trading system software to our brokerage clients and partners that are not located in PRC region. This service is currently managed through AGM Defi Tech.
Recent Development
Change of Board of Directors and Management
On April 30, 2021, Tingfu Xie tendered his resignation as director, the Chair of the Nominating Committee, and a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee of the Company, effective April 30, 2021. On the same day, at the recommendation of the Nominating Committee and the Compensation Committee, the Board of Directors approved and confirmed the appointment of Jing Shi as the succeeding director, the Chair of the Nominating Committee and a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee of the Company, effective April 30, 2021.
On May 7, 2021, the Board of Directors appointed Dr. Bo Zhu as the Chief Strategy Officer.
On July 12, 2021, the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee of approved and confirmed the appointment of Chenjun Li as the Co-Chief Executive Officer, effective July 12, 2021. On September 15, 2021, the Board of Directors also approved the appointment of Chenjun Li as the director and the Chairman of the Board to replace Bin Cao, whose employment agreement with the Company expired on May 19, 2021.
On September 23, 2021, Zhihe Yang tendered his resignation as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective September 23, 2021. On September 24, 2021, the Board of Directors appointed Mr. Steven Yuan Ning Sim as the succeeding Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective September 24, 2021.
On October 7, 2023, Wenjie Tang tendered his resignation as a director and the Co-CEO of the Company, effective October 7, 2023. Mr. Tang remains as an advisor on an as-needed basis. Bo Zhu, the Chief Strategy Officer of the Company, was appointed as the succeeding director and the Co-CEO of the Company, effective October 7, 2023 until the Company’s next annual meeting of shareholders and until his successor is duly elected and qualified, or until his earlier death, resignation or removal.
On October 9, 2023, Jing Shi tendered her resignation as a director, the Chair of the Nominating Committee, and a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee of the Company, effective October 9, 2023.
Jiaqi Zhu was appointed as the succeeding director, the Chair of the Nominating Committee and a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee of the Company, effective October 9, 2023 until the Company’s next annual meeting of shareholders and until his successor is duly elected and qualified, or until is earlier death, resignation or removal.
On October 31, 2023, Mr. Chenjun Li tendered his resignation as the Chairman of the Board, a director and the Co-CEO of the Company, effective October 31, 2023.
On December 13, 2023, Steven Yuan Ning Sim tendered his resignation as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective December 13, 2023.
Registered Direct Offering and Concurrent Private Placement
On December 14, 2021, pursuant to a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors (the “Purchasers”) dated December 10, 2021, the Company closed (a) a registered direct offering for the sale of 2,898,552 of its Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 per share, and (b) a concurrent private placement, for the sale of unregistered warrants to purchase up to 1,449,276 Class A ordinary shares (the “Investor Warrants”), for gross proceeds of approximately US$20 million. The purchase price for each Share and the corresponding half of one Investor Warrant is US$6.90. The Investor Warrants will be exercisable immediately from the date of issuance and have an exercise price of US$8.30 per share. The Investor Warrants will expire 3.5 years from the date of issuance. Each Investor Warrant contains anti-dilution provisions to reflect share dividends and splits or other similar transactions, as described in the Investor Warrants.
Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Class A ordinary shares were issued to the Purchasers in a registered direct offering and registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), pursuant to a prospectus supplement to the Company’s currently effective registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-236897), which was initially filed with the SEC on March 5, 2020 and declared effective by the SEC on May 28, 2020. The Company filed the prospectus supplement for the Registered Direct Offering on December 13, 2021.
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The Company issued the Investor Warrants to the Purchasers in a concurrent private placement pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act contained in Section 4(a)(2) thereof and/or Regulation D thereunder (the “Private Placement,” and together with the Registered Direct Offering, the “Offering”).
FT Global Capital, Inc. (the “Placement Agent”) acted as the exclusive placement agent in connection with the Offering under the terms of the Placement Agency Agreement, dated December 10, 2021 between it and the Company (the “Placement Agency Agreement”) and, at closing of the Offering, received a cash fee equal to 7.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering as well as reimbursement of certain costs and expenses of up to US$80,000. Additionally, the Company issued to the Placement Agent or its designees warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants,” and together with the Investor Warrants, the “Warrants”) for the purchase of 202,899 Class A ordinary shares with an exercise price of US$8.30 per share, and with a term expiring 3.5 years from the date of issuance. The Placement Agent Warrants shall have the same registration rights as the Investor Warrants issued to the Purchasers in the Offering. The Placement Agent is also entitled to additional tail compensation for any financings consummated by the Company within the 12-month period following the termination of the Placement Agency Agreement, to the extent such financing is provided to the Company by investors that the Placement Agent had “wall-crossed” on behalf of the Company in connection with the Offering.
The Company has agreed to file and maintain with the SEC a registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) to register the Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares underlying the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”) within 30 calendar days from the closing of the Offering and to use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective within 60 calendar days following the closing of the Offering (or, in the event of a review by the SEC, within 120 calendar days).
The Company agreed in the Purchase Agreement that it would not issue any Class A ordinary shares or Class A ordinary share equivalents for sixty (60) days following the closing of the Offering subject to certain exceptions. The Company agreed in the Placement Agency Agreement that it would not issue any Class A ordinary shares or Class A ordinary share equivalents for one hundred twenty (120) days following the closing of the Offering without the consent of the Placement Agent, subject to certain exceptions.
The Company agreed in the Purchase Agreement that it will not issue any Class A ordinary shares or Class A ordinary share equivalents involve in a Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) until the earlier of (x) the date the initial Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC and (y) the date as of which all of the holders of Investor Warrants may sell all of the Investor Warrant Shares without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 (including, without limitation, volume restrictions) and without the need for current public information required by Rule 144(c)(1) (or Rule 144(i)(2), if applicable). The Company further agreed that until the first anniversary of the earlier of (x) or (y) above, it would not issue or enter into any agreement to issue any Class A ordinary shares or Class A ordinary share equivalents unless the Purchasers are offered a participation right, subject to certain terms and conditions as set forth in the Purchase Agreement, to subscribe, on a pro rata basis, for up to 50% of the securities offered in such offering.
Concurrently with the execution of the Purchase Agreement, the officers and directors of the Company and shareholders of the Company holding 5% or more of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares entered into lock-up agreements (the “Lock-Up Agreements”) pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, not to sell or dispose of any Class A ordinary shares which are or will be beneficially owned by them for one hundred twenty (120) days following the closing of the Offering, as well as similar lock-up agreements pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement restricting sales of Class A ordinary shares for ninety (90) days after the closing of the Offering.
Change of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
On April 5, 2022, the Company notified its independent registered public accounting firm, JLKZ CPA LLP its decision to dismiss JLKZ CPA LLP as the Company’s auditor. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the appointment of TPS Thayer LLC as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.
On July 3, 2023, the Company notified its independent registered public accounting firm, TPS Thayer LLC its decision to dismiss TPS Thayer LLC as the Company’s auditor. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the appointment of KCCW Accountancy Corp. as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.
On March 13, 2024, KCCW Accountancy Corp. notified the Company its decision to resign as the Company’s auditor. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the appointment of HTL International, LLC as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.
On May 10, 2024, HTL International, LLC notified the Company its decision to resign as the Company’s auditor. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the appointment of GGF CPA LTD as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.
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Sales Channels and Long-Term Opportunities
For fintech software, currently we are marketing our services through direct communication with potential broker or institutional clients. For the ASIC business, senior sales personnel contact customers directly to promote and introduce product attributes, functions, operation and maintenance. Furthermore, we plan to use search engine marketing, search engine optimization, inherent virus marketing features developed within our products and social network marketing to targeted users. We believe the brand value will develop rapidly as our product inherently bring more educational value to retail clients as comparing to competitors’ product.
Customers and Suppliers
Customers
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, five customers accounted for 39%, 15%, 14%, 10% and 10% of the Company’s total revenue. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022, five customers accounted for 20%, 19%, 14%, 13% and 12% of the Company’s revenues, respectively. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, two customers accounted for 70% and 30% of the Company’s revenues, respectively.
Suppliers
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, four suppliers accounted for 25%, 21%, 20% and 18% of the Company’s total cost of revenues. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022, two suppliers accounted for 75% and 11% of the Company’s total cost of revenues. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, two suppliers accounted for 72% and 12% of the Company’s cost of revenues, respectively.
Legal Proceedings
As of the date hereof, there is no legal proceeding pending or threatened against to which we are a party of. However, from time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. Litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise.
On May 17, 2023, the Company received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) indicating that, because the Company had not yet filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (the “2022 Annual Report”), the Company did not comply with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company had 60 calendar days from the date of the Notice to submit a plan of compliance to Nasdaq. The Company timely submitted a plan of compliance to Nasdaq and on July 17, 2023, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq notifying it that Nasdaq granted the Company an exception to enable it to regain compliance with the Rule (the “Exception”). Pursuant to the Exception, the Company must file its 2022 Annual Report for the period ended December 31, 2022 on or before November 13, 2023. On November 13, 2023, the Company filed its 2022 Annual Report and therefore regained compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule.
On May 20, 2024, the Company received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq indicating that, because the Company had not yet filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (the “2023 Annual Report”), the Company did not comply with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company had 60 calendar days from the date of the Notice to submit a plan of compliance to Nasdaq. On June 18, 2024, the Company filed this 2023 Annual Report.
Regulations
Regulation of Internet Information Services
Internet information services are regulated by the Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services, or the ICP Measures, promulgated on September 25, 2000 by the State Council and amended on January 8, 2011. “Internet information services” are defined as services that provide information to online users through the internet. Internet information services providers, also called Internet content providers, or ICPs, that provide commercial services are required to obtain an operating license from the MIIT or its provincial counterpart.
To the extent the internet information services provided relate to certain matters, including news, publication, education or medical and health care (including pharmaceutical products and medical equipment), approvals must also be obtained from the relevant industry regulators in accordance with the laws, rules and regulations governing those industries.
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Regulation of Internet Content
The PRC government has promulgated measures relating to Internet content through various ministries and agencies, including the MIIT, the News Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Culture and the General Administration of Press and Publication. In addition to various approval and license requirements, these measures specifically prohibit internet activities that result in the dissemination of any content which is found to contain pornography, promote gambling or violence, instigate crimes, undermine public morality or the cultural traditions of the PRC or compromise State security or secrets. ICPs must monitor and control the information posted on their websites. If any prohibited content is found, they must remove such content immediately, keep a record of it and report to the relevant authorities. If an ICP violates these measures, the PRC government may impose fines and revoke any relevant business operation licenses.
Regulation of Internet Security
The Decision in Relation to Protection of the Internet Security enacted by the SCNPC on December 28, 2000 provides that the following activities conducted through the Internet are subject to criminal punishment:
| ● | gaining improper entry into a computer or system of strategic importance; | |
| ● | disseminating politically disruptive information or obscenities; | |
| ● | leaking State secrets; | |
| ● | spreading false commercial information; or | |
| ● | infringing intellectual property rights. |
The Administrative Measures on the Security Protection of Computer Information Network with International Connections, issued by the Ministry of Public Security on December 16, 1997 and amended on January 8, 2011, prohibit the use of the Internet in a manner that would result in the leakage of State secrets or the spread of socially destabilizing content. If an ICP violates these measures, the Ministry of Public Security and the local security bureaus may revoke its operating license and shut down its websites.
Regulation Relating to Privacy Protection
Under the ICP Measures, ICPs are prohibited from producing, copying, publishing or distributing information that is humiliating or defamatory to others or that infringes upon the lawful rights and interests of others. Depending on the nature of the violation, ICPs may face criminal charges or sanctions by PRC security authorities for such acts, and may be ordered to suspend temporarily their services or have their licenses revoked.
Under the Several Provisions on Regulating the Market Order of Internet Information Services, issued by the MIIT on December 29, 2011, ICPs are also prohibited from collecting any user personal information or providing any such information to third parties without the consent of a user. ICPs must expressly inform the users of the method, content and purpose of the collection and processing of such user personal information and may only collect such information necessary for its services. ICPs are also required to properly maintain the user personal information, and in case of any leak or likely leak of the user personal information, ICPs must take remedial measures immediately and report any material leak to the telecommunications regulatory authority.
In addition, the Decision on Strengthening Network Information Protection promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on December 28, 2012 emphasizes the need to protect electronic information that contains individual identification information and other private data. The decision requires ICPs to establish and publish policies regarding the collection and use of personal electronic information and to take necessary measures to ensure the security of the information and to prevent leakage, damage or loss. Furthermore, MIIT’s Rules on Protection of Personal Information of Telecommunications and Internet Users promulgated on July 16, 2013 contain detailed requirements on the use and collection of personal information as well as the security measures to be taken by ICPs.
The PRC government retains the power and authority to order ICPs to provide an Internet user’s personal information if such user posts any prohibited content or engages in any illegal activities through the Internet.
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Regulations on Intellectual Property Rights
Patent. Patents in the PRC are principally protected under the Patent Law of the PRC. The duration of a patent right is either 10 years or 20 years from the date of application, depending on the type of patent right.
Copyright. Copyright in the PRC, including copyrighted software, is principally protected under the Copyright Law of the PRC and related rules and regulations. Under the Copyright Law, the term of protection for copyrighted software is 50 years.
Trademark. Registered trademarks are protected under the Trademark Law of the PRC and related rules and regulations. Trademarks are registered with the Trademark Office of the SAIC. Where registration is sought for a trademark that is identical or similar to another trademark which has already been registered or given preliminary examination and approval for use in the same or similar category of commodities or services, the application for registration of such trademark may be rejected. Trademark registrations are effective for a renewable ten-year period, unless otherwise revoked. We are in the process of having our trademark registered in PRC, and we have registered some trademarks in Hong Kong.
Domain Names. Domain name registrations are handled through domain name service agencies established under the relevant regulations, and applicants become domain name holders upon successful registration.
Regulations on Dividend Distributions
One of our PRC subsidiaries, AGM Tianjin, is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise under the PRC law. The principal regulations governing the distribution of dividends paid by wholly foreign-owned enterprises include:
| ● | Corporate Law (1993) as amended in 2005 and 2013; | |
| ● | The Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law (1986), as amended in 2000; | |
| ● | The Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law Implementation Regulations (1990), as amended in 2001; and | |
| ● | The Enterprise Income Tax Law (2007) and its Implementation Regulations (2007). |
Under these regulations, wholly foreign-owned enterprises in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, an enterprise in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profit based on PRC accounting standards each year to its general reserves until its cumulative total reserve funds reaches 50% of its registered capital. Our Company’s reserve fund has not yet reached this level. The board of directors of a wholly foreign-owned enterprise has the discretion to allocate a portion of its after-tax profits to its employee welfare and bonus funds. These reserve funds, however, may not be distributed as cash dividends.
On March 16, 2007, the National People’s Congress enacted the Enterprise Income Tax Law, and on December 6, 2007, the State Council issued the Implementation Regulations on the Enterprise Income Tax Law, both of which became effective on January 1, 2008. Under this law and its implementation regulations, dividends payable by a foreign-invested enterprise in the PRC to its foreign investor who is a non-resident enterprise will be subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with the PRC that provides for a lower withholding tax rate.
Nevertheless, AGM Tianjin currently do not have assets or operation of business, and we have no present plans to declare dividends and plan to retain our earnings to continue to grow our business.
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Regulations on Tax
PRC Enterprise Income Tax
The PRC enterprise income tax, or EIT, is calculated based on the taxable income determined under the applicable EIT Law and its implementation rules, which became effective on January 1, 2008. The EIT Law imposes a uniform enterprise income tax rate of 25% on all resident enterprises in China, including foreign-invested enterprises.
Uncertainties exist with respect to how the EIT Law applies to our tax residence status and our offshore subsidiaries. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with a “de facto management body” within China is considered a “resident enterprise,” which means that it is treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. Although the implementation rules of the EIT Law define “de facto management body” as a managing body that exercises substantive and overall management and control over the production and business, personnel, accounting books and assets of an enterprise, the only official guidance for this definition currently available is set forth in Circular 82 issued by the State Administration of Taxation, which provides guidance on the determination of the tax residence status of a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise, defined as an enterprise that is incorporated under the laws of a foreign country or territory and that has a PRC enterprise or enterprise group as its primary controlling shareholder.
According to Circular 82, a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having a “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its worldwide income only if all of the following criteria are met:
| ● | the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; | |
| ● | decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; | |
| ● | the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholders meeting minutes are located or maintained in the PRC; and | |
| ● | 50% or more of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC. |
We believe that we meet the conditions outlined in the immediately preceding paragraph and should be treated as a “resident enterprise” for PRC tax purposes if the criteria for “de facto management body” as set forth in Circular 82 were deemed applicable to us. However, as the tax residency status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body” as applicable to our offshore entities, we will continue to monitor our tax status. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a “Resident Enterprise” of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC stockholders.”
In the event that we or any of our offshore subsidiaries is considered to be a PRC resident enterprise: (1) we or our offshore subsidiaries, as the case may be, may be subject to the PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income; (2) dividend income that we or our offshore subsidiaries, as the case may be, receive from our PRC subsidiaries may be exempt from the PRC withholding tax; and (3) dividends paid to our overseas shareholders who are non-PRC resident enterprises as well as gains realized by such shareholders from the transfer of our shares may be regarded as PRC-sourced income and as a result be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10%, and similarly, dividends paid to our overseas shareholders who are non-PRC resident individuals, as well as gains realized by such shareholders from the transfer of our shares, may be regarded as PRC-sourced income and as a result be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of 20%, subject to the provision of any applicable agreement for the avoidance of double taxation.
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Under SAT Circular 698 and Bulletin 7, if a non-resident enterprise transfers “PRC taxable assets” of a PRC resident enterprise indirectly by disposition of the equity interests of an overseas non-public holding company without reasonable commercial purpose, the parties involved in the indirect transfer of the PRC taxable assets and the PRC resident enterprise whose equity is transferred indirectly, may report such equity transfer matter to the PRC competent tax authority of the PRC resident enterprise. The PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding, or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such disposition may be subject to a PRC withholding tax rate of up to 10%. Circular 698 also provides that, where a non-PRC resident enterprise transfers its equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise to its related parties at a price which is not on an arm’s length basis and results in reducing the taxable income, the relevant tax authority has the power to make a reasonable adjustment as to the taxable income of the transaction. Circular 698 was retroactively effective on January 1, 2008. On February 3, 2015, the State Administration of Taxation released SAT Bulletin 7 to amend and clarify several issues related to Circular 698. According to SAT Bulletin 7, the term “PRC taxable assets” includes assets attributed to an establishment in China, immoveable properties located in China, and equity investments in PRC resident enterprises; and when determining whether there is a “reasonable commercial purpose” of the transaction arrangement, factors to be taken into consideration include: whether the main value of the equity interest of the relevant offshore enterprise derives from PRC taxable assets; whether the assets of the relevant offshore enterprise mainly consists of direct or indirect investment in China or if its income mainly derives from China; whether the offshore enterprise and its subsidiaries directly or indirectly holding PRC taxable assets have real commercial nature which is evidenced by their actual function and risk exposure; the duration of existence of the business model and organizational structure; the replicability of the transaction by direct transfer of PRC taxable assets; and the tax situation of such indirect transfer and applicable tax treaties or similar arrangements. If Circular 698 and Bulletin 7 were determined by the tax authorities to be applicable to us, our offshore subsidiaries and our non-resident enterprise investors, we, our offshore subsidiaries and our non-resident enterprise investors might be required to expend valuable resources to comply with this circular, which may materially and adversely affect us or our non-resident enterprise investors. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — We and our shareholders face uncertainties with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises or other assets attributed to a PRC establishment of a non-PRC company, or other assets attributable to a PRC establishment of a non-PRC company.”
Under applicable PRC laws, payers of PRC-sourced income to non-PRC residents are generally obligated to withhold PRC income taxes from the payment. In the event of a failure to withhold, the non-PRC residents are required to pay such taxes on their own. Failure to comply with the tax payment obligations by the non-PRC residents will result in penalties, including full payment of taxes owed, fines and default interest on those taxes.
PRC Value-added Tax
Pursuant to the Pilot Measure for Imposition of Value-Added Tax to Replace Business Tax for Transport and Shipping Industry and Some of the Modern Service Industries, promulgated by the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation on November 16, 2011 (the “PilotMeasure”),any entity or individual conducting business in some modern service industry, such as the service we are engaging in, is generally required to pay a value-added tax, or VAT, at the rate of 6% on the revenues generated from providing such services. A taxpayer is allowed to offset the qualified input VAT paid on taxable purchases against the output VAT chargeable on the modern services provided.
On March 30, 2016, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Notice of the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation on Overall Implementation of the Pilot Program of Replacing Business Tax with Value-added Tax. Pursuant to this notice, from May 1, 2016, a value-added tax will generally be imposed to replace the business tax in the construction industry, real estate industry, finance industry, consumer service industry and other industries on a nationwide basis.
SAFE Circular 37
SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the former circular commonly known as “SAFE Circular 75” promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with such PRC residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in SAFE Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material event. In the event that a PRC shareholder holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to fulfill the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary. Furthermore, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls.
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Share Option Rules
Under the Administration Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange Control issued by the PBOC on December 25, 2006, all foreign exchange matters involved in employee share ownership plans and share option plans in which PRC citizens participate require approval from SAFE or its authorized branch. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who participate in share incentive plans in overseas non-publicly-listed companies may submit applications to SAFE or its local branches for the foreign exchange registration with respect to offshore special purpose companies. In addition, under the Notices on Issues concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Share Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Companies, or the Share Option Rules, issued by SAFE on February 15, 2012, PRC residents who are granted shares or share options by companies listed on overseas stock exchanges under share incentive plans are required to (i) register with SAFE or its local branches, (ii) retain a qualified PRC agent, which may be a PRC subsidiary of the overseas listed company or another qualified institution selected by the PRC subsidiary, to conduct the SAFE registration and other procedures with respect to the share incentive plans on behalf of the participants, and (iii) retain an overseas institution to handle matters in connection with their exercise of share options, purchase and sale of shares or interests and funds transfers.
Employment Laws
In accordance with the PRC National Labor Law, which became effective in January 1995, and the PRC Labor Contract Law, which became effective in January 2008, as amended subsequently in 2012, employers must execute written labor contracts with full-time employees in order to establish an employment relationship. All employers must compensate their employees equal to at least the local minimum wage standards. All employers are required to establish a system for labor safety and sanitation, strictly abide by state rules and standards and provide employees with appropriate workplace safety training. In addition, employers in China are obliged to pay contributions to the social insurance plan and the housing fund plan for employees. We have contributed to the basic and minimum social insurance plan. Due to a high employee turnover rate in our industry, it is difficult for us to comply fully with the law. While we believe that we have made adequate provision of such outstanding amounts of contributions to such plans in our financial statements, any failure to make sufficient payments to such plans would be in violation of applicable PRC laws and regulations and, if we are found to be in violation of such laws and regulations, we could be required to make up the contributions for such plans as well as to pay late fees and fines.
4.C. Organizational structure.
The following is a list of our subsidiaries as of the date of this annual report.
| Subsidiaries | Jurisdiction of Incorporation/Formation |
Date of Incorporation/ Formation | ||
| AGM Technology Limited (“AGM HK”) | Hong Kong SAR | May 21, 2015 | ||
| AGM Tianjin Construction Development Co., Ltd. (“AGM Tianjin”) | People’s Republic of China | October 13, 2015 | ||
| Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd. (“AGM Beijing”) | People’s Republic of China | November 13, 2015 | ||
| AGM Software Service LTD (“AGM Software”) | British Virgin Islands | June 14, 2017 | ||
| Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (“Nanjing Lucun”) | People’s Republic of China | June 17, 2021 | ||
| AGM Defi Tech Limited (“AGM Defi Tech”) | Hong Kong SAR | July 30, 2021 | ||
| AGM Defi Lab Pte Limited (“AGM Defi Lab”) | Singapore | August 8, 2021 | ||
| Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Keen Sense”) | People’s Republic of China | October 21, 2021 | ||
| Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Beijing Branch (“Nanjing Lucun Beijing Branch”) | People’s Republic of China | November 24, 2022 | ||
| AGM Electronic Technology Limited (“AGM Electronic”) | Hong Kong SAR |
January 26, 2024 | ||
| AGM Canada Holdings Limited (“AGM Canada”) | British Columbia, Canada | April 17, 2024 | ||
| Beijing Bixin Electronic Technology Co., Ltd (“Beijing Bixin”) | People’s Republic of China |
April 26, 2024 |
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Below is a chart illustrating our corporate structure:
4.D. Property, Plant and Equipment
Intellectual Property
We regard our intellectual property rights as critical to our operations. We rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret laws to protect our intellectual property. As of December 31, 2023, we owned three domain names. We also had two registered trademarks in China as of December 31, 2022 but we have retired and cancelled the registration in July 2023.
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Property and Equipment
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, property and equipment, net consisted of the following:
| December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||
| Electronic equipment | $ | 542,755 | $ | 541,931 | ||||
| Office equipment | 13,547 | 13,777 | ||||||
| Leasehold improvement | 502,396 | 510,915 | ||||||
| Total property and equipment | 1,058,698 | 1,066,623 | ||||||
| Less: accumulated depreciation | (679,020 | ) | (377,262 | ) | ||||
| Total property and equipment, net | $ | 379,678 | $ | 689,361 | ||||
Depreciation and amortization expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were $309,623, $198,797 and $36,883, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized loss of $7,450, nil and nil on disposed of property and equipment in the consolidated statements of operations, respectively. There was no impairment recorded for these property and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Lease commitments
We lease offices and residential properties for employee’s dormitories rent expenses for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were $126,037, $114,488 and $51,239, respectively. The Company has future minimum lease obligations as of December 31, 2023 as follows:
| Commitment Amount | ||||
| Year of 2024 | 79,596 | |||
| Year of 2025 | 48,372 | |||
| Year of 2026 | 8,062 | |||
| Thereafter | - | |||
| Less: lease commitments on terminations | - | |||
| Total | $ | 136,030 | ||
Item 4A. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
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Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results and the timing of selected events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this annual report.
Overview
We aim to become an integrated technology company with blockchain oriented ASIC chip design, advanced encryption mining machine production, and financial technology software services. In 2021, we have launched the first internal brand ASIC encryption mining machine - KOI Miner C16 (“C16”), with technical parameters higher than the industry average level.
We derive revenue from the sales of cryptocurrency mining machine and standardized computing equipment. Revenue is recognized when the promised goods are transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration allocated to the respective performance obligation. We recognize product revenues on a gross basis as we are responsible to fulfill the promise to provide specified goods. Revenue is recognized at a point in time upon the transfer of control of products to customers.
Costs and Expenses
We primarily incur the following costs and expenses:
Costs of revenues. Cost of revenues primarily consist of cost of product revenue, which includes direct costs of cryptocurrency mining machines, standardized computing equipment.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of bad debt expense, compensation expense for our corporate staff and personnel supporting our corporate staff, marketing costs, office supplies, professional fees (including consulting, audit and legal fees), travel and business hospitality expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses also include depreciation and amortization expenses. We record property and equipment at cost and calculate depreciation using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of our assets, which generally range from three to five years.
Research and development expenses. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The costs primarily consist of the wage expenses incurred to continuously improve and upgrade our services.
5.A. Operating Results.
| For The Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | 92,907,172 | $ | 242,395,556 | $ | 36,709,931 | ||||||
| Cost of Revenues | (88,278,140 | ) | (195,807,066 | ) | (30,112,363 | ) | ||||||
| Gross profit | 4,629,032 | 46,588,490 | 6,597,568 | |||||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general & administrative expenses | 13,870,634 | 30,395,048 | 1,607,393 | |||||||||
| Research and development expenses | - | - | 36,317 | |||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 13,870,634 | 30,395,048 | 1,643,710 | |||||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||||
| (Loss)/Income from operations | (9,241,602 | ) | 16,193,442 | 4,953,858 | ||||||||
| Other income/(expenses) | ||||||||||||
| Other income | 106,202 | 118,265 | 47,167 | |||||||||
| Other expenses | (487,919 | ) | (491,299 | ) | (43,171 | ) | ||||||
| Total other (expenses)/income | (381,717 | ) | (373,034 | ) | 3,996 | |||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||||
| (Loss)/Income before provision of income taxes | (9,623,319 | ) | 15,820,408 | 4,957,854 | ||||||||
| Provision for income taxes benefit/(expenses) | 2,184,039 | (4,344,769 | ) | (1,406,159 | ) | |||||||
| Net (loss)/income | $ | (7,439,280 | ) | $ | 11,475,639 | $ | 3,551,695 | |||||
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Revenues
Our total revenues decreased by $149.5 million or 62%, from $242.4 million in fiscal 2022 to $92.9 million in fiscal 2023. All of our total revenues for both fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022 generated from third parties and no revenues incurred from related party. The decrease of total revenues was primarily due to a decrease of sales volume of cryptocurrency mining machine and standardized computing equipment which resulted from overall softening in market demand, as well as the lower selling price which resulted from the declining bitcoin price.
Our total revenues increased by $205.7 million or 560%, from $36.7 million in fiscal 2021 to $242.4 million in fiscal 2022. All of our total revenues for both fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021 generated from third parties and no revenues incurred from related party. The substantial increase in sales revenue was primarily attributed to the growth in new customers and existing customers’ sales volume. As price-rising market trends of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin led to higher mining profits, customers are further motivated to invest in ASIC crypto mining machines. The booming cryptocurrency market has attracted more people to ASIC crypto mining machines, bringing in numerous new customers for us. Furthermore, the steady rise in sales volume among existing customers demonstrated a stable customer base and their trust in us.
Cost of Revenues and Gross Margin
Cost of revenues decreased by $107.5 million or 55%, from $195.8 million in fiscal 2022 to $88.3 million for the fiscal 2023. The decrease was primarily due to the decrease in procurement costs of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment for fiscal 2023, which was in line with the decrease of revenue. Gross margin for fiscal 2023 was 5%, as compared to 19% for fiscal 2022. As the declining bitcoin price leads to the lower selling price of cryptocurrency mining machine while the procurement cost was relatively stable, the gross margin decreased sharply in 2023 compared with the same period of 2022.
Cost of revenues increased by $165.7 million or 550%, from $30.1 million in fiscal 2021 to $195.8 million for the fiscal 2022. The increase was primarily due to the increase in procurement costs of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment for fiscal 2022, which was in line with the increase of revenue. Gross margin for fiscal 2022 was 19%, as compared to 18% for fiscal 2021. The gross margin of sales cryptocurrency mining machine and standardized computing equipment was relatively stable.
Selling, General and Administrative expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of credit losses, sales and administrative employee-related expenses, professional fees, travel costs and other corporate expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $13.9 million for the fiscal 2023, a decrease of $16.5 million, compared with the fiscal 2022. The significant decrease was primarily due to (1) the provision of advances to suppliers of $28.6 million, and partially offset by (2) the reversal of allowance for credit losses, amounted to $21.9 million, which was recorded in year 2022 but the receivables were collected in 2023.
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of sales and administrative employee-related expenses, professional fees, travel costs, research and development costs, and other corporate expenses. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $30.4 million for the year of 2022, an increase of $28.8 million, or 1793% from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to (1) recorded bad debt expenses of accounts receivable of the year 2022 (2) increased professional service fees including investor relations management, financial consulting for business operation; and (3) increased salary expenses due to increased headcount of selling, general and administrative personnel from a weighted average number of 16 to 25.
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Research and Development Expenses
We incurred nil, nil and $36,317 in research and development in fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Research and development expenses decreased by $36,317, or 100%, for fiscal 2022 compared to fiscal 2021. We have not invested in cryptocurrency mining machine R&D.
(Loss)/Income from operations
As a result of the factors described above, operating loss was $9.2 million for fiscal 2023, compared to operating income of $16.2 million for fiscal 2022, a decrease in operation income of $25.4 million, or 157%. Our operation income in fiscal 2022 was $16.2 million, compared to $5.0 million for fiscal 2021, an increase in operation income of $11.2 million, or 226%.
Other (expenses)/income
For fiscal 2023, other expense, net of other income, were $0.4 million, compared to other expense, net of other income, were $0.4 million for fiscal 2022, a change of $8,683. The decrease of other expenses was primarily attributed to the loss of liquidated damages in 2022.
For fiscal 2022, other expense, net of other income, were $0.4 million, compared to other income, net of other expense, were $3,996 for fiscal 2021, a change of $0.4 million. The increase of other expenses was primarily attributable to the foreign currency translation loss, partially offset by government subsidies received for being in informational development industry.
(Loss)/Income before provision of income taxes
As a result of the foregoing, our loss before provision of income taxes was $9.6 million, or $0.31per share (basic and diluted), for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared with income before provision of income taxes of $15.8 million, or $0.47 per share (basic and diluted), for the year ended December 31, 2022. Our income before provision of income taxes was $5.0 million for fiscal 2021, or $0.17 per share (basic and diluted), for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Income Tax
For fiscal 2023, we had provision for income tax benefit of $ 2.2 million, an increase of $6.5 million, or 150%, as compared to income tax expenses of $4.3 million for fiscal 2022. Tax benefit was generated from the loss before provision of income taxes.
For fiscal 2022, we had provision for income tax of $4.3 million, an increase of $2.9 million, or 209%, as compared to expense for income tax of $1.4 million for fiscal 2021. The increase of tax expense is primarily due to the increase in income before provision of income taxes.
Net (loss)/income
As a result of the factors described above, our net loss for fiscal 2023 was $7.4 million, compared to net income for fiscal 2022 of $11.5 million, was a decrease in net income of $18.9 million, or 165%. Our net income for fiscal 2022 was $11.5 million, compared to $3.6 million for fiscal 2021, an increase in net income of $7.9 million, or 223%.
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Foreign currency translation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented in United States dollar (“$”), which is the reporting currency of us. The functional currency of AGM Group Holdings, Inc., AGM Technology Limited, AGM Defi Tech Ltd., our subsidiaries established pursuant to the laws of Hong Kong, AGM DEFI LAB PTE. Ltd., our subsidiary established pursuant to the laws of Singapore, and AGM Software Services Ltd, our subsidiary established pursuant to the laws of the British Virgin Islands are United States dollar. The functional currency of AGM Tianjin Construction Development Co, Ltd., Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd., Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co. Ltd., and Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd., our indirect subsidiaries established pursuant to the laws of China, are Renminbi (“RMB”). For the subsidiaries whose functional currencies are RMB, results of operations and cash flows are translated at average exchange rates during the period, assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rate at the end of the period, and equity is translated at historical exchange rates.
The Consolidated Balance Sheets balances, with the exception of equity at December 31, 2023 and 2022, were translated at RMB7.0827 and RMB6.9646 to $1.00, respectively. The equity accounts were stated at their historical rate. The average translation rates applied to the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss/Income and the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were RMB RMB7.0467, RMB6.7261 and RMB6.4515 to $1.00, respectively.
Net gains and losses resulting from foreign exchange translations are included in the comprehensive income/loss on the consolidated statements of operations. As a result of foreign currency translations, which are a non-cash adjustment, we reported a foreign currency translation loss of $3,571,930 and $6,578,195 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and a foreign currency translation gain of $169,472 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This non-cash loss had the effect on our reported comprehensive loss or income.
5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.
Liquidity
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
Liquidity is the ability of a company to generate funds to support our current and future operations, satisfy our obligations and otherwise operate on an ongoing basis. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had working capital of $9.1 million and $22.3 million, including cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of $1.6 million and $4.1 million, respectively. As a result, we believe that our current cash and cash to be generated from our operations will be sufficient to meet our working capital needs for at least the next twelve months. We are not dependent upon the access to borrow loans from our related parties. We plan to expand our business to implement our growth strategies to broaden our service and strengthen our position in the marketplace.
The following table sets forth a summary of changes in our working capital from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2023:
| December 31, | December 31, | Percentage | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | Change | Change | |||||||||||||
| Working capital: | ||||||||||||||||
| Total current assets | $ | 87,119,145 | $ | 116,819,369 | $ | (29,700,224 | ) | (25 | )% | |||||||
| Total current liabilities | 77,981,722 | 94,520,092 | (16,538,370 | ) | (17 | )% | ||||||||||
| Working capital | $ | 9,137,423 | $ | 22,299,277 | $ | (13,161,854 | ) | (59 | )% | |||||||
Because the exchange rate conversion is different for the consolidated balance sheets and the consolidated statements of cash flows, the changes in assets and liabilities reflected on the consolidated statements of cash flows are not necessarily identical with the comparable changes reflected on the consolidated balance sheets.
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Cash Flow Summary
The following table sets forth certain items in our consolidated statements of cash flows for 2023, 2022 and 2021.
| For The Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | (1,691,718 | ) | (17,342,268 | ) | (1,854,458 | ) | ||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (10,708 | ) | (332,308 | ) | (339,657 | ) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 1,322,819 | 7,005,744 | 19,558,681 | |||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | (2,092,354 | ) | (3,684,350 | ) | 397,451 | |||||||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash | (2,471,961 | ) | (14,353,182 | ) | 17,762,017 | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the year | 4,073,440 | 18,426,622 | 664,605 | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of the year | 1,601,479 | 4,073,440 | 18,426,622 | |||||||||
We have cash and cash equivalents held in financial institutions in the following countries (regions):
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| Country (Region) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| China (Mainland) | $ | 56,031 | $ | 154,311 | ||||
| China (Hong Kong) | 1,310,551 | 3,678,925 | ||||||
| Singapore | 234,897 | 240,204 | ||||||
| Total cash and cash equivalents | $ | 1,601,479 | $ | 4,073,440 | ||||
Operating Activities:
Net cash used in operating activities was $1.7 million for fiscal 2023, primarily due to a net loss of $7.4 million. The adjustments for changes in assets and liabilities primarily included the reversal for credit losses of $21.9 million, an increase of advances to suppliers of $88.1 million due to the optimistic outlook on the market and we made advance payment to suppliers to secure the products, and a decrease of accounts payable of $42.7 million; partially offset by the provision of advances to suppliers of $28.6 million, a decrease of accounts receivable of $107.5 million due to well collection and an increase of advances from customers of $26.0 million.
Net cash used in operating activities was $17.3 million for fiscal 2022, primarily due to a net income of $11.5 million. The adjustments for changes in assets and liabilities primarily included an increase of accounts receivable of $119.0 million, and a decrease of advances from customers of $35.9 million due to the surged increase of revenue; partially offset by an increase of accounts payable of $50.1 million due to the increased purchase of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment, the allowance for doubtful accounts of $27.5 million, and a decrease of inventories of $17.2 million as we finished more sales in 2022.
Net cash used in operating activities was $1.9 million for fiscal 2021, primarily due to a net income of $3.6 million. The adjustments for changes in assets and liabilities primarily included (i) an increase of advances to suppliers of $40.5 million, (ii) an increase of inventories of $22.4 million, offset by (iii) a decrease of advances from customers of $42.2 million and (iv) a decrease of accounts payable of $14.1 million.
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Investing Activities:
Net cash used in investing activities included $10,708 for purchase of property and equipment in fiscal 2023.
Net cash used in investing activities included $282,308 for purchase of property and equipment and leasehold improvement in fiscal 2022; and $50,000 for purchase of intangible asset.
Net cash used in investing activities was $339,657 for the leasehold improvement in fiscal 2021.
Financing Activities:
Net cash provided by financing activities was $1.3 million for fiscal 2023. It was mainly attributable to proceeds from related parties of $4.5 million; partially offset by repayments to related parties of $3.2 million.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $7.0 million for fiscal 2022. It was mainly attributable to proceeds from related parties of $10.0 million and receipt of financing deposit of $0.5 million; partially offset by repayments to related parties of $2.0 million and repayments of loans and borrowings of $1.5 million.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $19.6 million for fiscal 2021. It was mainly attributable to proceeds from issuance of Class A ordinary shares of $17.6 million and proceeds from short-term borrowings of $1.6 million.
We expect to incur additional costs associated with becoming a public company in the United States, primarily due to increased expenses related to accounting and tax services, legal expenses and investor and stockholder-related expenses. These additional long-term expenses may require us to seek other sources of financing, such as additional borrowings or public or private equity or debt capital. The availability of these other sources of financing will depend upon our financial condition and results of operations as well as prevailing market conditions and may not be available on terms reasonably acceptable to us or at all.
Regulatory Restrictions on Capital Injections
If we conduct offerings in the future, we plan to use proceeds from such offerings to fund our business from time to time. In order to do so, we will be required to comply with the following Chinese regulations regarding capital injections to foreign-invested enterprises.
Chinese regulations relating to investments in offshore companies by Chinese residents. SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Financing and Round trip Investment through Offshore Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, on July 4, 2014. SAFE Circular 37 requires Chinese residents to register and update certain investments in companies incorporated outside of China with their local SAFE branch. SAFE also subsequently issued various guidance and rules regarding the implementation of SAFE Circular 37, which imposed obligations on Chinese subsidiaries of offshore companies to coordinate with and supervise any Chinese-resident beneficial owners of offshore entities in relation to the SAFE registration process.
We may not be aware of the identities of all of our beneficial owners who are Chinese residents. We do not have control over our beneficial owners and cannot assure you that all of our Chinese-resident beneficial owners will comply with SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules. The failure of our beneficial owners who are Chinese residents to register or amend their SAFE registrations in a timely manner pursuant to SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, or the failure of future beneficial owners of our Company who are Chinese residents to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules, may subject such beneficial owners or our Chinese subsidiaries to fines and legal sanctions, which may be substantial. Failure to register may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our Chinese subsidiaries and limit our Chinese subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to our Company. These risks may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
China regulates loans to and direct investment in Chinese entities by offshore holding companies and there is governmental control of currency conversion. We are an offshore holding company conducting our operations in China through our wholly owned subsidiaries. As an offshore holding company, we may make loans and additional contributions to subsidiaries subject to certain government authorities’ registration and/or approvals, including MOFCOM, SAIC and SAFE, or their local counterparts.
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Any loan to subsidiaries, which is treated as a foreign-invested enterprise under Chinese law, is subject to Chinese regulations and foreign exchange loan registrations. In January 2003, the China State Development and Reform Commission, SAFE and Ministry of Finance jointly promulgated the Circular on The Interim Provisions on the Management of Foreign Debts, or the Circular 28, limiting the total amount of foreign debt a foreign-invested enterprise may incur to the difference between the amount of total investment approved by the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterpart for such enterprise and the amount of registered capital of such enterprise, and requiring registration of any such loans with SAFE. On January 11, 2017, the People’s Bank of China (the “PBOC”), promulgated the Circular on Matters concerning the Macro-Prudential Management of Full-Covered Cross-Border Financing, or the PBOC Circular 9. Pursuant to PBOC Circular 9, the foreign debt upper limit for both foreign-invested companies and domestic-invested companies is calculated as twice the net asset of such companies. As to net assets, the companies shall take the net assets value stated in their latest audited financial statement. The PBOC Circular 9 does not supersede the Circular 28. It provides a one-year transitional period from its promulgation date for foreign-invested companies, during which foreign-invested companies, such as our WFOE, could choose their calculation method of foreign debt upper limit based on either the Foreign Debts Provisions or the PBOC Circular 9. The transitional period ended on January 11, 2018. Upon its expiry, pursuant to the PBOC Circular 9, the PBOC and SAFE will determine the cross-border financing administration mechanism for the foreign-invested enterprises after evaluating the overall implementation of the PBOC Circular 9. As of the date hereof, neither PBOC nor SAFE has promulgated and made public any further rules, regulations, notices or circulars in this regard. It is uncertain which mechanism will be adopted by PBOC and SAFE in the future and what statutory limits will be imposed on us when providing loans to our PRC subsidiaries.
We may choose to finance subsidiaries by means of capital contributions. These capital contributions must be registered with the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterpart. In March 2015, SAFE issued the Circular Concerning the Reform of the Administration of the Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular No.19, which became effective in June 2015. SAFE Circular No.19 regulates the conversion by a foreign-invested enterprise of foreign currency registered capital into RMB by restricting how the converted RMB may be used. Furthermore, SAFE promulgated a circular in June 2016, SAFE Circular No.16, which further revises some clauses in the SAFE Circular No.19. SAFE Circular No. 19 and No.16 provide that the capital-account foreign exchange incomes of a domestic enterprise shall not be used for expenditures that are forbidden by relevant laws and regulations, for purposes that are not included in the business scope approved by the applicable government authority, shall not be used for direct or indirect equity investments within China or for any other kind of investment except principal-guaranteed wealth-management products, unless otherwise prescribed by other laws and regulations, shall not be used for issuing RMB entrusted loans (except included in the business scope approved by the applicable government authority or issuing RMB entrusted loans to affiliated enterprises), repaying inter-enterprise loans, repaying bank loans which has been refinanced to third parties, issuing RMB loans to non-affiliated enterprises unless expressly permitted in the business scope and shall not be used to purchase real estate that is not for personal use except if we are a real estate enterprise. In addition, SAFE supervises the flow and use of the RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a foreign-invested company by further focusing on ex post facto supervision and violations. Previously, for FIEs the increase of capital contribution shall be approved by MOFCOM. In 2016, the approval was changed to registration. Currently, China is holding more open and tolerate attitude toward FIEs. Even with more and more open policy toward FDI and FIEs, Circulars mentioned above may still have some limit on our ability to use the net proceeds from future offerings to invest in or acquire any other Chinese companies in China, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in China.
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Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022
The following table provides certain selected balance sheets comparisons as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022:
| December 31, | December 31, | Increase | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | (Decrease) | % | |||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 1,599,906 | $ | 4,073,440 | $ | (2,473,534 | ) | (61 | )% | |||||||
| Restricted cash | 1,573 | - | 1,573 | N/A | ||||||||||||
| Accounts receivable | 4,860,571 | 92,755,701 | (87,895,130 | ) | (95 | )% | ||||||||||
| Inventories | 5,502,404 | 3,915,456 | 1,586,948 | 41 | % | |||||||||||
| Advances to suppliers, net | 71,303,444 | 13,139,128 | 58,164,316 | >100 | % | |||||||||||
| Prepayment and other current assets, net | 3,851,247 | 2,935,644 | 915,603 | 31 | % | |||||||||||
| Total current assets | 87,119,145 | 116,819,369 | (29,700,224 | ) | (25 | )% | ||||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 379,678 | 689,361 | (309,683 | ) | (45 | )% | ||||||||||
| Intangible assets, net | 44,007 | 55,486 | (11,479 | ) | (21 | )% | ||||||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 270,248 | 492,984 | (222,736 | ) | (45 | )% | ||||||||||
| Deferred tax asset | 9,734,267 | 7,172,814 | 2,561,453 | 36 | % | |||||||||||
| Total non-current assets | 10,428,200 | 8,410,645 | 2,017,555 | 24 | % | |||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 97,547,345 | $ | 125,230,014 | $ | (27,682,669 | ) | (22 | )% | |||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 21,812,072 | $ | 64,500,197 | $ | (42,688,125 | ) | (66 | )% | |||||||
| Accrued expenses and other payables | 1,983,145 | 2,874,126 | (890,981 | ) | (31 | )% | ||||||||||
| Advance from customers | 30,131,748 | 4,572,765 | 25,558,983 | >100 | % | |||||||||||
| Due to related parties | 9,427,332 | 8,087,981 | 1,339,351 | 17 | % | |||||||||||
| Deferred revenue - current | 37,610 | 36,529 | 1,081 | 3 | % | |||||||||||
| Operating lease liabilities, current | 79,736 | 162,576 | (82,840 | ) | (51 | )% | ||||||||||
| Income tax payable | 14,510,079 | 14,285,918 | 224,161 | 2 | % | |||||||||||
| Total current liabilities | 77,981,722 | 94,520,092 | (16,538,370 | ) | (17 | )% | ||||||||||
| Operating lease liabilities, non-current | 73,596 | 167,428 | (93,832 | ) | >100 | % | ||||||||||
| Deferred government grant, non-current | 59,527 | 98,784 | (39,257 | ) | (40 | )% | ||||||||||
| Total non-current liabilities | 133,123 | 266,212 | (133,089 | ) | (50 | )% | ||||||||||
| Total liabilities | $ | 78,114,845 | $ | 94,786,304 | $ | (16,671,459 | ) | (18 | )% | |||||||
Cash
As of December 31, 2023, we have a total of $1.6 million in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, among which $0.1 million was held inside China (Mainland), and $1.5 million was held outside of China (Mainland). As of December 31, 2022, we have a total of $4.1 million in cash and cash equivalents, among which $0.2 million was held inside China (Mainland), and $3.9 million was held outside of China (Mainland). We have not transferred and do not plan to transfer our cash in RMB outside of China (Mainland) in order to avoid unnecessary currency exchange cost. Our subsidiaries in China (Mainland) incur expenses from time to time, and we have spent and plan to spend our cash in RMB to cover those expenses.
Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net
As of December 31, 2023, balances of prepayment and other current assets were $3.9 million, an increase of $0.9 million, compared to $2.9 million as of December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to increase of loan receivable, partially offset by decreased prepaid input VAT, as shown in the following table.
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Loan receivable | $ | 3,776,608 | $ | 1,605,000 | ||||
| Prepaid input VAT | 14,318 | 1,106,489 | ||||||
| Deposits and others | 1,216,089 | 224,155 | ||||||
| Subtotal | 5,007,015 | 2,935,644 | ||||||
| Allowance for credit losses | (1,155,768 | ) | - | |||||
| Total prepayment and other current assets | $ | 3,851,247 | $ | 2,935,644 | ||||
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Current assets
Current assets as of December 31, 2023 totaled $87.1 million, a decrease of $29.7 million from our December 31, 2022 balance. The decrease was primarily resulted from a $87.9 million decrease in accounts receivable, partially offset by a $58.2 million increase in advances to suppliers.
Current liabilities
Current liabilities as of December 31, 2023 totaled $78.0 million, a decrease of $16.5 million from our December 31, 2022 balance. The decrease was primarily resulted from a $42.7 million decrease in accounts payable, partially offset by a $25.6 million increase in advances from customers.
Credit Facility
We mainly finance our operations through proceeds borrowed from related parties. As of December 31, 2023, due to related parties were $9.4 million, an increase of $1.3 million, compared to $8.1 million as of December 31, 2022. Due to related parties as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 include:
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Yufeng Mi | 4,571 | 1,831 | ||||||
| Yang Cao | 182,558 | 86,150 | ||||||
| HongKong Kisen | 9,240,203 | 8,000,000 | ||||||
| Total due to related parties | $ | 9,427,332 | $ | 8,087,981 | ||||
The balance of due to related parties represents expenses incurred by related parties in the ordinary course of business and expenses related parties paid on behalf of us. These loans are interest free, unsecured and repayable on demand.
From time to time, we borrowed $4.5 million from related parties and repaid $3.2 million to related parties in the year ended December 31, 2023. We borrowed $10.0 million from related parties and repaid $2.0 million to related parties in the year ended December 31, 2022.
5.C. Research and Development, Patent and Licenses, etc.
Please refer to “Item 4. Information on the Company – D. Property, Plant and Equipment – Intellectual Property.”
5.D. Trend Information.
Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we are not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on our net revenues, income from continuing operations, profitability, liquidity or capital resources, or that would cause reported financial information not necessarily to be indicative of future operating results or financial condition or results of operations.
5.E. Critical Accounting Estimates
Critical Accounting Policies
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our audited consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these audited consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on our historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making the judgments we make about the carrying values of our assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Because these estimates can vary depending on the situation, actual results may differ from the estimates.
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The critical accounting policies summarized in this section are discussed in further detail in the notes to the audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this annual report. Management believes that the application of these policies on a consistent basis enables us to provide useful and reliable financial information about our operating results and financial condition.
We consider an accounting estimate to be critical if: (i) the accounting estimate requires us to make assumptions about matters that were highly uncertain at the time the accounting estimate was made, and (ii) changes in the estimate that are reasonably likely to occur from period to period or use of different estimates that we reasonably could have used in the current period, would have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We consider our critical accounting estimates include (i) revenue recognition; (ii) allowance for credit losses; (iii) provision of advances to suppliers; (iv) valuation allowances of deferred tax assets; and (v) uncertainty of tax position.
Revenue Recognition
We adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) for all years presented. The core principle of this new revenue standard is that a company should recognize revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which We expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The following five steps are applied to achieve that core principle by us in determination of revenue recognition:
| ● | Step 1: Identify the contract(s) with the customer; | |
| ● | Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract; |
| ● | Step 3: Determine the transaction price; | |
| ● | Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and | |
| ● | Step 5: Recognize revenue when or as we satisfy a performance obligation. |
We are a mining machine developer, engaging in research, development and sales of cryptocurrency mining machine and standardized computing equipment.
The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis. The transaction price allocated to each performance obligation is recognized when that performance obligation is satisfied, at a point in time or over time as appropriate.
We derive revenue from the sale of cryptocurrency mining machine and standardized computing equipment for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. We began the business transformation to became a blockchain hardware machine and software developer in 2021. We enter into contracts with customers that include promises to transfer various products and services, which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Revenue is recognized when the promised goods or services are transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration allocated to the respective performance obligation. We recorded and recognized revenues from both products and services in one account, which we present as revenues and revenues from related parties in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss/income.
Allowance for credit losses
Accounts receivable consists principally of amounts due from trade customers. Credit is extended based on an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition and collateral is not generally required.
We evaluate the accounts receivable for expected credit losses on a regular basis. We maintain an estimated allowance for credit losses to reduce its accounts receivable to the amount that it believes will be collected. We use the length of time a balance has been outstanding, the payment history, creditworthiness and financial conditions of the customers and industry trend as credit quality indicators to monitor our receivables within the scope of expected credit losses model, along with reasonable and supportable forecasts as a basis to develop our expected loss estimates. We adjust the allowance percentage periodically when there are significant differences between estimated credit losses and actual bad debts. If there is strong evidence indicating that the accounts receivable is likely to be unrecoverable, the Company also makes specific allowance in the period in which a loss is determined to be probable. Accounts receivable balances are written off after all collection efforts have been exhausted.
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We reversed credit losses of $21.9 million and recorded bad debt expense of $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and recorded $27.5 million and nil bad debt expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Provision of advance to suppliers
Advance to suppliers, which is settled when the products are provided and accepted by us. We review its advances to suppliers periodically and determines the adequacy of provision. A provision will be provided, once the likelihood of future economic benefits associated with the advances to supplier is remote, to reflect the recoverable amount from the advances to suppliers. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we recorded provision of advances to suppliers of $28.6 million, nil and nil, respectively.
Valuation allowance of deferred tax assets
We account for income taxes using the asset/liability method prescribed by ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes.” Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates that will be in effect in the period in which the differences are expected to reverse. We record a valuation allowance to offset deferred tax assets if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more-likely-than-not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or loss in the period that includes the enactment date. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we recorded nil valuation allowance of deferred tax assets.
Uncertainty of tax position
The China EIT Law provides that an enterprise established under the laws of foreign countries or regions but whose “de facto management body” is located in China be treated as a resident enterprise for PRC tax purpose and consequently be subject to China income tax at the rate of 25% for its worldwide income. The Implementing Rules of the China EIT Law merely defines the location of the “de facto management body” as “the place where the exercising, in substance, of the overall management and control of the production and business operation, personnel, accounting, properties, etc., of a non-PRC company is located.” On April 22, 2009, China State Administration of Taxation further issued a notice entitled “Notice regarding Recognizing Offshore-Established Enterprises Controlled by PRC Shareholders as Resident Enterprises Based on Their place of Effective Management.” Under this notice, a foreign company controlled by a PRC company or a group of PRC companies shall be deemed as a PRC resident enterprise, if (i) the senior management and the core management departments in charge of its daily operations mainly function in China; (ii) its financial decisions and human resource decisions are subject to decisions or approvals of persons or institutions in China; (iii) its major assets, accounting books, company sales, minutes and files of board meetings and shareholders’ meetings are located or kept in China; and (iv) more than half of the directors or senior management personnel with voting rights reside in China. Based on a review of surrounding facts and circumstances, we believe that there is an uncertain tax position as to whether its operations outside of China will be considered a resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes due to limited guidance and implementation history of the China EIT Law. Should our subsidiaries be treated as a resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes, we will be subject to PRC tax on worldwide income at a uniform tax rate of 25%. For the years ended December 31, 2023, and 2022, we have evaluated this uncertain tax position and recorded a tax liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, income tax payable related to the uncertain tax position were $12.2 million and $11.8 million, respectively.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-01, “Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Arrangements”, which amends certain provisions of ASC 842 that apply to arrangements between related parties under common control. In addition, the ASU amends the accounting for leasehold improvements in common-control arrangements for all entities. ASU 2023-01 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in any annual or interim period as of the beginning of the related fiscal year. The Company will adopt ASU 2023-01 from January 1, 2024. The Company expects the impact of adoption of this ASU to be immaterial to its financial statements.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Improvement to Income Tax Disclosure. This standard requires more transparency about income tax information through improvements to income tax disclosures primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. This standard also includes certain other amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures. ASU 2023-09 is effective for public business entities, for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. For entities other than public business entities, the amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2025. The Company is in the process of evaluation the impact of adopting this new guidance on its consolidated financial statement.
Recently issued ASUs by the FASB, except for the ones mentioned above, are not expected to have a significant impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial position. Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by FASB that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements upon adoption. We do not discuss recent pronouncements that are not anticipated to have an impact on or are unrelated to our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, or disclosures.
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Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees
6.A. Directors and Management
The following table provides information regarding our executive officers and directors as of the date hereof:
| Name | Age | Position(s) | ||
| Bo Zhu | 38 | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Director | ||
| Yufeng Mi | 48 | Chief Technology Officer | ||
| Jialin Liu | 66 | Independent Director and Chair of Compensation Committee. | ||
| Jiaqi Zhu | 44 | Independent Director and Chair of Nominating Committee | ||
| Fangjie Wang | 34 | Independent Director and the Chair of the Audit Committee | ||
| Yafang Wang | 47 | Secretary of the Board |
The business address of each of the officers and directors is c/o Creative Consultants (Hong Kong) Limited Room 1502-3 15/F., Connaught Commercial Building, Wanchai, Hong Kong.
Bo Zhu. Dr. Zhu has served as the Chief Strategy Officer since May 2021 and as the Chief Executive Officer and a director since October 2023. Dr. Zhu possesses an in-depth understanding of the blockchain technology application, as well as a well-known reputation and extensive network within the industry due to the extended time spent in high-performance computing research in the past years. Dr. Zhu is the sole director of HongKong Kisen Co., Limited since November 2019, which is engaged in import and export trades of electronic components based on communication chips and IoT sensor modules. Dr. Zhu was an assistant researcher at Zhejiang University from 2013 to 2017. Dr. Zhu is also accomplished in academia. He has partaken in multiple research programs where he focuses on data analysis, intelligent and large data visualization, parallel computing and numerical simulation, He has published over 20 research papers, 19 of which are indexed in SCI/EI (science and engineering). Dr. Zhu received his PhD in Computer Science and Technology from Zhejiang University in 2013.
Yufeng Mi. Mr. Mi has served as Chief Technology Officer since January 2016. Before co-founding our subsidiary AGM Beijing, he co-founded Beijing Miteke Technology Co. Ltd. and was the IT department manager in MeiZhi Huangqiu Beijing Technology Co. Ltd. from 2011 to 2015. Mr. Mi earned his master’s degree in Computer Science from Université Pierre et Marie Currie, his master’s degree in finance from Université Dauphine, and his bachelor’s degree in communication technology from Shanghai Jiaotong University. He is a Certified Financial Analyst (level 1) in the United States and a Financial Risk Manager. Mr. Mi is experienced in B2C e-commerce, forex and futures trading system, and trading system design.
Jialin Liu. Mr. Liu has served as our Independent Director and Chair of Compensation Committee since March 2017. He has been the Chairman of the Board of Profit Well Gold Investment (Beijing) Co., Ltd. since 2006. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Central University of Finance and Economics. He is very experienced with administrative management and finance.
Jiaqi Zhu. Mr. Zhu has served as our Independent Director and Chair of Nominating Committee since October 2023. Mr. Zhu has been working in the finance and fintech industry since 2015. Mr. Zhu previously worked as a data scientist at Cubist, Point72. He is an expert in quantitative trading using machine learning algorithms, and is very familiar with the trend and development of creative crypto and web3 projects. He earned his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University, and Master’s degree in Quantitative Finance from National University of Singapore.
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Fangjie Wang. Ms. Wang has served as our Independent Director and Chair of Audi Committee since January 2019. Ms. Wang has been working as an Audit Manager at Beijing Hua Long Ding Jia Certified Public Accountants Co., Ltd since March 2018. Prior to that, she worked at Zhongxinghua Certified Public Accountants LLP as an Audit Assistant from August 2017 to February 2018. She worked as the Lecturer of International Economics and Trade at Hubei Vocational Technical Institute from June 2016 to July 2017. She interned as a teacher of Ecological Tourism at Adult Education Academy of Guangxi Normal University. She interned as an assistant at Tian Jia Bing Academy of Guangxi Normal University from June 2014 to March 2016. From August 2013 to May 2014, she worked as an Internal Assistant to Duty Manager at Xiaogan Branch of Agricultural Bank of China. Ms. Wang graduated from Guangxi Normal University in 2016 and received a master’s degree in Management. Before that, she received a bachelor’s degree in International Economics and Trade from Hubei University. Ms. Fangjie Wang is an accounting expert and is experienced with establishing effective internal control system.
Yafang Wang. Ms. Wang has served as our Secretary of the Board since May 2018. Ms. Wang has been the Assistant to the Chairman of the Board at Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd. since May 2015, where she translates financial and legal documents, updates statistical data, and provides administrative support to the Chairman. From April 2012 to May 2015, Ms. Wang worked as a researcher at Beijing Tongzhou New City Investment & Operation Co., Ltd. where her job responsibilities were mainly consisted of searching and collecting urban construction data and real estate trend, preparing Real Estate Weekly for the company, and translating and updating the company’s English website. Prior to that, Ms. Wang was a translator at HVS from June 2011 to December 2011 and an editor at Commercial Express of Embassies and Overseas Agencies form June 2007 to December 2010, where she edited and translated reports and publications. Ms. Wang obtained her bachelor’s degree from Beijing Foreign Studies University in English major in 2005, and an associate degree in public relations from Jilin University in 1997. Ms. Huang has extensive experience in business administration and is proficient in English.
There are no family relationships between each of Bo Zhu, Yufeng Mi, Jialin Liu, Jiaqi Zhu, Fangjie Wang and Yafang Wang and any other employee or member of the board of directors of the Company.
Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
To the best of our knowledge, none of our directors or officers has been convicted in a criminal proceeding, excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors, nor has any been a party to any judicial or administrative proceeding during the past five years that resulted in a judgment, decree or final order enjoining the person from future violations of, or prohibiting activities subject to, federal or state securities laws, or a finding of any violation of federal or state securities laws, except for matters that were dismissed without sanction or settlement. Except as set forth in our discussion below in “Related Party Transactions,” our directors and officers have not been involved in any transactions with us or any of our affiliates or associates which are required to be disclosed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Board Diversity
The Board of Directors does not have a formal policy with respect to Board nominee diversity. In recommending proposed nominees to the
Board of Directors, the Nominating Committee is charged with building and maintaining a board that has an ideal mix of talent and experience
to achieve our business objectives in the current environment. In particular, the Nominating Committee is focused on relevant subject
matter expertise, depth of knowledge in key areas that are important to us, and diversity of thought, background, perspective and experience
so as to facilitate robust debate and broad thinking on strategies and tactics pursued by us.
The following table provides certain information regarding the diversity of our Board of Directors as of the date of this annual report.
Board Diversity Matrix (As of the date of this annual report)
| Country of Principal Executive Offices: | Hong Kong | |
| Foreign Private Issuer | Yes | |
| Disclosure Prohibited Under Home Country Law | No | |
| Total Number of Directors | 4 |
| Female | Male | Non-Binary | Did Not Disclose Gender | |||||||||||||
| Part I: Gender Identity | ||||||||||||||||
| Directors | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Part II: Demographic Background | ||||||||||||||||
| Underrepresented Individual in Home Country Jurisdiction | — | |||||||||||||||
| LGBTQ+ | — | |||||||||||||||
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6.B. Compensation
Executive Compensation
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors determined the compensation to be paid to our executive officers based on our financial and operating performance and prospects, and contributions made by the officers to our success. And our Compensation Committee approved our salary and benefit plans. Each of the named officers will be measured by a series of performance criteria by the Board of Directors, or the Compensation Committee on a yearly basis. Such criteria will be set forth based on certain objective parameters such as job characteristics, required professionalism, management skills, interpersonal skills, related experience, personal performance and overall corporate performance.
Our employment agreements with our officers generally provide for employment for a specific term and pay annual salary, health insurance, pension insurance, and paid vacation and family leave time. The agreement may be terminated by either party as permitted by law. In the event of a breach or termination of the agreement by our company, we may be obligated to pay the employee twice the ordinary statutory rate. In the event of a breach or termination causing loss to our company by the employee, the employee may be required to indemnify us against loss. We have executed employment agreements with Mr. Bo Zhu, Mr. Yufeng Mi and Ms. Yafang Wang.
The following table presents summary information regarding the total compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to each of the named executive officers for services rendered to us for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
| Name and Principal Position | Fiscal Year or Period | Salary ($) | Bonus ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Bo Zhu | 2023 | 120,000 | - | - | - | 120,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Office and Director(1) | 2022 | 120,000 | - | - | - | 120,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Yufeng Mi | 2023 | 30,000 | - | - | - | 30,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Technology Officer | 2022 | 30,000 | - | - | - | 30,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Yafang Wang | 2023 | 30,625.22 | - | - | - | 30,625.22 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of the Board | 2022 | 31,013.99 | - | - | - | 31,013.99 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Wenjie Tang | 2023 | 31,500 | - | - | - | 31,500 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Former Co-Chief Executive Officer(2) | 2022 | 42,000 | - | - | - | 42,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chenjun Li | 2023 | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Former Co-Chief Executive Officer(3) | 2022 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||
| Steven Sim | 2023 | 31,204.23 | - | - | - | 31,204.23 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Former Chief Financial Officer(4) | 2022 | 37,644 | - | - | - | 37,644 | ||||||||||||||||||
| (1) | Bo Zhu was appointed as the Chief Strategy Officer, effective May 6, 2021 and as the Chief-Executive Officer and a director on October 9, 2023. |
| (2) | Wenjie Tang was a director and the Chief Executive Officer from January 2016 to October 2023, and has remained as an advisor on an as-needed basis. |
| (3) | Chenjun Li was a Co-Chief Executive Officer from July 2021 to October 2023 and as a director and the Chairman of the Board from September 2021 to October 2023. |
| (4) | Steven Sim was the Chief Financial Officer from September 2021 to December 2023. |
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Director Compensation
All directors hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders at which they are re-elected and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. Officers are elected by and serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Employee directors are entitled receive compensation for their services. Non-employee directors are entitled to receive a set amount of cash fee for serving as directors. In addition, non-employee directors are entitled to receive compensation for their actual travel expenses for each Board of Directors meeting attended, and any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with their services provided in such capacity. We have entered into agreements with our directors Fangjie Wang, Jialin Liu and Jiaqi Zhu. In addition, our executive director Bo Zhu and former executive directors Chenjun Li and Wenjie Tang received compensation for their service as officers of the Company. Bo Zhu, Chenjun Li and Wenjie Tang have not received and will not receive compensation as directors of the Company.
The table below indicates the compensations we paid to our Board of Directors in their capacity as directors for fiscal years 2023 and 2022:
| Name | Fiscal Year or Period | Salary ($) | Bonus ($) | Stock Awards ($) | All Other Compensation ($) | Total ($) | ||||||||||||||||
| Bo Zhu | 2023 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Director(1) | 2022 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Fangjie Wang | 2023 | 10,633.76 | - | - | 10,633.76 | |||||||||||||||||
| Independent Director and Chair of Audit Committee | 2022 | 11,120.83 | - | - | - | 11,120.83 | ||||||||||||||||
| Jialin Liu | 2023 | 9,221.59 | - | - | - | 9,221.59 | ||||||||||||||||
| Independent Director and Chair of Compensation Committee | 2022 | 9,643.98 | - | - | - | 9,643.98 | ||||||||||||||||
| Jiaqi Zhu | 2023 | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||
| Director and Chair of Nominating Committee(2) | 2022 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Chenjun Li | 2023 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Former Chair of the Board(3) | 2022 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Wenjie Tang | 2023 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Former Director(4) | 2022 | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| Jing Shi | 2023 | 22,500 | - | - | - | 22,500 | ||||||||||||||||
| Former Independent Director and Chair of Nominating Committee(5) | 2022 | 30,000 | - | - | - | 30,000 | ||||||||||||||||
| (1) | Bo Zhu was appointed as the Chief Strategy Officer, effective May 6, 2021 and as the Chief-Executive Officer and a director on October 9, 2023. Mr. Tang received an annual salary for his service as the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Executive Officer. He did not receive any compensation as a director. |
| (2) | Jiaqi Zhu was appointed as a director, the Chair of the Nominating Committee, and a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee of the Company, effective October 9, 2023. |
| (3) | Chenjun Li was a Co-Chief Executive Officer from July 2021 to October 2023 and as a director and the Chairman of the Board from September 2021 to October 2023. During his tenure, Mr. Li received an annual salary for his service as the co-Chief Executive Officer. He did not receive any compensation as a director. |
| (4) | Wenjie Tang was a director and the Chief Executive Officer from January 2016 to October 2023, and has remained as an advisor on an as-needed basis. During his tenure, Mr. Tang received an annual salary for his service as the Chief Executive Officer. He did not receive any compensation as a director. |
| (5) | Jing Shi was a director, the Chair of the Nominating Committee, and a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee of the Company, from April 2021 to October 2023. |
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2024 Equity Incentive Plan
In April 2024, the Company adopted the 2024 equity incentive plan (the “2024 Equity Incentive Plan”), which provides for an aggregate of 3,750,000 Class A ordinary shares to be available for awards to current or prospective employees, directors, advisors or consultants of the Company or its affiliates.
As of the date of this annual report, no awards have been granted under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan.
Compensation Recovery Policy
On December 1, 2023, our board of directors adopted an executive compensation recovery policy (the “Compensation Recovery Policy”), providing for the recovery of certain incentive-based compensation from current and former executive officers of the Company in the event the Company is required to restate any of its financial statements filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act in order to correct an error that is material to the previously-issued financial statements, or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period. Adoption of the Compensation Recovery Policy was mandated by new Nasdaq listing standards introduced pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 10D-1. The Compensation Recovery Policy is in addition to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 which permits the SEC to order the disgorgement of bonuses and incentive-based compensation earned by a registrant issuer’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer in the year following the filing of any financial statement that the issuer is required to restate because of misconduct, and the reimbursement of those funds to the issuer. A copy of the Compensation Recovery Policy has been filed herewith as Exhibit 97.1.
6.C. Board practices
Election of Officers
Our executive officers are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, our Board of Directors. There is no family relationship among any of our directors or executive officers.
Board of Directors and Board Committees
Our Board of Directors currently consists of five directors, a majority of whom are independent as such term is defined by the Nasdaq Capital Market.
The directors are re-elected at our general meeting of shareholders every year.
A director may vote in respect of any contract or transaction in which he is interested, provided, however that the nature of the interest of any director in any such contract or transaction shall be disclosed by him at or prior to its consideration and any vote on that matter. A general notice or disclosure to the directors or otherwise contained in the minutes of a meeting or a written resolution of the directors or any committee thereof of the nature of a director’s interest shall be sufficient disclosure and after such general notice it shall not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction. A director may be counted for a quorum upon a motion in respect of any contract or arrangement which he shall make with our company, or in which he is so interested and may vote on such motion.
We do not have a lead independent director because of the foregoing reason and also because we believe our independent directors are encouraged to freely voice their opinions on a relatively small company board. We believe this leadership structure is appropriate because we are a relatively small company in the process of listing on a public exchange. Our Board of Directors plays a key role in our risk oversight. The Board of Directors makes all relevant Company decisions. As a smaller company with a small board of directors, we believe it is appropriate to have the involvement and input of all of our directors in risk oversight matters.
Board Committees
The business and affairs of the company are managed under the direction of our Board of Directors. We have conducted Board meetings regularly since inception. Each of our directors has attended all meetings either in person, via telephone conference, or through written consent for special meetings. In addition to the contact information in this annual report, the Board of Directors has adopted procedures for communication with the officers and directors on September 15, 2017. Stockholders will be given specific information on how he/she can direct communications to the officers and directors of the Company at our annual stockholders’ meetings. All communications from stockholders are relayed to the members of the Board of Directors.
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Board Committees
We have established and adopted charters for three standing committees under the Board of Directors: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Nominating Committee. Each Committee consists of only independent directors of the Company.
| ● | Audit Committee: Fangjie Wang (Chair), Jiaqi Zhu, Jialin Liu | |
| ● | Compensation Committee: Jialin Liu (Chair), Jiaqi Zhu, Fangjie Wang | |
| ● | Nominating Committee: Jiaqi Zhu (Chair), Fangjie Wang, Jialin Liu |
The Board of Directors also adopted an insider trading policy that allows insiders to sell securities of the Company pursuant to pre-arranged trading plans.
Effective October 23, 2000, the SEC adopted rules related to insider trading. One of these rules, Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, provides an exemption to the insider trading rules in the form of an affirmative defense. Rule 10b5-1 recognizes the creation of formal programs under which executives and other insiders may sell the securities of publicly traded companies on a regular basis pursuant to written plans that are entered into at a time when the plan participants are not aware of material non-public information and that otherwise comply with the requirements of Rule 10b5-1.
Audit Committee
Our Audit Committee consisted of Ms. Fangjie Wang, Mr. Jialin Liu and Mr. Jiaqi Zhu. Ms. Fangjie Wang is the Chair of our Audit Committee. We have determined that Ms. Fangjie Wang, Mr. Jialin Liu and Mr. Jiaqi Zhu satisfy the “independence” requirements of Nasdaq Rule 5605 and Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our Board of Directors has determined that Ms. Wang qualifies as an Audit Committee financial expert and has the accounting or financial management expertise as required under Item 407(d)(5)(ii) and (iii) of Regulation S-K. The Audit Committee will oversee our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company. The Audit Committee will be responsible for, among other things:
| ● | appointing the independent auditors and pre-approving all auditing and non-auditing services permitted to be performed by the independent auditors; | |
| ● | reviewing with the independent auditors any audit problems or difficulties and management’s response; | |
| ● | discussing the annual audited financial statements with management and the independent auditors; | |
| ● | reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our accounting and internal control policies and procedures and any steps taken to monitor and control major financial risk exposures; | |
| ● | reviewing and approving all proposed related party transactions; | |
| ● | meeting separately and periodically with management and the independent auditors; and | |
| ● | monitoring compliance with our code of business conduct and ethics, including reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our procedures to ensure proper compliance. |
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Compensation Committee
Our Compensation Committee consists of Mr. Jialin Liu, Ms. Fangjie Wang and Mr. Jiaqi Zhu. Mr. Jialin Liu is the Chair of our Compensation Committee. We have determined that Mr. Jialin Liu, Ms. Fangjie Wang and Mr. Jiaqi Zhu satisfy the “independence” requirements under Nasdaq Rule 5605. The Compensation Committee will assist the Board of Directors in reviewing and approving the compensation structure, including all forms of compensation, relating to our directors and executive officers. Our chief executive officer may not be present at any committee meeting during which his compensation is deliberated. The Compensation Committee will be responsible for, among other things:
| ● | reviewing and approving, or recommending to the Board of Directors for its approval, the compensation for our chief executive officer and other executive officers; | |
| ● | reviewing and recommending to the Board of Directors for determination with respect to the compensation of our non-employee directors; | |
| ● | reviewing periodically and approving any incentive compensation or equity plans, programs or similar arrangements; and | |
| ● | selecting compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser only after taking into consideration all factors relevant to that person’s independence from management. |
Nominating Committee
Our Nominating Committee consists of Mr. Jiaqi Zhu, Ms. Fangjie Wang and Mr. Jialin Liu. Mr. Jiaqi Zhu is the Chair of our Nominating Committee. We have determined that Mr. Jiaqi Zhu, Ms. Fangjie Wang and Mr. Jialin Liu satisfy the “independence” requirements under Nasdaq Rule 5605. The Nominating Committee will assist the Board of Directors in selecting individuals qualified to become our directors and in determining the composition of the board and its committees. The Nominating Committee will be responsible for, among other things:
| ● | selecting and recommending to the board nominees for election by the shareholders or appointment by the Board of Directors; | |
| ● | reviewing annually with the Board of Directors the current composition of the Board of Directors with regards to characteristics such as independence, knowledge, skills, experience and diversity; | |
| ● | making recommendations on the frequency and structure of board meetings and monitoring the functioning of the committees of the Board of Directors; and | |
| ● | advising the Board of Directors periodically with regards to significant developments in the law and practice of corporate governance as well as our compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and making recommendations to the Board of Directors on all matters of corporate governance and on any remedial action to be taken. |
Copy of our committee charters are also available on our website at www.agmprime.com.
Duties of Directors
Under British Virgin Islands law, our directors have a duty to act honestly, in good faith and with a view to our best interests. Our directors also have a duty to exercise the care, diligence and skills that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. In fulfilling their duty of care to us, our directors must ensure compliance with our memorandum and articles of association. We have the right to seek damages if a duty owed by our directors is breached.
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The functions and powers of our Board of Directors include, among others:
| ● | appointing officers and determining the term of office of the officers; | |
| ● | authorizing the payment of donations to religious, charitable, public or other bodies, clubs, funds or associations as deemed advisable; | |
| ● | exercising the borrowing powers of the company and mortgaging the property of the company; | |
| ● | executing checks, promissory notes and other negotiable instruments on behalf of the company; and | |
| ● | maintaining or registering a register of mortgages, charges or other encumbrances of the company. |
Interested Transactions
A director may vote, attend a board meeting or sign a document on our behalf with respect to any contract or transaction in which he or she is interested. A director must promptly disclose the interest to all other directors after becoming aware of the fact that he or she is interested in a transaction we have entered into or are to enter into. A general notice or disclosure to the Board of Directors or otherwise contained in the minutes of a meeting or a written resolution of the Board of Directors or any committee of the Board of Directors that a director is a shareholder, director, officer or trustee of any specified firm or company and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction with such firm or company will be sufficient disclosure, and, after such general notice, it will not be necessary to give special notice relating to any particular transaction.
Remuneration and Borrowing
The directors may receive such remuneration as our Board of Directors may determine from time to time. Each director is entitled to be repaid or prepaid all traveling, hotel and incidental expenses reasonably incurred or expected to be incurred in attending meetings of our Board of Directors or committees of our Board of Directors or shareholder meetings or otherwise in connection with the discharge of his or her duties as a director. The Compensation Committee will assist the directors in reviewing and approving the compensation structure for the directors. Our Board of Directors may exercise all the powers of the company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge our undertakings and property or any part thereof, to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the company or of any third party.
Qualification
There are no membership qualifications for directors. Further, there are no share ownership qualifications for directors unless so fixed by us in a general meeting. There are no other arrangements or understandings pursuant to which our directors are selected or nominated.
Limitation of Director and Officer Liability
Under British Virgin Islands law, each of our directors and officers, in performing his or her functions, is required to act honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests and exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. British Virgin Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any indemnification may be held by the British Virgin Islands courts to be contrary to public policy (for example, a provision for indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime).
Under our memorandum and articles of association, we may indemnify our directors, officers and liquidators against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with civil, criminal, administrative or investigative proceedings to which they are party or are threatened to be made a party by reason of their acting as our director, officer or liquidator. To be entitled to indemnification, these persons must have acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interest of the company and, in the case of criminal proceedings, they must have had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. The decision of our Board of Directors as to whether such a person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and as to whether the person had no reasonable to cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful is, in the absence of fraud, sufficient for the purposes of the indemnification, unless a question of law is involved. The termination of any proceedings by any judgment, order, settlement, conviction or the entry of a nolle prosequi does not, by itself, create a presumption that a director did not act honestly and in good faith and with a view to our best interests or that the director had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. Such limitation of liability does not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as injunctive relief or rescission. These provisions will not limit the liability of directors under United States federal securities laws.
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We may indemnify anyone serving at our request as a director of another entity against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings. To be entitled to indemnification, such a person must have acted honestly and in good faith with the view to our best interests and, in the case of criminal proceedings, must have had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. The decision of our Board of Directors as to whether the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests and as to whether the director had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful, is in the absence of fraud sufficient for the purposes of indemnification, unless a question of law is involved. The termination of any proceedings by any judgment, order, settlement, conviction or the entry of no plea does not, by itself, create a presumption that the person did not act honestly and in good faith and with a view to our best interests or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
We may purchase and maintain insurance in relation to any of our directors or officers against any liability asserted against the directors or officers and incurred by the directors or officers in that capacity, whether or not we have or would have had the power to indemnify the directors or officers against the liability as provided in our memorandum and articles of association.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted for our directors, officers or persons controlling our company under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Insider Trading Policy
The Board of Directors also adopted an insider trading policy governing the purchase, sale, and other dispositions of our securities by directors, senior management, and employees. A copy of the insider trading policies is attached as an exhibit to this annual report.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and other Corporate Governance Policies
We have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees. Our standards are in writing and have been posted on our website at www.agmprime.com. The following is a summation of the key points of the Code of Ethics we adopted:
| ● | Honest and ethical conduct, including ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; | |
| ● | Full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure reports and documents that a small business issuer files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by our Company; | |
| ● | Full compliance with applicable government laws, rules and regulations; | |
| ● | The prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the code; and | |
| ● | Accountability for adherence to the code. |
6.D. Employees
As of December 31, 2023, we had a total of 28 full-time employees. Our employees are not represented by a labor organization or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We believe that we maintain a good working relationship with our employees, and we have not experienced any significant labor disputes. We are required under PRC law to make contributions to employee benefit plans at specified percentages of the salaries, bonuses and certain allowances of our employees, up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time. As required by regulations in China, we participate in various employee social security plans that are organized by local governments.
6.E. Share ownership
The following table sets forth information with respect to beneficial ownership of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares as of the date of this annual report by:
| ● | Each person who is known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our outstanding Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares; | |
| ● | Each of our director, director nominees and named executive officers; and | |
| ● | All directors and named executive officers as a group. |
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Our company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of $0.001 par value per share and 200,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of $0.001 par value per share. The number and percentage of ordinary shares beneficially owned are based on 24,254,842 Class A ordinary shares of $0.001 par value per share and 2,100,000 Class B ordinary shares of $0.001 par value per share issued and outstanding as of the date of this annual report. Information with respect to beneficial ownership has been furnished by each director, officer or beneficial owner of more than 5% of our Class A ordinary shares and/or Class B ordinary shares. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally requires that such person have voting or investment power with respect to securities. In computing the number of Class A ordinary shares and/or Class B ordinary shares beneficially owned by a person listed below and the percentage ownership of such person, Class A ordinary shares underlying options, warrants or convertible securities held by each such person that are exercisable or convertible within 60 days of April 6, 2021 are deemed outstanding, but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Except as otherwise indicated in the footnotes to this table, or as required by applicable community property laws, all persons listed have sole voting and investment power for all Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares shown as beneficially owned by them. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes, the address for each principal shareholder is in the care of our Company c/o Creative Consultants (Hong Kong) Limited, Room 1502-3 15/F., Connaught Commercial Building, 185 Wanchai Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. As of the date hereof, we have 194 registered shareholders of record of Class A ordinary shares and 2 registered shareholders of record of Class B ordinary shares.
| Named Executive Officers and Directors | Amount of Beneficial Ownership (Class A) | Percentage Ownership (Class A) | Amount of Beneficial Ownership (Class B) | Percentage Ownership (Class B) | Combined Voting Power of Class A and Class B | Combined Voting Power of Class A and Class B Ordinary Shares as a Percentage(3) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Directors and Named Executive Officers: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bo Zhu, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Director | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Yufeng Mi, Chief Technology Officer(1) | 1,350,000 | 5.57 | % | 600,000 | 28.57 | % | 4,350,000 | 12.52 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Yafang Wang, Secretary of the Board | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Jiaqi Zhu, Independent Director and Chair of Nominating Committee | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Fangjie Wang, Independent Director and Chair of Audit Committee | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Jialin Liu, Independent Director and Chair of Compensation Committee | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | - | 0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| All directors and executive officers as a group (6 persons) | 1,350,000 | 5.57 | % | 600,000 | 28.57 | % | 4,350,000 | 12.52 | % | |||||||||||||||
| 5% Beneficial Owners: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wenije Tang, Former Chief Executive Officer and Director(2) | 5,750,000 | 23.71 | % | 1,500,000 | 71.43 | % | 13,250,000 | 38.12 | % | |||||||||||||||
| (1) | Yufeng Mi holds 600,000 Class B ordinary shares. GMT Tech Holdings Limited, a company formed under the laws of Hong Kong SAR, holds 600,000 Class A ordinary shares. Yufeng Mi is the sole shareholder and director of GMT Tech Holdings Limited and therefore is deemed the beneficial owner of the 600,000 Class A ordinary shares held by GMT Tech Holdings Limited. In addition, Light Wave Technology Holdings Ltd., a company formed under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, holds 750,000 Class A ordinary shares. Yufeng Mi is a shareholder and a director of Light Wave Technology Holdings Ltd. and holds the voting and dispositive power of all 750,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Light Wave Technology Holdings Ltd. Therefore, Yufeng Mi is deemed the beneficial owner of the 750,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Light Wave Technology Holdings Ltd. |
| (2) | Wenjie Tang holds 1,500,000 Class B ordinary shares. Defi Tech Holdings Ltd., a company formed under the laws of Hong Kong SAR, holds 1,500,000 Class A ordinary shares. Wenjie Tang is the sole shareholder and director of Defi Tech Holdings Ltd. and therefore is deemed the beneficial owner of the 1,500,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Defi Tech Holdings Ltd. In addition, Next Block Holdings Ltd., a company formed under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, holds 2,050,000 Class A ordinary shares. Wenjie Tang is a shareholder and a director of Next Block Holdings Ltd. and holds the voting and dispositive power of all 2,050,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Next Block Holdings. Therefore, Wenjie Tang is deemed the beneficial owner of the 2,050,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Next Block Holdings Ltd. Furthermore, Firebull Tech Limited, a company formed under the laws of Hong Kong SAR, holds 2,200,000 Class A ordinary shares. Wenjie Tang is a shareholder and a director of Firebull Tech Limited and holds the voting and dispositive power of all 2,200,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Firebull Tech Limited. Therefore, Wenjie Tang is deemed the beneficial owner of the 2, 200,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Firebull Tech Limited. |
| (3) | Each Class B ordinary share in the Company confers upon the shareholder the right to five (5) votes at a meeting of the shareholders of the Company or on any resolution of shareholders. Holders of our Class B ordinary share will vote together with holders of our Class A ordinary share as a single class on all matters presented to our shareholders for their vote approval. |
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Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions
7.A. Major Shareholders
Please refer to “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees — 6.E. Share Ownership.”
7.B. Related Party Transactions
As of December 31, 2023, related parties of the Company consist of the following:
| Name of Related Party | Nature of Relationship | |
| Yufeng Mi | Chief Technical Officer (“CTO”) and shareholder | |
| Yang Cao | Director of Nanjing Lucun | |
| HongKong Kisen Co., Limited | Company ultimately controlled by Chief Strategy Officer (“CSO”) |
Due to related parties
The Company mainly finance its operations through proceeds borrowed from related parties. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, due to related parties consisted of the following:
| December 31, | Interest | Exchange Rate | December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Received | Repayment | Expenses | Translation | 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Yufeng Mi | 1,831 | 2,770 | - | - | (30 | ) | 4,571 | |||||||||||||||||
| Yang Cao | 86,150 | 97,844 | - | - | (1,436 | ) | 182,558 | |||||||||||||||||
| HongKong Kisen (1) | 8,000,000 | 4,384,975 | (3,160,000 | ) | 15,228 | - | 9,240,203 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total due to related parties | 8,087,981 | 4,485,589 | (3,160,000 | ) | 15,228 | (1,466 | ) | 9,427,332 | ||||||||||||||||
The balance of due to related parties represents expenses incurred by related parties in the ordinary course of business. These amounts are interest free, unsecured and could be settled on demand.
From time to time, the Company borrowed $4,485,589 from related parties and repaid $3,160,000 to related parties in the year ended December 31, 2023. From time to time, the Company borrowed $10,000,000 from related parties and repaid $2,000,000 to related parties in the year ended December 31, 2022. The Company borrowed $907,135 from related parties and repaid $517,670 to related parties in the year ended December 31, 2021.
7.C. Interests of Experts and Counsel
Not applicable.
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Item 8. Financial Information
8.A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information
Please refer to Item 18.
Legal and Administrative Proceedings
To the best of our knowledge, none of our directors or officers has been convicted in a criminal proceeding, excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors, nor has any been a party to any judicial or administrative proceeding during the past five years that resulted in a judgment, decree or final order enjoining the person from future violations of, or prohibiting activities subject to, federal or state securities laws, or a finding of any violation of federal or state securities laws, except for matters that were dismissed without sanction or settlement. Except as set forth in our discussion below in “Related Party Transactions,” our directors and officers have not been involved in any transactions with us or any of our affiliates or associates which are required to be disclosed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Dividend Policy
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Class A ordinary shares. We anticipate that we will retain any earnings to support operations and to finance the growth and development of our business. Therefore, we do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on a number of factors, including future earnings, capital requirements, financial conditions and future prospects and other factors the Board of Directors may deem relevant.
Under British Virgin Islands law and our memorandum and articles of association, the Board of Directors may only authorize the payment of a dividend or another distribution if the directors are satisfied on reasonable grounds that, immediately after the dividend or other distribution is paid, the value of the company’s assets will exceed its liabilities and the company will be able to pay its debts as they fall due. The resolution of directors authorizing the payment of the dividend or other distribution must contain a statement that, in the directors’ opinion, the company will satisfy these two tests immediately after the payment of the dividend or other distribution.
If we determine to pay dividends on any of our Class A ordinary shares in the future, as a holding company, we will be dependent on receipt of funds from our operating subsidiaries. Current Hong Kong regulations permit our HK subsidiary, AGM HK to pay dividends to AGM Holdings only out of profits available for distribution. Withholding tax regarding dividends is exempted in Hong Kong.
Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to AGM HK only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our subsidiaries in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. Each of our subsidiaries in China is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund the employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at the discretion of its board of directors. Although the statutory reserves can be used, among other ways, to increase the registered capital and eliminate future losses in excess of retained earnings of the respective companies, the reserve funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of liquidation.
In addition, pursuant to the EIT Law and its implementation rules, dividends generated after January 1, 2008 and distributed to us by our PRC subsidiaries are subject to withholding tax at a rate of 10% unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC-resident enterprises are incorporated.
Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, by complying with certain procedural requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations in China may be used to pay dividends to our company.
8.B. Significant Changes
We have not experienced any significant changes since the date of our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report.
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Item 9. The Offer and Listing
9.A. Offer and listing details
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
9.B. Plan of distribution
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
9.C. Markets
Our Class A ordinary shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “AGMH.”
On January 31, 2020, we received a written notice from the Nasdaq indicating that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(3), which requires the Company to have at least 300 public holders for continued listing by Nasdaq. The notification has no immediate effect on the Company’s Nasdaq listing.
Subsequently, we submitted to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance. On March 26, 2020, we received an extension until July 29, 2020 to regain compliance with Listing Rules 5550(a)(3). During the compliance period, the Company’s shares of common stock continued to be listed and traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market. To regain compliance, the Company must have at least 300 public holders during this 180-day grace period.
On July 23, 2020, the Company received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq, confirming that the Company has regained compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(3) and the matter was closed.
On May 17, 2023, the Company received a letter from the Nasdaq indicating that, because the Company had not yet filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the Company did not comply with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing.
Pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company had 60 calendar days from the date of the Notice to submit a plan of compliance to Nasdaq. The Company timely submitted a plan of compliance to Nasdaq and on July 17, 2023, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq notifying it that Nasdaq granted the Company an Exception to enable it to regain compliance with the Rule. Pursuant to the Exception, the Company must file its Form 20-F for the period ended December 31, 2022 on or before November 13, 2023. The Company filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 on November 13, 2024. On November 13, 2023, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq notifying the Company that, based on the November 13, 2023 filing of the Form 20-F, Nasdaq has determined that the Company complies with the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Accordingly, the matter has been closed.
9.D. Selling shareholders
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
9.E. Dilution
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
9.F. Expenses of the issue
Not applicable for annual reports on Form 20-F.
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Item 10. Additional Information
10.A. Share capital
Private Placement
In July 2020, we consummated a private placement offering whereby the Company entered into private placement subscription agreements with certain investors. Pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, in which we issued an aggregate of 40,235 Class A ordinary shares to the investors, at a purchase price of $16.6 per share, for an aggregate amount of $667,901. All of the Shares were issued to non U.S. persons (as that term is defined in Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) in an offshore transaction relying on Regulation S and/or Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Disposition of Anyi Network, Inc.
On December 14, 2020, we disposed of Anyi Network by entering into a share purchase agreement with Haiyan Huang, Feng Zhi and Yinglu Gao (the “Buyers”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to the Buyers 100% equity interest in Anyi Network, including its subsidiaries, in exchange for a total consideration of $8,000,000, payable in the form of canceling 475,000 Class A ordinary shares of AGM Holdings held by the Buyers, valued at $16.00 per share, and payment of $400,000 in cash.
Registered Direct Offering and Concurrent Private Placement
On December 14, 2021, pursuant to a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional investors (the “Purchasers”) dated December 10, 2021, the Company closed (a) a registered direct offering for the sale of 2,898,552 of its Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 per share, and (b) a concurrent private placement, for the sale of unregistered warrants to purchase up to 1,449,276 Class A ordinary shares (the “Investor Warrants”), for gross proceeds of approximately US$20 million. The purchase price for each Share and the corresponding half of one Investor Warrant is US$6.90. The Investor Warrants will be exercisable immediately from the date of issuance and have an exercise price of US$8.30 per share. The Investor Warrants will expire 3.5 years from the date of issuance. Each Investor Warrant contains anti-dilution provisions to reflect share dividends and splits or other similar transactions, as described in the Investor Warrants.
Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Class A ordinary shares were issued to the Purchasers in a registered direct offering and registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), pursuant to a prospectus supplement to the Company’s currently effective registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-236897), which was initially filed with the SEC on March 5, 2020 and declared effective by the SEC on May 28, 2020. The Company filed the prospectus supplement for the Registered Direct Offering on December 13, 2021.
The Company issued the Investor Warrants to the Purchasers in a concurrent private placement pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act contained in Section 4(a)(2) thereof and/or Regulation D thereunder (the “Private Placement,” and together with the Registered Direct Offering, the “Offering”).
FT Global Capital, Inc. (the “Placement Agent”) acted as the exclusive placement agent in connection with the Offering under the terms of the Placement Agency Agreement, dated December 10, 2021 between it and the Company (the “Placement Agency Agreement”) and, at closing of the Offering, received a cash fee equal to 7.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering as well as reimbursement of certain costs and expenses of up to US$80,000. Additionally, the Company issued to the Placement Agent or its designees warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants,” and together with the Investor Warrants, the “Warrants”) for the purchase of 202,899 Class A ordinary shares with an exercise price of US$8.30 per share, and with a term expiring 3.5 years from the date of issuance. The Placement Agent Warrants shall have the same registration rights as the Investor Warrants issued to the Purchasers in the Offering. The Placement Agent is also entitled to additional tail compensation for any financings consummated by the Company within the 12-month period following the termination of the Placement Agency Agreement, to the extent such financing is provided to the Company by investors that the Placement Agent had “wall-crossed” on behalf of the Company in connection with the Offering.
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The Company has agreed to file and maintain with the SEC a registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) to register the Warrants and the Class A ordinary shares underlying the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”) within 30 calendar days from the closing of the Offering and to use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective within 60 calendar days following the closing of the Offering (or, in the event of a review by the SEC, within 120 calendar days).
The Company agreed in the Purchase Agreement that it would not issue any Class A ordinary shares or Class A ordinary share equivalents for sixty (60) days following the closing of the Offering subject to certain exceptions. The Company agreed in the Placement Agency Agreement that it would not issue any Class A ordinary shares or Class A ordinary share equivalents for one hundred twenty (120) days following the closing of the Offering without the consent of the Placement Agent, subject to certain exceptions.
The Company agreed in the Purchase Agreement that it will not issue any Class A ordinary shares or Class A ordinary share equivalents involve in a Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) until the earlier of (x) the date the initial Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC and (y) the date as of which all of the holders of Investor Warrants may sell all of the Investor Warrant Shares without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 (including, without limitation, volume restrictions) and without the need for current public information required by Rule 144(c)(1) (or Rule 144(i)(2), if applicable). The Company further agreed that until the first anniversary of the earlier of (x) or (y) above, it would not issue or enter into any agreement to issue any Class A ordinary shares or Class A ordinary share equivalents unless the Purchasers are offered a participation right, subject to certain terms and conditions as set forth in the Purchase Agreement, to subscribe, on a pro rata basis, for up to 50% of the securities offered in such offering.
Concurrently with the execution of the Purchase Agreement, the officers and directors of the Company and shareholders of the Company holding 5% or more of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares entered into lock-up agreements (the “Lock-Up Agreements”) pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, not to sell or dispose of any Class A ordinary shares which are or will be beneficially owned by them for one hundred twenty (120) days following the closing of the Offering, as well as similar lock-up agreements pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement restricting sales of Class A ordinary shares for ninety (90) days after the closing of the Offering.
10.B. Memorandum and articles of association
AGM Holdings was incorporated on April 27, 2015 under the BVI Companies Act, 2004 as a company limited by shares. As of the date of hereof, the Company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of $0.001 par value per share and 200,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of $0.001 par value per share. As of the date of this annual report, there are 24,254,842 Class A ordinary shares and 2,100,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding.
Our memorandum and articles of association do not permit a director to decide what compensation he or she will receive. All decisions about the compensation of directors will be recommended by the Compensation Committee, upon its formation, and approved by the Board of Directors as a whole, both acting only when a quorum of members is present.
The following are summaries of the material provisions of our memorandum and articles of association and the BVI Act, insofar as they relate to the material terms of our Class A ordinary shares. As a convenience to potential investors, we provide the below description of BVI law and our memorandum and articles of association together with a comparison to similar features under Delaware law.
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Class A Ordinary Shares
General
Each Class A ordinary share in the Company confers upon the shareholder the right to one vote per share at a meeting of the shareholders of the Company or on any resolution of shareholders. Holders of our Class A Ordinary Share will vote together with holders of our Class B ordinary shares as a single class on all matters presented to our shareholders for their vote approval.
Each Class A ordinary share in the Company confers upon the shareholder the right to an equal share in any dividend paid by the Company.
Each Class A ordinary share in the Company confers upon the shareholder the right to an equal share in the distribution of the surplus assets of the Company on its liquidation.
All of our issued Class A ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Certificates representing the Class A ordinary shares are issued in registered form. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the British Virgin Islands may freely hold and vote their Class A ordinary shares.
Class B Ordinary Shares
General
Each Class B ordinary share in the Company confers upon the shareholder the right to five votes at a meeting of the shareholders of the Company or on any resolution of shareholders. Holders of our Class B ordinary share will vote together with holders of our Class A ordinary share as a single class on all matters presented to our shareholders for their vote approval.
No Class B ordinary share may be sold, assigned, transferred, alienated, commuted, anticipated, or otherwise disposed of (including by will or the laws of descent and distribution), or pledged or hypothecated as collateral for a loan or as security for the performance of any obligation, or be otherwise encumbered, and are not subject to attachment, garnishment, execution or other legal or equitable process, and any attempt to do so shall be null and void.
Each Class B ordinary share shall only be issued to the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ employees or those entities of which its principal shareholder is an employee of the Company or its subsidiaries. Shareholder’s termination of employment with the Company or its subsidiaries shall immediately result in the cancellation of any and all issued and outstanding shares of Class B ordinary shares held by such shareholder on the date of termination.
Sale, assignment, transfer, alienation, or otherwise disposition of any Class A ordinary share by common shareholder of Class B ordinary shares shall immediately result in the cancellation of equal number of shares of Class B ordinary share on the date of such disposition.
Shareholder(s) of Class B ordinary share in the Company shall not:
| ● | receive the right to any dividend paid by the Company; | |
| ● | receive the right to any distribution of the surplus assets of the Company on its liquidation. |
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for the Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares is VStock Transfer, LLC, 18 Lafayette Pace, Woodmere, NY 11598.
Distributions
The holders of our Class A ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends or other distributions as may be authorized by our Board of Directors, subject to the BVI Act and our memorandum and articles of association.
Shareholders’ voting rights
Any action required or permitted to be taken by the shareholders must be taken at a duly called meeting of the shareholders entitled to vote on such action. At each meeting of shareholders, each shareholder who is present in person or by proxy (or, in the case of a shareholder being a corporation, by its duly authorized representative) will have one vote for each Class A ordinary share or five votes for each Class B ordinary share. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares will vote together with holders of our Class B ordinary shares as a single class on all matters presented to our shareholders for their vote approval. An action that may be taken by the shareholders at a meeting may also be taken by a resolution of shareholders consented to in writing.
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Election of directors
Delaware law permits cumulative voting for the election of directors only if expressly authorized in the certificate of incorporation. The laws of the British Virgin Islands do not specifically prohibit or restrict the creation of cumulative voting rights for the election of our directors. Cumulative voting is not a concept that is accepted as a common practice in the British Virgin Islands, and we have made no provisions in our memorandum and articles of association to allow cumulative voting for elections of directors.
Meetings of shareholders
Any of our directors may convene a meeting of shareholders at any time and in any manner and place the director considers necessary or desirable. The director convening a meeting must not give less than seven days’ notice of the meeting to those shareholders whose names appear as shareholders in the register of shareholders on the date of the notice and are entitled to vote at the meeting, and the other directors. Our Board of Directors must convene a meeting of shareholders upon the written request of shareholders entitled to exercise 30% or more of the voting rights in respect of the matter for which the meeting is requested within 28 days of receiving the written request. A meeting of shareholders held in contravention of the requirement to give notice is valid if shareholders holding at least 90% of the total voting rights on all the matters to be considered at the meeting have waived notice of the meeting and, for this purpose, the presence of a shareholder at the meeting shall constitute waiver in relation to all the shares which that shareholder holds.
The quorum for a meeting of shareholders is duly constituted if, at the beginning of the meeting, there are present in person or by proxy not less than 50% of the votes of the shares (or class or series of shares) entitled to vote on the resolutions to be considered at the meeting. A quorum may comprise a single shareholder or proxy. If within two hours from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of the shareholders, will be dissolved. In any other case, it will stand adjourned to the next business day in the jurisdiction in which the meeting was to have been held at the same time and place or to such other time and place as the directors may determine, and if at the adjourned meeting there are present within one hour from the time appointed for the meeting in person or by proxy not less than one third of the votes of the shares or each class or series of shares entitle to vote on the matter to be considered by the meeting, those present will constitute a quorum but otherwise the meeting will be dissolved.
Meetings of directors
Our business and affairs are managed by our Board of Directors, who will make decisions by voting on resolutions of directors. Our directors are free to meet at such times and in such manner and places within or outside the BVI as the directors determine to be necessary or desirable A director must be given not less than 3 days’ notice of a meeting of directors. At any meeting of directors, a quorum will be present if not less than one half of the total number of directors is present, unless there are only 2 directors in which case the quorum is 2. An action that may be taken by the directors at a meeting may also be taken by a resolution of directors consented to in writing by a majority of the directors. A person other than an individual which is a shareholder may by a resolution of its directors or other governing body authorize any individual it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of shareholders. The duly authorized representative shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the person which he represents as that person could exercise if it were an individual.
Protection of minority shareholders
We would normally expect British Virgin Islands courts to follow English case law precedents, which would permit a minority shareholder to commence a representative action, or derivative actions in our name, to challenge (1) an act which is ultra vires or illegal, (2) an act which constitutes a fraud against the minority by parties in control of us, (3) an infringement of individual rights of the minority shareholder (such as the right to vote and pre-emptive rights), and (4) an irregularity in the passing of a resolution which requires a special or extraordinary majority of the shareholders.
Pre-emptive rights
There are no pre-emptive rights applicable to the issue by us of new Class A ordinary shares under either British Virgin Islands law or our memorandum and articles of association.
Transfer of Class A Ordinary Shares
Subject to the restrictions in our memorandum and articles of association and applicable securities laws, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her Class A ordinary shares by written instrument of transfer signed by the transferor and containing the name and address of the transferee. Our Board of Directors may not resolve to refuse or delay the transfer of any Class A ordinary shares or Class B ordinary shares unless the shareholder has failed to pay an amount due in respect of it.
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Liquidation
If we are wound up and the assets available for distribution among our shareholders are more than sufficient to repay all amounts paid to us on account of the issue of shares immediately prior to the winding up, the excess shall be distributable pari passu among those shareholders in proportion to the amount paid up immediately prior to the winding up on the shares held by them, respectively. If we are wound up and the assets available for distribution among the shareholders as such are insufficient to repay the whole of the amounts paid to us on account of the issue of shares, those assets shall be distributed so that, to the greatest extent possible, the losses shall be borne by the shareholders in proportion to the amounts paid up immediately prior to the winding up on the shares held by them, respectively. If we are wound up, the liquidator appointed by us may, in accordance with the BVI Act, divide among our shareholders in specie or kind the whole or any part of our assets (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may, for such purpose, set such value as the liquidator deems fair upon any property to be divided and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders.
Calls on Class A Ordinary Shares and forfeiture of Class A Ordinary Shares
Our Board of Directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their Class A ordinary shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 days prior to the specified date of payment. Where such a notice has been issued its requirements have not been complied with, the directors may, at any time before the tender of payment, forfeit and cancel the Class A ordinary shares to which the notice relates.
Issuance of Class A Ordinary Shares
Subject to the provisions of the BVI Act, our Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of shares at such times, to such persons, for such consideration and on such terms as they may determine by a resolution of directors, subject to the BVI Act, our memorandum and articles of association and any applicable requirements imposed from time to time by the SEC, The Nasdaq Capital Market or any recognized stock exchange on which our securities are listed.
Variation of rights
All or any of the rights attached to any class of shares may, subject to the provisions of the BVI Act, be varied only with the consent in writing of, or pursuant to a resolution passed at a meeting by the holders of more than 50% of the issued shares of that class.
Changes in the number of shares we are authorized to issue and those in issue
We may from time to time by resolution of our Board of Directors:
| ● | amend our memorandum of association to increase or decrease the maximum number of shares we are authorized to issue; | |
| ● | subject to our memorandum of association, divide our authorized and issued shares into a larger number of shares; and | |
| ● | subject to our memorandum of association, combine our authorized and issued shares into a smaller number of shares. |
Inspection of books and records
Under the BVI Act, holders of our Class A ordinary shares are entitled, upon giving written notice to us, to inspect (i) our memorandum and articles of association, (ii) our register of shareholders, (iii) our register of directors and (iv) minutes of meetings and resolutions of our shareholders, and to make copies and take extracts from these documents and records. However, our directors can refuse access if they are satisfied that to allow such access would be contrary to our interests.
Rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders
There are no limitations imposed by our memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our memorandum and articles of association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.
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10.C. Material contracts
Other than those described in this annual report, we have not entered into any material agreements other than in the ordinary course of business.
10.D. Exchange controls
Regulations on Foreign Currency Exchange
The principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in China are the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, most recently amended in August 2008. Under the PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. By contrast, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital account items, such as direct investments, repayment of foreign currency-denominated loans, repatriation of investments and investments in securities outside of China.
In November 2012, SAFE promulgated the Circular of Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies on Foreign Direct Investment, which substantially amends and simplifies the current foreign exchange procedure. Pursuant to this circular, the opening of various special purpose foreign exchange accounts, such as pre-establishment expenses accounts, foreign exchange capital accounts and guarantee accounts, the reinvestment of RMB proceeds derived by foreign investors in the PRC, and remittance of foreign exchange profits and dividends by a foreign-invested enterprise to its foreign shareholders no longer require the approval or verification of SAFE, and multiple capital accounts for the same entity may be opened in different provinces, which was not possible previously. In addition, SAFE promulgated another circular in May 2013, which specifies that the administration by SAFE or its local branches over direct investment by foreign investors in the PRC must be conducted by way of registration and banks must process foreign exchange business relating to the direct investment in the PRC based on the registration information provided by SAFE and its branches. On February 28, 2015, SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13. After SAFE Notice 13 became effective on June 1, 2015, instead of applying for approvals regarding foreign exchange registrations of foreign direct investment and overseas direct investment from SAFE, entities and individuals may apply for such foreign exchange registrations from qualified banks. The qualified banks, under the supervision of SAFE, may directly review the applications and conduct the registration.
On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated Circular 19, which expands a pilot reform of the administration of the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of foreign-invested enterprises nationwide. Circular 19 came into force and replaced both previous Circular 142 and Circular 36 on June 1, 2015. On June 9, 2016, SAFE promulgated Circular 16 to further expand and strengthen such reform. Under Circular 19 and Circular 16, foreign-invested enterprises in the PRC are allowed to use their foreign exchange funds under capital accounts and RMB funds from exchange settlement for expenditure under current accounts within its business scope or expenditure under capital accounts permitted by laws and regulations, except that such funds shall not be used for (i) expenditure beyond the enterprise’s business scope or expenditure prohibited by laws and regulations; (ii) investments in securities or other investments than banks’ principal-secured products; (iii) granting of loans to non-affiliated enterprises, except where it is expressly permitted in the business license; and (iv) construction or purchase of real estate for purposes other than self-use (except for real estate enterprises).
In January 2017, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Further Improving Reform of Foreign Exchange Administration and Optimizing Genuineness and Compliance Verification, or SAFE Circular 3, which stipulates several capital control measures with respect to the outbound remittance of profit from domestic entities to offshore entities, including (i) under the principle of genuine transaction, banks shall check board resolutions regarding profit distribution, the original version of tax filing records and audited financial statements; and (ii) domestic entities shall hold income to account for previous years’ losses before remitting the profits. Further, according to SAFE Circular 3, domestic entities shall make detailed explanations of the sources of capital and utilization arrangements, and provide board resolutions, contracts and other proof when completing the registration procedures in connection with an outbound investment.
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Regulations on Foreign Exchange Registration of Overseas Investment by PRC Residents
SAFE issued SAFE Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to Domestic Resident’s Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, that became effective in July 2014, replacing the previous SAFE Circular 75. SAFE Circular 37 regulates foreign exchange matters in relation to the use of special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, by PRC residents or entities to seek offshore investment and financing or conduct round trip investment in China. Under SAFE Circular 37, a SPV refers to an offshore entity established or controlled, directly or indirectly, by PRC residents or entities for the purpose of seeking offshore financing or making offshore investment, using legitimate onshore or offshore assets or interests, while “round trip investment” refers to direct investment in China by PRC residents or entities through SPVs, namely, establishing foreign-invested enterprises to obtain the ownership, control rights and management rights. SAFE Circular 37 provides that, before making contribution into an SPV, PRC residents or entities are required to complete foreign exchange registration with SAFE or its local branch. SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment in February 2015, which took effect on June 1, 2015. This notice has amended SAFE Circular 37 requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks rather than SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing.
PRC residents or entities who had contributed legitimate onshore or offshore interests or assets to SPVs but had not obtained registration as required before the implementation of the SAFE Circular 37 must register their ownership interests or control in the SPVs with qualified banks. An amendment to the registration is required if there is a material change with respect to the SPV registered, such as any change of basic information (including change of the PRC residents, name and operation term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, and mergers or divisions. Failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 and the subsequent notice, or making misrepresentation on or failure to disclose controllers of the foreign-invested enterprise that is established through round-trip investment, may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant foreign-invested enterprise, including payment of dividends and other distributions, such as proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation, to its offshore parent or affiliate, and the capital inflow from the offshore parent, and may also subject relevant PRC residents or entities to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration regulations.
We are aware that our PRC resident beneficial owners subject to these registration requirements have registered with the Beijing SAFE branch and/or qualified banks to reflect the recent changes to our corporate structure.
10.E. Taxation
The following brief description of Chinese enterprise laws is designed to highlight the enterprise-level taxation on our earnings, which will affect the amount of dividends, if any, we are ultimately able to pay to our shareholders.
PRC enterprise income tax is calculated based on taxable income determined under PRC accounting principles. The Enterprise Income Tax Law (the “EIT Law”), effective as of January 1, 2008, enterprises pay a unified income tax rate of 25% and unified tax deduction standards are applied equally to both domestic-invested enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with “de facto management bodies” within the PRC is considered a resident enterprise and will normally be subject to the enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on its global income. If the PRC tax authorities subsequently determine that AGM Holding and its subsidiaries in PRC or any future non-PRC subsidiary should be classified as a PRC resident enterprise, then such entity’s global income will be subject to PRC income tax at a tax rate of 25%. In addition, under the EIT Law, payments from the subsidiaries in PRC to us may be subject to a withholding tax. The EIT Law currently provides for a withholding tax rate of 20%. If AGM Holdings or any of its subsidiaries in PRC is deemed to be a non-resident enterprise, then it will be subject to a withholding tax at the rate of 20% on any dividends paid by its Chinese subsidiaries to such entity. In practice, the tax authorities typically impose the withholding tax rate of 10% rate, as prescribed in the implementation regulations; however, there can be no guarantee that this practice will continue as more guidance is provided by relevant government authorities. We are actively monitoring the proposed withholding tax and are evaluating appropriate organizational changes to minimize the corresponding tax impact.
According to the Sino-U.S. Tax Treaty which was effective on January 1, 1987 and aimed to avoid double taxation disadvantage, income that is incurred in one nation should be taxed by that nation and exempted from the other nation, but for the dividend that is generated in China and distributed to foreigner in other nations, a rate 10% tax will be charged.
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Our company will have to withhold that tax when we are distributing dividends to our foreign investors. If we do not fulfill this duty, we will receive a fine up to five times of the amount we are supposed to pay as tax or other administrative penalties from government. The worst case could be criminal charge of tax evasion to responsible persons. The criminal penalty for this offense depends on the tax amount the offender evaded, and the maximum penalty will be 3-7 years imprisonment plus fine.
PRC Value Added Tax
Pursuant to the Provisional Regulation of China on Value Added Tax and its implementing rules, issued in December 1993, all entities and individuals that are engaged in the businesses of sales of goods, provision of repair and placement services and importation of goods into China are generally subject to a VAT at a rate of 17% (with the exception of certain goods which are subject to a rate of 13%) of the gross sales proceeds received, less any VAT already paid or borne by the taxpayer on the goods or services purchased by it and utilized in the production of goods or provisions of services that have generated the gross sales proceeds.
PRC Business Tax
Companies in China are generally subject to business tax and related surcharges by various local tax authorities at rates ranging from 3% to 20% on revenue generated from providing services and revenue generated from the transfer of intangibles. However, since May 1st of 2016, the Business Tax has been incorporated into Value Added Tax in China, which means there will be no more Business Tax and accordingly some business operations previously taxed in the name of Business Tax will be taxed in the manner of VAT thereafter. In general, this newly implemented policy is intended to relieve many companies from heavy taxes under currently slowing down economy. In the case of AGM Holdings’ Chinese subsidiaries, even though the VAT rate is 17%, with the deductibles the company may get in the business process, it will bear less burden than previous Business Tax.
British Virgin Islands Taxation
Under the BVI Act as currently in effect, a holder of ordinary shares who is not a resident of the British Virgin Islands is exempt from British Virgin Islands income tax on dividends paid with respect to the Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares and a holder of Class A ordinary shares and/or Class B ordinary shares is not required to pay any income tax in the British Virgin Islands on gains realized during that year on sale or disposal of such shares. The laws of the British Virgin Islands do not impose a withholding tax on dividends paid by a company incorporated or re-registered under the BVI Act.
There are no capital gains, gift or inheritance taxes levied by the British Virgin Islands government on companies incorporated or re-registered under the BVI Act. In addition, shares of companies incorporated or re-registered under the BVI Act are not subject to transfer taxes, stamp duties or similar charges.
There is no income tax treaty or convention currently in effect between the United States and the British Virgin Islands or between China and the British Virgin Islands.
United States Federal Income Taxation
The following does not address the tax consequences to any particular investor or to persons in special tax situations such as:
| ● | banks; | |
| ● | financial institutions; | |
| ● | insurance companies; | |
| ● | regulated investment companies; | |
| ● | real estate investment trusts; |
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| ● | broker-dealers; | |
| ● | traders that elect to mark-to-market; | |
| ● | U.S. expatriates; | |
| ● | tax-exempt entities; | |
| ● | persons liable for alternative minimum tax; | |
| ● | persons holding our Class A ordinary shares as part of a straddle, hedging, conversion or integrated transaction; |
| ● | persons that actually or constructively own 10% or more of our voting shares; | |
| ● | persons who acquired our Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of any employee share option or otherwise as consideration; or | |
| ● | persons holding our Class A ordinary shares through partnerships or other pass-through entities. |
Prospective purchasers are urged to consult their own tax advisors about the application of the U.S. Federal tax rules to their particular circumstances as well as the state, local, foreign and other tax consequences to them of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Class A ordinary shares.
Tax Treaties
As above mentioned, according to the Sino-U.S. Tax Treaty which was effective on January 1st, 1987 and aimed to avoid double taxation disadvantage, income that is incurred in one nation should be taxed by that nation and exempted from the other nation, but for the dividend that is generated in China and distributed to foreigners in other nations, a rate 10% tax will be charged.
Taxation of Dividends and Other Distributions on our Class A ordinary shares
Subject to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below, the gross amount of distributions made by us to you with respect to the Class A ordinary shares (including the amount of any taxes withheld therefrom) will generally be includable in your gross income as dividend income on the date of receipt by you, but only to the extent that the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). The dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations in respect of dividends received from other U.S. corporations.
With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individual U.S. Holders, dividends will be taxed at the lower capital gains rate applicable to qualified dividend income, provided that (1) the Class A ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, or we are eligible for the benefits of an approved qualifying income tax treaty with the United States that includes an exchange of information program, (2) we are not a passive foreign investment company (as discussed below) for either our taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year, and (3) certain holding period requirements are met. Under U.S. Internal Revenue Service authority, the Class A ordinary shares are considered for purpose of clause (1) above to be readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States if they are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. You are urged to consult your tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower rate for dividends paid with respect to our Class A ordinary shares, including the effects of any change in law.
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Dividends will constitute foreign source income for foreign tax credit limitation purposes. If the dividends are taxed as qualified dividend income (as discussed above), the amount of the dividend taken into account for purposes of calculating the foreign tax credit limitation will be limited to the gross amount of the dividend, multiplied by the reduced rate divided by the highest rate of tax normally applicable to dividends. The limitation on foreign taxes eligible for credit is calculated separately with respect to specific classes of income. For this purpose, dividends distributed by us with respect to our Class A ordinary shares will constitute “passive category income” but could, in the case of certain U.S. Holders, constitute “general category income.”
To the extent that the amount of the distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), it will be treated first as a tax-free return of your tax basis in your Class A ordinary shares, and to the extent the amount of the distribution exceeds your tax basis, the excess will be taxed as capital gain. We do not intend to calculate our earnings and profits under U.S. federal income tax principles. Therefore, a U.S. Holder should expect that a distribution will be treated as a dividend even if that distribution would otherwise be treated as a non-taxable return of capital or as capital gain under the rules described above.
Taxation of Dispositions of Class A Ordinary Shares
Subject to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below, you will recognize taxable gain or loss on any sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of a share equal to the difference between the amount realized (in U.S. dollars) for the share and your tax basis (in U.S. dollars) in the Class A ordinary shares. The gain or loss will be capital gain or loss. If you are a non-corporate U.S. Holder, including an individual U.S. Holder, who has held the Class A ordinary shares for more than one year, you will be eligible for reduced tax rates of 0% (for individuals in the 10% or 15% tax brackets), 20% (for individuals in the 39.6% tax brackets) or 15% for all other individuals. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Any such gain or loss that you recognize will generally be treated as United States source income or loss for foreign tax credit limitation purposes.
Passive Foreign Investment Company
Based on our current and anticipated operations and the composition of our assets, we do not expect to be a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our current taxable year ending December 31, 2021. Our actual PFIC status for the current taxable year ending December 31, 2021 will not be determinable until the close of such taxable year and, accordingly, there is no guarantee that we will not be a PFIC for the current taxable year. Because PFIC status is a factual determination for each taxable year which cannot be made until the close of the taxable year. A non-U.S. corporation is considered a PFIC for any taxable year if either:
| ● | at least 75% of its gross income is passive income, defined as income from interest, dividends, rents, royalties, gains on property producing foreign personal holding company income and certain other income that does not involve the active conduct of a trade or business; or | |
| ● | at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets during a taxable year) is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). |
We will be treated as owning our proportionate share of the assets and earning our proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly, at least 25% (by value) of the stock.
We must make a separate determination each year as to whether we are a PFIC. As a result, our PFIC status may change. In particular, because the value of our assets for purposes of the asset test will generally be determined based on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares, our PFIC status will depend in large part on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares. Accordingly, fluctuations in the market price of the Class A ordinary shares may cause us to become a PFIC. If we are a PFIC for any year during which you hold Class A ordinary shares, we will continue to be treated as a PFIC for all succeeding years during which you hold Class A ordinary shares. However, if we cease to be a PFIC, you may avoid some of the adverse effects of the PFIC regime by making a “deemed sale” election with respect to the Class A ordinary shares.
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If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold Class A ordinary shares, you will be subject to special tax rules with respect to any “excess distribution” that you receive and any gain you realize from a sale or other disposition (including a pledge) of the Class A ordinary shares, unless you make a “mark-to-market” election as discussed below. Distributions you receive in a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions you received during the shorter of the three preceding taxable years or your holding period for the Class A ordinary shares will be treated as an excess distribution. Under these special tax rules:
| ● | the excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over your holding period for the Class A ordinary shares; |
| ● | the amount allocated to the current taxable year, and any taxable year prior to the first taxable year in which we were a PFIC, will be treated as ordinary income, and | |
| ● | the amount allocated to each other year will be subject to the highest tax rate in effect for that year and the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the resulting tax attributable to each such year. |
The tax liability for amounts allocated to years prior to the year of disposition or “excess distribution” cannot be offset by any net operating losses for such years, and gains (but not losses) realized on the sale of the Class A ordinary shares cannot be treated as capital, even if you hold the Class A ordinary shares as capital assets.
A U.S. Holder of “marketable stock” (as defined below) in a PFIC may make a mark-to-market election for such stock to elect out of the tax treatment discussed above. If you make a mark-to-market election for the Class A ordinary shares, you will include in income each year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the ordinary shares as of the close of your taxable year over your adjusted basis in such Class A ordinary shares. You are allowed a deduction for the excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the Class A ordinary shares over their fair market value as of the close of the taxable year. However, deductions are allowable only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains on the Class A ordinary shares included in your income for prior taxable years. Amounts included in your income under a mark-to-market election, as well as gain on the actual sale or other disposition of the Class A ordinary shares, are treated as ordinary income. Ordinary loss treatment also applies to the deductible portion of any mark-to-market loss on the Class A ordinary shares, as well as to any loss realized on the actual sale or disposition of the Class A ordinary shares, to the extent that the amount of such loss does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included for such Class A ordinary shares. Your basis in the Class A ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect any such income or loss amounts. If you make a valid mark-to-market election, the tax rules that apply to distributions by corporations which are not PFICs would apply to distributions by us, except that the lower applicable capital gains rate for qualified dividend income discussed above under “Taxation of Dividends and Other Distributions on our Class A ordinary shares” generally would not apply.
The mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock”, which is stock that is traded in other than de minimis quantities on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter (“regularly traded”) on a qualified exchange or other market (as defined in applicable U.S. Treasury regulations), including The Nasdaq Capital Market. If the Class A ordinary shares are regularly traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market and if you are a holder of Class A ordinary shares, the mark-to-market election would be available to you were we to be or become a PFIC.
Alternatively, a U.S. Holder of stock in a PFIC may make a “qualified electing fund” election with respect to such PFIC to elect out of the tax treatment discussed above. A U.S. Holder who makes a valid qualified electing fund election with respect to a PFIC will generally include in gross income for a taxable year such holder’s pro rata share of the corporation’s earnings and profits for the taxable year. However, the qualified electing fund election is available only if such PFIC provides such U.S. Holder with certain information regarding its earnings and profits as required under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations. We do not currently intend to prepare or provide the information that would enable you to make a qualified electing fund election. If you hold Class A ordinary shares in any year in which we are a PFIC, you will be required to file U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form 8621 regarding distributions received on the Class A ordinary shares and any gain realized on the disposition of the Class A ordinary shares.
You are urged to consult your tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to your investment in our Class A ordinary shares and the elections discussed above.
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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Dividend payments with respect to our Class A ordinary shares and proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our Class A ordinary shares may be subject to information reporting to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and possible U.S. backup withholding at a current rate of 28%. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder who furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes any other required certification on U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or who is otherwise exempt from backup withholding. U.S. Holders who are required to establish their exempt status generally must provide such certification on U.S. Internal Revenue Service Form W-9. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the U.S. information reporting and backup withholding rules.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, and you may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by filing the appropriate claim for refund with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and furnishing any required information.
Under the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of 2010, certain United States Holders are required to report information relating to Class A ordinary shares, subject to certain exceptions (including an exception for Class A ordinary shares held in accounts maintained by certain financial institutions), by attaching a complete Internal Revenue Service Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets, with their tax return for each year in which they hold Class A ordinary shares. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the U.S. information reporting and backup withholding rules.
10.F. Dividends and paying agents
Not applicable.
10.G. Statement by experts
Not applicable.
10.H. Documents on display
We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act. In accordance with these requirements, the Company files reports and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any materials filed with the SEC at the Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a web site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC.
10.I. Subsidiary Information
For a listing of our subsidiaries, see “Item 4. Information of the Company - C. Organizational Structure.”
10.J. Annual Report to Security Holders
Not applicable.
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Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
As of the latest fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, we had immaterial derivative financial instruments (open FX positions with a total fair value of $0) and did not have any derivative commodity instruments. Our other financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, transaction monetary assets held for clients, net accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable, deposits payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities, advance from customers, and income tax payable, are exposed to certain market risk such as foreign currency risk and interest rate risk. Our overall risk management program focuses on preservation of capital and the unpredictability of financial markets and has sought to minimize potential adverse effects on our financial performance and position. Our other financial instruments primarily include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable for whose carrying values approximate to their fair value due to the short term nature of these balances. Therefore, we do not expect our other financial instruments to be exposed to material impacts from market risk. However, we have still summarized the relevant market risk and its potential impacts to our other financial instruments as below:
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
While our reporting currency is the U.S. Dollar, some of our consolidated financial liability instruments are in the functional currency of RMB. As a result, we are exposed to foreign exchange risk as our results of operations may be affected by fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and the RMB. If the RMB depreciates against the U.S. Dollar, the value of our RMB liabilities as expressed in our U.S. Dollar financial statements will decline. Assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates at the balance sheet dates and revenue and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates and shareholders’ equity is translated at historical exchange rates. Any resulting translation adjustments are not included in determining net income but are included in determining other comprehensive loss/income, a component of shareholders’ equity. We have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign exchange risk.
The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. Since July 2005, the RMB has not been pegged to the U.S. dollar and, although the People’s Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to prevent significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, the RMB may appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar or the Euro in the medium to long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future, PRC authorities may lift restrictions on fluctuations in RMB exchange rate and lessen intervention in the foreign exchange market.
We estimated that as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, a 10% appreciation in RMB against the U.S. dollar would have resulted in a decrease of $5,168,400 and $2,585,525 to our financial liabilities denominated in RMB and would have resulted in a corresponding decrease in our consolidated comprehensive loss, respectively. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our financial assets denominated in RMB were material and therefore may be subject to material market fluctuation.
Item 12. Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities
12.A. Debt Securities
Not applicable.
12.B. Warrants and Rights
Not applicable.
12.C. Other Securities
Not applicable.
12.D. American Depositary Shares
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 13. Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies
We do not have any material defaults in the payment of principal, interest, or any installments under a sinking or purchase fund.
Item 14. Material Modifications to the Rights of Securities Holders and Use of Proceeds
14.A. – 14.D. Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders
There have been no material modifications to the rights of our security holders.
14.E. Use of Proceeds
Private Placement
In July 2020, we consummated a private placement offering whereby the Company entered into private placement subscription agreements with certain investors. Pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, in which we issued an aggregate of 40,235 Class A ordinary shares to the investors, at a purchase price of $16.6 per share, for an aggregate amount of $667,901. We used the proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes.
Registered Direct Offering and Concurrent Private Placement
On December 14, 2021, we consummated (a) a registered direct offering for the sale of 2,898,552 of its Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 per share, and (b) a concurrent private placement, for the sale of unregistered warrants to purchase up to 1,449,276 Class A ordinary shares, for gross proceeds of approximately US$20 million. We used the proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes.
Item 15. Controls and Procedures
| (a) | Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. |
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. The Exchange Act in Rule 13a-15(f ) and 15d-15(f ) defines this as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company’s principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by the Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:
| ● | pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; |
| ● | provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and | |
| ● | provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the company’s assets that may have a material effect on the financial statements. |
Under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria, established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
| (b) | Management’s annual report on internal control over financial reporting. |
Based on its assessment, our management concluded that as of December 31, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective to ensure that material information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported by our management on a timely basis in order to comply with our disclosure obligations under the Exchange Act.
In preparing our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, our management identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in the standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States, and other significant deficiencies. 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 the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses identified are as follows: (i) no sufficient personnel with appropriate levels of accounting knowledge and experience to address complex U.S. GAAP accounting issues and to prepare and review financial statements and related disclosures under U.S. GAAP; (ii) ineffective oversight of our financial reporting and internal control by those charged with governance; and (iii) inadequate design of internal control over the preparation of the financial statements being audited. These material weaknesses remained as of December 31, 2023. As a result of inherent limitations, our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements, errors or omissions.
92
To remedy our previously identified material weakness, we have undertaken and will continue to undertake steps to strengthen our internal control over financial reporting, including: (i) hiring more qualified resources including financial controller, equipped with relevant U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting experience and qualifications to strengthen the financial reporting function and to set up a financial and system control framework, (ii) implementing regular and continuous U.S. GAAP accounting and financial reporting training programs for our accounting and financial reporting personnel, (iii) establishing effective oversight and clarifying reporting requirements for non-recurring and complex transactions to ensure consolidated financial statements and related disclosures are accurate, complete and in compliance with SEC reporting requirements, and (iv) enhancing an internal audit function as well as engaging an external consulting firm to help us assess our compliance readiness under rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act and improve overall internal control. However, such measures have not been fully implemented and we concluded that the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting had not been remediated as of December 31, 2023.
This annual report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm as we qualified as an “non- accelerated filer” as such term is defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act as of December 31, 2023.
| (c) | Attestation report of the registered public accounting firm. |
Not applicable.
| (d) | Changes in internal control over financial reporting. |
There have been no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting occurred during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 16. [Reserved]
Item 16A. Audit Committee Financial Expert
The Company’s Board of Directors has determined that Fangjie Wang qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” in accordance with applicable Nasdaq Capital Market standards. The Company’s Board of Directors has also determined that members of the Audit Committee are all “independent” in accordance with the applicable Nasdaq Capital Market standards.
Item 16B. Code of Ethics
The Company has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and advisors. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is attached as an exhibit to this annual report. Copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is also available on our website at www.agmprime.com.
Item 16C. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
GGF CPA LTD as appointed by the Company to serve as its independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal years ended December 31, 2023. KCCW Accountancy Corp. was appointed by the Company to serve as its independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal years ended December 31, 2022. TPS Thayer LLC was appointed by the Company to serve as its independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal years ended December 31, 2021.
Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Audit Fees
GGF CPA LTD’s fee for the annual audit of our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 was $180,000 KCCW Accountancy Corp.’s fee for the annual audit of our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 was $180,000. TPS Thayer LLC’s fee for the annual audit of our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 was $175,000.
93
Audit-Related Fees
The Company has not paid GGF CPA LTD for audit-related services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
The Company has not paid KCCW Accountancy Corp. for audit-related services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
The Company has not paid TPS Thayer LLC for audit-related services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
Tax Fees
The Company has not paid GGF CPA LTD for tax services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
The Company has not paid KCCW Accountancy Corp. for tax services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
The Company has not paid TPS Thayer LLC for tax services for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
All Other Fees
The Company has not paid GGF CPA LTD for any other services in fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
The Company has not paid KCCW Accountancy Corp. for any other services in fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
The Company has not paid TPS Thayer LLC for any other services in fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies
Before GGF CPA LTD, TPS Thayer LLC and KCCW Accountancy Corp. were engaged by the Company to render audit or non-audit services, the engagement was approved by the Company’s Audit Committee. All services rendered by GGF CPA LTD, KCCW Accountancy Corp. and TPS Thayer LLC have been so approved.
Item 16D. Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees
Not applicable.
Item 16E. Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
Neither the Company nor any affiliated purchaser has purchased any shares or other units of any class of the Company’s equity securities registered by the Company pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
Item 16F. Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
On April 5, 2022, the Company notified its independent registered public accounting firm, JLKZ CPA LLP its decision to dismiss JLKZ CPA LLP as the Company’s auditor. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the appointment of TPS Thayer LLC as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.
On July 3, 2022, the Company notified its independent registered public accounting firm, TPS Thayer LLC its decision to dismiss TPS Thayer LLC as the Company’s auditor. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the appointment of KCCW Accountancy Corp. as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.
On March 13, 2024, KCCW Accountancy Corp. notified the Company its decision to resign as the Company’s auditor. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the appointment of HTL International, LLC as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.
On May 10, 2024, HTL International, LLC notified the Company its decision to resign as the Company’s auditor. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company ratified the appointment of GGF CPA LTD as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.
94
Item 16G. Corporate Governance
As a company listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we are subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the British Virgin Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards and may result in less protection than is accorded to investors under rules applicable to domestic U.S. issuers.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and during the period from January 1, 2024 until the date of this annual report, we have followed certain home country corporate governance practices instead of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620, which provides that (with certain exceptions not relevant to the conclusions expressed herein) each company listing common stock or voting preferred stock, and their equivalents, shall hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of the company’s fiscal year-end. The Company did not hold an annual meeting of shareholders during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Such practice is not prohibited by British Virgin Islands law.
Except for the foregoing, the Company endeavors to comply with the Nasdaq corporate governance practices. To the extent we choose to follow home country practice in lieu of other Nasdaq listing rules in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Class A Ordinary Shares— We are a “foreign private issuer,” and our disclosure obligations differ from those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. As a result, we may not provide you the same information as U.S. domestic reporting companies or we may provide information at different times, which may make it more difficult for you to evaluate our performance.”
Item 16H. Mine Safety Disclosure
Not applicable.
Item 16I. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
ITEM 16J. Insider Trading Policies
The Board of Directors also adopted an insider trading policy governing the purchase, sale, and other dispositions of our securities by directors, senior management, and employees. A copy of the insider trading policies is attached as an exhibit to this annual report.
ITEM 16K. Cybersecurity
Our Board of Directors is responsible for reviewing the Company’s cybersecurity risk management and control systems in relation to the financial reporting by the Company, including the Company’s cybersecurity strategy. We maintain a process for assessing, identifying and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats, including risks relating to disruption of business operations or financial reporting systems, intellectual property theft; fraud; extortion; harm to employees or customers; violation of privacy laws and other litigation and legal risk; and reputational risk, as part of our overall risk management system and processes. We asses and manage our cybersecurity risks though our Information Technologies (“IT”) Committee, which is integrated by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Executive Officer presents to our Board of Directors, on a yearly basis, the work carried out on the identification, categorization, and mitigation procedures put in place in relation to the most relevant risks of the company, including cybersecurity risks. In this sense, risks related to cybersecurity have been categorized as “high relevance” for the Company.
Our IT department is responsible for targeted and regular monitoring of cybersecurity risks. They independently and continuously monitor cybersecurity risks and countermeasures to defend against such threats and, in the event of a cybersecurity threat or cybersecurity incident, inform executive management and our Board of Directors. In addition to the regular meetings between executive management and the individual risk owners mainly consisting out of the various departments’ heads, a comprehensive cybersecurity risk analysis for internal and external risks is carried out as appropriate.
According to the priority of the cybersecurity risks as result of the risk evaluation, risks are addressed by concrete actions and, if appropriate and possible, necessary countermeasures. In order to be able to react quickly and flexibly to cybersecurity risks, risk management is integrated into existing processes and reporting channels. Our risk management program considers cybersecurity risks alongside other company risks, and our enterprise risk professionals consult with company subject matter experts to gather information necessary to identify cybersecurity risks and evaluate their nature and severity, as well as identify mitigations and assess the impact of those mitigations on residual risk. We may engage third parties from time to time to conduct risk assessments.
95
PART III
Item 17. Financial Statements
See Item 18.
Item 18. Financial Statements
Our consolidated financial statements are included at the end of this annual report, beginning with page F-1.
Item 19. Exhibits
96
97
| 15.1* | Consent of GGF CPA LTD | |
| 15.2* | Consent of KCCW Accountancy Corp. | |
| 15.3* | Consent of TPS Thayer LLC | |
| 97.1* | Compensation Recovery Policy | |
| 101.INS* | XBRL Instance Document. | |
| 101.SCH* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. | |
| 101.CAL* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. | |
| 101.DEF* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. | |
| 101.LAB* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document. | |
| 101.PRE* | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. | |
| 104* | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101). |
| * | Filed with this annual report on Form 20-F |
| ** | Furnished with this annual report on Form 20-F |
98
SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.
| AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Bo Zhu | ||
| Name: | Bo Zhu | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Director | ||
Date: June 18, 2024
99
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To: The Board of Directors and Stockholders of
AGM Group Holdings, Inc.
Opinion on Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of AGM Group Holdings Inc. (“the Company”), as of December 31, 2023 and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, changes in shareholder’s equity and cash slows for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) related to the accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Impairment Assessment of Advances to Suppliers
As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, advances to suppliers primarily consisted of prepayments for the purchase of inventories. The Company reviews its advances to suppliers periodically and determines the adequacy of provision. Once the Company considers that the likelihood of future economic benefits associated with the advances to supplier is remote, a provision would be provided to reflect the expected recoverable amount from the advances to suppliers.
We identified the provision for advances to suppliers as a critical audit matter due to the material balance on the balance sheet and significant judgement and assumptions were used by the Management regarding the valuation of the provision during the year, which in turn led to a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence relating to Management’s assessment of the amount to provide the provision of advances to suppliers.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included the following:
| - | Reviewed the Company’s accounting policies, contracts, assumptions and estimates concerning future economic benefits and evaluate whether management’s conclusions were appropriate. |
| - | Tested the amount of provision recognized based on supporting documents. |
/s/ GGF CPA LTD
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2024.
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
PCAOB NO: 2729
June 18, 2024
F-2
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders
AGM Group Holdings Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of AGM Group Holdings Inc. (“the Company”), as of December 31, 2022 and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss/income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with U.S generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatements of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provided a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Critical Audit Matter Description
As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s revenue is derived from the delivery of its products. The sale of products by the Company is considered complete when the products are delivered at that time the ownership and risk of loss have been transferred to the customer.
F-3
The Company considers the contracts with its customer contain one performance obligation, and the Company is entitled to the consideration when performance obligation is satisfied at a point in time. The amount of revenue to be recognized is determined by the contracts between the Company and its customer. The Company recognizes revenue when the product is delivered.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to revenue recognition, specifically the identification and evaluation of the timing and amount of revenue recognition, is a critical audit matter, involved judgment exercised by management in identifying and evaluating the performance obligation. Auditor judgement is involved in performing our audit procedures to evaluate whether the timing and amount of revenue recognition was appropriately stated.
How the Critical Audit Matter Will Be Addressed in the Audit
Our audit procedures over determining the timing and amount of revenue recognition involved, among others, evaluation of management’s assessment in regard to the identification of performance obligation of revenue. We selected sales transactions and performed the following procedures:
- Evaluated the terms and conditions of each selected transaction and the appropriateness of the accounting treatment within the context of the five-step model prescribed by ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and evaluated whether management’s conclusions were appropriate.
- Tested the amount of revenue recognized by agreeing to relevant supporting documents.
/s/
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2023
November 13, 2023
F-4
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders
AGM Group Holdings Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of AGM Group Holdings Inc.(“the Company”), as of December 31, 2021 and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss/income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with U.S generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatements of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provided a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ TPS Thayer, LLC
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2022
Sugar Land, Texas
May 16, 2022
F-5
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in US$, except for number of shares)
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| ASSETS | ||||||||
| CURRENT ASSETS: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | ||||||
| Restricted cash | ||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | ||||||||
| Inventories | ||||||||
| Advances to suppliers, net | ||||||||
| Prepayment and other current assets, net | ||||||||
| Total current assets | ||||||||
| NON - CURRENT ASSETS: | ||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | ||||||||
| Intangible assets, net | ||||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | ||||||||
| Deferred tax assets | ||||||||
| Total non - current assets | ||||||||
| TOTAL ASSETS | $ | $ | ||||||
| LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY | ||||||||
| CURRENT LIABILITIES: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | $ | ||||||
| Accrued expenses and other payables | ||||||||
| Advances from customers | ||||||||
| Due to related parties | ||||||||
| Deferred government grant, current | ||||||||
| Operating lease liabilities, current | ||||||||
| Income tax payable | ||||||||
| Total current liabilities | ||||||||
| NON - CURRENT LIABILITIES: | ||||||||
| Operating lease liabilities, non-current | ||||||||
| Deferred government grant, non-current | ||||||||
| Total non - current liabilities | ||||||||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES | $ | $ | ||||||
| SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY: | ||||||||
| Class A Ordinary Shares ( | $ | $ | ||||||
| Class B Ordinary Shares ( | ||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||
| Statutory reserves | ||||||||
| Retained earnings | ||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total shareholders’ equity | ||||||||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY | $ | $ | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
F-6
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPEATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS)/INCOME
(Amounts in US$, except for number of shares)
| For The Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Revenues | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Cost of revenues | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Gross profit | ||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||||||
| Selling, general & administrative expenses | ||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | - | - | ||||||||||
| Total operating expenses | ||||||||||||
| (Loss)/Income from operations | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Other income/(expenses) | ||||||||||||
| Other income | ||||||||||||
| Other expenses | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Total other (expenses)/income | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| (Loss)/Income before provision of income taxes | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes benefit/(expenses) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Net (loss)/income | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | |||||||
| Other comprehensive (loss)/income | ||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Total comprehensive (loss)/income | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | |||||||
| (Loss)/Earnings per common share | ||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | |||||||
| Diluted | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Weighted average Class A ordinary shares outstanding, basic | ||||||||||||
| Weighted average Class A ordinary shares outstanding, diluted | ||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
F-7
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
| Number of Class A Ordinary Share | Number of Class B Ordinary Share | Class A Ordinary Share | Class B Ordinary Share | Additional paid-in capital | Statutory Reserves | (Accumulated loss)/ Retained earnings | Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance, December 31, 2020 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common shares | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appropriation to statutory reserve | - | - | - | ( | ) | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cancellation of Class B ordinary shares | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance, December 31, 2021 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appropriation to statutory reserve | - | - | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deposit received on issuance of common shares | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance, December 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | - | - | ( | ) | - | ( | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appropriation to statutory reserve | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustment | - | - | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance December 31, 2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
F-8
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in US$)
| For The Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities | ||||||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | |||||||
| Adjustment to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | ||||||||||||
| Amortization of operating lease right-of-use asset | ||||||||||||
| (Reversal)/allowance for credit losses | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Provision of advances to suppliers | ||||||||||||
| Other income | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Deferred tax benefits | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||||||
| Accounts receivable | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Inventories | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Advances to suppliers | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Prepayment and other current assets | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Accounts payable | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Accrued expenses and other payables | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Income tax payable | ||||||||||||
| Advances from customers | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Deferred government grant | ||||||||||||
| Operating lease liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Cash flows from investing activities | ||||||||||||
| Purchase of property and equipment | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Purchase of intangible asset | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Cash flows from financing activities | ||||||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares | ||||||||||||
| Proceeds from related parties | ||||||||||||
| Proceeds from short-term borrowings | ||||||||||||
| Receipt of financing deposit | ||||||||||||
| Repayments of loans and borrowings | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Borrowings to related parties | ( | ) | ||||||||||
| Repayments to related parties | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | ||||||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the year | ||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of the year | ||||||||||||
| Supplemental cash flow information | ||||||||||||
| Interest paid | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Income taxes paid | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Supplemental disclosures of non-cash activities: | ||||||||||||
| Free operating lease due to government grant | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Additions of ROU Assets | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Cancelled common stocks issued | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
F-9
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 - ORGANIZATION AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES
AGM Group Holdings Inc. (“AGM Holdings”) was incorporated on April 27, 2015 under the laws of the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”). AGM Holdings is a holding company and does not own any material assets or liabilities other than holding equity interest of multiple entities and certain cash and cash equivalents.
On May 21, 2015, AGM Holdings incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, AGM Technology Limited (“AGM Technology”) in Hong Kong. AGM Technology engaged in the sale of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment.
On October 13, 2015, AGM Technology incorporated a Chinese limited liability subsidiary, AGM Tianjin Construction Development Co., Ltd. (“AGM Tianjin”) formerly known as Shenzhen AnGaoMeng Financial Technology Service Co., Ltd., for the purpose of being a holding company for the equity interests in China.
On November 13, 2015, AGM Tianjin incorporated a wholly owned Chinese limited liability subsidiaries, Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd. (“AGM Beijing”).
On June 14, 2017, AGM Software Service LTD (“AGM Software”) was incorporated under the laws of BVI. AGM Software is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGM Holdings.
On June 17, 2021, AGM Technology incorporated a wholly owned Chinese limited liability subsidiary, Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co. Ltd. (“Nanjing Lucun”) in China under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”). Nanjing Lucun is primarily engaged in the sale of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment. On November 24, 2022, Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Beijing Branch was incorporated.
On July 30, 2021 AGM Holdings incorporated a wholly owned limited liability subsidiary, AGM Defi Lab Ptd Limited (“AGM Defi Lab”) under the laws of Singapore. On August 8, 2021 AGM Holdings incorporated a wholly owned limited liability subsidiary, AGM Defi Tech Limited (“AGM Defi Tech”) in Hong Kong. On October 21, 2021, AGM Defi Tech incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd (“Beijing Keen Sense”) in China under the laws of PRC. These three subsidiaries are mainly engaged in software development.
F-10
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 - ORGANIZATION AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES (Continued)
| Name | Date of Incorporation | Place of Incorporation | Percentage of Effective Ownership | Principal Activities | ||||||
| AGM Technology Limited (“AGM Technology “) | % | |||||||||
| AGM Tianjin Construction Development Co., Ltd. (“AGM Tianjin”) formerly Shenzhen AnGaoMeng Financial Technology Service Co., Ltd. | % | |||||||||
| Beijing AnGaoMeng Technology Service Co., Ltd. (“AGM Beijing”) | % | |||||||||
| AGM Software Service LTD (“AGM Software”) | % | |||||||||
| Nanjing Lucun Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (“Nanjing Lucun”) | % | |||||||||
| AGM Defi Lab Ptd Limited (“AGM Defi Lab”) | % | |||||||||
| AGM Defi Tech Limited (“AGM Defi Tech”) | % | |||||||||
| Beijing Keen Sense Technology Service Co., Ltd (“Beijing Keen Sense”) | % | |||||||||
AGM Technology, AGM Tianjin, AGM Beijing, AGM Software, Nanjing Lucun, AGM Defi Lab, AGM Defi Tech, and Beijing Keen Sense, are referred to as subsidiaries. AGM Holdings and its consolidated subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as the “Company” unless specific reference is made to an entity.
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) to reflect the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company. Significant accounting policies followed by the Company in the preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements are summarized below.
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts for AGM Holdings and all its consolidated subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
F-11
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES (Continued)
Foreign Currency Translation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented in United States dollar (“$”), which is the reporting currency of the Company. For the subsidiaries whose functional currencies are Renminbi (“RMB”), results of operations and cash flows are translated at average exchange rates during the period, assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rate at the end of the period, and equity is translated at historical exchange rates. The resulting translation adjustments are included in determining other comprehensive income or loss. Transaction gains and losses are reflected in the consolidated statements of operations.
The consolidated balance sheet balances, with the exception of equity at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 were translated at RMB7.0827 and RMB6.9646 to $1.00, respectively. The equity accounts were stated at their historical rate. The average translation rates applied to consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were RMB7.0467, RMB6.7261 and RMB6.4515 to $1.00, respectively.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities on the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. The Company bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other assumptions and information that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Estimates and assumptions of future events and their effects cannot be perceived with certainty and, accordingly, these estimates may change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as the Company’s operating environment changes. Significant estimates and assumptions by management include, among others, allowance for credit losses, provision of advances to suppliers, discount rate for leases, depreciation of property and equipment and impairment assessments of long-lived assets and income taxes including the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. While the Company believes that the estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of the financial statements are appropriate, actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed and the effects of revisions are reflected in the financial statements in the period they are determined to be necessary.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents are financial assets that are either cash or highly liquid investments with an original maturity term of 90 days or less. At December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s cash equivalents primarily consist cash in various financial institutions.
Restricted cash
Restricted cash consists of frozen deposits due
to overdue reconciliations. The balance of restricted cash was $
Inventories
Inventories, primarily consisting of standardized computing equipment, which are finished goods from manufacturers. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with net realized value represented by estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of disposal and transportation. Cost of inventory is determined using the first-in first-out cost method. Adjustments are recorded to write down the cost of inventory to the estimated net realizable value due to slow-moving merchandise and damaged products, which is dependent upon factors such as historical and forecasted consumer demand. No inventory write-down was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
F-12
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES (Continued)
Advances to Suppliers
Advances to suppliers primarily consists of prepayments for purchase of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment. Advance payment depends on specific circumstances, including the industry practice, negotiations with suppliers, security for steady supply of products, and the delivery time of products received from suppliers after the advance payment. Advance to suppliers is settled when the products are provided and accepted by the Company. The Company reviews its advance to suppliers on a periodic basis and determines the adequacy of provision. Provision is recognized to reflect the expected recoverable amount from the advances to suppliers when the Company considers the likelihood of future economic benefits associated with the advances to supplier is remote.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company follows the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”). It clarifies the definition of fair value, prescribes methods for measuring fair value, and establishes a fair value hierarchy to classify the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
Level 1-Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities available at the measurement date.
Level 2-Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable, and inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3-Inputs are unobservable inputs which reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions on what assumptions the market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best available information.
The carrying amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and other current assets, accounts payable and other payables, due to related parties and contingent consideration approximate their fair value based on the short-term maturity of these instruments.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses
Accounts receivable consists principally of amounts due from trade customers. Credit is extended based on an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition and collateral is not generally required.
The Company evaluates its accounts receivable for expected credit losses on a regular basis. The Company maintains an estimated allowance for credit losses to reduce its accounts receivable to the amount that it believes will be collected. The Company uses the length of time a balance has been outstanding, the payment history, creditworthiness and financial conditions of the customers and industry trend as credit quality indicators to monitor the Company’s receivables within the scope of expected credit losses model, along with reasonable and supportable forecasts as a basis to develop the Company’s expected loss estimates. The Company adjusts the allowance percentage periodically when there are significant differences between estimated credit losses and actual bad debts. If there is strong evidence indicating that the accounts receivable is likely to be unrecoverable, the Company also makes specific allowance in the period in which a loss is determined to be probable. Accounts receivable balances are written off after all collection efforts have been exhausted.
Adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU” 2016-13)
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13: Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), which requires entities to measure all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This replaces the existing incurred loss model and is applicable to the measurement of credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost. The Company has adopted ASU 2016-13 since January 1, 2021, the impact of which on the Company’s consolidated financial statements was immaterial.
F-13
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES (Continued)
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Cost represents the purchase price of the asset and other costs incurred to bring the asset into its existing use. Identifiable significant improvements are capitalized and expenditures for maintenance, repairs, and betterments, including replacement of minor items, are charged to expense.
| Property and Equipment | Residual value rate | Useful life | ||||
| Electronic equipment | % | |||||
| Office equipment | % | |||||
| Leasehold improvement | % | useful life of the assets | ||||
Intangible Assets
| Intangible Asset | Residual value rate | Useful life | ||||
| AGM domain name | % | |||||
| Software | % | |||||
Revenue Recognition
The Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) for all years presented. The core principle of this new revenue standard is that a company should recognize revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The following five steps are applied to achieve that core principle by the Company in its determination of revenue recognition:
| ● | Step 1: Identify the contract(s) with the customer; | |
| ● | Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract; | |
| ● | Step 3: Determine the transaction price; | |
| ● | Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and | |
| ● | Step 5: Recognize revenue when or as the Company satisfies a performance obligation. |
The Company is a server developer, engaging in research, development and sale of server, including ASIC miner, and standardized computing equipment and bundle of products or services that may include a combination of these items.
The Company derives revenue from the sales of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment and bundle of products or services that may include a combination of these items. The Company enters into contracts with customers that include promises to transfer various products and services, which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis.
F-14
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES (Continued)
The Company acts as a principal as it takes control of the merchandises, is primarily obligated for the merchandise sold to the consumers, bears inventory risks and has the latitude in establishing prices. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company derives revenue from the sale of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment. The Company recognizes product revenues on a gross basis as the Company is responsible to fulfill the promise to provide specified goods. Revenue is recognized at a point in time upon the transfer of control of products to customers.
Contract liability
The contract liabilities consist of advances from
customers, which relate to unsatisfied performance obligations at the end of each reporting period and consists of cash payments received
in advance from customers in sales of server products, cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment. As of December
31, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s advances from customers amounted to $
The Company reports revenues net of applicable sales taxes and related surcharges.
Costs of Revenues
Cost of revenues primarily consist of cost of product revenue, which includes direct costs of cryptocurrency mining machines, standardized computing equipment.
Leases
On January 1, 2021, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (ASU 2016-02), as amended, which supersedes the lease accounting guidance under Topic 840, and generally requires lessees to recognize operating and financing lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use (ROU) assets on the balance sheet and to provide enhanced disclosures surrounding the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leasing arrangements.
The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease upon inception. A contract is or contains a lease if the contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The right to control the use of an asset includes the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits of the underlying asset and the right to direct how and for what purpose the asset is used. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02 and related standards, operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The discount rate used to calculate present value is the Company’s incremental borrowing rate or, if available, the rate implicit in the lease. The Company includes options to renew the lease as part of the right of use lease asset and liability when it is reasonably certain the Company will exercise the option. The Company also takes into considerations when certain lease contains fair value purchase and termination options with an associated penalty. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and current and non-current lease liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Finance leases are included in property and equipment, other current liabilities, and other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. There were no finance leases for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Selling, General & Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of credit losses, sales and administrative employee-related expenses, professional fees, travel costs, and other corporate expenses.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The costs primarily consist of the wage expenses incurred to continuously improve and upgrade the Company’s services.
F-15
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES (Continued)
Government Grants
Government grant is recognized when there is reasonable
assurance that the Company will comply with the conditions attach to it and the grant will be received. From June 15, 2021, Nanjing Pukou
Economic Development Zone Management Committee (the “Committee”) provided an office to the Company for free for
Income Taxes
The Company is governed by the Income Tax Law
of China and Inland Revenue Ordinance of Hong Kong, as amended. Based on a review of surrounding facts and circumstances, the revenue
generated from AGM Technology belongs to offshore revenue as its operation is outside Hong Kong. Therefore, the Company considers AGM
Technology is not subject to tax at
The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset/liability method prescribed by ASC 740, “Accounting for Income Taxes.” Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates that will be in effect in the period in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company records a valuation allowance to offset deferred tax assets if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more-likely-than-not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or loss in the period that includes the enactment date.
The Act has caused the Company’s deferred income taxes to be revalued. As changes in tax laws or rates are enacted, deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted through income tax expense. Pursuant to the guidance within SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”), as of December 31, 2017, the Company recognized the provisional effects of the enactment of the Act for which measurement could be reasonably estimated. The ultimate impact of the Act may differ from these estimates due to the Company’s continued analysis or further regulatory guidance that may be issued as a result of the Act.
The Company applied the provisions of ASC 740-10-50, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes,” which provides clarification related to the process associated with accounting for uncertain tax positions recognized in the Company’s financial statements. Audit periods remain open for review until the statute of limitations has passed. The completion of review or the expiration of the statute of limitations for a given audit period could result in an adjustment to the Company’s liability for income taxes. Any such adjustment could be material to the Company’s results of operations for any given quarterly or annual period based, in part, upon the results of operations for the given period. As of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company had uncertain tax positions accrued, and will continue to evaluate for uncertain positions in the future.
Value Added Tax
The amount of Value Added Tax (“VAT) liability is determined by applying the applicable tax rate to the invoiced amount of software service provided. The Company reports revenue net of China’s VAT for all the periods presented in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Comprehensive (Loss)/ Income
ASC 220 “Comprehensive Income” established standards for reporting and display of comprehensive (loss)/income, its components and accumulated balances. Components of comprehensive (loss)/income include net loss/income and foreign currency translation adjustments. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the only component of accumulated other comprehensive loss was foreign currency translation adjustments.
F-16
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES (Continued)
Related Party Transactions
A related party is generally defined as (i) any
person and or their immediate family hold
Transactions involving related parties cannot be presumed to be carried out on an arm’s-length basis, as the requisite conditions of competitive, free market dealings may not exist. Representations about transactions with related parties, if made, shall not imply that the related party transactions were consummated on terms equivalent to those that prevail in arm’s-length transactions unless such representations can be substantiated. It is not, however, practical to determine the fair value of amounts due from/to related parties due to their related party nature.
Concentration and risks
a) Concentration of credit risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk are cash and cash equivalents, and accounts receivable arising from its normal business activities. The Company places its cash in what it believes to be credit-worthy financial institutions. The Company routinely assesses the financial strength of the customer and, based upon factors surrounding the credit risk, establishes an allowance, if required, for uncollectible accounts and, consequently, believes that its accounts receivable credit risk exposure beyond such allowance is limited.
b) Foreign currency exchange rate risk
The functional currency and the reporting currency of the Company are RMB and U.S. dollars, respectively. The Company’s exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk primarily relates to cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable. Any significant fluctuation of RMB against U.S. dollars may materially and adversely affect the Company’s cash flows, revenues, earnings and financial positions.
c) Currency convertibility risk
The Company transacts some of its business in RMB, which is not freely convertible into foreign currencies. All foreign exchange transactions continue to take place either through the People’s Bank of China (the “PBOC”) or other banks authorized to buy and sell foreign currencies at the exchange rates quoted by the PBOC. Approval of foreign currency payments by the PBOC or other institutions requires submitting a payment application form together with suppliers’ invoices, shipping documents and signed contracts.
(Loss)/Earnings per Common Share
Basic (loss)/earnings per ordinary share is computed by dividing net (loss)/earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted-average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period. Diluted (loss)/earnings per share is computed by dividing net (loss)/income attributable to ordinary shareholders by the sum of the weighted-average number of ordinary shares outstanding and dilutive potential ordinary shares during the period.
F-17
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES (Continued)
Statutory reserves
In accordance with the PRC Company Laws, the Company’s
PRC subsidiaries must make appropriations from their after-tax profits as determined under the People's Republic of China Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles (“PRC GAAP”) to non-distributable reserve funds including statutory surplus fund and discretionary surplus
fund. The appropriation to the statutory surplus fund must be
The statutory surplus fund and discretionary surplus fund are restricted for use. They may only be applied to offset losses or increase the registered capital of the respective companies. These reserves are not allowed to be transferred to the Company by way of cash dividends, loans or advances, nor can they be distributed except for liquidation.
For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and
2021, profit appropriation to statutory surplus fund for the Company’s entities incorporated in the PRC was , $
Segment Reporting
The Company uses the “management approach” in determining reportable operating segments. The management approach considers the internal organization and reporting used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker for making operating decisions and assessing performance as the source for determining the Company’s reportable segments. The Company’s chief operating decision maker has been identified as the chief executive officer of the Company who reviews financial information of separate operating segments based on U.S. GAAP. The chief operating decision maker now reviews results analyzed by customer. This analysis is only presented at the revenue level with no allocation of direct or indirect costs. Consequently, the Company has determined that it has only one operating segment.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In March 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-01, “Leases (Topic 842): Common Control Arrangements”, which amends certain provisions of ASC 842 that apply to arrangements between related parties under common control. In addition, the ASU amends the accounting for leasehold improvements in common-control arrangements for all entities. ASU 2023-01 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in any annual or interim period as of the beginning of the related fiscal year. The Company will adopt ASU 2023-01 from January 1, 2024. The Company expects the impact of adoption of this ASU to be immaterial to consolidated financial statements.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Improvement to Income Tax Disclosure. This standard requires more transparency about income tax information through improvements to income tax disclosures primarily related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. This standard also includes certain other amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures. ASU 2023-09 is effective for public business entities, for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. For entities other than public business entities, the amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2025. The Company is in the process of evaluation the impact of adopting this new guidance on its consolidated financial statement.
Recently issued ASUs by the FASB, except for the ones mentioned above, are not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial position. Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by FASB that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements upon adoption. The Company does not discuss recent pronouncements that are not anticipated to have an impact on or are unrelated to its consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, or disclosures.
F-18
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 3 - ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Accounts receivable | ||||||||
| Allowance for credit losses | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
The Company reversed credit losses of $
Note 4 – ADVANCES TO SUPPLIERS, NET
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Advances to suppliers | ||||||||
| Provision for impairment | ( | ) | ||||||
| $ | $ | |||||||
For the year ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded
provision of $
Note 5 - INVENTORIES
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Finished goods | $ | |||||||
No inventory write-down was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Note 6 - Prepayment and OTHER CURRENT ASSETS
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Loan receivable (1) | $ | $ | ||||||
| Prepaid input VAT | ||||||||
| Deposits and others | ||||||||
| Subtotal | ||||||||
| Allowance for credit losses (2) | ( | ) | ||||||
| Total prepayment and other current assets | $ | $ | ||||||
F-19
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 6 - Prepayment and OTHER CURRENT ASSETS (Continued)
| (1) | In 2021, the Company entered into a loan agreement to lend $
On April 10, 2022 and 31 July, 2022, the Company
entered into a loan agreement with a third party, Muliang Agriculture Limited, to lend $
On March 1, 2023, the Company entered into a loan agreement with a third party, Northnew Management Limited, to lend $
|
| (2) |
Note 7 - PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Electronic equipment | $ | $ | ||||||
| Office equipment | ||||||||
| Leasehold improvement | ||||||||
| Total property and equipment | ||||||||
| Less: accumulated depreciation | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total property and equipment, net | $ | $ | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization expenses for the years ended December
31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were $
Note 8 - INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| AGM domain name | $ | $ | ||||||
| Software | ||||||||
| Total intangible assets | ||||||||
| Less: accumulated amortization | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||
| Total intangible assets, net | ||||||||
For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, amortization
expenses amounted to $
| Year ending December 31, | ||||
| 2024 | ||||
| 2025 | ||||
| 2026 | ||||
| 2027 | ||||
| Total | ||||
F-20
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 9 - RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS AND BALANCES
| Name of Related Party | Nature of Relationship | |
| Yufeng Mi | ||
| Yang Cao | ||
| HongKong Kisen Co., Limited (“HongKong Kisen”) |
Due to related parties
| December 31, | Interest | Exchange Rate | December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Received | Repayment | Expenses | Translation | 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Yufeng Mi | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yang Cao | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| HongKong Kisen (1) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total due to related parties | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| (1) |
On January 1, 2023, both parties agreed to terminate the loan agreement mentioned above and obtain borrowings up to $ |
Apart from loan from HongKong Kisen, the balance of due to related parties represents expenses incurred by related parties in the ordinary course of business. These amounts are interest free, unsecured and could be settled on demand.
Note 10 - OPERATING LEASE
The Company leases offices space and dormitories under non-cancellable operating leases. The Company considers those renewal or termination options that are reasonably certain to be exercised in the determination of the lease term and initial measurement of right of use assets and lease liabilities.
The Company determines whether a contract is or contains a lease at inception of the contract and whether that lease meets the classification criteria of a finance or operating lease.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had no long-term leases that were classified as a financing lease, and the Company’s lease contracts only contain fixed lease payments and do not contain any residual value guarantee.
F-21
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 10 - OPERATING LEASE (Continued)
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Right-of-use assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| Operating lease liabilities, current | $ | $ | ||||||
| Operating lease liabilities, non-current | ||||||||
| Total operating lease liabilities | $ | $ | ||||||
| For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Weighted-average remaining lease term of operating leases | ||||
| Weighted-average discount rate of operating leases | ||||
| Operating Leases | ||||
| Year of 2024 | $ | |||
| Year of 2025 | ||||
| Year of 2026 | ||||
| Total lease payments | $ | |||
| Less: imputed interest | ( | ) | ||
| Present value of operating lease liabilities | ||||
| Less: current obligation | ||||
| Non-current obligation on December 31, 2023 | $ | |||
Note 11 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
In August 2021, Firebull Holding Limited, holder
of
On December 14, 2021, the Company issued
F-22
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 11 - SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (Continued)
Warrants
For each Class A ordinary share purchased on December
14, 2021, an investor received from the Company one-half unregistered warrant, for an aggregate of
Additionally, the Company has retained FT Global
Capital, Inc. (the “Placement Agent”) to act as exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering. The Company agreed
to issue to the Placement Agent or its designees warrants to purchase up to
The Company’s outstanding warrants are classified
as equity since they qualify for exception from derivative accounting as they are considered to be indexed to the Company’s own
stock and require net share settlement.
| Annual dividend yield | ||||
| Expected life (years) | ||||
| Risk-free interest rate | % | |||
| Expected volatility | % |
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company
had
| Warrants | Weighted Average Exercise Price | |||||||
| Warrants outstanding, as of December 31, 2021 | $ | |||||||
| Issued | ||||||||
| Exercised | ||||||||
| Expired | ||||||||
| Warrants outstanding, as of December 31, 2022 | $ | |||||||
| Issued | ||||||||
| Exercised | ||||||||
| Expired | ||||||||
| Warrants outstanding, as of December 31, 2023 | $ | |||||||
| Warrants exercisable, as of December 31, 2023 | $ | |||||||
F-23
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 12 - RESTRICTED NET ASSETS
Part of the Company’s operations are conducted through its PRC subsidiaries, and the Company’s ability to pay dividends is primarily dependent on receiving distributions of funds from its subsidiaries. Relevant PRC statutory laws and regulations permit payments of dividends by its subsidiaries only out of their retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations, and after it has met the PRC requirements for appropriation to statutory reserves. Paid-in capital and additional paid-in capital of its subsidiaries included in the Company’s consolidated net assets are also non-distributable for dividend purposes.
In accordance with the Company Law of the PRC
and the PRC regulations on enterprises with foreign investment, whether a domestic enterprise or a wholly owned foreign enterprise (“WFOE”)
established in the PRC are both required to provide certain statutory reserves, namely general reserve fund, the enterprise expansion
fund and staff welfare and bonus fund which are appropriated from net profit as reported in the enterprise’s PRC statutory accounts.
Both a domestic enterprise and a WFOE are required to allocate at least
As a result of these PRC laws and regulations, the Company’s
PRC subsidiaries are restricted in their ability to transfer a portion of their net assets to the Company. As of December 31, 2023 and
2022, net assets restricted in the aggregate included in the Company’s consolidated net assets were both $
Note 13 - INCOME TAX
British Virgin Islands (“BVI”)
Under the tax laws of BVI, AGM Holdings and AGM Software are not subject to tax on income or capital gain. In addition, payments of dividends by the Company to their shareholders are not subject to withholding tax in the BVI.
Hong Kong
Under the tax laws of Hong Kong, AGM Technology
and AGM Defi Tech is subject to tax at
Singapore
Under the tax laws of Singapore, AGM Defi Lab are subject to tax at
China
On March 16, 2007, the National People’s
Congress passed the Enterprise Income Tax Law (“the China EIT Law”), which was effective as of January 1, 2008. Companies
incorporated in China are allowed to offset future tax taxable income with taxable operating losses carried forward in a
F-24
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 13 - INCOME TAX (Continued)
The China EIT Law also provides that an enterprise
established under the laws of foreign countries or regions but whose “de facto management body” is located in China be treated
as a resident enterprise for PRC tax purpose and consequently be subject to China income tax at the rate of
The China EIT Law also imposes a withholding income
tax of
AGM Beijing, AGM Tianjin, Nanjing Lucun, and Beijing
Keen Sense are subject to
| For The Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Current | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||
| Deferred | ||||||||||||
| Total | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||
| For The Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Statutory income tax rate | % | % | % | |||||||||
| Tax effect of different tax rates in other jurisdictions | - | % | % | % | ||||||||
| Tax effect of non-deductible expenses | % | % | % | |||||||||
| Changes in valuation allowance | % | % | % | |||||||||
| Effective tax rate | % | % | % | |||||||||
F-25
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 13 - INCOME TAX (Continued)
| For The Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| PRC Region | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| HK Region | ||||||||||||
| Singapore Region | ||||||||||||
| Total cumulative net operating loss carry-forward | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Deferred tax assets: | ||||||||
| Net operating loss carry-forwards | $ | $ | ||||||
| Allowance for credit losses | ||||||||
| Provision of advances to suppliers | ||||||||
| Lease liability | ||||||||
| Total of deferred tax assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| Less: valuation allowance | ||||||||
| Net deferred tax assets | $ | $ | ||||||
| Defer tax liabilities: | ||||||||
| Right-of-use assets | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||
| Total deferred tax liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||
| Deferred tax assets, net | $ | $ | ||||||
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, deferred tax assets, net of the Company
were of $
Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
The Company and certain subsidiaries are established in various foreign countries with significant operations located in China. The Company might not be subject to PRC income tax and did not pay any income tax to PRC however it is uncertain as to whether China tax authority may take different views about the Company’s tax positions which may lead to additional tax liabilities.
The tax authority of China Government conducts periodic and ad hoc tax filing reviews on business enterprises operating in China after those enterprises complete their relevant tax filings. Therefore, the Company’s PRC entities’ tax filings results are subject to change. It is therefore uncertain as to whether China tax authority may take different views about the Company’s PRC entities’ tax filings, which may lead to additional tax liabilities.
ASC 740 requires recognition and measurement of uncertain income tax positions using a “more-likely-than-not” approach. The management evaluated the company’s tax position and recognized liabilities for uncertain tax positions for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, and the period from inception (April 27, 2015) to December 31, 2015. The Company recognized liabilities for uncertain tax positions, which was included in income tax payable on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.
F-26
AGM GROUP HOLDINGS INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 13 - INCOME TAX (Continued)
| As of December 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
| Gross beginning balance | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Gross increase to tax positions in the current period | ||||||||||||
| Gross ending balance | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
There were no interests and penalties in relation to the Company uncertain tax positions for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Note 14 - CONCENTRATIONS OF CREDIT RISK AND MAJOR CUSTOMERS
Credit Risk
Financial instruments which potentially subject
the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and trade accounts receivable. The Company place cash with high
credit quality financial institutions in Singapore, Hongkong and China. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company had $
| December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| Country: | ||||||||||||||||
| Singapore | $ | % | $ | % | ||||||||||||
| China (Hongkong) | % | % | ||||||||||||||
| China (Mainland) | % | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash | $ | % | $ | % | ||||||||||||
Almost all of the Company’s sales are credit sales which are primarily to customers whose ability to pay is dependent upon the industry economics prevailing in these areas; however, the Company believe that the concentration of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable is limited due to generally short payment terms. The Company also perform ongoing credit evaluations of customers to help further reduce potential credit risk.
Customers
For the year ended December 31, 2023,
Suppliers
For the year ended December 31, 2023, four suppliers accounted for
Note 15 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
As of December 31, 2023, the Company entered
into lease agreements as lessee with third parties for the operation. The Company has total future lease payment of $
Note 16 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company has performed an evaluation of subsequent events through June 18, 2024, which was the date of the consolidated financial statements were issued, and determined that no other events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements except for the events mentioned below.
On April 10, 2024, AGM Holdings acquires
On April 17, 2024, AGM Holdings incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, AGM Canada Holdings Limited (“AGM Canada”) in Canada. AGM Canada engages in the sale of cryptocurrency mining machines and standardized computing equipment and aims to explore the Canada market.
On April 26, 2024, AGM HK incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, Beijing Bixin Electronic Technology Co., Limited, in China.
On April 30, 2024, the Board of Directors of AGM Group Holdings Inc. approved and adopted an equity incentive plan (“2024 Equity
Incentive Plan”). Under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, the Compensation Committee of the Board is authorized to deliver an aggregate
of
F-27
