EX-5.1 5 ea192914ex5-1_bitdigital.htm OPINION OF OGIER (CAYMAN) LLP

Exhibit 5.1

 

Bit Digital, Inc.

c/o Corporate Filing Services Ltd.,

P.O. Box 613, Harbour Centre,
George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-1107,
Cayman Islands

  D  +1 345  815 1749
  E  tommy.tuohy@ogier.com
   
  Reference: 427611.00001/TTU
   
     
    8 February 2024

 

Bit Digital, Inc. (Company)

 

We have acted as Cayman Islands legal advisers to the Company in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form S-8, including all amendments or supplements thereto (the Registration Statement), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act) to date relating to the issuance by the Company of up to 5,000,000 ordinary shares of the Company of par value US$0.01 each (the Shares) pursuant to the Company’s 2023 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan. This opinion is given in accordance with the terms of the legal matters section of the Registration Statement.

 

Unless a contrary intention appears, all capitalised terms used in this opinion have the respective meanings set forth in the Registration Statement. A reference to a Schedule is a reference to a schedule to this opinion and the headings herein are for convenience only and do not affect the construction of this opinion.

 

Documents examined

 

For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined a copy of the Registration Statement. In addition, we have examined the corporate and other documents listed in Schedule 1. We have not made any searches or enquiries concerning, and have not examined any documents entered into by or affecting the Company.

 

Assumptions

 

In giving this opinion we have relied upon the assumptions set forth in Schedule 2 without having carried out any independent investigation or verification in respect of those assumptions.

 

 

 

 

Opinions

 

On the basis of the examinations and assumptions referred to above and subject to the qualifications set forth in Schedule 3 and the limitations set forth below, we are of the opinion that:

 

Corporate status

 

a. The Company has been duly incorporated as an exempted company and is validly existing and in good standing with the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands (the Registrar).

 

Issue of Shares

 

b. The issue and allotment of the Shares has been authorised by all requisite corporate action of the Company and when allotted, issued and paid for as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Shares will be validly issued and allotted, fully paid and non-assessable. As a matter of Cayman Islands law, the Shares are only issued when they have been entered into the register of members of the Company.

 

Matters not covered

 

We offer no opinion as to any laws other than the laws of the Cayman Islands, and we have not, for the purposes of this opinion, made any investigation of the laws of any other jurisdiction, and we express no opinion as to the meaning, validity, or effect of references in the M&A (as defined below) or the Registration Statement to statutes, rules, regulations, codes or judicial authority of any jurisdiction other than the Cayman Islands.

 

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Governing law of this opinion

 

This opinion is:

 

(a) governed by, and shall be construed in accordance with, the laws of the Cayman Islands;

 

(b) limited to the matters expressly stated in it; and

 

(c) confined to, and given on the basis of, the laws and practice in the Cayman Islands at the date of this opinion.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, a reference to any specific Cayman Islands legislation is a reference to that legislation as amended to, and as in force at, the date of this opinion.

 

Consent

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm in the Registration Statement. In the giving of our consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Yours faithfully

 

/s/ Ogier (Cayman) LLP

 

Ogier (Cayman) LLP

 

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Schedule 1 

 

Documents examined

 

1The Certificate of Incorporation of the Company dated 17 February 2017 issued by the Registrar and the Certificates of Incorporation on Change of Name of the Company dated 25 May 2017 and 9 September 2020 issued by the Registrar (together, the Certificates of Incorporation).

 

2The amended and restated memorandum of association of the Company adopted by special resolution passed on 20 April 2021 as amended by an ordinary resolution dated 8 September 2021 (the Memorandum of Association).

 

3The amended and restated articles of association of the Company adopted by special resolution passed on 20 April 2021 (together with the Memorandum of Association, the M&A).

 

4A Certificate of Good Standing dated 7 February 2024 (the Good Standing Certificate) issued by the Registrar in respect of the Company.

 

5A certificate dated 8 February 2024 as to certain matters of fact signed by a director of the Company in the form annexed hereto (the Director’s Certificate), having attached to it the minutes of a meeting of the board of directors of the Company held on 29 January 2024 (the Board Minutes).

 

6The Registration Statement.

 

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Schedule 2

 

Assumptions

 

Assumptions of general application

 

1All original documents examined by us are authentic and complete.

 

2All copy documents examined by us (whether in facsimile, electronic or other form) conform to the originals and those originals are authentic and complete.

 

3All signatures, seals, dates, stamps and markings (whether on original or copy documents) are genuine.

 

4Each of the Certificates of Incorporation, the M&A, the Good Standing Certificate, the Director’s Certificate and the Board Minutes is accurate and complete as at the date of this opinion.

 

5The M&A is in full force and effect and has not been amended, varied, supplemented or revoked in any respect.

 

Status and Authorisation

 

6In authorising the issue and allotment of Shares, the directors of the Company have acted in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company and have exercised the standard of care, diligence and skill that is required of him or her.

 

7Any individuals who sign or have signed documents or give information on which we rely, have the legal capacity under all relevant laws (including the laws of the Cayman Islands) to sign such documents and give such information.

 

8None of the opinions expressed herein will be adversely affected by the laws or public policies of any jurisdiction other than the Cayman Islands. In particular, but without limitation to the previous sentence, the laws or public policies of any jurisdiction other than the Cayman Islands will not adversely affect the capacity or authority of the Company.

 

9There are no agreements, documents or arrangements (other than the documents expressly referred to in this opinion as having been examined by us) that materially affect or modify the Registration Statement or the transactions contemplated by it or restrict the powers and authority of the Company in any way.

 

Shares

 

10The Shares shall be issued at an issue price in excess of the par value thereof.

 

11The board of directors of the Company have not effected the reverse share split conditionally approved by shareholders at the Company’s annual general meeting held on 29 July 2022.

 

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Schedule 3 

 

Qualifications

 

Good Standing

 

1Under the Companies Act (Revised) (Companies Act) of the Cayman Islands annual returns in respect of the Company must be filed with the Registrar, together with payment of annual filing fees. A failure to file annual returns and pay annual filing fees may result in the Company being struck off the Register of Companies, following which its assets will vest in the Financial Secretary of the Cayman Islands and will be subject to disposition or retention for the benefit of the public of the Cayman Islands.

 

2In good standing means only that as of the date of the Good Standing Certificate the Company is up-to-date with the filing of its annual returns and payment of annual fees with the Registrar. We have made no enquiries into the Company’s good standing with respect to any filings or payment of fees, or both, that it may be required to make under the laws of the Cayman Islands other than the Companies Act.

 

3In this opinion the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to Shares, that a member of the Company shall not, by virtue of its status as a member of the Company, be liable for additional assessments or calls on the Shares by the Company or its creditors (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper use or other circumstance in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

 

 

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