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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) February 14, 2025

 

 

 

Fold Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-41168   86-2170416
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

11201 North Tatum Blvd., Suite 300, Unit 42035
Phoenix, Arizona
 
  85028
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(866) 365-3277

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

 

FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp.

2929 Arch Street, Suite 1703

Philadelphia, PA 19104

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Trading Symbol(s)     Name of each exchange on which registered  
Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share   FLDD   OTCQB Venture Market
Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share   FLDDW   OTCQB Venture Market

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company

 

If an emerging growth company, 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.

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

 

Unless the context otherwise requires, “we,” “us,” “our,” “Fold” and the “Company” refer to Fold Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (f/k/a FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp.), and its consolidated subsidiaries following the Closing (as defined below). Unless the context otherwise requires, references to “Emerald” refer to FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation, prior to the Closing. All references herein to the “Board” refer to the board of directors of the Company.

 

Terms used in this Current Report on Form 8-K (this “Report”) but not defined herein, or for which definitions are not otherwise incorporated by reference herein, shall have the meaning given to such terms in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus (as defined below) in the section entitled “Frequently Used Terms” beginning on page 2 thereof, and such definitions are incorporated herein by reference.

 

1

 

 

Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

Business Combination

 

As disclosed under the sections entitled “Proposal No. 1—The Business Combination Proposal,” “The Business Combination” and “The Merger Agreement” beginning on pages 131, 132 and 153, respectively, of the proxy statement/prospectus (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by Emerald on January 22, 2025, Emerald entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of July 24, 2024, with EMLD Merger Sub Inc., a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Emerald (“Merger Sub”), and Fold, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Legacy Fold”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub was merged with and into Legacy Fold, with Legacy Fold surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Business Combination” and, together with the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Transactions”).

 

Special Meeting and Closing of the Transactions

 

On February 13, 2025, Emerald held a special meeting in lieu of the 2024 annual meeting of the Emerald stockholders (the “Special Meeting”), at which the Emerald stockholders considered and adopted, among other matters, a proposal to approve the Business Combination, including (a) adopting the Merger Agreement and (b) approving the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and related agreements described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

 

Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, following the Special Meeting, on February 14, 2025 (the “Closing Date”), the Transactions were consummated (the “Closing”).

 

Item 2.01 of this Report discusses the consummation of the Transactions and the entry into agreements relating thereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement

 

In connection with the consummation of the Business Combination and as contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Fold, Emerald ESG Sponsor LLC (“ESG Sponsor”), Emerald ESG Advisors, LLC (“ESG Advisors”) and Emerald ESG Funding, LLC (“ESG Funding” and, collectively with ESG Sponsor and ESG Advisors, the “Sponsors”), certain stockholders of Legacy Fold and certain stockholders of Emerald (collectively, the “Registration Rights Holders”) entered into an Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of February 14, 2025 (the “A&R Registration Rights Agreement”).

 

Under the A&R Registration Rights Agreement, the Company is obligated to file a registration statement with the SEC to register the resale of (a) any shares of Common Stock held by a Registration Rights Holder as of the Closing and, to the extent acquired after the Closing and deemed to be a “restricted security” (as defined in Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act), any shares of Common Stock acquired following the Closing, and (b) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to any such share of Common Stock by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other reorganization or otherwise, in each case held by such Registration Rights Holder.

 

The Company agreed to, within 20 business days after the Closing, file with the SEC a shelf registration statement registering the resale of the Common Stock held by the Registration Rights Holders and use its commercially reasonable efforts to have such registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, but in no event later than 60 days following the filing deadline. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the A&R Registration Rights Agreement and subject to certain requirements and customary conditions, the Sponsor holders are entitled to three demand registrations and the Legacy Fold holders are entitled to six demand registrations; provided, however, the Company is not obligated to participate in more than four demand registrations in any twelve month period. Further, the Company is not obligated to participate in an underwritten offering if the aggregate gross proceeds from such offering are expected to be $25 million or less. The A&R Registration Rights Agreement also provides “piggy-back” registration rights to such stockholders and their permitted transferees, subject to certain requirements and customary conditions.

 

2

 

 

The foregoing description of the A&R Registration Rights Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the A&R Registration Rights Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement

 

As previously disclosed, concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Sponsors entered into the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement (the “Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement”) with Emerald. Pursuant to the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement, at the Closing, (i) all Private Placement Warrants were forfeited and cancelled, and (ii) approximately 5.3 million of the Sponsors’ founder shares (the “subject founder shares”) became subject to time-based transfer restrictions subject to early release as follows:

 

one-third of the subject founder shares shall remain subject to transfer restrictions until the earlier of (a) six months following the Closing or (b) the first date that the stock price exceeds $12.00 for 20 trading days of any consecutive 30 trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing;

 

one-third of the subject founder shares shall remain subject to transfer restrictions until the earlier of (a) (x) in the event that Emerald and Fold raise $50 million or more as of the Closing, one year following the Closing, and (y) in the event that Emerald and Fold raise less than $50 million as of the Closing, two years following the Closing, or (b) the first date that the stock price exceeds $15.00 for 20 trading days of any consecutive 30 trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing; and

 

one-third of the subject founder shares shall remain subject to transfer restrictions until the earlier of (a) ten years following the Closing or (b) the first date that the stock price exceeds $17.00 for 20 trading days of any consecutive 30 trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing.

 

In the event that the Company raises less than $50 million from the date of the Merger Agreement through February 14, 2027 (the second anniversary of the Closing), the Sponsors shall automatically forfeit for no additional consideration up to 1,000,000 subject founder shares.

 

Lock-Up Agreement

 

On February 14, 2025, in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination and as contemplated by that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of December 24, 2024 (the “December 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement”), by and between Legacy Fold and ATW Growth Opportunities SPV, LLC (the “Investor”), certain holders (collectively, the “Lock-Up Parties” and each a “Lock-Up Party”) of Common Stock, entered into a Lock-Up Agreements (the “Lock-Up Agreements”) pursuant to which they each agreed, subject to certain customary exceptions, not to (i) sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, any securities of any such Lock-Up Party (including, without limitation, any securities issued pursuant to the Business Combination Registration Statement, any Common Stock and/or any Common Stock Equivalents) (the “Securities”), or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to any Securities owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (respectively, each “Lock-Up Party’s Securities”), or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any such Lock-Up Party’s Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of any Securities, in cash or otherwise, (iii) make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any Securities (other than the Business Combination Registration Statement or as permitted pursuant to the A&R Registration Rights Agreement) or (iv) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing.

 

The Lock-Up Period under the Lock-Up Agreements shall terminate on August 14, 2025.

 

The foregoing descriptions of the December 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement and Lock-Up Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the December 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement and the Form of Lock-Up Agreement, respectively, which are filed as Exhibits 10.8 and 10.11, respectively, to this Report and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

The Form of Investor Notes and Form of Investor Warrants entered into pursuant to the December 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement are included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus as Annex I and Annex J thereto, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Amendment to Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement

 

On February 14, 2025, the Company and the Sponsors entered into an amendment to the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement (the “Amendment to the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement”) to release 450,000 restricted shares of the Company from the price based lockup found therein.

 

The foregoing description of the Amendment to the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendment to the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.18 to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

3

 

 

Item 2.01. Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

 

As described in Item 1.01 above, on February 13, 2025, Emerald held the Special Meeting, at which the Emerald stockholders considered and adopted, among other matters, a proposal to approve the Merger Agreement and the Transactions. On February 14, 2025, the Business Combination was consummated. In connection with the Closing, the Company changed its name from “FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp.” to “Fold Holdings, Inc.”

 

Holders of 3,304,183 shares of Emerald’s Class A Common Stock (the “Class A Common Stock”), sold in Emerald’s initial public offering (the “Initial Shares”) properly exercised their right to have such shares redeemed for a full pro rata portion of the trust account holding the proceeds from Emerald’s initial public offering, calculated as of two business days prior to the Closing, which was approximately $11.07 per share, or $36,576,096 in the aggregate.

 

As a result of the Business Combination, each share of Legacy Fold common stock (including shares issued or deemed to be issued upon conversion of Legacy Fold preferred stock and SAFEs) was converted into the right to receive approximately 82.5% of a share of Common Stock.

 

As a result of the Business Combination, each outstanding Fold RSU Award was converted into an award of restricted stock units covering a number of shares of Common Stock determined by multiplying (i) the number of shares of Legacy Fold common stock subject to the Fold RSU Award immediately prior to the consummation of the Business Combination by (ii) 82.5% (rounded down to the nearest whole share).

 

In connection with the Business Combination, pursuant to the terms of the December 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement, the December 2024 Initial Investor Note was converted into the New Fold Initial Investor Note, convertible into 1,739,130 shares of Common Stock.

 

In connection with the Business Combination, pursuant to the terms of the December 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement and in exchange for existing Legacy Fold warrants, Fold issued to the Investor (i) warrants exercisable for 869,565 shares of Common Stock with an exercise price of $12.50 per share, (ii) warrants exercisable for 500,000 shares of Common Stock with an effective exercise price of $0.001 per share, and (iii) warrants exercisable for 869,565 shares of Common Stock with an exercise price of $11.50 per share.

 

After giving effect to the Transactions and the redemption of Initial Shares as described above, there are currently 46,138,876 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding.

 

The Common Stock and warrants of the Company (“Warrants”) are expected to commence trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbols “FLD” and “FLDDW,” respectively, on or about February 19, 2025, subject to ongoing review of the Company’s satisfaction of all listing criteria following the Business Combination.

 

As noted above, an aggregate of approximately $36,576,096 was paid from the Company’s trust account to holders that properly exercised their right to have Initial Shares redeemed, and an aggregate of approximately $14,052,210 was paid from the Company’s Trust Account to cover expenses incurred by Legacy Fold and Emerald in connection with the Business Combination. The remaining balance immediately prior to the Closing of approximately $799,176 will be released to Fold for general corporate purposes.

 

4

 

 

FORM 10 INFORMATION

 

Item 2.01(f) of Form 8-K states that if the registrant was a shell company, as the Company was immediately before the closing of the Business Combination, then the registrant must disclose the information that would be required if the registrant were filing a general form for registration of securities on Form 10. As a result of the consummation of the Business Combination, and as discussed below in Item 5.06 of this Report, the Company has ceased to be a shell company. Accordingly, the Company is providing below the information that would be included in a Form 10 if it were to file a Form 10. Please note that the information provided below relates to the combined company after the consummation of the Business Combination, unless otherwise specifically indicated or the context otherwise requires.

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

Certain statements in this Report may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our, our management team, our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including those related to the Business Combination. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this Report and information incorporated herein by reference may include, for example, statements about: 

 

the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination;

 

the financial and business performance of Fold, including financial projections and business metrics and any underlying assumptions thereunder;

 

the ability to obtain and/or maintain the listing of Fold’s Common Stock and Warrants on Nasdaq following the Business Combination;

 

the potential liquidity and trading of our public securities;
  
changes in Fold’s strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans;
  
the implementation, market acceptance and success of Fold’s business model;
  
Fold’s ability to scale in a cost-effective manner;
  
developments and projections relating to Fold’s competitors and industry;
  
the impact of health epidemics on Fold’s business and the actions Fold may take in response thereto;
  
expectations regarding the time during which we will be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act;
  
Fold’s future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash;
  
Fold’s ability to obtain funding for its operations;
  
Fold’s business, expansion plans and opportunities;
  
Fold’s success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, officers, key employees or directors following the completion of the Business Combination;
  
the size of the addressable markets for Fold’s products and services;
  
Fold’s expectations regarding its ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection and not infringe on the rights of others; and
  
the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings.

 

5

 

 

These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this Report, and current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

 

As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include:

 

the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Fold following announcement of the proposed Business Combination and transactions contemplated thereby;
  
the ability to obtain or maintain the listing of Fold Common Stock on Nasdaq following the Business Combination;
  
the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the ability of Fold to grow and manage growth profitably;
  
changes in applicable laws or regulations;
  
the ability of Fold to execute its business model;
  
Fold’s ability to attract and retain customers and expand customers’ use of Fold’s products and services;
  
risks relating to the uncertainty of the projected financial and operating information with respect to Fold;
  
Fold’s ability to raise capital;
  
the possibility that Fold may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; and
  
other risks and uncertainties described in this proxy statement/prospectus, including those under the section in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 43 thereof.

 

Business

 

The business of the Company is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Information About Fold” beginning on page 194 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Risk Factors

 

The risks associated with the Company’s business are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 43 thereof and are incorporated herein by reference. A summary of the risks associated with the Company’s business are also described on pages 35-38 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus under the heading “Summary of Risk Factors” and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Financial Information

 

Consolidated Financial Statements

 

The unaudited condensed financial statements as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 of Legacy Fold set forth in Exhibit 99.1 hereto have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company.

 

Certain information or footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial reporting. These condensed financial statements and accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and accompanying notes for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of a normal recurring nature, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, operating results and cash flows for the periods presented. The interim results for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2024, or for any future periods.

 

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the historical audited consolidated financial statements of Legacy Fold as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 and the related notes included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, the section entitled “Fold Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” beginning on page 215 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included herein.

 

The audited consolidated financial statements of Legacy Fold as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 and the related notes are included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus beginning on page F-2 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

6

 

 

Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information

 

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023 is included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information” beginning on page 111 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 is set forth in Exhibit 99.2 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Management’s discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operation of Legacy Fold as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and for the year ended December 31, 2023 is included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Fold Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” beginning on page 215 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any period in the future. References in this section to “Fold,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” generally refer to Legacy Fold and its consolidated subsidiaries prior to the Business Combination and to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries after giving effect to the Business Combination.

 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

 

The following table sets forth information known to us regarding the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock immediately following consummation of the Transactions by:

 

each person who is the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock;

 

each of our named executive officers and directors; and

 

all of our executive officers and directors as a group.

 

Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, which generally provide that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power over that security, including options and warrants that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days. Except as described in the footnotes below and subject to applicable community property laws and similar laws, we believe that each person listed above has sole voting and investment power with respect to such shares. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o Fold Holdings, Inc., 11201 North Tatum Blvd., Suite 300, Unit 42035, Phoenix, Arizona 85028-6039.

 

The beneficial ownership of our Common Stock is based on 46,138,876 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately following consummation of the Transactions, including the redemption of Initial Shares as described above.

 

7

 

 

Beneficial Ownership Table        
Name of Beneficial Owners(1)  Number of
Shares of
Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
   Percentage of
Outstanding
Common Stock
 
5% Stockholders:          
Thesis, Inc.   4,127,542    8.95%
Craft Ventures II, L.P.   3,643,947    7.91%
Fulgur Frontier Capital LP   6,548,430    14.20%
Fulgur Ventures I, L.P.   4,360,345    9.45%
Emerald ESG Sponsor, LLC(2)   2,457,456    5.33%
Emerald ESG Advisors, LLC(2)   2,410,185    5.22%
Directors and Named Executive Officers:          
Will Reeves(3)   3,110,568    6.74%
Wolfe Repass(4)   259,505    * 
Nicolleta Goncalves(4)   132,479    * 
Thomas Dickman(4)   360,145    * 
Bracebridge H. Young Jr.        
Andrew Hohns        
Jonathan Kirkwood(5)   5,047,968    10.94%
Erez Simha        
Lesley Goldwasser        
Kirstin Hill        
           
Directors and executive officers as a group (10 individuals)   8,910,665    19.31%

 

*Less than one percent.

 

(1)Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of those listed in the table above is c/o 11201 N Tatum Blvd, Ste 300 #42035, Phoenix, AZ 85028-6039.

 

(2)Shares are held directly by Emerald ESG Sponsor, LLC and Emerald ESG Advisors, LLC, each of which is managed by Betsy Cohen. Each such entity or person disclaims any beneficial ownership of the reported shares other than to the extent of any pecuniary interest they may have therein, directly or indirectly. The business address of the persons noted is 2929 Arch Street, Suite 1703, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

 

(3)Represents shares of Fold Common Stock and Fold RSUs.

 

(4)Represents Fold RSUs.

 

(5)Consists of shares held by Ten31 Join the Fold LLC and LOW TIME PREFERENCE FUND II, LLC. Jonathan Kirkwood is the co-founder and managing partner of Ten31 Join the Fold LLC and LOW TIME PREFERENCE FUND II, LLC and disclaims beneficial ownership of all shares held by Ten31 Join the Fold LLC and LOW TIME PREFERENCE FUND II, LLC, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Company’s directors and executive officers effective as of the Closing are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Directors and Executive Officers After the Business Combination” beginning on page 253 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Directors

 

Pursuant to the approval of Emerald stockholders from the Special Meeting, the following persons will constitute the Company’s Board effective upon the Closing: Will Reeves, Lesley Goldwasser, Kirstin Hill, Andrew Hohns, Jonathan Kirkwood, Erez Simha and Bracebridge H. Young Jr. Jonathan Kirkwood will serve as Chairman of the Board. Biographical information for these individuals is set forth in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Directors and Executive Officers After the Business Combination” beginning on page 253, which is incorporated herein by reference. 

 

Independence of Directors

 

Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or any other individual having a relationship which, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has determined that each of the directors qualify as “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules, other than Will Reeves and Andrew Hohns. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

 

8

 

 

Committees of the Board of Directors

 

Effective as of the Closing, the standing committees of the Company’s Board consist of an audit committee (the “Audit Committee”), a compensation committee (the “Compensation Committee”) and a nominating and corporate governance committee (the “Nominating Committee”). Each of the committees report to the Board.

 

Effective as of the Closing, the Board appointed Ms. Goldwasser, Ms. Hill and Mr. Simha to serve on the Audit Committee, with Mr. Simha as chair. The Board appointed Dr. Kirkwood and Mr. Young to serve on the Compensation Committee, with Dr. Kirkwood as chair. The Board appointed Ms. Hill and Mr. Young to serve on the Nominating Committee, with Mr. Young as chair.

 

Nomination of Directors

 

Effective as of the Closing, the Company has a nominating and corporate governance committee of the Company’s Board consisting solely of independent directors. Pursuant to Nasdaq Rule 5605-6(e)(1), the nomination of directors shall be made, or recommended to the board of directors, by a Nominating Committee of the board of directors consisting solely of independent directors, or by a majority of independent directors.

 

Director Compensation

 

The compensation of Legacy Fold’s directors is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Director Compensation” beginning on page 213, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Executive Officers

 

Effective as of the Closing, Mr. Young resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and Douglas Listman resigned as Chief Financial Officer. Effective as of the Closing, the Board appointed Mr. Reeves to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Wolfe Repass to serve as Chief Financial Officer. Effective as of the Closing, the Board appointed Ms. Goncalves to serve as Vice President of Risk and Compliance and Mr. Dickman to serve as Chief Technology Officer. Biographical information for these individuals is set forth in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Directors and Executive Officers After the Business Combination” beginning on page 253, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Executive Compensation

 

The compensation of Legacy Fold’s executive officers is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Executive Compensation” beginning on page 210, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Compensation” beginning on page 213 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions

 

Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions

 

Certain relationships and related person transactions are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions” beginning on page 250 thereof and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Company’s risk management oversight is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Directors and Executive Officers After the Business Combination-Role of the New Fold Board in Risk Oversight/Risk Committee” beginning on page 256 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against Fold or any members of its management team in their capacity as such.

 

9

 

 

Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

 

Market Price and Dividend Information

 

The market price of and dividends on Emerald’s common equity, warrants and units and related stockholder matters is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the Section entitled “Ticker Symbol, Market Price and Dividend Policy” beginning on page 278 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

The Common Stock and Warrants are expected to commence trading on Nasdaq under the symbols “FLD” and “FLDDW,” respectively, on or about February 19, 2025, subject to ongoing review of the Company’s satisfaction of all listing criteria following the Business Combination. Emerald’s units ceased trading separately on OTCQB Venture Market (“OTC”) on February 14, 2025.

 

Holders of Record

 

As of the Closing and following the completion of the Transactions, including the redemption of Initial Shares, as described above, the Company had 46,138,876 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding held of record by 77 holders, no shares of preferred stock outstanding and 12,434,671 warrants outstanding held of record by one holder. Such amounts do not include DTC participants or beneficial owners holding shares through nominee names.

 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

 

Reference is made to the disclosures described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Proposal No. 5—The Equity Incentive Plan Proposal” and “Proposal No. 6—The Employee Stock Purchase Plan Proposal” beginning on page 181 and 186 thereof, which are incorporated herein by reference. As described below, the Fold Holdings, Inc. 2025 Incentive Award Plan (the “2025 Plan”) and the Fold Holdings, Inc. 2025 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”), including the authorization of the initial share reserves thereunder and annual increases thereto, were approved by Emerald’s stockholders at the Special Meeting.

 

Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered

 

The Company’s securities are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Description of Emerald’s Securities—New Fold Common Stock Following the Business Combination” beginning on page 262 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference. As described below, the Company’s Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was approved by Emerald’s stockholders at the Special Meeting and became effective as of the Closing.

 

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

The indemnification of our directors and officers is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Directors and Executive Officers After the Business Combination—Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers” beginning on page 260 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

 

Reference is made to the disclosure set forth under Item 4.01 of this Report relating to the change in the Company’s certifying accountant, which is incorporated herein by reference.

  

Item 3.03. Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.

 

The information set forth in Item 5.03 to this Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

10

 

 

Item 4.01. Changes in Registrant’s Certified Accountant.

 

Effective following the audit by WithumSmith+Brown, PC (“Withum”), Emerald’s independent registered public accounting firm prior to the Business Combination, of Emerald’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, on February 14, 2025, the Audit Committee approved the engagement of Marcum LLP (“Marcum”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements. Marcum served as the independent registered public accounting firm of Legacy Fold prior to the Business Combination. Accordingly, Withum was informed that it would be replaced by Marcum as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

 

Withum’s report on the Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2023 and for the period from February 19, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2023 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to audit scope or accounting principles.

 

In Withum’s report on the Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2023, Withum raised substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

 

During the period from February 19, 2021 (inception) through December 31, 2023 and the subsequent period through September 30, 2024, there were no: (i) disagreements with Withum on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosures or audited scope or procedures, which disagreements if not resolved to Withum’s satisfaction would have caused Withum to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with its report or (ii) reportable events as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

 

During the period from February 19, 2021 (inception) to December 31, 2023 and the interim period through September 30, 2024, the Company did not consult Marcum with respect to either (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed; or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s financial statements, and no written report or oral advice was provided to the Company by Marcum that Marcum concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; or (ii) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement, as that term is described in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the related instructions to Item 304 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act, or a reportable event, as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act.

 

The Company has provided Withum with a copy of the disclosures made by the Company in response to this Item 4.01 and has requested that Withum furnish the Company with a letter addressed to the SEC stating whether it agrees with the statements made by the registrant in response to this Item 304(a) and, if not, stating the respects in which it does not agree. A letter from Withum is attached as Exhibit 16.1 to this Report.

 

Item 5.01. Changes in Control of the Registrant.

 

The information set forth above under Item 1.01 and Item 2.01 of this Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

The information set forth above in the sections titled “Directors and Officers,” “Executive Compensation,” “Director Compensation,” “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” and “Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers” in Item 2.01 to this Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

2025 Incentive Award Plan

 

At the Special Meeting, the stockholders of Emerald considered and approved the 2025 Plan. The 2025 Plan was previously approved, subject to stockholder approval, by the board of directors of Emerald. The 2025 Plan became effective immediately upon the Closing. An aggregate number of shares equal to the sum of  (i) 10% of the fully-diluted shares of New Fold Common Stock as of the Closing (ii) the number of shares that remained available for issuance under Legacy Fold’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2019 Plan”) as of the Closing and (iii) the number of shares that were subject to awards under the 2019 Plan as of the Closing and which, following the Closing, became available for grant under the 2025 Plan, were initially reserved under the 2025 Plan.

 

A summary of the material terms of the 2025 Plan is included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Proposal No. 5—The Equity Incentive Plan Proposal” beginning on page 181 thereof, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such summary and

 

The foregoing descriptions are qualified in their entirety by the full text of the 2025 Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.4, and incorporated herein by reference.

 

2025 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

At the Special Meeting, the stockholders of Emerald considered and approved the ESPP. The ESPP was previously approved, subject to stockholder approval, by the board of directors of Emerald. The ESPP became effective immediately upon the Closing. A total of 922,778 shares of Common Stock were initially reserved under the ESPP.

 

A summary of the material terms of the ESPP is included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled “Proposal No. 6—The Employee Stock Purchase Plan Proposal” beginning on page 186 thereof, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such summary and the foregoing description are qualified in their entirety by the full text of the ESPP, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.5 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

11

 

 

Executive Severance Plan

 

On February 14, 2025, the Board adopted, effective as of the Closing, the Fold Holdings, Inc. Executive Severance Plan (the “Executive Severance Plan”). The Executive Severance Plan provides certain severance payments and benefits to employees with a title of Vice President or higher, who are selected by the Compensation Committee to participate, in the event of a Qualifying Termination (as defined below). The material terms and conditions of the Executive Severance Plan as they relate to Will Reeves (Chief Executive Officer), Wolfe Repass (Chief Financial Officer) and Nicolletta Goncalves (Vice President of Risk and Compliance), each of whom is a named executive officer (each, an “Executive”), are described below.

 

Under the Executive Severance Plan, in the event of an Executive’s termination of employment by the Company without “cause” or (for Messrs. Reeves and Repass) by the Executive for “good reason” (each as defined in the Executive Severance Plan) (each, a “Qualifying Termination”), the Executive will be eligible to receive the following payments and benefits:

 

(i)Continued payment of the Executive’s base salary for 12 months (for Mr. Reeves), nine months (for Mr. Repass) or six months (for Ms. Goncalves) following the Qualifying Termination.

 

(ii)Company-subsidized COBRA continuation for the Executive and his or her covered dependents for up to 12 months (for Mr. Reeves), nine months (for Mr. Repass) or six months (for Ms. Goncalves) following the Qualifying Termination.

 

(iii)Each outstanding Company equity award held by the Executive as of the date of the Qualifying Termination will be treated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable Company equity plan and award agreement governing such equity award.

 

In the event of the Executive’s Qualifying Termination during the 12-month period following the consummation of a “change in control” of the Company (as defined in the 2025 Plan or successor equity incentive plan) or, solely if such Qualifying Termination is at the request of the acquirer in the change in control or otherwise related to the change in control, during the three-month period prior to the consummation of such change in control, the Executive will be eligible to receive the following payments and benefits (in lieu of the payments and benefits described above):

 

(i)An amount equal to 18 months (for Mr. Reeves), 12 months (for Mr. Repass) or nine months (for Ms. Goncalves) of base salary, payable in a lump sum.

 

(ii)Company-subsidized COBRA continuation for the Executive and his or her covered dependents for up to 18 months (for Mr. Reeves), 12 months (for Mr. Repass) or nine months (for Ms. Goncalves) following the Qualifying Termination.

 

(iii)An amount equal to 150% (for Mr. Reeves), 100% (for Mr. Repass) or 75% (for Ms. Goncalves) of the Executive’s target annual cash performance bonus for the Company fiscal year in which such Qualifying Termination occurs, payable in a lump sum.

 

(iv)Except to the extent that the applicable Company equity plan or award agreement governing an equity award provides otherwise, full accelerated vesting of outstanding and unvested Company equity awards, with any performance goals applicable to such equity awards deemed achieved at target performance.

 

The Executive’s right to receive the applicable severance payments and benefits is subject to his or her execution, delivery, and, as applicable, non-revocation of a general release of claims in favor of the Company and its affiliates, and continued compliance with any applicable restrictive covenants.

 

Additionally, if any payments under the Executive Severance Plan, together with any other amounts paid to the Executive, would subject the Executive to an excise tax under Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code, such payments will be reduced to the extent that such reduction would produce a better net after-tax result for the Executive.

 

The foregoing summary of the Executive Severance Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Executive Severance Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.17 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

12

 

 

Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

On February 14, 2025, in connection with the consummation of the Transactions, the Company amended and restated its certificate of incorporation, effective as of the Closing (the “A&R Charter”), and amended and restated its bylaws (as amended, the “A&R Bylaws”) effective as of the Closing.

 

Copies of the A&R Charter and the A&R Bylaws are attached as Exhibit 3.1 and Exhibit 3.2 to this Report, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

The material terms of each of the A&R Charter and the A&R Bylaws and the general effect upon the rights of holders of the Company’s capital stock are included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus under the sections titled “Proposal No. 2—The Organizational Documents Proposal,” “Proposal No. 3—The Advisory Organizational Documents Proposal,” “Description of Fold’s Securities,” and “Comparison of Corporate Governance and Stockholders’ Rights” beginning on pages 176, 177, 262 and 275 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, respectively, which are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.05. Amendments to the Registrant’s Code of Ethics, or Waiver of a Provision of the Code of Ethics.

 

In connection with the Business Combination, on February 14, 2025, the Board approved and adopted a new Code of Business Ethics and Conduct applicable to all employees, officers and directors of the Company. A copy of the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct can be found at foldapp.com. The above description of the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Code of Business Ethics and Conduct, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 14.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.06. Change in Shell Company Status.

 

As a result of the Business Combination, the Company ceased to be a shell company. Reference is made to the disclosure in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the sections entitled “Proposal No. 1—The Business Combination Proposal” beginning on page 131 thereof, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 8.01. Other Events.

 

On February 14, 2025, the Company issued a press release announcing the completion of the Business Combination, a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99.3 hereto.

 

The information set forth in Item 8.01 (including Exhibit 99.3) shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statement and Exhibits.

 

(a) Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired.

 

The audited financial statements of Legacy Fold as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 and the related notes are included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus beginning on page F-2 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

The unaudited condensed financial statements of Legacy Fold as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 are set forth in Exhibit 99.1 hereto and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

(b) Pro forma financial information.

 

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company as of September 30, 2024 and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and for the year ended December 31, 2023 is filed as Exhibit 99.2 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

13

 

 

(c) Exhibits.

 

        Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit
Number
  Description   Form   Exhibit   Filing
Date
           
2.1*   Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 24, 2024, by and among FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., FTAC EMLD Merger Sub Inc. and Fold, Inc. (included as Annex A to the proxy statement/prospectus, which is a part of this Registration Statement).   S-4   2.1   10/7/24
           
3.1   Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Fold Holdings, Inc.            
           
3.2   Amended and Restated Bylaws of Fold Holdings, Inc.            
           
4.1   Specimen Common Stock Certificate.   S-4   4.6   1/14/25
           
4.2   Specimen Warrant Certificate.   S-4   4.7   1/14/25
           
4.3   Warrant Agreement, dated as of December 15, 2021, by and between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent.   8-K   4.1   12/21/21
           
10.1   Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of February 14, 2025, by and among the Company, certain stockholders of Emerald named therein and certain stockholders of Legacy Fold named therein.            
           
10.2   Form of Indemnification Agreement.            
           
10.3   Fold, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.            
           
10.4   Fold Holdings, Inc. 2025 Incentive Award Plan.            
           
10.5   Fold Holdings, Inc. 2025 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.            

 

14

 

 

        Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit
Number
  Description   Form   Exhibit   Filing
Date
         
10.6   Form of Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant under the Fold, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.            
                 
10.7   Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of December 24, 2024, by and between Fold, Inc. and ATW Growth Opportunities SPV, LLC.            
                 
10.8   Form of Registration Rights Agreement.            
                 
10.9   Form of Perfection Certificate.            
         
10.10   Form Lock-Up Agreement.            
                 
10.11   Offer Letter, dated as of August, 20, 2019, by and between Fold, Inc. and Will Reeves.            
         
10.12

 

Offer Letter Amendment, dated as of March 23, 2021, by and between Fold, Inc. and Will Reeves.      
         
10.13   Offer Letter, dated as of March 26, 2021, by and between Fold, Inc. and Wolfe Repass.            
         
10.14   Promotion Letter, dated as of May 19, 2022, by and between Fold, Inc. and Wolfe Repass.      
         
10.15  

Offer Letter, dated as of December 15, 2021, by and between Fold, Inc. and Nicolleta Goncalves.

           
                 
10.16   Fold Holdings, Inc. Non-Employee Director Compensation Program.            
                 
10.17   Fold Holdings, Inc. Executive Severance Plan            
                 
10.18   Amendment to the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement, dated as of February 14, 2025, by and among FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., Emerald ESG Sponsor, LLC and Emerald ESG Advisors LLC.            
         
14.1   Code of Conduct of Fold Holdings, Inc.            
         
16.1   Letter from Withum to the Securities and Exchange Commission.            
         
21.1   Subsidiaries of the Company.            
         
99.1   Unaudited condensed financial statements of Legacy Fold for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.            
         
99.2   Unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of the Company for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.            
         
99.3   Press Release dated February 14, 2025.            
         
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).            

 

*Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this Exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(a)(5). The Company agrees to furnish a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the SEC upon its request.

 

15

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  Fold Holdings, Inc.
     
Date: February 14, 2025 By: /s/ Will Reeves
  Name:  Will Reeves
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

16

Exhibit 3.1

 

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

FOLD HOLDINGS, INC.

 

FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), DOES HEREBY CERTIFY AS FOLLOWS:

 

1. The name of the Corporation is “FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp.”

 

2. The original Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (f/k/a Emerald ESG Acquisition Corp.) was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on February 19, 2021 (the “Original Certificate”).

 

3. An Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “First Amended and Restated Certificate”), which amended and restated the Original Certificate in its entirety, was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on May 6, 2021. A Certificate of Amendment to the First Amended and Restated Certificate was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 15, 2021 to change the name of the Corporation to FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp. (together with the First Amended and Restated Certificate, the “First Amended Certificate”).

 

4. A Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Second Amended and Restated Certificate”), which amended and restated the First Amended Certificate in its entirety, was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 15, 2021. The Second Amended and Restated Certificate was subsequently amended by Certificate of Amendments filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 19, 2023 and January 19, 2024 (together with the Second Amended and Restated Certificate, the “Second Amended Certificate”).

 

5. This Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (this “Third Amended and Restated Certificate”), which both restates and amends the provisions of the Second Amended Certificate, was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) and the stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

6. This Third Amended and Restated Certificate shall become effective on the date of filing with the Secretary of State of Delaware.

 

7. Certain capitalized terms used in this Third Amended and Restated Certificate are defined where appropriate herein.

 

  

 

 

8. The text of the Second Amended Certificate is hereby restated and amended in its entirety to read as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
NAME

 

The name of the corporation is Fold Holdings, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

 

ARTICLE II
REGISTERED OFFICE AND AGENT

 

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware, and the name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

 

ARTICLE III
PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) as it now exists or may hereafter be amended and supplemented.

 

ARTICLE IV
CAPITAL STOCK

 

The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “Common Stock” and “Preferred Stock.” The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 620,000,000. The total number of shares of Common Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 600,000,000, having a par value of $0.0001 per share, and the total number of shares of Preferred Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 20,000,000, having a par value of $0.0001 per share. Upon the filing of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate, each outstanding share of Class A common stock and Class B common stock shall be redesignated as Common Stock.

 

The Corporation has the authority to create and issue rights, warrants and options entitling the holders thereof to acquire from the Corporation any shares of its capital stock of any class or classes, with such rights, warrants and options to be evidenced by or in instrument(s) approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”). The Board of Directors is empowered to set the exercise price, duration, times for exercise and other terms and conditions of such rights, warrants or options; provided, however, that the consideration to be received for any shares of capital stock issuable upon exercise thereof may not be less than the par value thereof.

 

The designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation are as follows:

 

A. COMMON STOCK.

 

1. General. The voting, dividend, liquidation, and other rights and powers of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of any series of Preferred Stock as may be designated by the Board of Directors and outstanding from time to time.

 

2

 

 

2. Voting.

 

a.Except as otherwise provided herein or expressly required by law, each holder of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to vote on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders and shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote on such matter.

 

b.Except as otherwise provided herein (including any Certificate of Designation) or otherwise required by law or a stockholder agreement, the holders of the shares of Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power with respect to the Corporation, and at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, holders of the Common Stock shall have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and on all other matters properly submitted to a vote of the stockholders.

 

c.Except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (this “Third Amended and Restated Certificate”) (including any Certificate of Designation (as defined below)) that relates solely to the rights, powers, preferences (or the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof) or other terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Third Amended and Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation) or pursuant to the DGCL.

 

Subject to the rights of any holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

 

3. Dividends. Subject to applicable law and the rights and preferences of any holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the holders of Common Stock, shall be entitled to the payment of dividends on the Common Stock when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors in accordance with applicable law.

 

4. Liquidation. Subject to the rights and preferences of any holders of any shares of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, the funds and assets of the Corporation that may be legally distributed to the Corporation’s stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of the then outstanding Common Stock pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder.

 

3

 

 

B.  PREFERRED STOCK

 

Shares of Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated or expressed herein and in the resolution or resolutions providing for the creation and issuance of such series adopted by the Board of Directors as hereinafter provided.

 

Authority is hereby expressly granted to the Board of Directors from time to time to issue the Preferred Stock in arm’s length transactions in a commercially reasonable manner in one or more series, and in connection with the creation of any such series, by adopting a resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of the shares thereof and by filing a certificate of designation relating thereto in accordance with the DGCL (a “Certificate of Designation”), to determine and fix the number of shares of such series and such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, and to increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any series as shall be stated and expressed in such resolutions, all to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the creation and issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to any other series of Preferred Stock to the fullest extent permitted by law and this Third Amended and Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation). Except as otherwise required by law, holders of any series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled only to such voting rights, if any, as shall expressly be granted thereto by this Third Amended and Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation).

 

The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

 

ARTICLE V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation it is further provided that:

 

A. The directors of the Corporation shall be classified with respect to the time for which they severally hold office into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible and designated as Class I, Class II and Class III. The initial Class I directors shall serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of the stockholders following the date of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate; the initial Class II directors shall serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of the stockholders following the date of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate; and the initial Class III directors shall serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting following the date of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate. At each annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation beginning with the first annual meeting of the stockholders following the date of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate, the successors of the class of directors whose term expires at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of the stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. Each director shall hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to Class I, Class II and Class III. Nothing herein or in paragraph C of this Article V shall limit the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors.

 

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B. Except as otherwise expressly provided by the DGCL or this Third Amended and Restated Certificate, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. The number of directors that shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be fixed exclusively by one or more resolutions adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors. Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote thereon.

 

C. The Board of Directors or any individual director may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two thirds (66 and 2/3%) of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at an election of directors.

 

D. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, except as otherwise provided by law, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, retirement, removal or other causes and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors shall be filled exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director (other than any directors elected by the separate vote of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock), and shall not be filled by the stockholders. Any director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the class to which such director shall have been appointed or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, or removal.

 

E. Whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article V, the number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to paragraph B of this Article V, and the total number of directors constituting the whole Board of Directors shall be automatically adjusted accordingly. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Designation(s) in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such Certificate of Designation(s), the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate (in which case each such director thereupon shall cease to be qualified as, and shall cease to be, a director) and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be reduced accordingly.

 

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F. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation (as amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Bylaws”). In addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by applicable law or by this Third Amended and Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock) or the Bylaws of the Corporation, the adoption, amendment or repeal of the Bylaws of the Corporation by the stockholders of the Corporation shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (66 and 2/3%) of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in an election of directors.

 

G. The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws so provide.

 

ARTICLE VI
STOCKHOLDERS

 

A. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, and shall not be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, to the extent expressly so provided by the applicable Certificate of Designation relating to such series of Preferred Stock, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant series of Preferred Stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL.

 

B. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called, for any purpose or purposes, at any time only by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or President, and shall not be called by any other person or persons.

 

C. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of other business proposed to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

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ARTICLE VII
LIABILITY

 

No director or officer of the Corporation shall have any personal liability to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or hereafter may be amended. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VII, or the adoption of any provision of the Third Amended and Restated Certificate inconsistent with this Article VII, shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of the Corporation with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, repeal, modification or adoption. If the DGCL is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article VII to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of a director or officer of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended.

 

ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION

 

The Corporation shall have the power to provide rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses to its current and former officers, directors, employees and agents and to any person who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.

 

ARTICLE IX
FORUM SELECTION

 

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, (a) the Court of Chancery (the “Chancery Court”) of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or stockholder of the Corporation to the Corporation or to the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action, suit or proceeding arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Bylaws or this Third Amended and Restated Certificate (as either may be amended from time to time) or (iv) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine; and (b) subject to the preceding provisions of this Article IX, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause or causes of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including all causes of action asserted against any defendant to such complaint. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence is filed in a court other than the courts in the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the provisions of clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence and (y) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.

 

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Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article IX. This Article IX is intended to benefit and may be enforced by the Corporation, its officers and directors, the underwriters to any offering giving rise to such complaint, and any other professional or entity whose profession gives authority to a statement made by that person or entity and who has prepared or certified any part of the documents underlying the offering. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Article IX shall not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any other claim for which the federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction.

 

If any provision or provisions of this Article IX shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever, (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article IX (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Article IX containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS

 

A. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Third Amended and Restated Certificate to the contrary, in addition to any vote required by applicable law, the following provisions in this Third Amended and Restated Certificate may be amended, altered, repealed or rescinded, in whole or in part, or any provision inconsistent therewith or herewith may be adopted, only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (66 and 2/3%) of the total voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class: Article IV, Article V, Article VI, Article VII, Article VIII, Article IX, and this Article X.

 

B. If any provision or provisions of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the provisions of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Third Amended and Restated Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Third Amended and Restated Certificate has been executed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation as of the date first set forth above.

 

   
  Name:  Will Reeves
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation]

 

 

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Exhibit 3.2

 

Final Form

 

Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of

Fold Holdings, Inc.

(a Delaware corporation)

 

Article I - Corporate Offices

 

1.1 Registered Office.

 

The address of the registered office of Fold Holdings, Inc. (the “Corporation”) in the State of Delaware, and the name of its registered agent at such address, shall be as set forth in the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation, as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time (the “Certificate of Incorporation”).

 

1.2 Other Offices.

 

The Corporation may have additional offices at any place or places, within or outside the State of Delaware, as the Corporation’s board of directors (the “Board”) may from time to time establish or as the business and affairs of the Corporation may require.

 

Article II - Meetings of Stockholders

 

2.1 Place of Meetings.

 

Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place, within or outside the State of Delaware, designated by the Board as permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders may be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the DGCL. In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office, whether within or outside of the State of Delaware.

 

2.2 Annual Meeting.

 

The Board shall designate the date and time of the annual meeting. At the annual meeting, the stockholders entitled to vote on such matters shall elect those directors of the Corporation to fill any term of a directorship that expires on the date of such annual meeting and may transact any other business as may properly be brought before the meeting in accordance with Section 2.4. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled annual meeting of stockholders.

 

2.3 Special Meeting.

 

Special meetings of the stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called only by such persons and only in such manner as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation. No business may be transacted at any special meeting of stockholders other than the business specified in the notice of such meeting. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders.

 

 

 

2.4 Notice of Business to be Brought before a Meeting.

 

(a) At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board, (ii) if not specified in a notice of meeting, otherwise brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board or the Chairman of the Board or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder present in person who (A) (1) was a record owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.4 and at the time of the meeting, (2) is entitled to vote at the meeting and (3) has complied with this Section 2.4 in all applicable respects or (B) properly made such proposal in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the “Exchange Act”). The foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders. The only matters that may be brought before a special meeting are the matters specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling the meeting pursuant to Section 2.3, and stockholders shall not be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders. For purposes of this Section 2.4, “present in person” shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the annual meeting of the Corporation, or a qualified representative of such proposing stockholder, appear at such annual meeting. A “qualified representative” of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board must comply with Section 2.5, and this Section 2.4 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 2.5.

 

(b) For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.4. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if no annual meeting was held in the preceding year, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Corporation; provided, further, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not more than the hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Corporation (such notice within such time periods, “Timely Notice”). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of Timely Notice as described above.

 

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(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.4, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary of the Corporation shall set forth:

 

(i) As to each Proposing Person (as defined below), (A) the name and address of such Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address that appear on the Corporation’s books and records); and (B) the class or series and number of shares of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such Proposing Person, except that such Proposing Person shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future; (C) the date or dates such shares were acquired; (D) the investment intent of such acquisition and (E) any pledge by such Proposing Person with respect to any such shares (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (E) are referred to as “Stockholder Information”);

 

(ii) As to each Proposing Person, (A) the full notional amount of any securities that, directly or indirectly, underlie any “derivative security” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a “call equivalent position” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) (“Synthetic Equity Position”) and that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by such Proposing Person with respect to any shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation; provided that, for the purposes of the definition of “Synthetic Equity Position,” the term “derivative security” shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a “derivative security” as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further, that any Proposing Person satisfying the requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be deemed to hold or maintain the notional amount of any securities that underlie a Synthetic Equity Position held by such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Person’s business as a derivatives dealer, (B) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (C) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding in which such Proposing Person is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation, (D) any other material relationship between such Proposing Person, on the one hand, and the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation, on the other hand, (E) any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement of such Proposing Person with the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), (F) a representation that such Proposing Person intends or is part of a group that intends to deliver a proxy statement or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such proposal and (G) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (G) are referred to as “Disclosable Interests”); provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and

 

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(iii) As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the bylaws, the language of the proposed amendment), and (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder; and (D) any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the disclosures required by this Section 2.4(c)(iii) shall not include any disclosures with respect to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner.

 

For purposes of this Section 2.4, the term “Proposing Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii) - (vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation.

 

(d) The Board may request that any Proposing Person furnish such additional information as may be reasonably required by the Board. Such Proposing Person shall provide such additional information within ten (10) days after it has been requested by the Board. A Proposing Person shall update and supplement its notice to the Corporation of its intent to propose business at an annual meeting, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these bylaws shall not limit the Corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.

 

(e) Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting that is not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4. The presiding officer of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that the business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

 

(f) This Section 2.4 is expressly intended to apply to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders other than any proposal made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the Corporation’s proxy statement. In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.4 with respect to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, each Proposing Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such business. Nothing in this Section 2.4 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

 

(g) For purposes of these bylaws, “public disclosure” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

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2.5 Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board.

 

(a) Nominations of any person for election to the Board at an annual meeting or at a special meeting (but only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting) may be made at such meeting only (i) by or at the direction of the Board, including by any committee or persons authorized to do so by the Board or these bylaws, or (ii) by a stockholder present in person (A) who was a record owner of shares of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.5 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 2.5 as to such notice and nomination. For purposes of this Section 2.5, “present in person” shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the meeting of the Corporation, or a qualified representative of such stockholder, appear at such meeting. A “qualified representative” of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders. The foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting or special meeting.

 

(b) (i) Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (1) provide Timely Notice (as defined in Section 2.4) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation, (2) provide the information, agreements and questionnaires with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required to be set forth by this Section 2.5 and (3) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5.

 

(ii) Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling a special meeting, then for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at a special meeting, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (ii) provide the information with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required by this Section 2.5 and (iii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice for nominations to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of the date of such special meeting was first made.

 

(iii) In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(iv) In no event may a Nominating Person (as defined below) provide Timely Notice with respect to a greater number of director candidates than are subject to election by shareholders at the applicable meeting. If the Corporation shall, subsequent to such notice, increase the number of directors subject to election at the meeting, such notice as to any additional nominees shall be due on the later of (i) the conclusion of the time period for Timely Notice, (ii) the date set forth in Section 2.5(b)(ii) or (iii) the tenth (10th) day following the date of public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of such increase.

 

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(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.5, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary of the Corporation shall set forth:

 

(i)As to each Nominating Person, the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(i), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5, the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(i));

 

(ii)As to each Nominating Person, any Disclosable Interests (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(ii), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5, the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(ii) and the disclosure with respect to the business to be brought before the meeting in Section 2.4(c)(ii) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting);

 

(iii)As to each Nominating Person, a representation that the Nominating Person will or is part of a group that will (A) solicit proxies from holders of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock representing at least 67% of the voting power of shares of capital stock entitled to vote on the election of directors, (B) include a statement to that effect in its proxy statement and/or its form of proxy, (C) otherwise comply with Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act and (D) provide the Secretary of the Corporation not less than five (5) business days prior to the applicable meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, with reasonable documentary evidence that such Nominating Person complied with such representations; and

 

(iv)As to each candidate whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (A) all information with respect to such candidate for nomination that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 if such candidate for nomination were a Nominating Person, (B) all information relating to such candidate for nomination that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such candidate’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement and accompanying proxy card relating to the Corporation’s next meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected), (C) a description of any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each candidate for nomination or his or her respective associates or any other participants in such solicitation, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the candidate for nomination were a director or executive officer of such registrant and (D) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided in Section 2.5(f).

 

For purposes of this Section 2.5, the term “Nominating Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made, and (iii) any other participant in such solicitation.

 

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(d) The Board may request that any Nominating Person furnish such additional information as may be reasonably required by the Board. Such Nominating Person shall provide such additional information within ten (10) days after it has been requested by the Board. A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these bylaws shall not limit the Corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any nomination or to submit any new nomination.

 

(e) In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.5 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.5, unless otherwise required by law, (i) no Nominating Person shall solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Corporation’s nominees unless such Nominating Person has complied with Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act in connection with the solicitation of such proxies, including the provision to the Corporation of notices required thereunder in a timely manner and (ii) if any Nominating Person (1) provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) subsequently fails to comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(2) and Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act, including the provision to the Corporation of notices required thereunder in a timely manner, or fails to timely provide reasonable evidence sufficient to satisfy the Corporation that such Nominating Person has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act in accordance with the following sentence, then the nomination of each such proposed nominee shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that the nominee is included as a nominee in the Corporation’s proxy statement, notice of meeting or other proxy materials for any meeting (or any supplement thereto) and notwithstanding that proxies or votes in respect of the election of such proposed nominees may have been received by the Corporation (which proxies and votes shall be disregarded). If any Nominating Person provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act, such Nominating Person shall deliver to the Corporation, no later than five (5) business days prior to the applicable meeting, reasonable evidence that it has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

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(f) To be eligible to be a candidate for election as a director of the Corporation at an annual or special meeting, a candidate must be nominated in the manner prescribed in this Section 2.5 and the candidate for nomination, whether nominated by the Board or by a stockholder of record, must have previously delivered (in accordance with the time period prescribed for delivery in a notice to such candidate given by or on behalf of the Board), to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (i) a completed written questionnaire (in a form provided by the Corporation) with respect to the background, qualifications, stock ownership and independence of such proposed nominee and (ii) a written representation and agreement (in form provided by the Corporation) that such candidate for nomination (A) is not and, if elected as a director during his or her term of office, will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given and will not give any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such proposed nominee’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (B) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation or reimbursement for service as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation and (C) if elected as a director of the Corporation, will comply with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and trading and other policies and guidelines of the Corporation applicable to directors and in effect during such person’s term in office as a director (and, if requested by any candidate for nomination, the Secretary of the Corporation shall provide to such candidate for nomination all such policies and guidelines then in effect).

 

(g) The Board may also require any proposed candidate for nomination as a director to furnish such other information as may reasonably be requested by the Board in writing prior to the meeting of stockholders at which such candidate’s nomination is to be acted upon in order for the Board to determine the eligibility of such candidate for nomination to be an independent director of the Corporation in accordance with the Corporation’s corporate governance guidelines.

 

(h) A candidate for nomination as a director shall further update and supplement the materials delivered pursuant to this Section 2.5, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (or any other office specified by the Corporation in any public announcement) not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these bylaws shall not limit the Corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.

 

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(i) No candidate shall be eligible for nomination as a director of the Corporation unless such candidate for nomination and the Nominating Person seeking to place such candidate’s name in nomination has complied with this Section 2.5. The presiding officer at the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that a nomination was not properly made in accordance with Section 2.5, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare such determination to the meeting, the defective nomination shall be disregarded and any ballots cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the ballots cast for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect.

 

(j) Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, no candidate for nomination shall be eligible to be seated as a director of the Corporation unless nominated and elected in accordance with this Section 2.5.

 

(k) In addition to the provisions of this Section 2.5, a stockholder shall also comply with all of the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth herein.

 

2.6 Notice of Stockholders’ Meetings.

 

Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, the notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 8.1 not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting. The notice shall specify the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.

 

2.7 Quorum.

 

Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the stockholders. A quorum, once established at a meeting, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. If, however, a quorum is not present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, then either (i) the person presiding over the meeting or (ii) a majority in voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall have power to recess the meeting or adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 2.8 until a quorum is present or represented. At any recessed or adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed.

 

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2.8 Adjourned Meeting; Notice.

 

When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, unless these bylaws otherwise require, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time, place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken or are provided in any other manner permitted by the DGCL. At any adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board shall fix as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date so fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting.

 

2.9 Conduct of Business.

 

The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the person presiding over the meeting. The Board may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board, the person presiding over any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures (which need not be in writing) and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present (including, without limitation, rules and procedures for removal of disruptive persons from the meeting); (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the person presiding over the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting (including, without limitation, determinations with respect to the administration and/or interpretation of any of the rules, regulations or procedures of the meeting, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting), shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter of business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare to the meeting and any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the person presiding over the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

 

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2.10 Voting.

 

Except as may be otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these bylaws or the DGCL, each stockholder shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder.

 

Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, at all duly called or convened meetings of stockholders at which a quorum is present, for the election of directors, a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect a director. Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, these bylaws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or applicable law or pursuant to any regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, each other matter presented to the stockholders at a duly called or convened meeting at which a quorum is present shall be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes) on such matter.

 

2.11 Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes.

 

In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is first given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting; and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.

 

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In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment or any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of capital stock, or for the purposes of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

2.12 Proxies.

 

Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy authorized by an instrument in writing or by a transmission permitted by law, including Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act, filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212 of the DGCL. A proxy may be in the form of an electronic transmission which sets forth or is submitted with information from which it can be determined that the transmission was authorized by the stockholder.

 

Any stockholder directly or indirectly soliciting proxies from other stockholders must use a proxy card color other than white, which shall be reserved for the exclusive use by the Board.

 

2.13 List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote.

 

The Corporation shall prepare, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, that if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth (10th) day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. The Corporation shall not be required to include electronic mail addresses or other electronic contact information on such list. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting: (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting date, or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the Corporation’s principal executive office. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then the list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. Such list shall presumptively determine the identity of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and the number of shares held by each of them. Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the list of stockholders required by this Section 2.13 or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

 

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2.14 Inspectors of Election.

 

Before any meeting of stockholders, the Corporation shall appoint an inspector or inspectors of election to act at the meeting or its adjournment and make a written report thereof. The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If any person appointed as inspector or any alternate fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, then the person presiding over the meeting shall appoint a person to fill that vacancy.

 

Such inspectors shall:

 

(i)determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the number of shares represented at the meeting and the validity of any proxies and ballots;

 

(ii)count all votes or ballots;

 

(iii)count and tabulate all votes;

 

(iv)determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspector(s); and

 

(v)certify its or their determination of the number of shares represented at the meeting and its or their count of all votes and ballots.

 

Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of inspector, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspection with strict impartiality and according to the best of such inspector’s ability. Any report or certificate made by the inspectors of election is prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein. The inspectors of election may appoint such persons to assist them in performing their duties as they determine.

 

2.15 Delivery to the Corporation.

 

Whenever this Article II requires one or more persons (including a record or beneficial owner of stock) to deliver a document or information to the Corporation or any officer, employee or agent thereof (including any notice, request, questionnaire, revocation, representation or other document or agreement), such document or information shall be in writing exclusively (and not in an electronic transmission) and shall be delivered exclusively by hand (including, without limitation, overnight courier service) or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, and the Corporation shall not be required to accept delivery of any document not in such written form or so delivered. For the avoidance of doubt, the Corporation expressly opts out of Section 116 of the DGCL with respect to the delivery of information and documents to the Corporation required by this Article II.

 

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Article III - Directors

 

3.1 Powers.

 

Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation or the DGCL, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board.

 

3.2 Number of Directors.

 

Subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, the total number of directors constituting the Board shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board. Subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, no reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before that director’s term of office expires.

 

3.3 Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors.

 

Except as provided in Section 3.4, and subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship, shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the class, if any, for which elected and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. Directors need not be stockholders or residents of the State of Delaware. The Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws may prescribe qualifications for directors.

 

3.4 Resignation and Vacancies.

 

Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation. The resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein or upon the happening of an event specified therein, and if no time or event is specified, at the time of its receipt. When one or more directors so resigns and the resignation is effective at a future date or upon the happening of an event to occur on a future date, unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, a majority of the directors then in office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective, and each director so chosen shall hold office as provided in Section 3.3.

 

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of any director, and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors shall be filled only by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.

 

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3.5 Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone.

 

The Board may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, members of the Board, or any committee designated by the Board, may participate in a meeting of the Board, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting pursuant to this bylaw shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

3.6 Regular Meetings.

 

Regular meetings of the Board may be held within or outside the State of Delaware and at such time and at such place as which has been designated by the Board and publicized among all directors, either orally or in writing, by telephone, including a voice-messaging system or other system designed to record and communicate messages, facsimile, electronic mail or by other means of electronic transmission. No further notice shall be required for regular meetings of the Board.

 

3.7 Special Meetings; Notice.

 

Special meetings of the Board for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the chairperson of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Secretary of the Corporation or a majority of the total number of directors constituting the Board.

 

Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be:

 

(i)delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone;

 

(ii)sent by United States first-class mail, postage prepaid;

 

(iii)sent by facsimile or electronic mail; or

 

(iv)sent by other means of electronic transmission, directed to each director at that director’s address, telephone number, facsimile number or electronic mail address, or other address for electronic transmission, as the case may be, as shown on the Corporation’s records.

 

If the notice is (i) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone, (ii) sent by facsimile or electronic mail, or (iii) sent by other means of electronic transmission, it shall be delivered or sent at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is sent by U.S. mail, it shall be deposited in the U.S. mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting (if the meeting is to be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office) nor the purpose of the meeting.

 

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3.8 Quorum.

 

At all meetings of the Board, unless otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, a majority of the total number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.

 

3.9 Board Action without a Meeting.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission. After an action is taken, the consent or consents relating thereto shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board, or the committee thereof, in the same paper or electronic form as the minutes are maintained. Such action by written consent or consent by electronic transmission shall have the same force and effect as a unanimous vote of the Board.

 

3.10 Organization.

 

Meetings of the Board shall be presided over by (a) the Chairperson of the Board, or (b) in such person’s absence, by the Chief Executive Officer, or (c) in such person’s absence, by a chairperson chosen by the Board at the meeting. The Secretary shall act as the secretary of the meeting, but in such person’s absence the chairperson of the meeting may appoint any person to act as the secretary of the meeting.

 

3.11 Fees and Compensation of Directors.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, the Board shall have the authority to fix the compensation, including fees and reimbursement of expenses, of directors for services to the Corporation in any capacity.

 

Article IV - Committees

 

4.1 Committees of Directors.

 

The Board may designate one (1) or more committees, each committee to consist, of one (1) or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board or in these bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority to (i) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (ii) adopt, amend or repeal any bylaw of the Corporation.

 

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4.2 Committee Minutes.

 

Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board when required.

 

4.3 Meetings and Actions of Committees.

 

Meetings and actions of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of:

 

(i)Section 3.5 (place of meetings; meetings by telephone);

 

(ii)Section 3.6 (regular meetings);

 

(iii)Section 3.7 (special meetings; notice);

 

(iv)Section 3.9 (board action without a meeting); and

 

(v)Section 7.13 (waiver of notice),

 

with such changes in the context of those bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board and its members; provided, however, that:

 

(i)the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board or by resolution of the committee;

 

(ii)special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board or the chairperson of the applicable committee; and

 

(iii)the Board may adopt rules for the governance of any committee to override the provisions that would otherwise apply to the committee pursuant to this Section 4.3, provided that such rules do not violate the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law.

 

4.4 Subcommittees.

 

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these bylaws or the resolutions of the Board designating the committee, a committee may create one (1) or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one (1) or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.

 

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Article V - Officers

 

5.1 Officers.

 

The officers of the Corporation shall include a Chief Executive Officer, a President and a Secretary. The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board, a Chairperson of the Board, a Vice Chairperson of the Board, a Chief Financial Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, a Treasurer, one (1) or more Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Treasurers, one (1) or more Assistant Secretaries, and any such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. No officer need be a stockholder or director of the Corporation. Each officer of the Corporation shall hold office for such term as may be prescribed by the Board and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

 

5.2 Appointment of Officers.

 

The Board shall appoint the officers of the Corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3.

 

5.3 Subordinate Officers.

 

The Board may appoint, or empower the Chief Executive Officer or, in the absence of a Chief Executive Officer, the President, to appoint, such other officers and agents as the business of the Corporation may require. Each of such officers and agents shall hold office for such period, have such authority, and perform such duties as are provided in these bylaws or as the Board may from time to time determine.

 

5.4 Removal and Resignation of Officers.

 

Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board or, except in the case of an officer chosen by the Board, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board.

 

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of resignation, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. If a resignation is made effective at a later date and the Corporation accepts the future effective date, the Board may fill the pending vacancy before the effective date if the Board provides that the successor shall not take office until the effective date. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.

 

5.5 Vacancies in Offices.

 

Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board or as provided in Section 5.2.

 

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5.6 Representation of Shares of Other Corporations.

 

The Chairperson of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, or the President of the Corporation, or any other person authorized by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, is authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of the Corporation all rights incident to any and all shares or voting securities of any other corporation or other person standing in the name of the Corporation. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.

 

5.7 Authority and Duties of Officers.

 

All officers of the Corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the Corporation as may be provided herein or designated from time to time by the Board and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board. The Board may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of any officer of the Corporation to any other officers or agents of the Corporation, notwithstanding any provision hereof.

 

5.8 Compensation.

 

The compensation of the officers of the Corporation for their services as such shall be fixed from time to time by or at the direction of the Board. An officer of the Corporation shall not be prevented from receiving compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a director of the Corporation.

 

Article VI - Records

 

A stock ledger consisting of one or more records in which the names of all of the Corporation’s stockholders of record, the address and number of shares registered in the name of each such stockholder, and all issuances and transfers of stock of the Corporation are recorded in accordance with Section 224 of the DGCL shall be administered by or on behalf of the Corporation. Any records administered by or on behalf of the Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger, books of account, and minute books, may be kept on, or by means of, or be in the form of, any information storage device, or method, or one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time and, with respect to the stock ledger, that the records so kept (i) can be used to prepare the list of stockholders specified in Sections 219 and 220 of the DGCL, (ii) record the information specified in Sections 156, 159, 217(a) and 218 of the DGCL, and (iii) record transfers of stock as governed by Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in the State of Delaware.

 

Article VII - General Matters

 

7.1 Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments.

 

The Board, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, may authorize any officer or officers, or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

 

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7.2 Stock Certificates.

 

The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates or shall be uncertificated. Certificates for the shares of stock, if any, shall be in such form as is consistent with the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law. Every holder of stock represented by a certificate shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, any two officers authorized to sign stock certificates representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. The Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation shall be specifically authorized to sign stock certificates. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

The Corporation may issue the whole or any part of its shares as partly paid and subject to call for the remainder of the consideration to be paid therefor. Upon the face or back of each stock certificate issued to represent any such partly paid shares, or upon the books and records of the Corporation in the case of uncertificated partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon shall be stated. Upon the declaration of any dividend on fully paid shares, the Corporation shall declare a dividend upon partly paid shares of the same class, but only upon the basis of the percentage of the consideration actually paid thereon.

 

7.3 Special Designation of Certificates.

 

If the Corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, then the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or on the back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock (or, in the case of uncertificated shares, set forth in a notice provided pursuant to Section 151 of the DGCL); provided, however, that except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the DGCL, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or on the back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock (or, in the case of any uncertificated shares, included in the aforementioned notice) a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.

 

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7.4 Lost Certificates.

 

Except as provided in this Section 7.4, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace a previously issued certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Corporation and cancelled at the same time. The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner’s legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.

 

7.5 Shares Without Certificates.

 

The Corporation may adopt a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of its shares of stock by electronic or other means not involving the issuance of certificates, provided that the use of such system by the Corporation is permitted in accordance with applicable law.

 

7.6 Construction; Definitions.

 

Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions in the DGCL shall govern the construction of these bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural and the plural number includes the singular.

 

7.7 Dividends.

 

The Board, subject to any restrictions contained in either (i) the DGCL or (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation, may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of its capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property or in shares of the Corporation’s capital stock.

 

The Board may set apart out of any of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, and meeting contingencies.

 

7.8 Fiscal Year.

 

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board and may be changed by the Board.

 

7.9 Seal.

 

The Corporation may adopt a corporate seal, which shall be adopted and which may be altered by the Board. The Corporation may use the corporate seal by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.

 

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7.10 Transfer of Stock.

 

(a) Shares of the stock of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these bylaws. Shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferred on the books of the Corporation only by the holder of record thereof or by such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, upon surrender to the Corporation of the certificate or certificates representing such shares endorsed by the appropriate person or persons (or by delivery of duly executed instructions with respect to uncertificated shares), with such evidence of the authenticity of such endorsement or execution, transfer, authorization and other matters as the Corporation may reasonably require, and accompanied by all necessary stock transfer stamps. No transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing the names of the persons from and to whom it was transferred.

 

(b) Lockup.

 

(i) Subject to Section 7.10(b)(ii), the holders of Lockup Shares (the “Lockup Holders”) may not Transfer, or enter into any contract, option or other agreement with respect to, or consent to, a Transfer of, any Lockup Shares or any of such Lockup Holder’s voting or economic interest therein, until the end of the Lockup Period (the “Lockup”).

 

(ii) The restrictions set forth in Section 7.10(b)(i) shall not apply to:

 

(A) in the case of an entity, Transfers to a stockholder, partner, member or affiliate of such entity;

 

(B) in the case of an individual, Transfers by gift to members of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of one of the individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization;

 

(C) in the case of an individual, Transfers by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual;

 

(D) in the case of an individual, Transfers pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order or in connection with a divorce settlement;

 

(E) in the case of an entity, Transfers by virtue of the laws of the state of the entity’s organization and the entity’s organizational documents upon dissolution of the entity;

 

(F) the exercise of any options, warrants or other convertible securities to purchase shares of Common Stock (which exercises may be effected on a cashless basis to the extent the instruments representing such options or warrants permit exercises on a cashless basis); provided, that any shares of Common Stock issued upon such exercise shall be subject to the Lockup;

 

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(G) Transfers to the Corporation to satisfy tax withholding obligations pursuant to the Corporation’s equity incentive plans or arrangements;

 

(H) Transfers to the Corporation pursuant to any contractual arrangement in effect at the effective time of the Business Combination Transaction that provides for the repurchase by the Corporation or forfeiture of a Lockup Holder’s shares of Common Stock or options to purchase shares of Common Stock in connection with the termination of such Lockup Holder’s service to the Corporation;

 

(I) the entry, by a Lockup Holder, at any time after the effective time of the Business Combination Transaction, of any trading plan providing for the sale of shares of Common Stock by such Lockup Holder, which trading plan meets the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c) under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that such plan does not provide for, or permit, the sale of any shares of Common Stock during the Lockup and no public announcement or filing is voluntarily made or required regarding such plan during the Lockup;

 

(J) transactions in the event of completion of a liquidation, merger, stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Corporation’s securityholders having the right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property; or

 

(K) in connection with any bona fide mortgage, pledge or encumbrance to a financial institution in connection with any bona fide loan or debt transaction or enforcement thereunder, including foreclosure thereof;

 

provided, however, that a Transfer referred to in this Section 7.10(b)(ii) (other than Transfers pursuant to subsections (G), (H) and (J)) shall be permitted only if, as a precondition to such Transfer, the transferee agrees in a writing, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Corporation, to be bound by all of the terms of the Lockup.

 

(iii) Notwithstanding the other provisions set forth in this Section 7.10(b), the the Lockup obligations set forth herein may be waived, repealed or amended to shorten the Lockup Period, in each case, by approval of the independent directors constituting a majority of the Board.

 

(iv) As used in this Section 7.10(b):

 

(A)Business Combination Transaction” means the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement;

 

(B)Common Stock” means the Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Corporation;

 

(C)Lockup Period” means the period beginning on the Closing (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and ending on the date that is the earlier of (x) such time as the Subject Share Price exceeds $12.00 per share or (y) the date that is six months following the Closing;

 

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(A)Lockup Shares” means the shares of Common Stock (x) issued as consideration pursuant to the Merger Agreement, (y) issued to directors, officers and employees of the Corporation and other individuals upon the settlement or exercise of Assumed RSU Awards (as defined the Merger Agreement) during the Lockup Period or (z) otherwise held by the Lockup Holders as a result of the Closing or otherwise issued or issuable following the Closing to Lockup Holders in connection with or as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (other than shares of Common Stock acquired in the public market or pursuant to a Private Placement (as defined in the Merger Agreement));

 

(B)Merger Agreement” means that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 24, 2024, by and among the Corporation, EMLD Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Fold, Inc., a Delaware corporation;

 

(C)Subject Share Price” means the share price equal to the closing share price of Common Stock for a period of at least twenty (20) days out of thirty (30) consecutive trading days ending on the trading day immediately prior to the date of determination (as equitably adjusted for stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, reclassifications, combinations, exchanges of shares or other like changes or transactions with respect to shares of Common Stock); and

 

(D)Transfer” means (a) the direct or indirect transfer (including by operation of law), sale, offer, exchange, assignment, pledge or other disposition or encumbrance of, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, Lockup Shares, (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of Lockup Shares, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such Lockup Shares, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b).

 

7.11 Stock Transfer Agreements.

 

The Corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes or series of stock of the Corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the Corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

 

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7.12 Registered Stockholders.

 

The Corporation:

 

(i)shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such owner; and

 

(ii)shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of another person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

7.13 Waiver of Notice.

 

Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, a written waiver, signed by the person entitled to notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders need be specified in any written waiver of notice or any waiver by electronic transmission unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws.

 

Article VIII - Notice

 

8.1 Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission.

 

Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provisions of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these bylaws may be given in writing directed to the stockholder’s mailing address (or by electronic transmission directed to the stockholder’s electronic mail address, as applicable) as it appears on the records of the Corporation and shall be given (1) if mailed, when the notice is deposited in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, (2) if delivered by courier service, the earlier of when the notice is received or left at such stockholder’s address or (3) if given by electronic mail, when directed to such stockholder’s electronic mail address unless the stockholder has notified the Corporation in writing or by electronic transmission of an objection to receiving notice by electronic mail. A notice by electronic mail must include a prominent legend that the communication is an important notice regarding the Corporation.

 

Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice or electronic transmission to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, the Corporation may give a notice by electronic mail in accordance with the first paragraph of this Section without obtaining the consent required by this paragraph.

 

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Any notice given pursuant to the preceding paragraph shall be deemed given:

 

(i)if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

 

(ii)if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and

 

(iii)if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a notice may not be given by an electronic transmission from and after the time that (1) the Corporation is unable to deliver by such electronic transmission two (2) consecutive notices given by the Corporation and (2) such inability becomes known to the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice; provided, however, that the inadvertent failure to discover such inability shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.

 

An affidavit of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation or of the transfer agent or other agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

 

Article IX - Indemnification

 

9.1 Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any director or officer of the Corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”) by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans (hereinafter, an “indemnitee”), against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred by such indemnitee in connection with any such Proceeding; provided that such indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner such indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 9.4, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such indemnitee only if the Proceeding was authorized in the specific case by the Board.

 

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9.2 Indemnification of Others.

 

The Corporation shall have the power to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL or any other applicable law, as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any employee or agent of the Corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding.

 

9.3 Prepayment of Expenses.

 

In addition to the obligation to indemnify conferred in Section 9.1, the Corporation shall to the fullest extent not prohibited by the DGCL or any other applicable law pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by any indemnitee, and may pay the expenses incurred by any employee or agent of the Corporation, in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article IX or otherwise. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 9.4, the Corporation shall be required to advance expenses to a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such indemnitee only if the Proceeding was authorized in the specific case by the Board.

 

9.4 Determination; Claim.

 

If a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of such Proceeding) under this Article IX is not paid in full within sixty (60) days, or a claim for advancement of expenses under this Article IX is not paid in full within thirty (30) days, after a written claim therefor has been received by the Corporation the indemnitee may thereafter (but not before) file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law.

 

9.5 Non-Exclusivity of Rights.

 

The rights conferred on any person by this Article IX shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

9.6 Insurance.

 

The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust enterprise or non-profit entity against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the DGCL.

 

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9.7 Other Indemnification.

 

The Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify or advance expenses to any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit enterprise.

 

9.8 Continuation of Indemnification.

 

The rights to indemnification and to prepayment of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article IX shall continue notwithstanding that the person has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the estate, heirs, executors, administrators, legatees and distributees of such person.

 

9.9 Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation.

 

The provisions of this Article IX shall constitute a contract between the Corporation, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, each individual who serves or has served as a director or officer of the Corporation (whether before or after the adoption of these bylaws), in consideration of such person’s performance of such services, and pursuant to this Article IX the Corporation intends to be legally bound to each such current or former director or officer of the Corporation. With respect to current and former directors and officers of the Corporation, the rights conferred under this Article IX are present contractual rights and such rights are fully vested, and shall be deemed to have vested fully, immediately upon adoption of theses bylaws. With respect to any directors or officers of the Corporation who commence service following adoption of these bylaws, the rights conferred under this provision shall be present contractual rights and such rights shall fully vest, and be deemed to have vested fully, immediately upon such director or officer commencing service as a director or officer of the Corporation. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article IX shall not adversely affect any right or protection (i) hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification or (ii) under any agreement providing for indemnification or advancement of expenses to an officer or director of the Corporation in effect prior to the time of such repeal or modification.

 

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Any reference to an officer of the Corporation in this Article IX shall be deemed to refer exclusively to the Chief Executive Officer, the President and the Secretary of the Corporation, or other officer of the Corporation appointed by (x) the Board pursuant to Article V or (y) an officer to whom the Board has delegated the power to appoint officers pursuant to Article V, and any reference to an officer of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be deemed to refer exclusively to an officer appointed by the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of such other entity pursuant to the certificate of incorporation and bylaws (or equivalent organizational documents) of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise. The fact that any person who is or was an employee of the Corporation or an employee of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise has been given or has used the title of “Vice President” or any other title that could be construed to suggest or imply that such person is or may be an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall not result in such person being constituted as, or being deemed to be, an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for purposes of this Article IX.

 

Article X - Amendments

 

The Board is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation. The stockholders also shall have power to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that such action by stockholders shall require, in addition to any other vote required by the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation with the power to vote generally in an election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

Article XI - Definitions

 

As used in these bylaws, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

An “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, including the use of, or participation in, one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

 

An “electronic mail” means an electronic transmission directed to a unique electronic mail address (which electronic mail shall be deemed to include any files attached thereto and any information hyperlinked to a website if such electronic mail includes the contact information of an officer or agent of the Corporation who is available to assist with accessing such files and information).

 

An “electronic mail address” means a destination, commonly expressed as a string of characters, consisting of a unique user name or mailbox (commonly referred to as the “local part” of the address) and a reference to an internet domain (commonly referred to as the “domain part” of the address), whether or not displayed, to which electronic mail can be sent or delivered.

 

The term “person” means any individual, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, business trust, joint stock company, joint venture, unincorporated association, cooperative or association or any other legal entity or organization of whatever nature, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

 

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Exhibit 10.1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of February 14, 2025, is made and entered into by and among each of Fold Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (f/k/a FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp.) (the “Company”), Emerald ESG Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Emerald Sponsor”), Emerald ESG Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Emerald Advisors” and together with Emerald Sponsor, the “Sponsor”) (each such party, together with the Sponsor and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2 of this Agreement, a “Sponsor Holder” and collectively the “Sponsor Holders”), and the undersigned parties listed as New Holders on the signature pages hereto (each such party, together with any person or entity deemed a “New Holder” who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2 of this Agreement, a “New Holder” and collectively the “New Holders”). Sponsor Holders, collectively with New Holders, are referred to herein as “Holders.” Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Merger Agreement (as defined below).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company issued the Sponsor an aggregate of 8,763,333 shares (the “Founder Shares”) of the Company’s Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Class B Common Stock”), of which an aggregate of 1,133,333 Founder Shares were subject to forfeiture to the extent that the underwriters of the Company’s initial public offering (the “IPO”) did not exercise their overallotment option in full;

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the partial exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option, 148,192 shares of Class B Common Stock were forfeited by the Sponsor;

 

WHEREAS, the Sponsor entered into a unit subscription agreement with the Company, pursuant to which the Sponsor purchased 890,000 units of the Company (each, a “Placement Unit” and collectively, the “Placement Units”), each Placement Unit consisting of one share of Common Stock (each, a “Placement Share” and collectively, the “Placement Shares”) and one half of one warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (each, a “Placement Warrant” and collectively, the “Placement Warrants”) in a private placement transaction (the “Private Placement”) occurring simultaneously with the closing of the IPO on December 15, 2021;

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the partial exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option, the Sponsor purchased 86,081 additional Placement Units;

 

WHEREAS, on December 15, 2021, the Company and certain other parties thereto entered into that certain Registration Rights Agreement (the “Existing Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company granted the Sponsor Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company;

 

WHEREAS, on September 19, 2023, the Sponsor determined to convert all the outstanding shares of Class B Common Stock into shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), on a one-to-one basis;

 

WHEREAS, upon the closing of the transactions (the “Transactions”) contemplated by that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 24, 2024, by and among the Company, EMLD Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and Fold, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Merger Agreement”), the Placement Warrants were forfeited and surrendered for cancellation;

 

WHEREAS, immediately after giving effect to the Transactions, in accordance with the Merger Agreement, the New Holders shall receive shares of Common Stock;

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 5.5 of the Existing Registration Rights Agreement, the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth therein may be amended or modified upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders (as defined in the Existing Registration Rights Agreement) of at least a majority-in interest of the Registrable Securities (as defined in the Existing Registration Rights Agreement) at the time in question; and

 

 

 

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Holders desire to enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Company shall grant the Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company, as set forth in this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the representations, covenants and agreements contained herein, and certain other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

Article I 
DEFINITIONS

 

1.1 Definitions. The terms defined in this Article I shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, have the respective meanings set forth below:

 

Adverse Disclosure” shall mean any public disclosure of material non-public information, which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or the Board, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (a) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any Misstatement, (b) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, declared effective or used, as the case may be, and (c) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.

 

Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, each other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified; provided, however, that no Holder shall be deemed an Affiliate of any other Holder solely by reason of an investment in, or holding of Common Stock (or securities convertible or exchangeable for share of Common Stock) of, the Company. As used in this definition, “control” (including with correlative meanings, “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means possession, directly or indirectly, of power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies (whether through ownership of voting securities or by contract or other agreement); provided, however, that in no event shall the term “Affiliate” include any portfolio company of any Holder or their respective Affiliates (other than the Company).

 

Aggregate Blocking Period” shall have the meaning given in Section 2.4.

 

Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Applicable Proceeds” shall mean the aggregate proceeds from (x) any capital raise completed by the Company or Fold, Inc. after July 24, 2024, and prior to the Closing Date in connection with the Transactions, (y) the Parent Trust Account (as defined in the Merger Agreement) as of the Closing Date (after giving effect to any redemptions by Parent Stockholders (as defined in the Merger Agreement)) and (z) any capital raise completed by the Company and/or its affiliates (including the Surviving Company (as defined in the Merger Agreement)) following the Closing but prior to the date that is two years following the Closing Date.

 

ATW Registration Rights Agreement” shall mean that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of December 24, 2024, by and among the Company (as successor to Fold, Inc.) and the buyers listed on the signature pages thereto.

 

Block Trade” means a registered offering and/or sale of Registrable Securities with a total offering price reasonably expected to exceed $25,000,000 by any Holder on a coordinated or underwritten basis commonly known as a “block trade” (whether firm commitment or otherwise) not involving a roadshow or other substantial marketing efforts prior to pricing, including, without limitation, a same day trade, overnight trade or similar transaction.

 

Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Claims” shall have the meaning given in subsection 4.1.1.

 

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Closing Date” shall mean the date of this Agreement.

 

Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Common Stock” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

 

Commission Guidance” means (a) any publicly-available written guidance of the Commission staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff to the Company and (b) the Securities Act.

 

Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Company Shelf Takedown Notice” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.

 

Demand Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1.

 

Demanding Holder” shall mean, as applicable, (a) the applicable Holders making a written demand for the Registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1, collectively, or (b) the applicable Holders making a written demand for a Shelf Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.1.3, collectively.

 

Effectiveness Deadline” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

 

Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

Existing Registration Rights Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

 

FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. or any successor thereto.

 

Form S-1 Shelf” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.2.

 

Form S-3 Shelf” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.2.

 

Founder Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto and shall be deemed to include the shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion thereof.

 

Founder Shares Lock-up Period” shall mean, with respect to the Founder Shares, the period ending (a) with respect to 1,772,547 of such shares, the earlier of (x) six months following the Closing Date or (y) when the closing price of the Common Stock exceeds $12.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days  following the Closing Date, (b) with respect to 1,772,547 of such shares, earlier of (x) (A) in the event that the Applicable Proceeds as of the Closing Date equal or exceed the Target Amount, the date that is one-year following the Closing Date, and (B) in the event that the Applicable Proceeds as of the Closing Date are less than the Target Amount, the date that is two years following the Closing Date, or (y) when the closing price of the Common Stock exceeds $15.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days following the Closing Date, and (c) with respect to 1,772,547 of such shares, the earlier of (x) ten years following the Closing Date or (y) when the closing price of the Common Stock exceeds $17.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days following the Closing Date, and (d) with respect to all such shares, in the event of the occurrence of a Liquidation Event following the Closing Date.

 

Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Letter Agreement” shall mean the letter agreement by and among the Company, the Company’s officers and directors and the Sponsor.

 

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Liquidation Event” shall mean a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction involving the Company upon the consummation of which holders of Common Stock would be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property.

 

Maximum Number of Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.4.

 

Misstatement” shall mean an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated in a Registration Statement, preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, or necessary to make the statements in a Registration Statement, preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

New Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Permitted Transferees” shall mean (i) any person or entity to whom a Sponsor Holder is permitted to transfer such Registrable Securities prior to the expiration of the Founder Lock-up Period or Placement Unit Lock-up Period, as the case may be, under the Letter Agreement and any other applicable agreement between such Sponsor Holder and the Company, and to any transferee thereafter and (ii) with respect to a New Holder, any of such New Holder’s Affiliates or any fund or investment account managed by such New Holder or the same management company that manages such New Holder; provided, that such transferee to which a transfer is being made pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above, if not a Holder, enters into a written agreement with the Company agreeing to be bound to the restrictions set forth herein.

 

Piggy-back Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.1.

 

Placement Unit Lock-up Period” shall mean, with respect to the Placement Shares, a period terminating 30 days after the Closing Date, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the Letter Agreement.

 

Placement Unit” or “Placement Units” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

 

Placement Warrant” or “Placement Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

 

Private Placement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

 

Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.

 

Registrable Security” shall mean (a) any outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company held by a Holder (i) as of the date of this Agreement or (ii) hereafter acquired by a Holder to the extent such shares of Common Stock are “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) or are otherwise held by an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company; (b) any share of Common Stock issued upon the conversion of the Founder Shares; (c) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to any such shares of Common Stock referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other reorganization or otherwise; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (i) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged by the applicable Holder in accordance with such Registration Statement; (ii) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for such securities not bearing (or book entry positions not subject to) a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (iii) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; or (iv) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.

 

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Registration” shall mean a registration, including a Shelf Takedown, effected by preparing and filing a registration statement, Prospectus or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.

 

Registration Expenses” shall mean the out-of-pocket expenses of a Registration, including, without limitation, the following:

 

(a) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with FINRA) and any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed;

 

(b) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of Registrable Securities);

 

(c) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses;

 

(d) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;

 

(e) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration; and

 

(g) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel (and any local or foreign counsel) (the “Specified Legal Counsel”) selected by (i) in the case of a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.2 or a Shelf Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.1, a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration or Shelf Underwritten Offering (including, without limitation, a Block Trade), as applicable, or (ii) in the case of a Registration under Section 2.3 initiated by the Company for its own account or that of a Company stockholder other than pursuant to rights under this Agreement, a majority-in-interest of participating Holders, in the case of (i) and (ii), not to exceed $50,000 without the consent of the Company.

 

Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement that covers the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registration statement, and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

 

Removed Shares” shall have the meaning given in Section 2.6.

 

Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1.

 

Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

 

Shelf Takedown Notice” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.

 

Shelf Underwritten Offering” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.

 

Sponsor” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Sponsor Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Target Amount” shall mean $50.0 million.

 

Transfer” shall mean the (a) sale or assignment of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to, any security, (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b).

 

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Underwriter” shall mean a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.

 

Underwritten Registration” or “Underwritten Offering” shall mean a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public.

 

Article II 
REGISTRATIONS

 

2.1 Shelf Registration.

 

2.1.1 The Company shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event within twenty business (20) days after the Closing Date, file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act to permit the public resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders from time to time as permitted by Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar provision adopted by the Commission then in effect) on the terms and conditions specified in this subsection 2.1.1 and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to be declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, but in no event later than sixty (60) days following the filing deadline (the “Effectiveness Deadline”); provided, that the Effectiveness Deadline shall be extended to ninety (90) days after the filing deadline if the Registration Statement is reviewed by, and receives comments from, the Commission. The Registration Statement filed with the Commission pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 shall be on Form S-3 or, if Form S-3 is not then available to the Company, on Form S-1 or such other form of registration statement as is then available to effect a registration for resale of such Registrable Securities, covering such Registrable Securities, and shall contain a Prospectus in such form as to permit any Holder to sell such Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar provision adopted by the Commission then in effect) beginning on the effective date for such Registration Statement. A Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 shall provide for the resale pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, the Holders. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities. As soon as practicable following the effective date of a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1, but in any event within one (1) business day of such date, the Company shall notify the Holders of the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. When effective, a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 (including the documents incorporated therein by reference) will comply as to form in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (in the case of any Prospectus contained in such Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which such statement is made).

 

2.1.2 If the Company files a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (a “Form S-3 Shelf”) and thereafter the Company becomes ineligible to use Form S-3 for secondary sales, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file a shelf registration on Form S-1 (a “Form S-1 Shelf”) as promptly as practicable to replace the Form S-3 Shelf and to have the Form S-1 Shelf declared effective as promptly as practicable and to cause such Form S-1 Shelf to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities. Upon such date as the Company becomes eligible to use Form S-3 for secondary sales or, in the case of a Form S-1 Shelf filed to register the resale of Removed Shares pursuant to Section 2.6 hereof, upon such date as the Company becomes eligible to register all of the Removed Shares for resale on a Form S-3 Shelf pursuant to the Commission Guidance and, if applicable, without a requirement that any of the Holders be named as an “underwriter” therein, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file a Form S-3 Shelf as promptly as practicable to replace the applicable Form S-1 Shelf and to have the Form S-3 Shelf declared effective as promptly as practicable and to cause such Form S-3 Shelf to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities thereunder held by the applicable Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities.

 

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2.1.3 At any time and from time to time following the effectiveness of the shelf registration statement required by subsection 2.1.1, any Holder may request to sell all or a portion of their Registrable Securities in an underwritten offering that is registered pursuant to such shelf registration statement, including a Block Trade (a “Shelf Underwritten Offering”), provided that such Holder(s) reasonably expects to sell Registrable Securities yielding aggregate gross proceeds in excess of $25,000,000 from such Shelf Underwritten Offering (the “Minimum Amount”). All requests for a Shelf Underwritten Offering shall be made by giving written notice to the Company (the “Shelf Takedown Notice”). Each Shelf Takedown Notice shall specify the approximate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Shelf Underwritten Offering and the expected price range (net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of such Shelf Underwritten Offering. Within three (3) days after receipt of any Shelf Takedown Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such requested Shelf Underwritten Offering to all other Holders of Registrable Securities (the “Company Shelf Takedown Notice”) and, subject to the provisions of subsection 2.2.4, shall include in such Shelf Underwritten Offering all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein, within five (5) business days after sending the Company Shelf Takedown Notice, or, in the case of a Block Trade, as provided in Section 2.5. The Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement in a form as is customary in Underwritten Offerings of securities by the Company with the managing Underwriter or Underwriters selected by the Holders requesting such Shelf Underwritten Offering (which managing Underwriter or Underwriters shall be subject to approval of the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) and shall take all such other reasonable actions as are requested by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. In connection with any Shelf Underwritten Offering contemplated by this subsection 2.1.3, subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, the underwriting agreement into which each Holder and the Company shall enter shall contain such representations, covenants, indemnities and other rights and obligations as are customary in underwritten offerings of securities by the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Sponsor Holders, on the one hand, and the New Holders, on the other hand, may each demand not more than two (2) Shelf Underwritten Offerings, and the Company shall not be obligated to participate in more than four (4) Shelf Underwritten Offerings, pursuant to this Section 2.1.3 in any 12-month period.

 

2.2 Demand Registration.

 

2.2.1 Request for Registration. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.2.5 and Sections 2.4 and 3.4 hereof, at any time and from time to time after the Closing Date, (a) the Sponsor Holders of at least a majority in interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by the Sponsor Holders (the “Sponsor Demanding Holders”), and (b) the New Holders of at least a majority in interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by the New Holders (the “New Demanding Holders,” together with the Sponsor Demanding Holders, the “Demanding Holders”), may make a written demand for Registration of all or part of their Registrable Securities, on (i) Form S-1 or (ii) if available, Form S-3, which in the case of either clause (i) or (ii), may be a shelf registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, which written demand shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such Registration and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof (such written demand a “Demand Registration”). The Company shall, promptly following the Company’s receipt of a Demand Registration, notify, in writing, all other Holders of Registrable Securities (other than a Demand Registration with respect to any Registrable Securities to be distributed by the Sponsor to its members following the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period or the Placement Unit Lock-up Period, as applicable) of such demand, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration (each such Holder that includes all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Registration, a “Requesting Holder”) shall so notify the Company, in writing, within five (5) days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent a Requesting Holder also separately possesses Demand Registration rights pursuant to this Section 2.2, but is not the Holder who exercises such Demand Registration rights, the exercise by such Requesting Holder of its rights pursuant to the foregoing sentence shall not count as the exercise by it of one of its Demand Registration rights. Upon receipt by the Company of any such written notification from a Requesting Holder(s) to the Company, subject to subsection 2.2.4 below, such Requesting Holder(s) shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration and the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to file a registration statement on Form S-1 or Form S-3, as applicable, as soon thereafter as practicable, but not more than forty-five (45) days following the Company’s receipt of the Demand Registration, for Registration of all Registrable Securities requested by the Demanding Holders and Requesting Holders pursuant to such Demand Registration. The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than (A) an aggregate of three (3) Registrations pursuant to a Demand Registration initiated by the Sponsor Holders and (B) an aggregate of six (6) Registrations pursuant to a Demand Registration initiated by the New Holders, in each case under this subsection 2.2.1 with respect to any or all Registrable Securities; provided, however, that a Registration shall not be counted for such purposes unless a Registration Statement that may be available at such time has become effective and all of the Registrable Securities requested by the Requesting Holders to be registered on behalf of the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders in such Registration have been sold, in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Agreement; provided further, that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Sponsor Holders, on the one hand, and the New Holders, on the other hand, may each demand not more than two (2) Demand Registrations or Shelf Underwritten Offerings, and the Company shall not be obligated to participate in more than four (4) Demand Registrations or Shelf Underwritten Offerings, in any twelve (12)-month period.

 

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2.2.2 Effective Registration. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2.2.1 above or any other part of this Agreement, a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration shall not count as a Registration unless and until (a) the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration has been declared effective by the Commission and (b) the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided further, that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, an offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration is subsequently interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission, federal or state court or any other governmental agency the Registration Statement with respect to such Registration shall be deemed not to have been declared effective unless and until (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated and (ii) a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating such Demand Registration thereafter affirmatively elect to continue with such Registration and accordingly notify the Company in writing, but in no event later than five (5) days after the removal, rescission or other termination of such stop order or injunction, of such election; provided further, that the Company shall not be obligated or required to file another Registration Statement until the Registration Statement that has been previously filed with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration by the same Demanding Holder becomes effective or is subsequently terminated.

 

2.2.3 Underwritten Offering. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.2.4 and Sections 2.4 and 3.4 hereof, if a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so advise the Company as part of their Demand Registration that the offering of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering, then the right of such Demanding Holder or Requesting Holder (if any) to include its Registrable Securities in such Registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Underwritten Offering and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering to the extent provided herein. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.2.3, subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Company and the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating the Demand Registration, which managing Underwriter or Underwriters shall be subject to approval of the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

2.2.4 Reduction of Underwritten Offering. If a Demand Registration is to be an Underwritten Offering and the managing Underwriter or Underwriters, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) in writing, in its or their opinion, that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account and the shares of Common Stock, if any, that have been requested to be sold in such Demand Registration pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other stockholders of the Company, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in such Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering: (a) first, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) (pro rata based on the total amount of Registrable Securities held by each such Demanding Holder and Requesting Holder (if any) (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (b) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (a), the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (c) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (a) and (b), the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of other Persons that the Company is obligated to include in such Demand Registration pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.

 

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2.2.5 Demand Registration Withdrawal. A Demanding Holder or a Requesting Holder shall have the right to withdraw all or a portion of its Registrable Securities included in a Demand Registration pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 or a Shelf Underwritten Offering pursuant to subsection 2.1.3 for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of its intention to so withdraw at any time prior to (a) in the case of a Demand Registration not involving an Underwritten Offering, the effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement, or (b) in the case of any Demand Registration involving an Underwritten Offering or any Shelf Underwritten Offering, prior to the filing of the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement used for marketing such Underwritten Offering or Shelf Underwritten Offering; provided, however, that upon withdrawal by a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, withdrawal of an amount of Registrable Securities included by the Holders in such Shelf Underwritten Offering, in their capacity as Demanding Holders, such that the Minimum Amount is no longer satisfied), the Company shall cease all efforts to secure effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement or complete the Underwritten Offering, as applicable. If withdrawn, such requested Demand Registration or Shelf Underwritten Offering shall constitute a demand for a Demand Registration or Shelf Underwritten Offering for purposes of Section 2.2.1 unless either (i) the Demanding Holders have not previously withdrawn any Demand Registration or (ii) the Demanding Holders reimburse the Company for all Registration Expenses with respect to such Underwritten Shelf Takedown. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration or a Shelf Underwritten Offering prior to and including its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.5 unless the Demanding Holders elect to pay such Registration Expenses pursuant to clause (ii) of this subsection 2.2.5.

 

2.3 Piggy-back Registration.

 

2.3.1 Piggy-back Rights. If the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into equity securities, for its own account or for the account of stockholders of the Company (or by the Company and by the stockholders of the Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Article II hereof), other than a Registration Statement (or any registered offering with respect thereto) (a) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, (b) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing stockholders or pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (or similar form that relates to a transaction subject to Rule 145 under the Securities Act or any successor rule thereto), (c) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company, (d) filed in connection with an “at-the-market” offering or (e) for a dividend reinvestment plan or a rights offering, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities (excluding the Sponsor with respect to the Registrable Securities distributed by the Sponsor to its members prior to the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-Up Period or the Placement Unit Lock-Up Period, as applicable) as soon as practicable but not less than ten (10) days (or, in the case of a Block Trade, three (3) business days) before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement, which notice shall (i) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution (including whether such registration will be pursuant to a shelf registration statement), and the proposed price and name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, and (ii) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within five (5) days after receipt of such written notice (or in the case of a Block Trade, within one (1) business day) (such Registration a “Piggy-back Registration”). The Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities identified in a Holder’s response notice described in the foregoing sentence to be included in such Piggy-back Registration and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering, if any, to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.3.1 to be included in a Piggy-back Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company or Company stockholder(s) for whose account such Registration Statement is to be filed included in such Registration and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.3.1, subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company or the Holders as provided in subsection 2.1.3 or subsection 2.2.3, as applicable. For purposes of this Section 2.3, the filing by the Company of an automatic shelf registration statement for offerings pursuant to Rule 415(a) that omits information with respect to any specific offering pursuant to Rule 430B shall not trigger any notification or participation rights hereunder until such time as the Company amends or supplements such Registration Statement to include information with respect to a specific offering of Securities (and such amendment or supplement shall trigger the notice and participation rights provided for in this Section 2.3).

 

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2.3.2 Reduction of Piggy-back Registration. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration that is to be a Piggy-back Registration, in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggy-back Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of the shares of Common Stock that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (a) the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, (b) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof, and (c) the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:

 

2.3.2.1 if the Registration is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Registration (a) first, the Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (b) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (a), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.3.1 hereof, Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (c) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (a) and (b), the Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and

 

2.3.2.2 if the Registration is pursuant to a request by Persons other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Registration (a) first, the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, of such requesting Persons, other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (b) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (a), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.3.1 hereof, Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (c) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (a) and (b), the Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (d) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (a), (b) and (c), the Common Stock or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.

 

2.3.3 Piggy-back Registration Withdrawal. Any Holder of Registrable Securities shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggy-back Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggy-back Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Piggy-back Registration. The Company (in its sole discretion or as the result of a request for withdrawal by persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may postpone or withdraw the filing or effectiveness of a Piggy-back Registration. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggy-back Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.3.3.

 

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2.3.4 Unlimited Piggy-back Registration Rights. For purposes of clarity, any Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.3.3 hereof shall not be counted as a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration effected under Section 2.1 hereof; provided, however, that the rights to demand a Piggy-back Registration under this Section 2.3 shall terminate on the second anniversary of the Closing Date.

 

2.4 Restrictions on Registration Rights. If (a) during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days prior to the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of the filing of, and ending on a date one hundred and twenty (120) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated Registration and provided that the Company has delivered written notice to the Holders prior to receipt of a Demand Registration pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 and it continues to actively employ, in good faith, all reasonable efforts to cause the applicable Registration Statement to become effective; (b) the Holders have requested an Underwritten Registration and the Company and the Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of underwriters to firmly underwrite such offering; or (c) in the good faith judgment of the Board such Registration would be seriously detrimental to the Company and the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement at such time, then in each case the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for a period of not more than sixty (60) consecutive days; provided, however, that the Company shall not defer its obligation in this manner more than one hundred twenty (120) total calendar days in any twelve (12)-month period (the “Aggregate Blocking Period”).

 

2.5 Block Trades. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article II, but subject to Sections 2.4 and 3.4, if the Holders desire to effect a Block Trade, then notwithstanding any other time periods in this Article II, the Holders shall provide written notice to the Company at least five (5) business days prior to the date such Block Trade will commence. As expeditiously as possible, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to facilitate such Block Trade, provided that the Holders engaging in such Block Trade use their reasonable best efforts to work with the Company and the Underwriters (including by disclosing the maximum number of Registrable Securities proposed to be the subject of such Block Trade) in order to facilitate preparation of the Registration Statement, Prospectus and other offering documentation related to the Block Trade and any related due diligence and comfort procedures. In the event of a Block Trade, and after consultation with the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) shall determine the Maximum Number of Securities, the underwriter or underwriters (which shall consist of one or more reputable nationally recognized investment banks) and share price of such offering.

 

2.6 Rule 415; Removal. If at any time the Commission takes the position that the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed pursuant to this Article II is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act (provided, however, that the Company shall be obligated to use diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the Commission Guidance, including without limitation, Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation 612.09) or requires a Holder to be named as an “underwriter,” the Company shall promptly notify each holder of Registrable Securities thereof (or in the case of the Commission requiring a Holder to be named as an “underwriter,” the Holders) and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to persuade the Commission that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering “by or on behalf of the issuer” as defined in Rule 415. In the event that the Commission refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (a) remove from such Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the “Removed Shares”) and/or (b) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the Commission may require to assure the Company’s compliance with the requirements of Rule 415; provided, however, that the Company shall not agree to name any Holder as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Holder and, if the Commission requires such Holder to be named as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement, notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not be under any obligation to include any Registrable Securities of such Holder in such Registration Statement. In the event of a share removal pursuant to this Section 2.6, the Company shall give the applicable Holders at least five (5) days prior written notice along with the calculations as to such Holder’s allotment. Any removal of shares of the Holders pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall first be applied to Holders other than the Holders with securities registered for resale under the applicable Registration Statement and thereafter allocated between the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the aggregate amount of Registrable Securities held by the Holders. In the event of a share removal of the Holders pursuant to this Section 2.6, the Company shall promptly register the resale of any Removed Shares pursuant to subsection 2.1.2 hereof and in no event shall the filing of such Registration Statement on Form S-1 or subsequent Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed pursuant to the terms of subsection 2.1.2 be counted as a Demand Registration hereunder. Until such time as the Company has registered all of the Removed Shares for resale pursuant to Rule 415 on an effective Registration Statement, the Company shall not be able to defer the filing of a Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2.4 hereof.

 

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Article III 
COMPANY PROCEDURES

 

3.1 General Procedures. If the Company is required to effect the Registration of Registrable Securities, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as possible:

 

3.1.1 prepare and file with the Commission as soon as practicable a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold;

 

3.1.2 prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be reasonably requested by the Holders of at least five percent (5%) of the Registrable Securities registered on such Registration Statement or any Underwriter of Registrable Securities or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until the earlier of (a) one year following the effective date of the Registration Statement or (b) until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus and either (i) any underwriter overallotment option has terminated by its terms or (ii) the underwriters have advised the Company that they will not exercise such option or any remaining portion thereof;

 

3.1.3 at least five (5) business days prior to filing a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration, and such Holders’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus), and such other documents as the Underwriters and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or the legal counsel for any such Holders may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders;

 

3.1.4 prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, but in any case no later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, use its commercially reasonable efforts to (a) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request to keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as such Registration Statement remains in effect and (b) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company or otherwise and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable, in each case, to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;

 

3.1.5  use commercially reasonable efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange or automated quotation system on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;

 

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3.1.6 provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;

 

3.1.7 promptly furnish to each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement such number of conformed copies of such Registration Statement and of each such amendment and supplement thereto (in each case including all exhibits), such number of copies of the Prospectus contained in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus and any summary Prospectus) and any other Prospectus filed under Rule 424 under the Securities Act, in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, and such other documents as such seller may reasonably request;

 

3.1.8 notify each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of any request by the Commission that the Company amend or supplement such Registration Statement or Prospectus or of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to amend or supplement such Registration Statement or Prospectus or prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued, as applicable;

 

3.1.9 notify each Holder of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when such Registration Statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any Prospectus forming a part of such Registration Statement has been filed;

 

3.1.10 [Reserved].

 

3.1.11 notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, and then to correct such Misstatement as set forth in Section 3.4 hereof;

 

3.1.12 permit a representative of the Holders, the Underwriters, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter, at each such Person’s own expense (other than with respect to the Specified Legal Counsel), to participate in the preparation of any Registration Statement, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with such Registration Statement; provided, however, that if requested by the Company, such representatives or Underwriters enter into a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information;

 

3.1.13 obtain a “cold comfort” letter (including a bring-down letter dated as of the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration) from the Company’s independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Offering, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “cold comfort” letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders and the managing Underwriter;

 

3.1.14 on the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration, obtain an opinion and negative assurance letter, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the Holders, the placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration in respect of which such opinion is being given as the Holders, placement agent, sales agent, or Underwriter may reasonably request and as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority in interest of the participating Holders and the managing Underwriter or their respective counsel;

 

3.1.15 in the event of any Underwritten Offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing Underwriter of such offering;

 

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3.1.16 otherwise use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and to make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Rule 158 thereunder, and which requirement will be deemed to be satisfied if the Company timely files complete and accurate information on Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K under the Exchange Act;

 

3.1.17 if the Registration involves the Registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $25,000,000, use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any Underwritten Offering; and

 

3.1.18 otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Holders in connection with such Registration.

 

3.2 Registration Expenses. The Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company. It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees, and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders.

 

3.3 Participation in Underwritten Offerings.

 

3.3.1 No Person may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such Person (a) agrees to sell such Person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (b) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.

 

3.3.2 Holders participating in an Underwritten Offering may, at their option, require that any or all of the representations and warranties by, and the other agreements on the part of, the Company to and for the benefit of the Underwriters shall also be made to and for the benefit of such Holders and that any or all of the conditions precedent to the obligations of such Underwriters shall also be made to and for the benefit of such Holders; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to make any representations or warranties with respect to written information specifically provided by a Holder in writing for inclusion in the Registration Statement.

 

3.4 Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure. Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, or in the opinion of counsel for the Company it is necessary to supplement or amend such Prospectus to comply with law, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement or including the information counsel for the Company believes to be necessary to comply with law (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as practicable after the time of such notice such that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, as applicable, will not include a Misstatement and complies with applicable law), or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed. If the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay the filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement for the shortest period of time, but in no event more than forty-five (45) days, determined in good faith by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or the Board to be necessary for such purpose; provided, that each day of any such suspension pursuant to this Section 3.4 shall correspondingly decrease the Aggregate Blocking Period available to the Company during any twelve (12)-month period pursuant to Section 2.4 hereof. In the event the Company exercises its rights under the preceding sentence, the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of the Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 3.4.

 

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3.5 Market Stand-off. In connection with any Underwritten Offering or Shelf Underwritten Offering of equity securities of the Company (other than a Block Trade), if requested by the managing Underwriter(s), each participating Holder will agree that it shall not Transfer any shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (other than those included in such offering pursuant to this Agreement), without the prior written consent of the managing Underwriter(s), during the ninety (90)-day period beginning on the date of pricing of such offering or such shorter period during which the Company agrees not to conduct an underwritten primary offering of Common Stock, except in the event the Underwriters managing the offering otherwise agree by written consent. Each Holder agrees to execute a customary lock-up agreement in favor of the Underwriters to such effect (in each case on substantially the same terms and conditions as all such participating Holders).

 

3.6 Covenants of the Company. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company hereby covenants and agrees: 

 

3.6.1 at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to use reasonable best efforts to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and to promptly furnish the Holders with true and complete copies of all such filings, provided that any documents publicly filed or furnished with the Commission pursuant to the Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System (or any successor thereto) shall be deemed to have been furnished to the Holders pursuant to this subsection 3.6.1. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell shares of Common Stock held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission). Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements; and

 

3.6.2 upon request of a Holder, the Company shall (i) authorize the Company’s transfer agent to remove any legend on share certificates of such Holder’s Common Stock restricting further transfer (or any similar restriction in book entry positions of such Holder) if, in the opinion of the Company’s outside legal counsel, such restrictions are no longer required by the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws or any agreement with the Company to which such Holder is a party, including if such shares subject to such a restriction have been sold pursuant to a Registration Statement, (ii) request the Company’s transfer agent to issue in lieu thereof shares of Common Stock without such restrictions to the Holder upon, as applicable, surrender of any stock certificates evidencing such shares of Common Stock, or to update the applicable book entry position of such Holder so that it no longer is subject to such a restriction, and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with such Holder to have such Holder’s shares of Common Stock transferred into a book-entry position at The Depository Trust Company, in each case, subject to delivery of customary documentation, including any documentation required by such restrictive legend or book-entry notation.

 

Article IV 
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION

 

4.1 Indemnification.

 

4.1.1 The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers, directors and agents and each Person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) from and against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) (collectively, “Claims”), resulting from any untrue or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; except insofar as the Claim arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such filing in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein. The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each Person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Holders.

 

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4.1.2 In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, the Company may require that, as a condition to including any Registrable Securities in any Registration Statement the Company shall have received an undertaking reasonably satisfactory to it from such Holder, to indemnify the Company, its directors and officers and agents and each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) from and against Claims resulting from any untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so furnished in writing by such Holder expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the obligation to indemnify shall be several, not joint and several, among such Holders of Registrable Securities, and the liability of each such Holder of Registrable Securities shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each Person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company. If any Underwriter shall require any Holder of Registrable Securities to provide any indemnification other than that provided hereinabove in this subsection 4.1.2, such Holder may elect not to participate in such Underwritten Offering (but shall not have any claim against the Company as a result of such election).

 

4.1.3 Any Person entitled to indemnification herein shall (a) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any Claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (b) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such Claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a Claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one (1) counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such Claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such Claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) and which settlement includes a statement or admission of fault or culpability on the part of such indemnified party or does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.

 

4.1.4 The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director, partners, stockholders or members, employees, agents, investment advisors or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the Transfer of Registrable Securities. The Company and each Holder of Registrable Securities participating in a Registration also agrees to make such provisions as are reasonably requested by any indemnified party for contribution to such party in the event the Company’s or such Holder’s indemnification is unavailable for any reason.

 

4.1.5 If the indemnification provided under Section 4.1 hereof from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any Claims, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such Claims (a) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other hand from the offering of the Registrable Securities or (b) if the allocation provided by clause (a) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (a) above but also to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such Claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, was made by, or related to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder or any director, officer, agent or controlling Person thereof under this subsection 4.1.5 shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in subsections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this subsection 4.1.5. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this subsection 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

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Article V
MISCELLANEOUS

 

5.1 Notices. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be in writing and given by (a) deposit in the United States mail, addressed to the party to be notified, postage prepaid and registered or certified with return receipt requested, (b) delivery in person or by courier service providing evidence of delivery, or (c) transmission by hand delivery or electronic mail. Each notice or communication that is mailed, delivered, or transmitted in the manner described above shall be deemed sufficiently given, served, sent, and received, in the case of mailed notices, on the third business day following the date on which it is mailed and, in the case of notices delivered by courier service, hand delivery or electronic mail, at such time as it is delivered to the addressee (with the delivery receipt of the intended recipient or the affidavit of messenger) or at such time as delivery is refused by the addressee upon presentation. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be addressed to the Company at:

 

Fold Holdings, Inc.

11201 North Tatum Boulevard

Suite 300, Unit 42035

Phoenix, AZ 85028

Attention: Legal Team

Email: Legal@foldapp.com

 

with a copy to:

 

Latham & Watkins LLP

811 Main Street, Suite 3700

Houston, TX 77002

Attention: Ryan Maierson

Email: ryan.maierson@lw.com

 

and to the Holders, at such Holder’s address referenced in Schedule A.

 

Any party may change its address for notice at any time and from time to time by written notice to the other parties hereto, and such change of address shall become effective thirty (30) days after delivery of such notice as provided in this Section 5.1.

 

5.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries.

 

5.2.1 This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part.

 

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5.2.2 Prior to the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period or the Placement Unit Lock-up Period, as the case may be, no Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, except in connection with a Transfer of Registrable Securities by such Holder to a Permitted Transferee.

 

5.2.3 Subject to subsection 5.2.2, a Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, to any Person to whom it Transfers Registrable Securities, provided that such Registrable Securities remain Registrable Securities following such Transfer and such Person agreed to become bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement in accordance with subsection 5.2.6.

 

5.2.4 This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and their respective successors and the permitted assigns of the applicable Holders, which shall include Permitted Transferees.

 

5.2.5 This Agreement shall not confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not parties hereto, other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and Section 5.2 hereof.

 

5.2.6 No assignment by any party hereto of such party’s rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (a) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 5.1 hereof and (b) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement). Any Transfer or assignment made other than as provided in this Section 5.2 shall be null and void.

 

5.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts (including facsimile or PDF counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same instrument, but only one of which need be produced.

 

5.4 Governing Law; Venue. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLACE WHERE THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE EXECUTED BY ANY OF THE PARTIES HERETO, THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO PRINCIPLES OR RULES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS TO THE EXTENT SUCH PRINCIPLES OR RULES WOULD REQUIRE OR PERMIT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION.

 

5.5 Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. Any action based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement, or the transactions contemplated hereby, shall be brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court declines to exercise jurisdiction, any federal or state court located in Wilmington, Delaware, and each of the parties irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of each such court in any such action, waives any objection it may now or hereafter have to personal jurisdiction, venue or to convenience of forum, agrees that all claims in respect of the action shall be heard and determined only in any such court, and agrees not to bring any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in any other court.  Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to affect the right of any party to serve process in any manner permitted by law, or to commence legal proceedings or otherwise proceed against any other party in any other jurisdiction, in each case, to enforce judgments obtained in any action brought pursuant to this Section 5.5.

 

5.6 Amendments and Modifications. Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities at the time in question, compliance with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that would materially and adversely affect a Holder of at least five percent (5%) of the Registrable Securities, solely in its capacity as a holder of the shares of capital stock of the Company, in a manner that is adverse and different from the other Holders (solely in their capacities as holders of the shares of capital stock of the Company) shall require the consent of the Holder so affected, (b) any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects any of the material rights of the Sponsor Holders or New Holders, as applicable, solely in their respective capacities as Sponsor Holders or New Holders, as applicable, in a manner that is adverse and different from the other Holders, shall require the consent of the Sponsor Holders or New Holders, as applicable, representing a majority-in-interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by the Sponsor Holders or New Holders, as applicable. No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party.

 

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5.7 Other Registration Rights. Other than pursuant to the terms of the ATW Registration Rights Agreement, the Company represents and warrants that no person, other than a Holder of Registrable Securities, has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other Person. Further, the Company and each of the Holders agree that this Agreement supersedes any other registration rights agreement or agreement with similar terms and conditions among the parties hereto and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.

 

5.8 Term. This Agreement shall terminate (a) as to all Holders and the Company, upon the earlier of the date as of which all of the Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to a Registration Statement (but in no event prior to the applicable period referred to in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act and Rule 174 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission)) or (b) as to any Holder individually, the date on which such Holder no longer holds any Registrable Securities or is permitted to sell all of such Holder’s Registrable Securities under Rule 144 (or any similar provision) under the Securities Act without limitation on the amount of securities sold or the manner of sale and because the reporting requirements of Rule 144(i)(2) are not applicable. The provisions of Section 3.5 and Article IV shall survive any termination.

 

5.9 Holder Information. Each Holder agrees, if requested in writing, to represent to the Company the total number of Registrable Securities held by such Holder in order for the Company to make determinations hereunder.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  FOLD HOLDINGS, INC.
  a Delaware corporation
   
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  
   
  HOLDERS:
   
  EMERALD ESG SPONSOR, LLC
  a Delaware limited liability company
   
  By:  
    Name:  Betsy Cohen
    Title: Manager
   
  EMERALD ESG ADVISORS, LLC
  a Delaware limited liability company
   
  By:  
    Name: Betsy Cohen
    Title: Manager

 

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  THESIS, INC.
   
  By:  
    Name:  Matthew Luongo
    Title: CEO
   
  CRAFT VENTURES II, LP
   
  By:  
    Name: Brian Murray
    Title: Managing Director
   
  M13 VENTURES II, L.P.
   
  By: M13 Ventures II GP, LLC, its General Partner
   
  By:  
    Name: Latif Peracha
    Title: Authorized Signatory
   
  WILLIAM REEVES
   
  By:  
   
   
  FULGUR FRONTIER CAPITAL LP
   
  By:  
    Name:  
    Title:  
   
  FULGUR VENTURES I, L.P.
   
  By:  
    Name:  
    Title:  
   
  LOW TIME PREFERENCE FUND II, LLC
   
  By:  
    Name:  
    Title:  

 

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Schedule A 

 

Holder  Address
Emerald ESG Sponsor, LLC  2929 Arch Street, Suite 1703,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Emerald ESG Advisors, LLC  2929 Arch Street, Suite 1703,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Thesis, Inc.  1201 W Peachtree St NW Ste 2625
PMB 54476, Atlanta, Georgia 30309-3499
US
Craft Ventures II, LP   
Craft Ventures Affiliates II, LP   
Slow Ventures III, LP   
Slow Ventures III-A, LP   
Slow Angel, LLC   
M13 Ventures II, L.P.   
William Reeves   
Fulgur Frontier Capital LP   

Fulgur Ventures I, L.P.

 
LOW TIME PREFERENCE FUND II, LLC  6463 Woodland Springs Drive
Newburge, IN 47630

 

 

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Exhibit 10.2

 

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION And Advancement AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification and Advancement Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of [________], 2025 by and between Fold Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and [______________], [a member of the Board of Directors/an officer] of the Company (“Indemnitee”). This Agreement supersedes and replaces any and all previous Agreements between the Company and Indemnitee covering indemnification and advancement of expenses.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) believes that highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve publicly-held corporations as directors, officers, or in other capacities unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification and advancement of expenses against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the corporation;

 

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its subsidiaries from certain liabilities. Although the furnishing of such insurance has been a customary and widespread practice among United States-based corporations and other business enterprises, the Company believes that, given current market conditions and trends, such insurance may be available to it in the future only at higher premiums and with more exclusions. At the same time, directors, officers, and other persons in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself. The Company’s Bylaws and Certificate of Incorporation require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company. Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). The Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation, and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and its directors, officers, and other persons with respect to indemnification and advancement of expenses;

 

WHEREAS, the uncertainties relating to such insurance, to indemnification, and to advancement of expenses may increase the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;

  

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

 

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified;

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to, and in furtherance of, the Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, as well as any rights of Indemnitee under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy, and is not a substitute therefor, and does not diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder; and

 

 

 

 

WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the protection available under the Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation, and available insurance as adequate in the present circumstances, and may not be willing to serve or continue to serve as a director or officer of the Company without adequate additional protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve or continue to serve in such capacity. Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that Indemnitee be so indemnified and be advanced expenses.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

 

Section 1. Services to the Company. Indemnitee agrees to serve as a director or officer of the Company. Indemnitee may at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other contractual obligation or any obligation imposed by operation of law). This Agreement does not create any obligation on the Company to continue Indemnitee in such position and is not an employment contract between the Company (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise) and Indemnitee.

 

Section 2. Definitions. As used in this Agreement:

 

(a) “Agent” means any person who is authorized by the Company or an Enterprise to act for or represent the interests of the Company or an Enterprise, respectively.

 

(b) A “Change in Control” occurs upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:

 

i. Acquisition of Stock by Third Party. Any Person (as defined below) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner (as defined below), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities unless the change in relative beneficial ownership of the Company’s securities by any Person results solely from a reduction in the aggregate number of outstanding shares of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors;

 

ii. Change in Board of Directors. During any period of two (2) consecutive years (not including any period prior to the execution of this Agreement), individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board, and any new director (other than a director designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in Sections 2(b)(i), 2(b)(iii) or 2(b)(iv) of this Agreement) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board;

 

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iii. Corporate Transactions. The effective date of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other entity, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation and with the power to elect at least a majority of the board of directors or other governing body of such surviving entity;

 

iv. Liquidation. The approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; and

 

v. Other Events. There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirement.

 

vi. For purposes of this Section 2(b), the following terms have the following meanings:

 

1“Beneficial Owner” has the meaning given to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that Beneficial Owner excludes any Person otherwise becoming a Beneficial Owner by reason of the stockholders of the Company approving a merger of the Company with another entity.

 

2“Person” has the meaning as set forth in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that Person excludes (i) the Company, (ii) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company, and (iii) any entity owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company.

 

(c) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was acting as a director, officer, employee, or Agent of the Company or an Enterprise.

 

(d) “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

 

(e) “Enterprise” means any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other entity for which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, or Agent.

 

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(f) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

 

(g) “Expenses” includes all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees and other costs of experts and other professionals, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement, excise taxes and penalties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and all other disbursements, obligations, or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding. Expenses also include (i) Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding, including without limitation the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedeas bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent, and (ii) for purposes of Section 14(d) of this Agreement only, Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the interpretation, enforcement or defense of Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement, by litigation or otherwise. Expenses, however, do not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

 

(h) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements) or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” does not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel.

 

(i) “Proceeding” includes any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, claim, counterclaim, cross claim, arbitration, mediation, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing, or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, regulatory, or investigative (formal or informal) nature, including any appeal therefrom, in which Indemnitee was, is, or will be involved as a party, potential party, non-party witness, or otherwise by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status or by reason of any action taken by Indemnitee (or a failure to take action by Indemnitee) or of any action (or failure to act) on Indemnitee’s part while acting pursuant to Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, in each case whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or Expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of Expenses can be provided under this Agreement. A Proceeding also includes a situation the Indemnitee believes in good faith may lead to, or culminate in, the institution of a Proceeding.

 

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Section 3. Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings. The Company will indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 3, the Company will indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law against all Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with, or in respect of, such Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue, or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in the case of a criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.

 

Section 4. Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. The Company will indemnify Indemnitee in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4 if Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 4, the Company will indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Company. The Company will not indemnify Indemnitee for Expenses under this Section 4 related to any claim, issue, or matter in a Proceeding for which Indemnitee has been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Company, unless, and only to the extent that, the Court of Chancery of the state of Delaware (the “Delaware Court”) or any court in which the Proceeding was brought determines upon application by Indemnitee that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification.

 

Section 5. Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company will indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding to the extent that Indemnitee is successful, on the merits or otherwise. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues, or matters in such Proceeding, the Company will indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with or related to each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter to the fullest extent permitted by law. For purposes of this Section 5 and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue, or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, will be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue, or matter.

 

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Section 6. Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Company will indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party but to which Indemnitee is a witness, deponent, interviewee, or otherwise asked to participate or provide information.

 

Section 7. Partial Indemnification. If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses, but not, however, for the total amount thereof, the Company will indemnify Indemnitee for the portion thereof to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

Section 8. Additional Indemnification. Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 3, 4, or 5 of this Agreement, the Company will indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law (including but not limited to, the DGCL and any amendments to or replacements of the DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement that expand the Company’s ability to indemnify its officers, directors, employees or Agents) if Indemnitee is a party to, or threatened to be made a party to, any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor).

 

Section 9. Exclusions. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company is not obligated under this Agreement to indemnify Indemnitee for:

 

(a) for any amount actually paid to or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except to the extent provided in Section 15(b) of this Agreement and except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision;

 

(b) an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law;

 

(c)  reimbursement of the Company by the Indemnitee of any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensation or of any profits realized by the Indemnitee from the sale of securities of the Company, as required in each case under the Exchange Act (including any such reimbursements that arise from an accounting restatement of the Company pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), or the payment to the Company of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act);

 

(d) reimbursement of the Company by Indemnitee of any compensation pursuant to any compensation recoupment or clawback policy adopted by the Board or the compensation committee of the Board, including but not limited to any such policy adopted to comply with stock exchange listing requirements implementing Section 10D of the Exchange Act; or

 

(e) any Proceeding initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Proceeding or part of any Proceeding is to enforce Indemnitee’s rights to indemnification or advancement, of Expenses, including a Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated pursuant to Section 14 of this Agreement, (ii) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (iii) the Company provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law.

 

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Section 10. Advances of Expenses.

 

(a) The Company will advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with:

 

i. any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) not initiated by Indemnitee; or

 

ii.  any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee if

 

1the Proceeding or part of any Proceeding is to enforce Indemnitee’s rights to obtain indemnification or advancement of Expenses from the Company or Enterprise, including a proceeding initiated pursuant to Section 14 of this Agreement, or

 

2the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation.

 

(b) The Company will advance the Expenses within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of any Proceeding eligible for advancement of expenses.

 

(c) Advances will be unsecured and interest free. Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay any amounts so advanced (without interest) to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company, thus Indemnitee qualifies for advances upon the execution of this Agreement and delivery to the Company. No other form of undertaking is required other than the execution of this Agreement. The Company will make advances without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay the Expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement.

 

Section 11. Procedure for Notification of Claim for Indemnification or Advancement.

 

(a) Indemnitee will notify the Company in writing of any Proceeding with respect to which Indemnitee intends to seek indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder as soon as reasonably practicable following the receipt by Indemnitee of written notice thereof. Indemnitee will include in the written notification to the Company a description of the nature of the Proceeding and the facts underlying the Proceeding and provide such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification following the final disposition of such Proceeding. Indemnitee’s failure to notify the Company will not relieve the Company from any obligation it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement, and any delay in so notifying the Company will not constitute a waiver by Indemnitee of any rights under this Agreement. The Secretary of the Company will, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification or advancement, advise the Board in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification or advancement.

 

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(b) The Company will be entitled to participate in the Proceeding at its own expense.

 

Section 12. Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.

 

(a) Unless a Change of Control has occurred, the determination of Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification will be made:

 

i. by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board;

 

ii. by a committee of Disinterested Directors designated by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board;

 

iii. if there are no such Disinterested Directors or, if such Disinterested Directors so direct, by written opinion provided by Independent Counsel selected by the Board; or

 

iv. if so directed by the Board, by the stockholders of the Company.

 

(b) If a Change in Control has occurred, the determination of Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification will be made by written opinion provided by Independent Counsel selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee requests such selection be made by the Board)

 

(c) The party selecting Independent Counsel pursuant to subsection (a)(iii) or (b) of this Section 12 will provide written notice of the selection to the other party. The notified party may, within ten (10) days after receiving written notice of the selection of Independent Counsel, deliver to the selecting party a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 2 of this Agreement, and the objection will set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected will act as Independent Counsel. If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or the Delaware Court has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within thirty (30) days after the later of submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement and the final disposition of the Proceeding, Independent Counsel has not been selected or, if selected, any objection to such selection has not been resolved, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Delaware Court for resolution of any objection made by the Company or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by such court or by such other person as such court designates. Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 14(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel will be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).

 

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(d) Indemnitee will cooperate with the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons, or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. The Company will advance and pay any Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making the indemnification determination irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom. The Company promptly will advise Indemnitee in writing of the determination that Indemnitee is or is not entitled to indemnification, including a description of any reason or basis for which indemnification has been denied and providing a copy of any written opinion provided to the Board by Independent Counsel.

 

(e) If it is determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company will make payment to Indemnitee within thirty (30) days after such determination.

 

Section 13. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.

 

(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement, the person, persons, or entity making such determination will, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, presume Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 11(a) of this Agreement, and the Company will, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption. Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper under the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors or Independent Counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, will be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

 

(b) If the determination of the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification has not been made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement within sixty (60) days after the later of (i) receipt by the Company of Indemnitee’s request for indemnification pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement and (ii) the final disposition of the Proceeding for which Indemnitee requested Indemnification (the “Determination Period”), the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification will, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee will be entitled to such indemnification absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law. The Determination Period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) days, if the person, persons or entity making the determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided, further, the Determination Period will not apply (i) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the stockholders pursuant to Section 12(a)(iv) of this Agreement and if (A) within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Company of the request for such determination the Board has resolved to submit such determination to the stockholders for their consideration at an annual meeting thereof to be held within seventy-five (75) days after such receipt and such determination is made thereat, or (B) a special meeting of stockholders is called within fifteen (15) days after such receipt for the purpose of making such determination, such meeting is held for such purpose within sixty (60) days after having been so called and such determination is made thereat, or (ii) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel.

 

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(c) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue, or matter therein by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, will not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.

 

(d) For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee will be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee acted based on (i) the records or books of account of the Company, its subsidiaries, or an Enterprise, including financial statements, (ii) information supplied to Indemnitee by the directors or officers of the Company, its subsidiaries, or an Enterprise in the course of their duties, (iii) the advice of legal counsel for the Company, its subsidiaries, or an Enterprise or (iv) information or records given or reports made to the Company or an Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser, financial advisor or other expert selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company, its subsidiaries, or an Enterprise. Further, Indemnitee will be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Company,” as referred to in this Agreement if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan. The provisions of this Section 13(d) are not exclusive and do not limit in any way the other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.

 

(e) The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any other person affiliated with the Company or an Enterprise (including, but not limited to, a director, officer, trustee, partner, managing member, Agent or employee) may not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining Indemnitee’s right to indemnification under this Agreement.

 

Section 14. Remedies of Indemnitee.

 

(a) Indemnitee may commence litigation against the Company in the Delaware Court to obtain indemnification or advancement of Expenses provided by this Agreement in the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) the Company does not advance Expenses pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement, (iii) the determination of entitlement to indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement within the Determination Period, (iv) the Company does not indemnify Indemnitee pursuant to Section 5 or 6 or the second to last sentence of Section 12(d) of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, (v) the Company does not indemnify Indemnitee pursuant to Section 3, 4, 7, or 8 of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, or (vi) in the event that the Company or any other person takes or threatens to take any action to declare this Agreement void or unenforceable, or institutes any litigation or other action or Proceeding designed to deny, or to recover from, the Indemnitee the benefits provided or intended to be provided to the Indemnitee hereunder. Alternatively, Indemnitee, at Indemnitee’s option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Indemnitee must commence such Proceeding seeking an adjudication or an award in arbitration within one hundred and eighty (180) days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such Proceeding pursuant to this Section 14(a); provided, however, that the foregoing clause does not apply in respect of a Proceeding brought by Indemnitee to enforce Indemnitee’s rights under Section 5 of this Agreement. The Company will not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.

 

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(b) If a determination is made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 will be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial or arbitration on the merits and Indemnitee may not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 the Company will have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be, and will not introduce evidence of the determination made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement.

 

(c) If a determination is made pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company will be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 unless (i) a made of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with Indemnitees’ request for indemnification, or (ii) the Company is prohibited from indemnifying Indemnitee under applicable law.

 

(d) The Company is, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 14 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding, or enforceable and will stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(e) It is the intent of the Company that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Indemnitee not be required to incur legal fees or other Expenses associated with the interpretation, enforcement, or defense of Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement, by litigation or otherwise, because the cost and expense thereof would substantially detract from the benefits intended to be extended to the Indemnitee under this Agreement. The Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law, will (within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor) advance to Indemnitee such Expenses which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with a Proceeding concerning this Agreement, Indemnitee’s other rights to indemnification or advancement of Expenses from the Company, or concerning any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, and will indemnify Indemnitee against any and all such Expenses unless the court determines that Indemnitee’s claims in such action were made in bad faith or frivolous, or that the Company is prohibited by law from indemnifying Indemnitee for such Expenses.

 

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Section 15. Non-exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; Subrogation.

 

(a) The indemnification and advancement of Expenses provided by this Agreement are not exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders, a resolution of the board of directors, or otherwise. The indemnification and advancement of Expenses provided by this Agreement may not be limited or restricted by any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement in any way with respect to any action taken or omitted by Indemnitee in Indemnitee’s Corporate Status occurring prior to any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement. To the extent that a change in Delaware law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation, or this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy is cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, will not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

 

(b) The Company hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of Expenses and/or insurance provided by one or more other Persons with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated. The relationship between the Company and such other Persons, other than an Enterprise, with respect to Indemnitee’s rights to indemnification, advancement of Expenses, and insurance is described by this subsection, subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section 15 with respect to a Proceeding concerning Indemnitee’s Corporate Status with an Enterprise.

 

i. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees:

 

1) the Company’s obligations to Indemnitee are primary and any obligation of any other Persons, other than an Enterprise, are secondary (i.e., the Company is the indemnitor of first resort) with respect to any request for indemnification or advancement of Expenses made pursuant to this Agreement concerning any Proceeding;

 

2)  the Company is primarily liable for all indemnification or advancement of Expenses obligations for any Proceeding, whether created by law, the Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation, contract (including this Agreement) or otherwise;

 

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3) any obligation of any other Persons with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated to indemnify Indemnitee and/or advance Expenses to Indemnitee in respect of any proceeding are secondary to the Company’s obligations; and

 

4) the Company will indemnify Indemnitee and advance Expenses to Indemnitee hereunder to the fullest extent provided herein without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated or an insurer of any such Person.

 

ii. the Company irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases (A) any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated from any claim of contribution, subrogation, reimbursement, exoneration or indemnification, or any other recovery of any kind in respect of amounts paid by the Company to Indemnitee pursuant to this Agreement and (B) any right to participate in any claim or remedy of Indemnitee against any Person, whether or not such claim, remedy or right arises in equity or under contract, statute or common law, including, without limitation, the right to take or receive from any Person , directly or indirectly, in cash or other property or by set-off or in any other manner, payment or security on account of such claim, remedy or right.

 

iii. In the event any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated or their insurers advances or extinguishes any liability or loss for Indemnitee, the payor has a right of subrogation against the Company or its insurers for all amounts so paid which would otherwise be payable by the Company or its insurers under this Agreement. In no event will payment by any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated or their insurers affect the obligations of the Company hereunder or shift primary liability for the Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses to any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated.

 

iv. Any indemnification or advancement of Expenses provided by any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated is specifically in excess over the Company’s obligation to indemnify and advance Expenses or any valid and collectible insurance (including but not limited to any malpractice insurance or professional errors and omissions insurance) provided by the Company.

 

(c) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, or Agents of the Company, the Company will obtain a policy or policies covering Indemnitee to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such director, officer, employee or Agent under such policy or policies, including coverage in the event the Company does not or cannot, for any reason, indemnify or advance Expenses to Indemnitee as required by this Agreement. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to this Agreement, the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company will give prompt notice of such claim or of the commencement of a Proceeding, as the case may be, to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company will thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies. Indemnitee agrees to assist the Company’s efforts to cause the insurers to pay such amounts and will comply with the terms of such policies, including selection of approved panel counsel, if required.

 

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(d) The Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee for any Proceeding concerning Indemnitee’s Corporate Status with an Enterprise will be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement of Expenses from such Enterprise. The Company and Indemnitee intend that any such Enterprise (and its insurers) be the indemnitor of first resort with respect to indemnification and advancement of Expenses for any Proceeding related to or arising from Indemnitee’s Corporate Status with such Enterprise. The Company’s obligation to indemnify and advance Expenses to Indemnitee is secondary to the obligations the Enterprise or its insurers owe to Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees to take all reasonably necessary and desirable action to obtain from an Enterprise indemnification and advancement of Expenses for any Proceeding related to, or arising from, Indemnitee’s Corporate Status with such Enterprise.

 

(e) In the event of any payment made by the Company under this Agreement, the Company will be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee from any Enterprise or its insurance carrier. Indemnitee will execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

Section 16. Duration of Agreement. The indemnification and advancement of Expenses rights provided by or granted pursuant to this Agreement are (i) binding upon and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company), (ii) continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or Agent of the Company or of any other Enterprise, and (iii) inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee’s spouse, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors and administrators and other legal representatives.

 

Section 17. Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) will not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and will remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions will be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) will be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

 

Section 18. Interpretation. Any ambiguity in the terms of this Agreement will be resolved in favor of Indemnitee and in a manner to provide the maximum indemnification and advancement of Expenses permitted by law. The Company and Indemnitee intend that this Agreement provide to the fullest extent permitted by law for indemnification and advancement of Expenses in excess of that expressly provided, without limitation, by the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, vote of the Company’s stockholders or disinterested directors, or applicable law.

 

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Section 19. Enforcement.

 

(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a director, officer, employee, or Agent of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving or continuing to serve as director, officer, employee, or Agent of the Company.

 

(b) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof; provided, however, that this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, any directors’ and officers’ insurance maintained by the Company, and applicable law, is not a substitute therefor, and does not diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.

 

Section 20. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement is binding unless executed in writing by the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement will be valid unless executed in writing by the party entitled to enforce the provision to be waived and any such waiver will not be deemed or constitute a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement nor will any waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

Section 21. Notice by Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees to promptly notify the Company in writing upon being served with any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification or advancement of Expenses covered hereunder. The failure of Indemnitee to so notify the Company does not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise.

 

Section 22. Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by hand to the other party, (b) sent by reputable overnight courier to the other party or (c) sent by facsimile transmission or electronic mail, with receipt of oral confirmation that such communication has been received:

 

(a) If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee provides to the Company.

 

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(b) If to the Company to:

 

  Name:   Fold Holdings, Inc.
  Address: 11201 North Tatum Blvd., Suite 300, Unit
    42035 Phoenix, Arizona 85028
  Attention:  Legal Team
  Email:   Legal@foldapp.com

 

or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company.

 

Section 23. Contribution. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, will contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (a) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding; and/or (b) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and Agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).

 

Section 24. Applicable Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties are governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 14(a) of this Agreement, the Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (a) agree that any action, claim, or proceeding between the parties arising out of or in connection with this Agreement may be brought only in the Delaware Court and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action, claim, or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (c) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action, claim, or proceeding in the Delaware Court, and (d) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action, claim, or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

 

Section 25. Identical Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which will for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

 

Section 26. Headings. The headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute part of this Agreement or affect the construction thereof.

 

-16-

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

FOLD HOLDINGS, INC.   INDEMNITEE
     
By:            
Name:   Name:
Office:   Address:

 

 

-17-

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

Execution Version

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOLD, INC.

 

2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

Adopted by the Board on August 20, 2019
Approved by the Stockholders on August 20, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  Page
Section 1.   PURPOSE 1
Section 2.   DEFINITIONS 1
2.1   “Affiliate” 1
2.2   “Award” 1
2.3   “Award Agreement” 1
2.4   “Board” 1
2.5   “Cause” 1
2.6   “Change in Control” 2
2.7   “Code” 3
2.8   “Committee” 3
2.9   “Company” 3
2.10   “Consultant” 3
2.11   “Disability” 3
2.12   “Employee” 3
2.13   “Exchange Act” 3
2.14   “Exercise Price” 3
2.15   “Fair Market Value” 3
2.16   “Immediate Family” 3
2.17   “ISO” 3
2.18   “NSO” 3
2.19   “Option” 4
2.20   “Other Stock Award” 4
2.21   “Outside Director” 4
2.22   “Parent” 4
2.23   “Participant” 4
2.24   “Plan” 4
2.25   “Purchase Price” 4
2.26   “Restricted Stock Award” 4
2.27   “Restricted Stock Unit” 4
2.28   “Securities Act” 4
2.29   “Service” 4
2.30   “Share” 5
2.31   “Stock” 5
2.32   “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” 5
2.33   “Subsidiary” 5
2.34   “Ten-Percent Stockholder” 5
Section 3.   ADMINISTRATION 5
3.1   General Rule 5
3.2   Board Authority and Responsibility 5

 

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Section 4.   ELIGIBILITY 6
Section 5.   STOCK SUBJECT TO PLAN 6
5.1   Share Limit 6
5.2   Additional Shares 6
5.3   Incentive Stock Option Limit 6
5.4   Substitution and Assumption of Awards 6
Section 6.   RESTRICTED STOCK 7
6.1   Restricted Stock Award 7
6.2   Duration of Offers and Nontransferability of Rights 7
6.3   Consideration 7
6.4   Vesting Restrictions 7
Section 7.   STOCK OPTIONS 7
7.1   Stock Option Award 7
7.2   Number of Shares; Kind of Option 7
7.3   Exercise Price 8
7.4   Term 8
7.5   Exercisability 8
7.6   Transferability of Options 8
7.7   Exercise of Options on Termination of Service 9
7.8   No Rights as a Stockholder 9
7.9   Modification, Extension and Renewal of Options 9
Section 8.   STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS 10
8.1   Stock Appreciation Right Award 10
8.2   Number of Shares 10
8.3   Exercise Price 10
8.4   Term 10
8.5   Exercisability 10
8.6   Exercise of SARs 10
8.7   Transferability of SARs 10
8.8   Exercise of SARs on Termination of Service 11
8.9   No Rights as a Stockholder 11
8.10   Modification, Extension and Renewal of SARs 11
Section 9.   RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS AND OTHER STOCK AWARDS 11
9.1   Restricted Stock Unit Award 11
9.2   Number of Shares; Payment 12
9.3   Vesting Conditions 12
9.4   Settlement of Restricted Stock Units 12
9.5   Transfer Restrictions 12

 

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9.6   No Rights as a Stockholder 12
9.7   Other Stock Awards 12
Section 10.   PAYMENT FOR SHARES 13
10.1   General 13
10.2   Surrender of Stock 13
10.3   Services Rendered 13
10.4   Promissory Notes 13
10.5   Exercise/Sale 13
10.6   Exercise/Pledge 13
10.7   Net Exercise 13
10.8   Other Forms of Payment 14
Section 11.   ADJUSTMENT OF SHARES 14
11.1   General 14
11.2   Dissolution or Liquidation 14
11.3   Mergers, Consolidations and Other Corporate Transactions 14
11.4   Reservation of Rights 15
11.5   Buyout Provisions 15
Section 12.   TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS AND REPURCHASE RIGHTS 15
12.1   Transfer Restrictions 15
12.2   Company’s Right to Repurchase Shares 16
Section 13.   WITHHOLDING AND OTHER TAXES 16
13.1   General 16
13.2   Share Withholding 17
13.3   Cashless Exercise/Pledge 17
13.4   Other Forms of Payment 17
13.5   Employer Fringe Benefit Taxes 17
13.6   Section 409A 17
Section 14.   LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS 18
Section 15.   NO RETENTION RIGHTS 18
Section 16.   DURATION AND AMENDMENTS 18
16.1   Term of the Plan 18
16.2   Right to Amend or Terminate the Plan 18
16.3   Effect of Amendment or Termination 18
Section 17.   EXECUTION. 19

 

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FOLD, INC.
2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

SECTION 1. PURPOSE.

 

The Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors effective August 20, 2019. The purpose of the Plan is to offer selected service providers the opportunity to acquire equity in the Company through awards of Options (which may constitute incentive stock options or nonstatutory stock options), Restricted Stock Awards, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Units and Other Stock Awards.

 

The Awards under the Plan are intended to be exempt from the securities qualification requirements of the California Corporations Code by satisfying the exemption under Section 25102(o) of the California Corporations Code. However, Awards may be made in reliance upon other state securities law exemptions. To the extent that other state exemptions are relied upon, the terms of this Plan which are included only to comply with Section 25102(o) shall be disregarded to the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement. In addition, to the extent that Section 25102(o) or the regulations promulgated thereunder are amended to delete any requirements set forth in such law or regulations, the terms of this Plan which are included only to comply with Section 25102(o) or the regulations promulgated thereunder as in effect prior to any such amendment shall be disregarded to the extent permitted by applicable law.

 

SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS.

 

2.1Affiliate” shall mean any entity other than a Subsidiary, if the Company and/or one or more Subsidiaries own not less than 50% of such entity.

 

2.2Award” shall mean, individually or collectively, a grant under the Plan of Options, Restricted Stock Awards, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Units or Other Stock Awards.

 

2.3Award Agreement” shall mean the written or electronic agreement setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to each Award granted under the Plan, as determined by the Board. The Award Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

2.4Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company, as constituted from time to time.

 

2.5Cause” shall mean (i) in the case where the Employee, Consultant or Outside Director does not have an employment agreement, consulting agreement or similar agreement in effect with the Company or its affiliate at the time of grant of the Award or where there is such an agreement but it does not define “cause” (or words of like import), conduct related to the Employee’s, Consultant’s or Outside Director’s service to the Company or an affiliate for which either criminal or civil penalties against the Employee, Consultant or Outside Director may be sought, misconduct, insubordination, material violation of the Company’s or its affiliate’s policies, disclosing or misusing any confidential information or material concerning the Company or an affiliate or material breach of any employment agreement, consulting agreement or similar agreement, or (ii) in the case where the Employee, Consultant or Outside Director has an employment agreement, consulting agreement or similar agreement in effect with the Company or its affiliate at the time of grant of the Award that defines a termination for “cause” (or words of like import), “cause” as defined in such agreement; provided, however, that with regard to any agreement that defines “cause” on occurrence of or in connection with a change in control, such definition of “cause” shall not apply until a change in control actually occurs and then only with regard to a termination thereafter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Award which is intended to comply with Section 25102(o) of the California Corporations Code, such event must also constitute “cause” under applicable law.

 

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2.6Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events:

 

  (a) The consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity or any other corporate reorganization, if persons who were not stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or other reorganization own immediately after such merger, consolidation or other reorganization fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting power of the outstanding securities of each of (A) the continuing or surviving entity and (B) any direct or indirect parent corporation of such continuing or surviving entity;

 

  (b) The consummation of the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company; or

 

  (c) Any “person” (as defined below) who, by the acquisition or aggregation of securities, is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities ordinarily (and apart from rights accruing under special circumstances) having the right to vote at elections of directors (the “Base Capital Stock”); except that any change in the relative beneficial ownership of the Company’s securities by any person resulting solely from a reduction in the aggregate number of outstanding shares of Base Capital Stock, and any decrease thereafter in such person’s ownership of securities, shall be disregarded until such person increases in any manner, directly or indirectly, such person’s beneficial ownership of any securities of the Company.

 

For purposes of Section 2.6(c), the term “person” shall have the same meaning as when used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act but shall exclude (1) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary and (2) a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Stock.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Change in Control” shall not include (a) a transaction the sole purpose of which is to change the state of the Company’s incorporation, (b) a transaction the sole purpose of which is to form a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction, (c) a transaction the sole purpose of which is to make an initial public offering of the Company’s capital stock or (d) any change in the beneficial ownership of the securities of the Company as a result of a private financing of the Company that is approved by the Board.

 

2.7Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

2.8Committee” shall mean the committee designated by the Board, which is authorized to administer the Plan, as described in Section 3 hereof.

 

2.9Company” shall mean Fold, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

2.10Consultant” shall mean a consultant or advisor who is not an Employee or Outside Director and who performs bona fide services for the Company, a Parent, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate.

 

2.11Disability” shall mean a condition that renders an individual unable to engage in substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment as determined by the Committee; provided, however, that the Committee has no obligation to investigate whether Disability exists unless the Participant or representative thereof puts the Company on notice within ninety (90) days after the Participant’s termination of Service.

 

2.12Employee” shall mean any individual who is a common-law employee of the Company, a Parent, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate and who is an “employee” within the meaning of Section 3401(c) of the Code and regulations issued thereunder.

 

2.13Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

2.14Exercise Price” shall mean the amount for which one Share may be purchased upon the exercise of an Option, or the amount from which appreciation is measured upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, as specified in an Award Agreement.

 

2.15Fair Market Value” means, with respect to a Share, the market price of one Share of Stock, determined by the Board in good faith. Such determination shall be conclusive and binding on all persons.

 

2.16Immediate Family” shall mean a person’s child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, domestic partner, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships.

 

2.17ISO” shall mean an incentive stock option described in Section 422(b) of the Code.

 

2.18NSO” shall mean a stock option that is not an ISO.

 

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2.19Option” shall mean an ISO or NSO granted under the Plan and entitling the holder to purchase Shares.

 

2.20Other Stock Award” shall mean an Award based in whole or in part by reference to Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 9.7 of the Plan.

 

2.21Outside Director” shall mean a member of the Board of the Company, a Parent or a Subsidiary who is not an Employee.

 

2.22Parent” shall mean any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company, if each of the corporations other than the Company owns stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain. A corporation that attains the status of a Parent on a date after the adoption of the Plan shall be considered a Parent commencing as of such date.

 

2.23Participant” shall mean the holder of an outstanding Award.

 

2.24Plan” shall mean the Fold, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.

 

2.25Purchase Price” shall mean the consideration for which one Share may be acquired under the Plan pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award.

 

2.26Restricted Stock Award” shall mean an award or sale of Shares pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6 of the Plan.

 

2.27Restricted Stock Unit” shall mean an Award of an unfunded and unsecured right to receive Shares (or cash or a combination of Shares and cash, as determined in the sole discretion of the Board) upon settlement of the Award, which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 9 of the Plan.

 

2.28Securities Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

2.29Service” shall mean service as an Employee, a Consultant or an Outside Director, subject to such further limitations as may be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. Service shall be deemed to continue during a bona fide leave of absence approved by the Company in writing if and to the extent that continued crediting of Service for purposes of the Plan is expressly required by the terms of such leave or by applicable law, as determined by the Company. However, for purposes of determining whether an Option is entitled to ISO status, and to the extent required under the Code, an Employee’s employment will be treated as terminating three (3) months after such Employee went on leave, unless such Employee’s right to return to active work is guaranteed by law or by a contract or such Employee immediately returns to active work. The Company determines which leaves count toward Service, and when Service terminates for all purposes under the Plan. In the absence of such determination, vesting of an Award shall be tolled during any unpaid leave (unless otherwise required by applicable law); provided, however, that upon a Participant’s return from military leave (under conditions that would entitle the Participant to protection upon such return under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act), the Participant shall be given vesting credit with respect to Awards to the same extent as would have applied had the Participant continued to provide services to the Company (or any Parent or Subsidiary, if applicable) throughout the leave on the same terms as the Participant was providing services immediately prior to such leave.

 

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2.30Share” shall mean one share of Stock, as adjusted in accordance with Section 11 (if applicable).

 

2.31Stock” shall mean the common stock of the Company.

 

2.32Stock Appreciation Rightor SAR” shall mean a stock appreciation right which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 8 of the Plan.

 

2.33Subsidiary” means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company, if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain. A corporation that attains the status of a Subsidiary on a date after the adoption of the Plan shall be considered a Subsidiary commencing as of such date.

 

2.34Ten-Percent Stockholder” means an individual who owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of outstanding stock of the Company, its Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. In determining stock ownership for purposes of this Section 2.34, the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code shall be applied.

 

SECTION 3. ADMINISTRATION.

 

3.1General Rule. The Plan shall be administered by the Board. However, the Board may delegate any or all administrative functions under the Plan otherwise exercisable by the Board to one or more Committees. Each Committee shall consist of at least one member of the Board who has been appointed by the Board. Each Committee shall have the authority and be responsible for such functions as the Board has assigned to it. If a Committee has been appointed, any reference to the Board in the Plan shall be construed as a reference to the Committee to whom the Board has assigned a particular function. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board may also authorize one or more officers of the Company to designate Employees, other than such authorized officer or officers, to receive Awards and/or to determine the number of such Awards to be received by such persons; provided, however, that the Board shall specify the total number of Awards that such officer or officers may so award.

 

3.2Board Authority and Responsibility. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board shall have full authority and discretion to take any actions it deems necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. All decisions, interpretations and any other actions of the Board with respect to the Plan shall be final and binding on all persons deriving rights under the Plan.

 

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SECTION 4. ELIGIBILITY.

 

Only Employees of the Company, a Parent or Subsidiary shall be eligible for the grant of ISOs. Employees of an Affiliate shall not be eligible for the grant of ISOs unless such entity is classified as a “disregarded entity” of the Company or the applicable Subsidiary under the Code and such Employees are treated as employees of the Company or applicable Subsidiary for purposes of Section 3401(c) of the Code. Only Employees, Consultants and Outside Directors shall be eligible for the grant of NSOs, Restricted Stock Awards, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Units or Other Stock Awards. Consultants which are entities shall be eligible for the grant of Awards (other than ISOs) subject to compliance with applicable securities law requirements.

 

SECTION 5. STOCK SUBJECT TO PLAN.

 

5.1Share Limit. Subject to Section 11, the aggregate number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan shall be 5,000,000 Shares (the “Authorized Share Limit”). The number of Shares which are subject to Options or other rights to acquire Shares pursuant to Awards which are outstanding at any time shall not exceed the number of Shares which then remain available for issuance under the Plan. The Company, during the term of the Plan, shall at all times reserve and keep available sufficient Shares to satisfy the requirements of the Plan. Shares offered under the Plan may be authorized but unissued Shares or treasury Shares.

 

5.2Additional Shares. Shares subject to Awards that are cancelled, forfeited, settled in cash or expire by their terms, and Shares subject to Awards that are used to pay withholding obligations or the Exercise Price of an Option, will again be available for grant and issuance in connection with other Awards. However, Shares that have actually been issued under the Plan will not be added back to the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan unless reacquired by the Company pursuant to a forfeiture provision.

 

5.3Incentive Stock Option Limit. Subject to the foregoing limits, the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan upon the exercise of ISOs shall not exceed ten times the Authorized Share Limit set forth in Section 5.1 (as amended from time to time and as adjusted pursuant to Section 11), plus, only to the extent allowable under Section 422 of the Code, any Shares previously issued under the Plan (other than pursuant to Section 5.4 below) that are reacquired by the Company pursuant to a forfeiture provision.

 

5.4Substitution and Assumption of Awards. The Board may make Awards under the Plan by assumption, substitution or replacement of stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock units or similar awards granted by another entity (including a Parent or Subsidiary), if such assumption, substitution or replacement is in connection with an asset acquisition, stock acquisition, merger, consolidation or similar transaction involving the Company (and/or its Parent or Subsidiary) and such other entity (and/or its affiliate). The terms of such assumed, substituted or replaced Awards shall be as the Board, in its discretion, determines is appropriate, notwithstanding limitations on Awards in the Plan. Any such substitute or assumed Awards shall not count against the Authorized Share Limit set forth in Section 5.1 (nor shall Shares subject to such Awards be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided in Section 5.2 above), except that Shares acquired by exercise of substitute ISOs will count against the maximum number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of ISOs under the Plan.

 

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SECTION 6. RESTRICTED STOCK.

 

6.1Restricted Stock Award. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Board may grant Restricted Stock Awards to Participants in such amounts as the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine. Each award or sale of Shares pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement between the Participant and the Company. Such award or sale shall be subject to all applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and may be subject to any other terms and conditions imposed by the Board, as set forth in the Award Agreement, that are not inconsistent with the Plan. The provisions of such Award Agreements need not be identical.

 

6.2Duration of Offers and Nontransferability of Rights. Any right to acquire Shares pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award shall automatically expire if not exercised by the Participant within thirty (30) days after the Company communicates the grant of such right to the Participant, unless otherwise determined by the Board. Such right shall be nontransferable and shall be exercisable only by the Purchaser to whom the right was granted, except to the extent otherwise determined by the Board in its sole discretion.

 

6.3Consideration. To the extent an Award consists of newly issued Shares, the Award recipient shall furnish consideration having a value not less than the par value of such Shares as determined by the Board. Subject to the foregoing in this Section 6.3, the Board shall determine the amount of the Purchase Price in its sole discretion. The Purchase Price shall be payable in a form described in Section 10.

 

6.4Vesting Restrictions. Each award or sale of Shares shall be subject to such vesting and forfeiture conditions as the Board may determine. Such restrictions shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement and, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, shall apply to any dividends paid with respect to such Shares. The vesting of a Restricted Stock Award granted to a Participant for Service as an Outside Director shall be automatically accelerated in full in the event of a Change in Control.

 

SECTION 7. STOCK OPTIONS.

 

7.1Stock Option Award. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Board may grant Options to Participants in such amounts as the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine. Each grant of an Option under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement between the Participant and the Company. The Option shall be subject to all applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and may be subject to any other terms and conditions imposed by the Board, as set forth in the Option Award Agreement, which are not inconsistent with the Plan. The provisions of the various Option Award Agreements entered into under the Plan need not be identical.

 

7.2Number of Shares; Kind of Option. Each Option Award Agreement shall specify the number of Shares that are subject to the Option and shall provide for the adjustment of such number in accordance with Section 11. The Award Agreement shall also specify whether the Option is intended to be an ISO or an NSO.

 

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7.3Exercise Price. Each Award Agreement shall set forth the Exercise Price, which shall be payable in a form described in Section 10. Subject to the following requirements, the Exercise Price under any Option shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion:

 

  (a) Minimum Exercise Price for ISOs. The Exercise Price per Share of an ISO shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant; provided, however, that the Exercise Price per Share of an ISO granted to a Ten-Percent Stockholder shall not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant.

 

  (b) Minimum Exercise Price for NSOs. The Exercise Price per Share of an NSO shall not be less than one-hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant.

 

7.4Term. Each Award Agreement shall specify the term of the Option. The term of an Option shall in no event exceed ten (10) years from the date of grant. The term of an ISO granted to a Ten-Percent Stockholder shall not exceed five (5) years from the date of grant. Subject to the foregoing, the Board in its sole discretion shall determine when an Option shall expire.

 

7.5Exercisability. Each Award Agreement shall specify the date when all or any installment of the Option is to become exercisable; provided, however, that no Option shall be exercisable unless the Participant has delivered to the Company an executed copy of the Award Agreement. Subject to the following restrictions, the Board in its sole discretion shall determine when all or any installment of an Option is to become exercisable and may, in its discretion, provide for accelerated exercisability in the event of a Change in Control or other events:

 

  (a) Options Granted to Outside Directors. The vesting and exercisability of an Option granted to a Participant for Service as an Outside Director shall be automatically accelerated in full in the event of a Change in Control.

 

  (b) Early Exercise. An Option Award Agreement may permit the Participant to exercise the Option prior to the time that it has become vested provided that the Shares acquired on exercise will be treated as unvested and subject to a right of repurchase by the Company and any other restrictions that the Board determines appropriate as set forth in the Award Agreement.

 

7.6Transferability of Options. During a Participant’s lifetime, his or her Options shall be exercisable only by the Participant or by the Participant’s guardian or legal representatives, and shall not be transferable other than by beneficiary designation, will or the laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, to the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, an NSO may be transferred by the Participant to a revocable trust or to one or more family members or a trust established for the benefit of the Participant and/or one or more family members to the extent permitted by Section 260.140.41(c) of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations and Rule 701 of the Securities Act.

 

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7.7Exercise of Options on Termination of Service. Each Option shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the Option following termination of the Participant’s Service. Each Award Agreement shall provide the Participant with the right to exercise the Option following the Participant’s termination of Service during the Option term, to the extent the Option was exercisable for vested Shares upon termination of Service, for at least thirty (30) days if termination of Service is due to any reason other than Cause, death or Disability, and for at least six (6) months after termination of Service if due to death or Disability (but in no event later than the expiration of the Option term). If the Participant’s Service is terminated for Cause, the Option Award Agreement may provide that the Participant’s right to exercise the Option terminates immediately on the effective date of the Participant’s termination. To the extent the Option was not exercisable for vested Shares upon termination of Service, the Option shall terminate when the Participant’s Service terminates; provided, however, that if the Board or its duly authorized delegate amends the Option within thirty (30) days following the Participant’s termination of Service other than for Cause (but in no event later than the expiration of the term of the Option) to increase the number of vested Shares for which the Option would be exercisable, the Option shall not be considered to have terminated upon termination of Service with respect to such additional number of vested Shares, and such amendment shall be given effect as of the date of termination of Service. Subject to the foregoing, such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Board, need not be uniform among all Options issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of Service.

 

7.8No Rights as a Stockholder. A Participant, or a transferee of a Participant, shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to any Shares covered by the Option until such person becomes entitled to receive such Shares by filing a notice of exercise and paying the Exercise Price pursuant to the terms of the Option. No adjustments shall be made, except as provided in Section 11.

 

7.9Modification, Extension and Renewal of Options. Within the limitations of the Plan, the Board may modify, extend or renew outstanding Options or may accept the cancellation of outstanding Options (to the extent not previously exercised), whether or not granted hereunder, in return for the grant of new Options for the same or a different number of Shares and at the same or a different Exercise Price, or in return for the grant of a different Award for the same or a different number of Shares. The foregoing notwithstanding, except for a modification required to comply with any applicable law, regulation or rule, no modification of an Option shall, without the consent of the Participant, materially impair his or her rights or increase the Participant’s obligations under such Option; provided, however, that a modification which may cause an ISO to become an NSO shall not be treated as materially impairing a Participant’s rights or increasing a Participant’s obligations under an Award.

 

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SECTION 8. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS.

 

8.1Stock Appreciation Right Award. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Board may grant Stock Appreciation Rights to Participants in such amounts as the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine. Each grant of a Stock Appreciation Right under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement between the Participant and the Company. The Stock Appreciation Right shall be subject to all applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and may be subject to any other terms and conditions imposed by the Board, as set forth in the Award Agreement, which are not inconsistent with the Plan. The provisions of the various Stock Appreciation Right Award Agreements entered into under the Plan need not be identical.

 

8.2Number of Shares. Each Award Agreement shall specify the number of Shares to which the SAR pertains and shall provide for the adjustment of such number in accordance with Section 11.

 

8.3Exercise Price. Each Award Agreement shall specify the Exercise Price of the SAR. The Exercise Price shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant.

 

8.4Term. Each Award Agreement shall specify the term of the SAR. The term of a SAR shall in no event exceed ten (10) years from the date of grant. Subject to the foregoing, the Board in its sole discretion shall determine when an Option shall expire.

 

8.5Exercisability. Each Award Agreement shall specify the date when all or any installment of the SAR is to become exercisable; provided, however, that no SAR shall be exercisable unless the Participant has delivered to the Company an executed copy of the Award Agreement. The Board in its sole discretion shall determine when all or any installment of a SAR is to become exercisable and may, in its discretion, provide for accelerated exercisability in the event of a Change in Control or other events. The vesting and exercisability of a SAR granted to a Participant for Service as an Outside Director shall be automatically accelerated in full in the event of a Change in Control. SARs may be awarded in combination with Options, and such Awards may provide that the SARs will not be exercisable unless the related Options are forfeited.

 

8.6Exercise of SARs. Upon exercise of a SAR, the Participant (or any person having the right to exercise the SAR after his or her death) shall receive from the Company (a) Shares, (b) cash or (c) a combination of Shares and cash, as the Board shall determine. The amount of cash and/or the Fair Market Value of Shares received upon exercise of SARs shall, in the aggregate, be equal to the amount by which the Fair Market Value (on the date of surrender) of the Shares subject to the SARs exceeds the Exercise Price.

 

8.7Transferability of SARs. During a Participant’s lifetime, his or her SARs shall be exercisable only by the Participant or by the Participant’s guardian or legal representatives, and shall not be transferable other than by beneficiary designation, will or the laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, to the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, a SAR may be transferred by the Participant to a revocable trust or to one or more family members or a trust established for the benefit of the Participant and/or one or more family members to the extent permitted by Section 260.140.41(c) of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations and Rule 701 of the Securities Act.

 

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8.8Exercise of SARs on Termination of Service. Each SAR shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the SAR following termination of the Participant’s Service. Each Award Agreement shall provide the Participant with the right to exercise the SAR following the Participant’s termination of Service during the SAR term, to the extent the SAR was vested upon termination of Service, for at least thirty (30) days if termination of Service is due to any reason other than Cause, death or Disability, and for at least six (6) months after termination of Service if due to death or Disability (but in no event later than the expiration of the SAR term). If the Participant’s Service is terminated for Cause, the SAR Award Agreement may provide that the Participant’s right to exercise the SAR terminates immediately on the effective date of the Participant’s termination. To the extent the SAR was not vested upon termination of Service, the SAR shall terminate when the Participant’s Service terminates; provided, however, that if the Board or its duly authorized delegate amends the SAR within thirty (30) days following the Participant’s termination of Service other than for Cause (but in no event later than the expiration of the term of the SAR) to increase the number of vested Shares for which the SAR would be exercisable, the SAR shall not be considered to have terminated upon termination of Service with respect to such additional number of vested Shares, and such amendment shall be given effect as of the date of termination of Service. Subject to the foregoing, such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Board, need not be uniform among all SARs issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of Service.

 

8.9No Rights as a Stockholder. A Participant, or a transferee of a Participant, shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to any Shares covered by the SAR unless and until such person becomes entitled to receive Shares upon exercise of the SAR. No adjustments shall be made, except as provided in Section 11.

 

8.10Modification, Extension and Renewal of SARs. Within the limitations of the Plan, the Board may modify, extend or renew outstanding SARs or may accept the cancellation of outstanding SARs (to the extent not previously exercised), whether or not granted hereunder, in return for the grant of new SARs for the same or a different number of Shares and at the same or a different Exercise Price, or in return for the grant of a different Award for the same or a different number of Shares. The foregoing notwithstanding, except for a modification required to comply with any applicable law, regulation or rule, no modification of a SAR shall, without the consent of the Participant, materially impair his or her rights or increase the Participant’s obligations under such SAR.

 

SECTION 9. RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS AND OTHER STOCK AWARDS.

 

9.1Restricted Stock Unit Award. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Board may grant Restricted Stock Units to Participants in such amounts as the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine. Each Award of Restricted Stock Units under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement between the Participant and the Company. Such Award shall be subject to all applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and any other terms and conditions imposed by the Board, as set forth in the Award Agreement, that are not inconsistent with the Plan. The provisions of the various Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreements entered into under the Plan need not be identical.

 

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9.2Number of Shares; Payment. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement shall specify the number of Shares that are subject to the Award and shall provide for the adjustment of such number in accordance with Section 11. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, no consideration other than services shall be required of the Participant for a Restricted Stock Unit Award.

 

9.3Vesting Conditions. Each Award of Restricted Stock Units may or may not be subject to vesting. Vesting shall occur, in full or in installments, upon satisfaction of the conditions specified in the Award Agreement. The Board may determine, at the time of granting Restricted Stock Units or thereafter, that all or part of such Award shall become vested in the event that a Change in Control occurs with respect to the Company. The vesting of a Restricted Stock Unit Award granted to a Participant for Service as an Outside Director shall be automatically accelerated in full in the event of a Change in Control.

 

9.4Settlement of Restricted Stock Units. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, Restricted Stock Units shall be settled when they vest. The Award Agreement may provide that settlement may be deferred to any later date, provided that the terms of such deferral satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. Settlement of the Restricted Stock Units may be made in the form of cash or whole Shares or a combination thereof, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion.

 

9.5Transfer Restrictions. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, Restricted Stock Units may not be transferred other than by beneficiary designation, will or the laws of descent and distribution.

 

9.6No Rights as a Stockholder. A Participant, or a transferee of a Participant, shall have no voting, dividend or other rights as a stockholder with respect to any Shares covered by a Restricted Stock Unit Award until such person receives such Shares upon settlement of the Award. Unless the Award Agreement provides otherwise, the Participant shall have no right to be credited with amounts equal to dividends paid on Shares subject to the Restricted Stock Unit Award. A Participant shall have no rights under a Restricted Stock Unit Award other than those of a general creditor of the Company.

 

9.7Other Stock Awards. The Board may grant other forms of Award under the Plan that are based in whole or in part on Stock or the value thereof. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board shall have authority in its sole discretion to determine the terms and conditions of such Other Stock Awards, including the number of Shares (or the cash equivalent thereof) to be granted pursuant to such Awards.

 

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SECTION 10. PAYMENT FOR SHARES.

 

10.1General. The entire Purchase Price of Shares or Exercise Price of Options issued under the Plan shall be payable in cash, cash equivalents or one of the other forms provided in this Section 10, to the extent provided under applicable law.

 

10.2Surrender of Stock. To the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, payment may be made in whole or in part by surrendering (in good form for transfer), or attesting to ownership of, Shares which have already been owned by the Participant; provided, however, that payment may not be made in such form if such action would cause the Company to recognize any (or additional) compensation expense with respect to the Award for financial reporting purposes. Such Shares shall be valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of surrender.

 

10.3Services Rendered. As determined by the Board in its discretion, Shares may be awarded under the Plan in consideration of past or future services rendered to the Company, a Parent, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate.

 

10.4Promissory Notes. To the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, payment may be made in whole or in part with a full-recourse promissory note executed by the Participant. The interest rate payable under the promissory note shall not be less than the minimum rate required to avoid the imputation of income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Shares shall be pledged as security for payment of the principal amount of the promissory note, and interest thereon; provided that if the Participant is a Consultant, such note must be collateralized with such additional security to the extent required by applicable laws. In no event shall the stock certificate(s) representing such Shares be released to the Participant until such note is paid in full. Subject to the foregoing, the Board shall determine the term, interest rate and other provisions of the note.

 

10.5Exercise/Sale. To the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, and if a public market for the Shares exists, payment may be made in whole or in part by delivery (on a form prescribed by the Company) of an irrevocable direction to a securities broker approved by the Company to sell Shares and to deliver all or part of the sale proceeds to the Company in payment of all or part of the Exercise Price and any withholding taxes.

 

10.6Exercise/Pledge. To the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, and if a public market for the Shares exists, payment may be made in whole or in part by delivery (on a form prescribed by the Company) of an irrevocable direction to a securities broker or lender approved by the Company to pledge Shares, as security for a loan, and to deliver all or part of the loan proceeds to the Company in payment of all or part of the Exercise Price and any withholding taxes.

 

10.7Net Exercise. To the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, payment of the Exercise Price may be made by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the number of Shares issuable upon exercise of the Option shall be reduced by the largest whole number of Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate Exercise Price (plus tax withholdings, if applicable) and any remaining balance of the aggregate Exercise Price (and/or applicable tax withholdings) not satisfied by such reduction in the number of whole Shares to be issued shall be paid by the Participant in cash or other form of payment permitted under the Option Award Agreement.

 

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10.8Other Forms of Payment. To the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, payment may be made in any other form that is consistent with applicable laws, regulations and rules.

 

SECTION 11.  ADJUSTMENT OF SHARES.

 

11.1General. In the event of a subdivision of the outstanding Stock, a declaration of a dividend payable in Shares, a declaration of an extraordinary dividend payable in a form other than Shares in an amount that has a material effect on the Fair Market Value of the Stock, a combination or consolidation of the outstanding Stock into a lesser number of Shares, a recapitalization, a spin-off, a reclassification, or a similar occurrence, the Board shall make appropriate adjustments to the following: (i) the number and class of Shares available for future Awards under Section 5; (ii) the number and class of Shares covered by each outstanding Award; (iii) the Exercise Price under each outstanding Award; and (iv) the price of Shares subject to the Company’s right of repurchase; provided, however, that fractions of a Share will not be issued but will either be paid in cash at the Fair Market Value of such fraction of a Share or will be rounded down to the nearest whole Share, as determined by the Board.

 

11.2Dissolution or Liquidation. To the extent not previously exercised or settled, Awards shall terminate immediately prior to the dissolution or liquidation of the Company.

 

11.3Mergers, Consolidations and Other Corporate Transactions. In the event that the Company is a party to a merger or other consolidation, or in the event of a transaction providing for the sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s stock or assets, or in the event of such other corporate transaction, such as a separation or reorganization, outstanding Awards shall be treated as the Board determines, in each case without the Participant’s consent. Subject to compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the Board may provide, without limitation, for one or more of the following: (i) the continuation of the outstanding Awards by the Company, if the Company is a surviving corporation; (ii) the assumption, in whole or in part, of the outstanding Awards by the surviving corporation or a successor entity or its parent; (iii) the substitution, in whole or in part, by the surviving corporation or a successor entity or its parent of its own awards for such outstanding Awards; (iv) exercisability and settlement, in whole or in part, of outstanding Awards to the extent vested and exercisable (if applicable) under the terms of the Award Agreement followed by the cancellation of such Awards (whether or not then vested or exercisable) upon or immediately prior to the effectiveness of the transaction; or (v) settlement of the intrinsic value of the outstanding Awards to the extent vested and exercisable (if applicable) under the terms of the Award Agreement, with payment made in cash or cash equivalents or property (including cash or property subject to deferred vesting and delivery consistent with the vesting restrictions applicable to such Awards or the underlying Shares) followed by the cancellation of such Awards (whether or not then vested or exercisable) (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction the Board determines in good faith that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights, then such Award may be terminated by the Company without payment). For avoidance of doubt, the value of any property, including the value of property provided in settlement of an Award, shall be determined by the Board and, to the extent permitted under Section 409A of the Code, the settlement of an Award may provide for payment to be made on a delayed basis and/or contingent basis in recognition of and a reflection of escrows, earn-outs, or other limitations, conditions, contingencies or holdbacks applicable to holders of Stock in connection with the transaction. Any acceleration of payment of an amount that is subject to Section 409A of the Code will be delayed, if necessary, until the earliest time that such payment would be permissible under Section 409A without triggering any additional taxes applicable under Section 409A. The Company will have no obligation to treat all Awards, all Awards held by a Participant, or all Awards of the same type, similarly. The Board shall also have discretion to suspend the right of Participants to exercise outstanding Awards during a limited period of time preceding the closing of the transaction if such suspension is administratively necessary to facilitate the closing of the transaction, and may terminate the right of holders of Options to exercise Options prior to vesting in the Shares subject to the Option (i.e., “early exercise”), such that following the closing of the transaction the Option may only be exercised to the extent it is vested.

 

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11.4Reservation of Rights. Except as provided in this Section 11, a Participant shall have no rights by reason of any subdivision or consolidation of shares of stock of any class, the payment of any dividend or any other increase or decrease in the number of shares of stock of any class. Any issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall not affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or Exercise Price of Shares subject to an Award. The grant of an Award pursuant to the Plan shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications, reorganizations or changes of its capital or business structure, to merge or consolidate or to dissolve, liquidate, sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.

 

11.5Buyout Provisions. The Board may at any time (a) offer to buy out for a payment in cash or cash equivalents an Award previously granted, or (b) authorize a Participant to elect to cash out an Award previously granted, in either case at such time and based upon such terms and conditions as the Board shall establish.

 

SECTION 12.  TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS AND REPURCHASE RIGHTS.

 

12.1Transfer Restrictions. No person who shall have acquired Shares or shall have any right to acquire Shares under the Plan shall sell, assign, pledge or otherwise transfer (each, a “Transfer”) any such Shares or any right or interest therein (including, without limitation, any Option) (such Shares or right or interest therein, including without limitation any Option, collectively the “Securities”), whether voluntarily, involuntarily, by operation of law, by gift or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Company, evidenced by a writing approved by the Board (the “Transfer Restriction”). The Transfer Restriction shall not apply to any of the following exempt Transfers:

 

(a)A person’s Transfer of any or all Securities held either during such person’s lifetime or on death by will or intestacy (1) to such person’s Immediate Family, (2) to any custodian or trustee for the account or the benefit of such person or such person’s Immediate Family, or (3) to any limited partnership or limited liability company with respect to which the ownership interests are wholly owned by the person, members of such person’s Immediate Family or any trust for the account or benefit of such person or such person’s Immediate Family;

 

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  (b) A person’s bona fide pledge or mortgage of any Securities with a commercial lending institution that creates a mere security interest, provided that any subsequent Transfer of such Securities by such institution shall be subject to this Section 12; or

 

  (c) A person’s Transfer of any or all of such person’s Securities to the Company; provided that with respect to Transfers pursuant to subsections 12.1(a) and (b) above, the Transferee shall receive and hold such Shares subject to the provisions of this Section 12.1, and there shall be no further Transfer of such Shares except in accord with this Section 12.1. The provisions of this Section 12.1 may be waived with respect to any Transfer by the stockholders, upon the written consent of the owners of a majority of the voting power of the Company (excluding the votes represented by those Shares to be Transferred by any Transferring stockholder). The provisions of this Section 12.1 shall terminate immediately prior to the date of the closing of a firm commitment underwritten public offering of the Company’s Stock pursuant to a registration statement filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act. Any Transfer, or purported Transfer, of Securities of the Company shall be null and void unless the terms, conditions and provisions of this Section 12.1 are strictly observed and followed. The restrictions contained in this Section 12.1 shall be in addition to any restrictions on transfer that may otherwise be applicable, including without limitation those contained in the Company’s bylaws or pursuant to applicable securities laws.

 

12.2Company’s Right to Repurchase Shares. Shares acquired through an Award shall also be subject to such forfeiture conditions, rights of repurchase, rights of first refusal and other transfer restrictions as the Board may determine. Such restrictions shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement and, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, shall apply to any dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Such restrictions shall apply in addition to any restrictions otherwise applicable to holders of Shares generally.

 

SECTION 13.  WITHHOLDING AND OTHER TAXES.

 

13.1General. A Participant or his or her successor shall pay, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Board for the satisfaction of, any federal, state, local or foreign withholding tax obligations that may arise in connection with the Plan. The Company shall not be required to issue any Shares or make any cash payment under the Plan if such obligations are not timely satisfied.

 

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13.2Share Withholding. The Board may permit a Participant to satisfy all or part of his or her withholding tax obligations by having the Company withhold all or a portion of any Shares that would otherwise be issued to him or her upon exercise or settlement of an Award, or by surrendering all or a portion of any Shares that he or she previously acquired; provided, however, that in no event may a Participant surrender Shares in excess of the legally required maximum tax withholding amount. Such Shares shall be valued at their Fair Market Value on the date when taxes otherwise would be withheld in cash. Any payment of taxes by assigning Shares to the Company may be subject to restrictions, including any restrictions required by rules of any federal or state regulatory body or other authority. All elections by Participants to have Shares withheld for this purpose shall be made in such form and under such conditions as the Board may deem necessary or advisable.

 

13.3Cashless Exercise/Pledge. The Board may provide that if Company Shares are publicly traded at the time of exercise, arrangements may be made to meet the Participant’s withholding obligation by cashless exercise or pledge.

 

13.4Other Forms of Payment. The Board may permit such other means of tax withholding as it deems appropriate.

 

13.5Employer Fringe Benefit Taxes. To the extent permitted by applicable federal, state, local and foreign law, a Participant shall be liable for any fringe benefit tax that may be payable by the Company and/or the Participant’s employer in connection with any award granted to the Participant under the Plan, which the Company and/or employer may collect by any reasonable method established by the Company and/or employer.

 

13.6Section 409A. Each Award that provides for “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code shall be subject to such additional rules and requirements as specified by the Board from time to time in order to comply with Section 409A. If any amount under such an Award is payable upon a “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A) to a Participant who is then considered a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then no such payment shall be made prior to the date that is the earlier of (i) six months and one day after the Participant’s separation from service, or (ii) the Participant’s death, but only to the extent such delay is necessary to prevent the Award from being subject to interest, penalties and/or additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A. In addition, the settlement of any such Award may not be accelerated except to the extent permitted by Section 409A. The provisions of the Plan and each Award Agreement are intended to comply with or be exempt from the provisions of Section 409A and shall be interpreted in a manner consistent therewith. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or an Award Agreement to the contrary, the Board may in its sole discretion (but without any obligation to do so) amend the terms of any Award to the extent it determines necessary to comply with Section 409A.

 

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SECTION 14.  LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.

 

Shares shall not be issued under the Plan unless the issuance and delivery of such Shares complies with (or is exempt from) all applicable requirements of law, including (without limitation) the Securities Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, state securities laws and regulations and the regulations of any stock exchange on which the Company’s securities may then be listed, and the Company has obtained the approval or favorable ruling from any governmental agency which the Company determines is necessary or advisable. The Company shall not be liable to a Participant or other persons as to: (a) the non-issuance or sale of Shares as to which the Company has not obtained from any regulatory body having jurisdiction the authority deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares under the Plan; and (b) any tax consequences expected, but not realized, by any Participant or other person due to the receipt, exercise or settlement of any Award granted under the Plan.

 

SECTION 15.  NO RETENTION RIGHTS.

 

No provision of the Plan, or any Award granted under the Plan, shall be construed to give any Participant any right to become an Employee or other Service provider, to be treated as an Employee, or to continue in Service for any period of time, or restrict in any way the rights of the Company (or Parent or Subsidiary to whom the Participant provides Service), which rights are expressly reserved, to terminate the Service of such person at any time and for any reason, with or without cause.

 

SECTION 16.  DURATION AND AMENDMENTS.

 

16.1Term of the Plan. The Plan, as set forth herein, shall become effective on the date of its adoption by the Board, subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders. In the event that the stockholders fail to approve the Plan within twelve (12) months after its adoption by the Board, any grants, exercises or sales that have already occurred under the Plan shall be rescinded, and no additional grants, exercises or sales shall be made under the Plan after such date. The Plan shall terminate automatically ten (10) years after the later of (i) its adoption by the Board, or (ii) the most recent increase in the number of Shares reserved under Section 5 (other than pursuant to Section 11) that was approved by stockholders on or within twelve (12) months after the Board’s approval of such increase. The Plan may be terminated on any earlier date pursuant to Section 16.2 below.

 

16.2Right to Amend or Terminate the Plan. The Board may amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan at any time and for any reason. An amendment of the Plan shall not be subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders unless it (i) increases the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan (except as provided in Section 11) or (ii) materially changes the class of persons who are eligible for the grant of Awards. Options may be granted and Shares may be issued which are in each instance in excess of the number of Shares then available for issuance under the Plan, provided any excess Shares actually issued under those Awards shall be held in escrow until there is obtained stockholder approval of an amendment sufficiently increasing the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan. If such stockholder approval is not obtained within 12 months after the date the first such excess grants or issuances are made, then (1) any unexercised Options granted on the basis of such excess Shares shall terminate and (2) the Company shall promptly refund to the Participants the exercise or purchase price paid for any excess Shares issued under the Plan and held in escrow, together with interest (at the Internal Revenue Service short term Applicable Federal Rate) for the period the Shares were held in escrow, and such Shares shall thereupon be automatically cancelled and cease to be outstanding.

 

16.3Effect of Amendment or Termination. No Shares shall be issued or sold under the Plan after the termination thereof, except upon exercise or settlement of an Award granted prior to such termination. Except as otherwise permitted by the Plan or an Award Agreement or as required to comply with any applicable law, regulation or rule, the termination of the Plan, or any amendment thereof, shall not have a material adverse effect on any Award previously granted under the Plan without the holder’s consent; provided, however, that an amendment which may cause an ISO to become an NSO shall not be treated as having a material adverse effect on an Award.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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SECTION 17. EXECUTION.

 

To record the adoption of the Plan by the Board on August 20, 2019, effective on such date, the Company has caused its authorized officer to execute the same.

 

  FOLD, INC.
     
  By:  
  Name:  Will Reeves
  Title: Secretary

 

Fold, inc.

2019 Equity Incentive plan

Signature Page

 

 

 

 

FOLD, INC. 2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
APPENDIX REGARDING PLAN AMENDMENTS

 

 

Description

  No. Shares   Board Approval  Stockholder Approval
Initial Adoption of Plan   5,000,000   August 20, 2019  August 20, 2019
Series A Preferred Stock Financing   6,023,272   March 23, 2021  March 23, 2021

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.4

 

FOLD HOLDINGS, INC.

 

2025 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

 

ARTICLE I.
Purpose

 

The Plan’s purpose is to enhance the Company’s ability to attract, retain and motivate persons who make (or are expected to make) important contributions to the Company by providing these individuals with equity ownership opportunities and/or equity-linked compensatory opportunities. Capitalized terms used in the Plan are defined in Article XI.

 

ARTICLE II.
Eligibility

 

Service Providers are eligible to be granted Awards under the Plan, subject to the limitations described herein.

 

ARTICLE III.
Administration and Delegation

 

3.1 Administration. The Plan is administered by the Administrator. The Administrator has authority to determine which Service Providers receive Awards, grant Awards and set Award terms and conditions, subject to the conditions and limitations in the Plan. The Administrator also has the authority to take all actions and make all determinations under the Plan, to interpret the Plan and Award Agreements and to adopt, amend and repeal Plan administrative rules, guidelines and practices as it deems advisable. The Administrator may correct defects and ambiguities, supply omissions and reconcile inconsistencies in the Plan or any Award Agreement as it deems necessary or appropriate to administer the Plan and any Awards. The Administrator’s determinations under the Plan are in its sole discretion and will be final and binding on all persons having or claiming any interest in the Plan or any Award.

 

3.2 Appointment of Committees. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Board or the Administrator may delegate any or all of its powers under the Plan to one or more Committees or committees of officers of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; provided, that in no event shall any officer of the Company be delegated the authority to grant Awards to, or amend Awards held by, individuals who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act or officers of the Company (or non-employee Directors) to whom the authority to grant or amend Awards has been delegated hereunder. The Board or the Administrator, as applicable, may rescind any such delegation, abolish any such Committee or committee and/or re-vest in itself any previously delegated authority at any time.

 

ARTICLE IV.
Stock Available for Awards

 

4.1 Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment under Article VIII and further subject to the terms of this Article IV, the maximum number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to Awards under the Plan shall be equal to the Overall Share Limit. As of the Effective Date, no further awards may be granted under the Prior Plan; however, Prior Plan Awards will remain subject to the terms and conditions of the Prior Plan. Shares issued under the Plan may consist of authorized but unissued Shares, Shares purchased on the open market or treasury Shares.

 

 

 

 

4.2 Share Recycling. If all or any part of an Award or Prior Plan Award expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for or settled in cash, surrendered, repurchased, canceled without having been fully exercised/settled or forfeited, in any case, in a manner that results in the Company acquiring Shares covered by the Award or Prior Plan Award at a price not greater than the price (as adjusted to reflect any Equity Restructuring) paid by the Participant for such Shares or not issuing any Shares covered by the Award or Prior Plan Award, the unused Shares covered by the Award or Prior Plan Award will, as applicable, become or again be available for Award grants under the Plan. In addition, Shares delivered (either by actual delivery or attestation) to the Company by a Participant to satisfy the applicable exercise or purchase price of an Award or Prior Plan Award and/or to satisfy any applicable tax withholding obligation with respect to an Award or Prior Plan Award (including Shares retained by the Company from the Award or Prior Plan Award being exercised or purchased and/or creating the tax obligation) will, as applicable, become or again be available for Award grants under the Plan. The payment of Dividend Equivalents in cash in conjunction with any outstanding Awards shall not count against the Overall Share Limit.

 

4.3 Incentive Stock Option Limitations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no more than [_____]1 Shares may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options.

 

4.4 Substitute Awards. In connection with an entity’s merger or consolidation with the Company or any Subsidiary or the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s acquisition of an entity’s property or equity securities, the Administrator may grant Awards in substitution for any options or other equity or equity-based awards granted before such merger or consolidation by such entity or its affiliate. Substitute Awards may be granted on such terms as the Administrator deems appropriate, notwithstanding limitations on Awards in the Plan. Substitute Awards will not count against the Overall Share Limit (nor shall Shares subject to a Substitute Award be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided above), except that Shares acquired by exercise of substitute Incentive Stock Options will count against the maximum number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options under the Plan. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines has equity securities available under a pre-existing plan approved by equityholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the equity securities available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the equityholders of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan (and Shares subject to such Awards shall not be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided above); provided that Awards using such available Shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not Service Providers prior to such acquisition or combination.

 

4.5 Non-Employee Director Compensation. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Plan, the Administrator may establish compensation for non-employee Directors from time to time, subject to the limitations in the Plan. The Administrator will from time to time determine the terms, conditions and amounts of all such non-employee Director compensation in its discretion and pursuant to the exercise of its business judgment, taking into account such factors, circumstances and considerations as it shall deem relevant from time to time; provided that, the sum of any cash compensation, or other compensation, and the value (determined as of the grant date in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, or any successor thereto) of Awards granted to a non-employee Director as compensation for services as a non-employee Director during any fiscal year of the Company may not exceed $750,000 (or, with respect to the first fiscal year of the Company during which a non-employee Director first serves as a non-employee Director, $1,500,000) (in either case, the “Non-Employee Director Limit”). For the avoidance of doubt, any compensation that is deferred shall be counted toward the Non-Employee Director Limit for the fiscal year in which it was earned (and not, for clarity, in the fiscal year in which such compensation is paid or settled (as applicable), if later).

 

 

1 NTD: To reflect 250% of the initial share reserve.

 

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ARTICLE V.
Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights

 

5.1 General. The Administrator may grant Options or Stock Appreciation Rights to Service Providers subject to the limitations in the Plan, including any limitations in the Plan that apply to Incentive Stock Options. The Administrator will determine the number of Shares covered by each Option and Stock Appreciation Right, and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of each Option and Stock Appreciation Right. A Stock Appreciation Right will entitle the Participant (or other person entitled to exercise the Stock Appreciation Right) to receive from the Company upon exercise of the exercisable portion of the Stock Appreciation Right an amount determined by multiplying the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise over the exercise price per Share of the Stock Appreciation Right by the number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised, subject to any limitations of the Plan or that the Administrator may impose, and which amount shall be payable in cash, Shares valued at Fair Market Value or a combination of the two as the Administrator may determine or provide in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

5.2 Exercise Price. The Administrator will establish each Option’s and Stock Appreciation Right’s exercise price and specify the exercise price in the Award Agreement. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, the exercise price will not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the grant date of the Option (subject to Section 5.6) or Stock Appreciation Right. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Option or a Stock Appreciation Right that is a Substitute Award, the exercise price per share of the Shares subject to such Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, may be less than the Fair Market Value per share on the date of grant; provided that the exercise price of any Substitute Award shall be determined in accordance with the applicable requirements of Sections 424 and 409A of the Code.

 

5.3 Duration. Each Option or Stock Appreciation Right will be exercisable at such times and as specified in the Award Agreement, provided that, subject to Section 5.6, the term of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right will not exceed ten years. Notwithstanding the foregoing and unless determined otherwise by the Company, in the event that on the last business day of the term of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right (other than an Incentive Stock Option) (a) the exercise of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right is prohibited by Applicable Law, as determined by the Company, or (b) Shares may not be purchased or sold by the applicable Participant due to any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods) or a “lock-up” agreement undertaken in connection with an issuance of securities by the Company, the term of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be automatically extended until the date that is 30 days after the end of the legal prohibition, black-out period or lock-up agreement, as determined by the Company; provided, however, in no event shall the extension last beyond the ten year term (or any shorter maximum, if applicable) of the applicable Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

 

5.4 Exercise. Options and Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised by delivering to the Company (or its Agent) a written notice of exercise, in a form approved by the Administrator (which may be electronic and provided through the online platform maintained by an Agent), signed or submitted by the person authorized to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, together with, as applicable, payment in full of the required amount(s), in each case, as applicable, (a) as specified in Section 5.5 for the number of Shares for which the Award is exercised and (b) as specified in Section 9.5 for any applicable taxes. Unless the Administrator otherwise determines, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share.

 

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5.5 Payment Upon Exercise. Subject to Section 10.8, any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods) and Applicable Laws, the exercise price of an Option must be paid by online payment through the Agent’s electronic platform or by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Agent (or, in each case, if the Company has no Agent accepting payment, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Company) or, solely with the consent of the Administrator (in its discretion), by:

 

(a) cash, wire transfer of immediately available funds or check payable to the order of the Company, provided that the Administrator may limit the use of one of the foregoing payment forms if one or more of the payment forms below is permitted;

 

(b) if there is a public market for Shares at the time of exercise, (i) delivery (including electronically or telephonically to the extent permitted by the Administrator) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Administrator to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to pay the exercise price, or (ii) the Participant’s delivery to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Administrator to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to pay the exercise price; provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator;

 

(c) delivery (either by actual delivery or attestation) of Shares owned by the Participant valued at their Fair Market Value on the delivery date;

 

(d) surrendering Shares then issuable upon the Option’s exercise valued at their Fair Market Value on the exercise date;

 

(e) other than for Participants subject to Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries, delivery of a promissory note, in a form determined by or acceptable to the Administrator, or any other property that the Administrator determines is good and valuable consideration; or

 

(f)   any combination of the above payment forms.

 

5.6 Additional Terms of Incentive Stock Options. The Administrator may grant Incentive Stock Options only to employees of the Company, any of its present or future parent or subsidiary corporations, as defined in Sections 424(e) or (f) of the Code, respectively, and any other entities the employees of which are eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options under the Code. If an Incentive Stock Option is granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder, the exercise price will not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value on the Option’s grant date, and the term of the Option will not exceed five years. All Incentive Stock Options will be subject to and construed consistently with Section 422 of the Code. By accepting an Incentive Stock Option, the Participant agrees to give prompt notice to the Company of dispositions or other transfers (other than in connection with a Change in Control) of Shares acquired under the Option made within (a) two years from the grant date of the Option or (b) one year after the transfer of such Shares to the Participant, specifying the date of the disposition or other transfer and the amount the Participant realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, in such disposition or other transfer. Neither the Company nor the Administrator will be liable to a Participant, or any other party, if an Incentive Stock Option fails or ceases to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code. Any Incentive Stock Option or portion thereof that fails to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code for any reason, including by becoming exercisable with respect to Shares having a fair market value exceeding the $100,000 limitation under Treasury Regulation Section 1.422-4, will be a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

5.7 No Dividends or Dividend Equivalents. No dividends or Dividend Equivalents shall be payable with respect to Options or Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

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ARTICLE VI.
Restricted Stock; Restricted Stock Units

 

6.1 General. The Administrator may grant Restricted Stock, or the right to purchase Restricted Stock, to any Service Provider, subject to the Company’s right to repurchase all or part of such Shares at their issue price or other stated or formula price from the Participant (or to require forfeiture of such Shares) if conditions the Administrator specifies in the Award Agreement are not satisfied before the end of the applicable restriction period or periods that the Administrator establishes for such Award. In addition, the Administrator may grant Restricted Stock Units to any Service Provider, which may be subject to vesting and forfeiture conditions during the applicable restriction period or periods that the Administrator establishes for such Award, as set forth in an Award Agreement. The Administrator will determine and set forth in the Award Agreement the terms and conditions for each Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Unit Award, which may include service-based and/or performance-based vesting requirements, subject to the conditions and limitations contained in the Plan.

 

6.2 Restricted Stock.

 

(a) Dividends. Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock will be entitled to all ordinary cash dividends paid with respect to such Shares, unless the Administrator provides otherwise in the Award Agreement (but in all cases subject to the restrictions below). In addition, unless the Administrator provides otherwise, if any dividends or distributions are paid in Shares, or consist of a dividend or distribution to holders of Common Stock of property other than an ordinary cash dividend, the Shares or other property will be subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the Shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, with respect to any award of Restricted Stock, dividends which are payable to holders of Common Stock prior to vesting shall be accrued and shall only be paid out to the Participant holding such Restricted Stock to the extent that the vesting conditions of the underlying Award are subsequently satisfied. All such dividend payments will be made no later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the right to the dividend payment becomes nonforfeitable.

 

(b) Stock Certificates. The Company may require that the Participant deposit in escrow with the Company (or its designee) any stock certificates issued in respect of Shares of Restricted Stock, together with a stock power endorsed in blank.

 

6.3 Restricted Stock Units.

 

(a) Settlement. The Administrator may provide that settlement of Restricted Stock Units will occur upon or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Restricted Stock Units vest or will instead be deferred, on a mandatory basis or at the Participant’s election, in a manner intended to comply with Section 409A. Restricted Stock Units may be settled in cash or in Shares, as determined by the Administrator and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(b) Stockholder Rights. A Participant will have no rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to any Restricted Stock Unit unless and until the Shares are delivered in settlement of the Restricted Stock Unit.

 

(c) Dividend Equivalents. For clarity, Dividend Equivalents with respect to an Award of Restricted Stock Units shall only be paid out to the Participant to the extent that the vesting conditions applicable to the underlying Award are satisfied. All such Dividend Equivalent payments will be made no later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the right to the Dividend Equivalent payment becomes nonforfeitable in accordance with the foregoing, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator or unless deferred in a manner intended to comply with Section 409A.

 

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ARTICLE VII.
Other Stock or Cash Based Awards; DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS

 

7.1 Other Stock or Cash Based Awards. Other Stock or Cash Based Awards may be granted to Participants, including Awards entitling Participants to receive Shares to be delivered in the future and including annual or other periodic or long-term cash bonus awards (whether based on specified Performance Criteria or otherwise), in each case subject to any conditions and limitations in the Plan. Such Other Stock or Cash Based Awards will also be available as a payment form in the settlement of other Awards, as standalone payments and as payment in lieu of compensation to which a Participant is otherwise entitled. Other Stock or Cash Based Awards may be paid in Shares, cash or other property, or any combination of the foregoing, as the Administrator determines. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of each Other Stock or Cash Based Award, including any purchase price, performance goal(s) (which may be based on the Performance Criteria), transfer restrictions, and vesting conditions, which will be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. In addition, the Company may adopt subplans or programs under the Plan pursuant to which it makes Awards available in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

7.2 Dividend Equivalents. A grant of Restricted Stock Units or Other Stock or Cash Based Award may provide a Participant with the right to receive Dividend Equivalents, and no dividends or Dividend Equivalents shall be payable with respect to Options or Stock Appreciation Rights. Dividend Equivalents may be accrued and credited to an account for the Participant, settled in cash or Shares and subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the Award with respect to which the Dividend Equivalents are paid and subject to other terms and conditions as set forth in the Award Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Dividend Equivalents with respect to an Award shall only be paid out to the Participant to the extent that the vesting conditions applicable to the underlying Award are satisfied. All such Dividend Equivalent payments will be made no later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the right to the Dividend Equivalent payment becomes nonforfeitable in accordance with the foregoing, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator.

 

ARTICLE VIII.
Adjustments for Changes in Common Stock
and Certain Other Events

 

8.1 Equity Restructuring. In connection with any Equity Restructuring, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article VIII, the Administrator will equitably adjust each outstanding Award as it deems appropriate to reflect the Equity Restructuring, which may include adjusting the number and type of securities subject to each outstanding Award and/or the Award’s exercise price or grant price (if applicable), granting new Awards to Participants, and/or making a cash payment to Participants. The adjustments provided under this Section 8.1 will be nondiscretionary and final and binding on the affected Participant and the Company; provided that the Administrator will determine whether an adjustment is equitable.

 

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8.2 Corporate Transactions. In the event of any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Stock, other securities, or other property), reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, amalgamation, repurchase, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, or sale, transfer, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or sale or exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, Change in Control, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or other securities of the Company, other similar corporate transaction or event, other unusual or nonrecurring transaction or event affecting the Company or its financial statements or any change in any Applicable Laws or accounting principles, the Administrator, on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, either by the terms of the Award or by action taken prior to the occurrence of such transaction or event (except that action to give effect to a change in Applicable Law or accounting principles may be made within a reasonable period of time after such change), is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Administrator determines that such action is appropriate in order to (x) prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended by the Company to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any Award granted or issued under the Plan, (y) facilitate such transaction or event or (z) give effect to such changes in Applicable Laws or accounting principles:

 

(a) To provide for the cancellation of any such Award in exchange for either an amount of cash or other property with a value equal to the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise or settlement of the vested portion of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights under the vested portion of such Award, as applicable; provided that, if the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise or settlement of the vested portion of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights, in any case, is equal to or less than zero, then the Award may be terminated without payment;

 

(b) To provide that such Award shall vest and, to the extent applicable, be exercisable as to all Shares covered thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the provisions of such Award;

 

(c) To provide that such Award be assumed by the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by awards covering the stock of the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or equivalent value thereof in cash, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and/or applicable exercise or purchase price, in all cases, as determined by the Administrator;

 

(d) To make adjustments in the number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards and/or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Article IV hereof on the maximum number and kind of shares which may be issued) and/or in the terms and conditions of (including the grant or exercise price or applicable performance goals), and the criteria included in, outstanding Awards;

 

(e) To replace such Award with other rights or property selected by the Administrator; and/or

 

(f)   To provide that the Award will terminate and cannot vest, be exercised or become payable after the applicable event.

 

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event of any event or transaction specified in this Section 8.2, the Administrator shall have the authority to determine the level at which any performance goals applicable to any outstanding Awards are deemed attained.

 

8.3 Administrative Stand Still. In the event of any pending stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to stockholders, or any other extraordinary transaction or change affecting the Shares or the share price of Common Stock, including any Equity Restructuring or any securities offering or other similar transaction, for administrative convenience, the Administrator may refuse to permit the exercise of any Award for up to 60 days before or after such transaction.

 

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8.4 General. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or the Administrator’s action under the Plan, no Participant will have any rights due to any subdivision or consolidation of Shares of any class, dividend payment, increase or decrease in the number of Shares of any class or dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or other corporation. Except as expressly provided with respect to an Equity Restructuring under Section 8.1 or the Administrator’s action under the Plan, no issuance by the Company of Shares of any class, or securities convertible into Shares of any class, will affect, and no adjustment will be made regarding, the number of Shares subject to an Award or the Award’s grant or exercise price. The existence of the Plan, any Award Agreements and the Awards granted hereunder will not affect or restrict in any way the Company’s right or power to make or authorize (a) any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, (b) any merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of the Company or sale of Company assets or (c) any sale or issuance of securities, including securities with rights superior to those of the Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares. The Administrator may treat Participants and Awards (or portions thereof) differently under this Article VIII.

 

ARTICLE IX.
General Provisions Applicable to Awards

 

9.1 Transferability. Except as the Administrator may determine or provide in an Award Agreement or otherwise for Awards other than Incentive Stock Options, Awards may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered, either voluntarily or by operation of law, except for certain beneficiary designations, by will or the laws of descent and distribution, or, subject to the Administrator’s consent, pursuant to a domestic relations order, and, during the life of the Participant, Options and Stock Appreciation Rights will be exercisable only by the Participant. Any permitted transfer of an Award hereunder shall be without consideration, except as required by Applicable Law. References to a Participant, to the extent relevant in the context, will include references to a Participant’s authorized transferee that the Administrator specifically approves.

 

9.2 Documentation. Each Award will be evidenced in an Award Agreement, which may be written or electronic, as the Administrator determines. The Award Agreement will contain the terms and conditions applicable to an Award. Each Award may contain terms and conditions in addition to those set forth in the Plan.

 

9.3 Discretion. Except as the Plan otherwise provides, each Award may be made alone or in addition or in relation to any other Award. The terms of each Award to a Participant need not be identical, and the Administrator need not treat Participants or Awards (or portions thereof) uniformly.

 

9.4 Termination of Status. The Administrator will determine how a Participant’s Disability, death, retirement or authorized leave of absence or any other change or purported change in a Participant’s Service Provider status affects an Award (including whether and when a Termination of Service has occurred) and the extent to which, and the period during which the Participant, the Participant’s legal representative, conservator, guardian or Designated Beneficiary may exercise rights under the Award, if applicable.

 

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9.5 Withholding. Each Participant must pay the Company, or make provision satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of, any taxes required by Applicable Law to be withheld in connection with such Participant’s Awards by the date of the event creating the tax liability. The Company or one of its Subsidiaries may deduct an amount sufficient to satisfy such tax obligations based on the applicable statutory withholding rates (or such other rate as may be determined by the Administrator after considering any accounting consequences or costs) from any payment of any kind otherwise due to a Participant. Subject to Section 10.8 and any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods), Participants may satisfy such tax obligations through the Agent’s electronic platform or by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Agent (or, in each case, if the Company has no Agent accepting payment, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Company) or, solely with the consent of the Administrator, by (a) cash, wire transfer of immediately available funds or check made payable to the order of the Company, (b) delivery of Shares (in whole or in part), including Shares delivered by attestation and Shares retained from the Award creating the tax obligation, valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of delivery, (c) if there is a public market for Shares at the time the tax obligations are satisfied, (i) delivery (including electronically or telephonically to the extent permitted by the Administrator) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Administrator to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to satisfy the tax obligations, or (ii) delivery by the Participant to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Administrator to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to satisfy the tax withholding; provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator, or (d) any combination of the foregoing payment forms approved by the Administrator. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the number of Shares which may be so delivered or retained pursuant to clause (b) of the immediately preceding sentence shall be limited to the number of Shares which have a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery or retention no greater than the aggregate amount of such liabilities based on the maximum individual statutory tax rate in the applicable jurisdiction at the time of such withholding (or such other rate as may be required to avoid the liability classification of the applicable award under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America), and for clarity, may be less than such maximum individual statutory tax rate if so determined by the Administrator. If any tax withholding obligation will be satisfied under clause (b) above by the Company’s retention of Shares from the Award creating the tax obligation and there is a public market for Shares at the time the tax obligation is satisfied, the Company may elect to instruct any brokerage firm determined acceptable to the Company for such purpose to sell on the applicable Participant’s behalf some or all of the Shares retained and to remit the proceeds of the sale to the Company or its designee, and each Participant’s acceptance of an Award under the Plan will constitute the Participant’s authorization to the Company and instruction and authorization to such brokerage firm to complete the transactions described in this sentence.

 

9.6 Amendment of Award; Repricing. The Administrator may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including by substituting another Award of the same or a different type, changing the exercise or settlement date, and converting an Incentive Stock Option to a Non-Qualified Stock Option. The Participant’s consent to such action will be required unless (a) the action, taking into account any related action, does not materially and adversely affect the Participant’s rights under the Award, or (b) the change is permitted under Article VIII or pursuant to Section 10.6. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything in the Plan to the contrary, the Administrator may, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, (i) reduce the exercise price per share of outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights or (ii) cancel outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights in exchange for cash, other Awards or Options or Stock Appreciation Rights with an exercise price per share that is less than the exercise price per share of the original Options or Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

9.7 Conditions on Delivery of Stock. The Company will not be obligated to deliver any Shares under the Plan or remove restrictions from Shares previously delivered under the Plan until (a) all Award conditions have been met or removed to the Company’s satisfaction, (b) as determined by the Company, all other legal matters regarding the issuance and delivery of such Shares have been satisfied, including any applicable securities laws and stock exchange or stock market rules and regulations, and (c) the Participant has executed and delivered to the Company such representations or agreements as the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate to satisfy any Applicable Laws. The Company’s inability to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which the Administrator determines is necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any securities, will relieve the Company of any liability for failing to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority has not been obtained.

 

9.8 Acceleration. The Administrator may at any time provide that any Award will become immediately vested and fully or partially exercisable, free of some or all restrictions or conditions, or otherwise fully or partially realizable.

 

9.9 Cash Settlement. Without limiting the generality of any other provision of the Plan, the Administrator may provide, in an Award Agreement or subsequent to the grant of an Award, in its discretion, that any Award may be settled in cash, Shares or a combination thereof.

 

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9.10 Broker-Assisted Sales. In the event of a broker-assisted sale of Shares in connection with the payment of amounts owed by a Participant under or with respect to the Plan or Awards, including amounts to be paid under the final sentence of Section 9.5: (a) any Shares to be sold through the broker-assisted sale will be sold on the day the payment first becomes due, or as soon thereafter as practicable; (b) such Shares may be sold as part of a block trade with other Participants in the Plan in which all participants receive an average price; (c) the applicable Participant will be responsible for all broker’s fees and other costs of sale, and by accepting an Award, each Participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Company and its Subsidiaries harmless from any losses, costs, damages, or expenses relating to any such sale; (d) to the extent the Company, its Subsidiaries or their designee receives proceeds of such sale that exceed the amount owed, the Company or its Subsidiary will pay such excess in cash to the applicable Participant as soon as reasonably practicable; (e) the Company, its Subsidiaries and their designees are under no obligation to arrange for such sale at any particular price; and (f) in the event the proceeds of such sale are insufficient to satisfy the Participant’s applicable obligation, the Participant may be required to pay immediately upon demand to the Company, its Subsidiaries or their designee an amount in cash sufficient to satisfy any remaining portion of the Participant’s obligation.

 

ARTICLE X.
Miscellaneous

 

10.1   No Right to Employment or Other Status. No person will have any claim or right to be granted an Award, and the grant of an Award will not be construed as giving a Participant the right to continued employment or any other relationship with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Company and its Subsidiaries expressly reserve the right at any time to dismiss or otherwise terminate their respective relationships with a Participant free from any liability or claim under the Plan or any Award, except as expressly provided in an Award Agreement or in the Plan.

 

10.2   No Rights as Stockholder; Certificates. Subject to the applicable Award Agreement, no Participant or Designated Beneficiary will have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any Shares to be distributed under an Award until becoming the record holder of such Shares. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless the Administrator otherwise determines or Applicable Laws require, the Company will not be required to deliver to any Participant certificates evidencing Shares issued in connection with any Award and instead such Shares may be recorded in the books of the Company (or, as applicable, its transfer agent or stock plan administrator). The Company may place legends on stock certificates issued under the Plan that the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate to comply with Applicable Laws.

 

10.3   Effective Date and Term of Plan. Unless earlier terminated by the Board, the Plan will become effective on the date on which the Closing is consummated (the “Effective Date”) and will remain in effect until the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, but Awards previously granted may extend beyond that date in accordance with the Plan. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, an Incentive Stock Option may not be granted under the Plan after 10 years from the earlier of (a) the date the Board adopted the Plan or (b) the date the Company’s stockholders approved the Plan. If the Plan is not approved by the Company’s stockholders, the Plan will not become effective and no Awards will be granted under the Plan.

 

10.4   Amendment of Plan. The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan at any time; provided that no amendment, other than (a) as permitted by the applicable Award Agreement, (b) as provided under Sections 10.6 and 10.15, or (c) an amendment to increase the Overall Share Limit, may materially and adversely affect any Award outstanding at the time of such amendment without the affected Participant’s consent. No Awards may be granted under the Plan during any suspension period or after the Plan’s termination. Awards outstanding at the time of any Plan suspension or termination will continue to be governed by the Plan and the Award Agreement, as in effect before such suspension or termination. The Board will obtain stockholder approval of any Plan amendment to increase the Non-Employee Director Limit or to the extent necessary to comply with Applicable Laws.

 

10.5   Provisions for Foreign Participants. The Administrator may modify Awards granted to Participants who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States or establish subplans or procedures under the Plan to address differences in laws, rules, regulations or customs of such foreign jurisdictions with respect to tax, securities, currency, employee benefit or other matters.

 

10.6   Section 409A.

 

(a) General. To the extent that the Administrator determines that any Award granted under the Plan is subject to Section 409A, the Award Agreement evidencing such Award shall incorporate the terms and conditions required by Section 409A. To the extent applicable, the Plan and the Award Agreements shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A, such that no adverse tax consequences, interest, or penalties under Section 409A apply. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, the Administrator may, without a Participant’s consent, amend this Plan or Awards, adopt policies and procedures, or take any other actions (including amendments, policies, procedures and retroactive actions) as are necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of Awards, including any such actions intended to (i) exempt this Plan or any Award from Section 409A, or (ii) comply with Section 409A, including regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority that may be issued after an Award’s grant date. The Company makes no representations or warranties as to an Award’s tax treatment under Section 409A or otherwise. The Company will have no obligation under this Section 10.6 or otherwise to avoid the taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A with respect to any Award and will have no liability to any Participant or any other person if any Award, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute noncompliant “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement, any payment of “nonqualified deferred compensation” under the Plan that may be made in installments shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments.

 

(b) Separation from Service. If an Award is subject to and constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A, any payment or settlement of such Award upon a termination of a Participant’s Service Provider relationship will, to the extent necessary to avoid taxes under Section 409A, be made only upon the Participant’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A), whether such “separation from service” occurs upon or after the termination of the Participant’s Service Provider relationship. For purposes of this Plan or any Award Agreement relating to any such payments or benefits, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms means a “separation from service.”

 

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(c) Payments to Specified Employees. Notwithstanding any contrary provision in the Plan or any Award Agreement, any payment(s) of “nonqualified deferred compensation” required to be made under an Award subject to Section 409A to a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A and as the Administrator determines) due to his or her “separation from service” will, to the extent necessary to avoid taxes under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, be delayed for the six-month period immediately following such “separation from service” (or, if earlier, until the specified employee’s death) and will instead be paid (as set forth in the Award Agreement) on the day immediately following such six-month period or as soon as administratively practicable thereafter (without interest). Any payments of “nonqualified deferred compensation” under such Award payable more than six months following the Participant’s “separation from service” will be paid at the time or times the payments are otherwise scheduled to be made.

 

10.7   Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as a director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary will be liable to any Participant, former Participant, spouse, beneficiary, or any other person for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan or any Award, and such individual will not be personally liable with respect to the Plan because of any contract or other instrument executed in his, her or its capacity as an Administrator, director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each director, officer, other employee and agent of the Company or any Subsidiary that has been or will be granted or delegated any duty or power relating to the Plan’s administration or interpretation, against any cost or expense (including attorneys’ fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the Administrator’s approval) arising from any act or omission concerning this Plan unless arising from such person’s own fraud or bad faith.

 

10.8   Lock-Up Period. The Company may, at the request of any underwriter representative or otherwise, in connection with registering the offering of any Company securities under the Securities Act, prohibit Participants from, directly or indirectly, selling or otherwise transferring any Shares or other Company securities during a period of up to 180 days following the effective date of a Company registration statement filed under the Securities Act, or such longer period as determined by the underwriter.

 

10.9   Data Privacy. As a condition for receiving any Award, each Participant explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as described in this section by and among the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates exclusively for implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan. The Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may hold certain personal information about a Participant, including the Participant’s name, address and telephone number; birthdate; social security number, insurance number or other identification number; salary; nationality; job title(s); any Shares held in the Company or its Subsidiaries and affiliates; and Award details, to implement, manage and administer the Plan and Awards (the “Data”). The Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may transfer the Data amongst themselves as necessary to implement, administer and manage a Participant’s participation in the Plan, and the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may transfer the Data to third parties assisting the Company with Plan implementation, administration and management. These recipients may be located in the Participant’s country, or elsewhere, and the Participant’s country may have different data privacy laws and protections than the recipients’ country. By accepting an Award, each Participant authorizes such recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, to implement, administer and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan, including any required Data transfer to a broker or other third party with whom the Company or the Participant may elect to deposit any Shares. The Data related to a Participant will be held only as long as necessary to implement, administer, and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan. A Participant may, at any time, view the Data that the Company and its Subsidiaries hold regarding such Participant, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data regarding such Participant, recommend any necessary corrections to the Data regarding the Participant or refuse or withdraw the consents provided for in this Section 10.9 in writing, without cost, by contacting the local human resources representative. If the Participant refuses or withdraws the consents provided for in this Section 10.9, the Company may cancel the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan and, in the Administrator’s discretion, the Participant may forfeit any outstanding Awards. For more information on the consequences of refusing or withdrawing consent, Participants may contact their local human resources representative.

 

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10.10 Severability. If any portion of the Plan or any action taken under it is held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity will not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan will be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provisions had been excluded, and the illegal or invalid action will be null and void.

 

10.11 Governing Documents. If any contradiction occurs between the Plan and any Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company (or any Subsidiary) that the Administrator has approved, the Plan will govern, unless it is expressly specified in such Award Agreement or other written document that the specific provision of the Plan will not apply. For clarity, the foregoing sentence shall not limit the applicability of any additive language contained in an Award Agreement or other written agreement which provides supplemental or additional terms not inconsistent with the Plan.

 

10.12 Governing Law. The Plan and all Awards will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, disregarding any state’s choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than the State of Delaware.

 

10.13 Claw-back Provisions. All Awards (including, without limitation, any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit actually or constructively received by a Participant upon any receipt or exercise of any Award or upon the receipt or resale of any Shares underlying the Award) shall be subject to the provisions of the Company’s Policy for the Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation, as may be amended from time to time, and to any other claw-back policy implemented by the Company, including, without limitation, any claw-back policy adopted to comply with Applicable Laws, as and to the extent set forth in such claw-back policy or the Award Agreement.

 

10.14 Titles and Headings. The titles and headings in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, if any conflict, the Plan’s text, rather than such titles or headings, will control.

 

10.15 Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan is intended to conform to the extent necessary with Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan and all Awards will be administered only in conformance with Applicable Laws. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Plan and all Award Agreements will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

 

10.16 Unfunded Status of Awards. The Plan is intended to be an “unfunded” plan for incentive compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall give the Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

10.17 Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment under the Plan will be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary except as expressly provided in writing in such other plan or an agreement thereunder.

 

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ARTICLE XI.

Definitions

 

As used in the Plan, the following words and phrases will have the following meanings:

 

11.1   Administrator” means the Board or a Committee to the extent that the Board’s powers or authority under the Plan have been delegated to such Committee. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Board shall conduct the general administration of the Plan with respect to Awards granted to non-employee Directors and, with respect to such Awards, the term “Administrator” as used in the Plan shall mean and refer to the Board.

 

11.2   Agent” means the brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution, entity or person(s), if any, engaged, retained, appointed or authorized to act as the agent of the Company or a Participant with regard to the Plan.

 

11.3   Applicable Laws” means the requirements relating to the administration of equity incentive plans under U.S. federal and state securities, tax and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, the applicable rules of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and the applicable laws and rules of any foreign country or other jurisdiction where Awards are granted.

 

11.4   Award” means, individually or collectively, a grant under the Plan of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Dividend Equivalents, or Other Stock or Cash Based Awards.

 

11.5   Award Agreement” means a written agreement evidencing an Award, which may be electronic, that contains such terms and conditions as the Administrator determines, consistent with and subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

11.6   Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

11.7   Cause” means, in respect of a Participant, either (a) the definition of “Cause” contained in the Participant’s Award Agreement or an effective, written service or employment agreement between the Participant and the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company; or (b) if no such agreement exists or such agreement does not define Cause, then Cause shall mean (i) the Participant’s unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information or trade secrets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any material breach of a written agreement between the Participant and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including without limitation a material breach of any employment, confidentiality, non-compete, non-solicit or similar agreement; (ii) the Participant’s commission of, indictment for or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the Participant to, a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or any crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude (or any similar crime in any jurisdiction outside the United States); (iii) the Participant’s negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of the Participant’s duties or the Participant’s willful or repeated failure or refusal to substantially perform assigned duties; (iv) any act of fraud, embezzlement, material misappropriation or dishonesty committed by the Participant against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or (v) any acts, omissions or statements by a Participant which the Company determines to be materially detrimental or damaging to the reputation, operations, prospects or business relations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The findings and decision of the Administrator with respect to any Cause determination will be final and binding for all purposes.

 

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11.8   Change in Control” means and includes each of the following:

 

(a) A transaction or series of transactions (other than an offering of Common Stock to the general public through a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or a transaction or series of transactions that meets the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (c) below) whereby any “person” or related “group” of “persons” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) (other than the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or a “person” that, prior to such transaction, directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company) directly or indirectly acquires beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company possessing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the Company’s securities outstanding immediately after such acquisition; or

 

(b) During any period of two consecutive years, individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board together with any new Director(s) (other than a Director designated by a person who shall have entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in subsections (a) or (c)) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Directors then still in office who either were Directors at the beginning of the two-year period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved (but excluding, for clarity, any Director initially elected or nominated as a Director as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to Directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of any person other than the Board), cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof; or

 

(c) The consummation by the Company (whether directly involving the Company or indirectly involving the Company through one or more intermediaries) of (x) a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or business combination or (y) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in any single transaction or series of related transactions or (z) the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity, in each case other than a transaction:

 

(i)   which results in the Company’s voting securities outstanding immediately before the transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the Company or the person that, as a result of the transaction, controls, directly or indirectly, the Company or owns, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or otherwise succeeds to the business of the Company (the Company or such person, the “Successor Entity”)), directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity’s outstanding voting securities immediately after the transaction, and

 

(ii) after which no person or group beneficially owns voting securities representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity; provided, however, that no person or group shall be treated for purposes of this clause (ii) as beneficially owning 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Change in Control constitutes a payment event with respect to any Award (or portion of any Award) that provides for the deferral of compensation that is subject to Section 409A, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A, the transaction or event described in subsection (a), (b) or (c) with respect to such Award (or portion thereof) shall only constitute a Change in Control for purposes of the payment timing of such Award if such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

 

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The Administrator shall have full and final authority, which shall be exercised in its discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control and any incidental matters relating thereto; provided that any exercise of authority in conjunction with a determination of whether a Change in Control is a “change in control event” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) shall be consistent with such regulation.

 

11.9   Closing” means the closing of the transactions contemplated by that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 24, 2024, by and among Fold, Inc., FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., and EMLD Merger Sub Inc.

 

11.10 Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations issued thereunder.

 

11.11 Committee” means one or more committees or subcommittees of the Board, which may include one or more Company directors or executive officers, to the extent Applicable Laws permit. To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3, it is intended that each member of the Committee will be, at the time the Committee takes any action with respect to an Award that is subject to Rule 16b-3, a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3; however, a Committee member’s failure to qualify as a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 will not invalidate any Award granted by the Committee that is otherwise validly granted under the Plan.

 

11.12 Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company.

 

11.13 Company” means Fold Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor.

 

11.14 Consultant” means any consultant or advisor engaged by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to render services to such entity that qualifies as a consultant or advisor under the applicable rules of Form S-8 Registration Statements.

 

11.15 Designated Beneficiary” means the beneficiary or beneficiaries the Participant designates, in a manner the Administrator determines, to receive amounts due or exercise the Participant’s rights if the Participant dies or becomes incapacitated. Without a Participant’s effective designation, “Designated Beneficiary” will mean the Participant’s estate.

 

11.16 Director” means a Board member.

 

11.17 Disability” means that the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

 

11.18 Dividend Equivalents” means a right granted to a Participant under the Plan to receive the equivalent value (in cash or Shares) of dividends paid on Shares.

 

11.19 Employee” means any employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

11.20 “Equity Restructuring” means, as determined by the Administrator, a non-reciprocal transaction between the Company and its stockholders, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spin-off or recapitalization through a large, nonrecurring cash dividend, or other large, nonrecurring cash dividend, that affects the number or kind of Shares (or other securities of the Company) or the share price of Common Stock (or other securities of the Company) and causes a change in the per share value of the Common Stock underlying outstanding Awards.

 

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11.21 Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

11.22 Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of a Share determined as follows: (a) if the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange, its Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such Common Stock as quoted on such exchange for such date, or if no sale occurred on such date, the last day preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; (b) if the Common Stock is not traded on a stock exchange but is quoted on a national market or other quotation system, the closing sales price on such date, or if no sales occurred on such date, then on the last date preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; or (c) without an established market for the Common Stock, the Administrator will determine the Fair Market Value in its discretion.

 

11.23 GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, consistently applied.

 

11.24 Greater Than 10% Stockholder” means an individual then owning (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its parent or subsidiary corporation, as defined in Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively.

 

11.25 Incentive Stock Option” means an Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” as defined in Section 422 of the Code.

 

11.26 Non-Qualified Stock Option” means an Option, or portion thereof, not intended or not qualifying as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

11.27 Option” means an option to purchase Shares, which will either be an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

11.28 Other Stock or Cash Based Awards” means cash awards, awards of Shares, and other awards valued wholly or partially by referring to, or are otherwise based on, Shares or other property awarded to a Participant under Article VII.

 

11.29 Overall Share Limit” means the sum of (a) [_____]2 Shares; (b) any Shares which remain available for issuance under the Prior Plan as of the Effective Date; (c) any Shares which are subject to Prior Plan Awards as of the Effective Date which, on or following the Effective Date, become available for issuance under the Plan pursuant to Article IV; and (d) an annual increase on the first day of each calendar year beginning January 1, 2026 and ending on and including January 1, 2035, equal to the lesser of (i) a number of Shares equal to 5% of the aggregate number of Shares outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (ii) such smaller number of Shares as is determined by the Board.

 

11.30 Participant” means a Service Provider who has been granted an Award.

 

 

2 NTD: To be 10% of fully diluted shares at Closing.

 

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11.31 Performance Criteria” means the criteria (and adjustments) that the Administrator may select for an Award to establish performance goals for a performance period, which may include (but is not limited to) the following: net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and non-cash equity-based compensation expense); gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; net income (either before or after taxes) or adjusted net income; profits (including but not limited to gross profits, net profits, profit growth, net operation profit or economic profit), profit return ratios or operating margin; operating efficiency; budget or operating earnings (either before or after taxes or before or after allocation of corporate overhead and bonus); cash flow (including operating cash flow and free cash flow or cash flow return on capital); return on assets; return on capital or invested capital; cost of capital; return on stockholders’ equity; total stockholder return; return on sales; costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; expenses; working capital; earnings or loss per share; adjusted earnings or loss per share; price per share or dividends per share (or appreciation in or maintenance of such price or dividends); regulatory achievements or compliance; implementation, completion or attainment of objectives relating to research, development, regulatory, commercial, or strategic milestones or developments; market share; economic value or economic value added models; division, group or corporate financial goals; customer satisfaction/growth; customer service; employee satisfaction; recruitment and maintenance of personnel; human resources management; supervision of litigation and other legal matters; strategic partnerships, collaborations and transactions; financial ratios (including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage); debt levels or reductions; sales-related goals; financing and other capital raising transactions; cash on hand; acquisition, licensing or divestiture activity; investment sourcing activity; and marketing initiatives, any of which may be measured in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease. Such performance goals also may be (a) based solely by reference to the Company’s performance or the performance of a Subsidiary, division, business segment or business unit of the Company or a Subsidiary, (b) based upon performance relative to performance of other companies or upon comparisons of any of the indicators of performance relative to performance of other companies, (c) based on GAAP or non-GAAP metrics, and/or (d) adjusted to reflect the impact of unusual, infrequently occurring or non-recurring charges, transactions, extraordinary events or otherwise as determined by the Administrator. Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrator may provide for the exclusion of the impact of an event or occurrence which the Administrator determines should appropriately be excluded, including (i) restructurings, discontinued operations, extraordinary items, and other unusual, infrequently occurring or non-recurring charges or events, (ii) asset write-downs, (iii) litigation or claim judgments or settlements, (iv) acquisitions or divestitures, (v) a reorganization or change in the corporate structure or capital structure of the Company, (vi) an event either not directly related to the operations of the Company, a Subsidiary, division, business segment or business unit or not within the reasonable control of management, (vii) foreign exchange gains and losses, (viii) a change in the fiscal year of the Company, (ix) the refinancing or repurchase of bank loans or debt securities, (x) unbudgeted capital expenditures, (xi) the issuance or repurchase of equity securities and other changes in the number of outstanding Shares, (xii) conversion of some or all convertible securities to Shares, (xiii) any business interruption event, (xiv) the cumulative effects of tax or accounting changes in accordance with GAAP, or (xv) the effect of changes in other laws or regulatory rules affecting reported results.

 

11.32 Plan” means this 2025 Incentive Award Plan.

 

11.33 Prior Plan” means the Fold, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.

 

11.34 Prior Plan Award” means an award outstanding under the Prior Plan as of the Effective Date.

 

11.35 Restricted Stock” means Shares awarded to a Participant under Article VI subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions.

 

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11.36 Restricted Stock Unit” means an unfunded, unsecured right to receive, on the applicable settlement date, one Share or an amount in cash or other consideration determined by the Administrator to be of equal value as of such settlement date awarded to a Participant under Article VI subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions.

 

11.37 Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

11.38 Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and all regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority thereunder.

 

11.39 Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

11.40 Service Provider” means an Employee, Consultant or Director.

 

11.41 Shares” means shares of Common Stock.

 

11.42 Stock Appreciation Right” means a stock appreciation right granted under Article V.

 

11.43 Subsidiary” means any entity (other than the Company), whether domestic or foreign, in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain beneficially owns, at the time of the determination, securities or interests representing at least 50% of the total combined voting power of all classes of securities or interests in one of the other entities in such chain.

 

11.44 Substitute Awards” means Awards granted or Shares issued by the Company in assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, awards previously granted, or the right or obligation to make future awards, in each case by a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines.

 

11.45 Termination of Service” means the date the Participant ceases to be a Service Provider.

 

* * * * *

 

 

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Exhibit 10.5

 

FOLD HOLDINGS, INC.


2025 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

 

Article I.
PURPOSE

 

The purpose of this Plan is to assist Eligible Employees of the Company and its Designated Subsidiaries in acquiring a stock ownership interest in the Company.

 

The Plan consists of two components: (i) the Section 423 Component and (ii) the Non-Section 423 Component. The Section 423 Component is intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code and shall be administered, interpreted and construed in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code. The Non-Section 423 Component authorizes the grant of rights which need not qualify as rights granted pursuant to an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code. Rights granted under the Non-Section 423 Component shall be granted pursuant to separate Offerings containing such sub-plans, appendices, rules or procedures as may be adopted by the Administrator and designed to achieve tax, securities laws or other objectives for Eligible Employees and Designated Subsidiaries but shall not be intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code. Except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided herein, the Non-Section 423 Component will operate and be administered in the same manner as the Section 423 Component. Offerings intended to be made under the Non-Section 423 Component will be designated as such by the Administrator at or prior to the time of such Offering.

 

For purposes of this Plan, the Administrator may designate separate Offerings under the Plan in which Eligible Employees will participate. The terms of these Offerings need not be identical, even if the dates of the applicable Offering Period(s) in each such Offering are identical, provided that the terms of participation are the same within each separate Offering under the Section 423 Component (as determined under Section 423 of the Code). Solely by way of example and without limiting the foregoing, the Company could, but shall not be required to, provide for simultaneous Offerings under the Section 423 Component and the Non-Section 423 Component of the Plan.

 

Article II.
DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION

 

Wherever the following terms are used in the Plan they shall have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

 

2.1 “Administrator” means the entity that conducts the general administration of the Plan as provided in Article XI.

 

2.2 “Agent” means the brokerage firm, bank or other financial institution, entity or person(s), if any, engaged, retained, appointed or authorized to act as the agent of the Company or an Employee with regard to the Plan.

 

2.3 “Applicable Law” means the requirements relating to the administration of equity incentive plans under U.S. federal and state securities, tax and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, the applicable rules of any stock exchange or quotation system on which Shares are listed or quoted and the applicable laws and rules of any foreign country or other jurisdiction where rights under this Plan are granted.

 

 

 

 

2.4 “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

2.5   “Closing” means the closing of the transactions contemplated by that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 24, 2024, by and among Fold, Inc., FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., and EMLD Merger Sub Inc.

 

2.6 “Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations issued thereunder.

 

2.7 “Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company and such other securities of the Company that may be substituted therefore.

 

2.8 “Company” means Fold Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor.

 

2.9 “Compensation” of an Eligible Employee means, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, the gross cash compensation paid by the Company or its Subsidiary (as applicable) to such Eligible Employee as compensation for services to the Company or any Designated Subsidiary, including for clarity, any prior-week adjustments; commissions; cash incentive compensation and one-time bonuses (e.g., retention or sign on bonuses); overtime payments; or compensation paid by the Company or any Designated Subsidiary in respect of periods of absence from work; and excluding any education or tuition reimbursements; travel expenses; business and moving reimbursements; income received in connection with any stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units or other compensatory equity awards; fringe benefits; other special payments and all contributions made by the Company or any Designated Subsidiary for the Employee’s benefit under any employee benefit plan now or hereafter established.

 

2.10 “Designated Beneficiary” means the beneficiary or beneficiaries the Participant designates, in a manner the Administrator determines, to receive amounts due or exercise the Participant’s rights if the Participant dies or becomes incapacitated. Without a Participant’s effective designation, “Designated Beneficiary” will mean the Participant’s estate.

 

2.11 “Designated Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary designated by the Administrator in accordance with Section 11.2(b), such designation to specify whether such participation is in the Section 423 Component or Non-Section 423 Component. A Designated Subsidiary may participate in either the Section 423 Component or Non-Section 423 Component, but not both.

 

2.12 “Effective Date” means the date on which the Closing is consummated.

 

2.13 “Eligible Employee” means an Employee who does not, immediately after any rights under this Plan are granted, own (directly or through attribution) stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of Shares and other securities of the Company, a Parent or a Subsidiary (as determined under Section 423(b)(3) of the Code). For purposes of the foregoing, the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code with regard to the attribution of stock ownership shall apply in determining the stock ownership of an individual, and stock that an Employee may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated as stock owned by the Employee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may provide in an Offering Document that an Employee shall not be eligible to participate in an Offering Period under the Section 423 Component if: (a) such Employee is a highly compensated employee within the meaning of Section 423(b)(4)(D) of the Code; (b) such Employee has not met a service requirement designated by the Administrator pursuant to Section 423(b)(4)(A) of the Code (which service requirement may not exceed two years); (c) such Employee’s customary employment is for 20 hours per week or less; (d) such Employee’s customary employment is for less than five months in any calendar year; and/or (e) such Employee is a citizen or resident of a foreign jurisdiction and the grant of a right to purchase Shares under the Plan to such Employee would be prohibited under the laws of such foreign jurisdiction or the grant of a right to purchase Shares under the Plan to such Employee in compliance with the laws of such foreign jurisdiction would cause the Plan to violate the requirements of Section 423 of the Code, as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion; provided, that any exclusion in clauses (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) shall be applied in an identical manner under each Offering Period to all Employees, in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(e).

 

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Further notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to the Non-Section 423 Component, the first sentence in this definition shall apply in determining who is an “Eligible Employee,” except (i) the Administrator may further limit eligibility within the Company or within a Designated Subsidiary so as to only designate certain Employees of the Company or of a Designated Subsidiary as “Eligible Employees”, and (ii) to the extent the restrictions in the first sentence in this definition are not consistent with any applicable local law, such applicable local law shall control.

 

2.14 “Employee” means any individual who renders services to the Company or any Designated Subsidiary in the status of an employee, and, with respect to the Section 423 Component, a person who is an employee of the Company or any Designated Subsidiary within the meaning of Section 3401(c) of the Code. For purposes of an individual’s participation in, or other rights under the Plan, all determinations by the Company shall be final, binding and conclusive, notwithstanding that any court of law or governmental agency subsequently makes a contrary determination. For purposes of the Plan, the employment relationship shall be treated as continuing intact while the individual is on sick leave or other leave of absence approved by the Company or Designated Subsidiary and meeting the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.421-1(h)(2). Where the period of leave exceeds three months and the individual’s right to reemployment is not guaranteed either by statute or by contract, the employment relationship shall be deemed to have terminated on the first day immediately following such three-month period.

 

2.15 “Enrollment Date” means the first Trading Day of each Offering Period.

 

2.16 “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of Shares determined as follows: (a) if the Shares are listed on any established stock exchange, its Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such Shares as quoted on such exchange for such date, or if no sale occurred on such date, the last day preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; (b) if the Shares are not traded on a stock exchange but are quoted on a national market or other quotation system, the closing sales price on such date, or if no sales occurred on such date, then on the last date preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; or (c) without an established market for the Shares, the Administrator will determine the Fair Market Value in its discretion.

 

2.17 “Non-Section 423 Component” means those Offerings under the Plan, together with the sub-plans, appendices, rules or procedures, if any, adopted by the Administrator as a part of this Plan, in each case, pursuant to which rights to purchase Shares during an Offering Period may be granted to Eligible Employees that need not satisfy the requirements for rights to purchase Shares granted pursuant to an “employee stock purchase plan” that are set forth under Section 423 of the Code.

 

2.18 “Offering” means an offer by the Company under the Plan to Eligible Employees of a right to purchase Shares that may be exercised during an Offering Period, as further described in Article IV hereof. Unless otherwise specified by the Administrator, each Offering to the Eligible Employees of the Company or a Designated Subsidiary shall be deemed a separate Offering, even if the dates and other terms of the applicable Offering Periods of each such Offering are identical, and the provisions of the Plan will separately apply to each Offering. To the extent permitted by Treasury Regulation § 1.423-2(a)(1), the terms of each separate Offering under the Section 423 Component need not be identical, provided that the terms of the Section 423 Component and an Offering thereunder together satisfy Treasury Regulation § 1.423-2(a)(2) and (a)(3).

 

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2.19 “Offering Document” has the meaning given to such term in Section 4.1.

 

2.20 “Offering Period” has the meaning given to such term in Section 4.1.

 

2.21 “Parent” means any corporation, other than the Company, in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company if, at the time of the determination, each of the corporations other than the Company owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

 

2.22 “Participant” means any Eligible Employee who has executed a subscription agreement and been granted rights to purchase Shares pursuant to the Plan.

 

2.23 “Plan” means this 2025 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, including both the Section 423 Component and Non-Section 423 Component and any other sub-plans or appendices hereto, as amended from time to time.

 

2.24 “Purchase Date” means the last Trading Day of each Purchase Period or such other date as determined by the Administrator and set forth in the Offering Document.

 

2.25 “Purchase Period” shall refer to one or more specified periods within an Offering Period, as designated in the applicable Offering Document; provided, however, that, if no Purchase Period is designated by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document, the Purchase Period for each Offering Period covered by such Offering Document shall be the same as the applicable Offering Period.

 

2.26 “Purchase Price” means the purchase price designated by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document (which purchase price, for purposes of the Section 423 Component, shall not be less than 85% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Enrollment Date or on the Purchase Date, whichever is lower); provided, however, that, if no purchase price is designated by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document, the purchase price for the Offering Periods covered by such Offering Document shall be 85% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Enrollment Date or on the Purchase Date, whichever is lower; provided, further, that the Purchase Price may be adjusted by the Administrator pursuant to Article VIII and shall not be less than the par value of a Share.

 

2.27 “Section 423 Component” means those Offerings under the Plan, together with the sub-plans, appendices, rules or procedures, if any, adopted by the Administrator as a part of this Plan or any Offering(s), in each case, pursuant to which rights to purchase Shares during an Offering Period may be granted to Eligible Employees that are intended to satisfy the requirements for rights to purchase Shares granted pursuant to an “employee stock purchase plan” that are set forth under Section 423 of the Code.

 

2.28 “Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

2.29 “Share” means a share of Common Stock.

 

2.30 “Subsidiary” means any corporation, other than the Company, in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if, at the time of the determination, each of the corporations other than the last corporation in an unbroken chain owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain; provided, however, that a limited liability company or partnership may be treated as a Subsidiary to the extent either (a) such entity is treated as a disregarded entity under Treasury Regulation Section 301.7701-3(a) by reason of the Company or any other Subsidiary that is a corporation being the sole owner of such entity, or (b) such entity elects to be classified as a corporation under Treasury Regulation Section 301.7701-3(a) and such entity would otherwise qualify as a Subsidiary. In addition, with respect to the Non-Section 423 Component, Subsidiary shall include any corporate or non-corporate entity in which the Company has a direct or indirect equity interest or significant business relationship.

 

2.31 “Trading Day” means a day on which national stock exchanges in the United States are open for trading.

 

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Article III.
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

 

3.1 Number of Shares. Subject to Article VIII, the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to rights granted under the Plan shall be [_____] Shares.1 In addition to the foregoing, subject to Article VIII, on the first day of each calendar year beginning on January 1, 2026 and ending on and including January 1, 2035, the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan shall be increased by that number of Shares equal to the lesser of (a) 1% of the aggregate number of Shares outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (b) such smaller number of Shares as determined by the Board. If any right granted under the Plan shall for any reason terminate without having been exercised, the Shares not purchased under such right shall again become available for issuance under the Plan. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 3.1 to the contrary, the number of Shares that may be issued or transferred pursuant to the rights granted under the Section 423 Component of the Plan shall not exceed an aggregate of [_____] Shares,2 subject to Article VIII.

 

3.2 Shares Distributed. Any Shares distributed pursuant to the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares, treasury shares or Shares purchased on the open market.

 

Article IV.
Offering Periods; Offering Documents; Purchase Dates

 

4.1 Offering Periods. The Administrator may from time to time grant or provide for the grant of rights to purchase Shares under the Plan to Eligible Employees during one or more periods (each, an “Offering Period”) selected by the Administrator. The terms and conditions applicable to each Offering Period shall be set forth in an “Offering Document” adopted by the Administrator from time to time, which Offering Document shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Administrator shall deem appropriate and shall be incorporated by reference into and made part of the Plan. The Administrator shall establish in each Offering Document one or more Purchase Periods within such Offering Period during which rights granted under the Plan shall be exercised and purchases of Shares carried out in accordance with such Offering Document and the Plan. The provisions of separate Offerings or Offering Periods under the Plan may be partially or wholly concurrent and need not be identical.

 

 

1NTD: To equal 2% of fully diluted shares at Closing.

 

2NTD: To reflect 250% of the initial share limit.

 

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4.2 Offering Documents. Each Offering Document with respect to an Offering Period shall specify (through incorporation of the provisions of this Plan by reference or otherwise):

 

(a) the length of the Offering Period, which period shall not exceed 27 months;

 

(b) the length of the Purchase Period(s) within the Offering Period, which period(s), in the absence of a contrary designation by the Administrator, shall not exceed six months;

 

(c) in connection with each Offering Period that contains more than one Purchase Period, the maximum aggregate number of Shares which may be purchased by any Eligible Employee during each Purchase Period (if applicable), which, in the absence of a contrary designation by the Administrator, shall be 5,000 Shares (and which, for the Section 423 Component Offering Periods, shall be subject to the limitations described in Section 5.5 below);

 

(d) the maximum number of Shares that may be purchased by any Eligible Employee during such Offering Period (if applicable), which, in the absence of a contrary designation by the Administrator, shall be 20,000 Shares (and which, for the Section 423 Component Offering Periods, shall be subject to the limitations described in Section 5.5 below); and

 

(e) such other provisions as the Administrator determines are appropriate, subject to the Plan.

 

Article V.
ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

 

5.1 Eligibility. Any Eligible Employee who shall be employed by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary on a given Enrollment Date for an Offering Period shall be eligible to participate in the Plan during such Offering Period, subject to the requirements of this Article V and, for the Section 423 Component, the limitations imposed by Section 423(b) of the Code.

 

5.2 Enrollment in Plan.

 

(a) Except as otherwise set forth herein or in an Offering Document or determined by the Administrator, an Eligible Employee may become a Participant in the Plan for an Offering Period by delivering a subscription agreement to the Company by such time prior to the Enrollment Date for such Offering Period (or such other date specified in the Offering Document) designated by the Administrator and in such form as the Company provides.

 

(b) Each subscription agreement shall designate a whole percentage of such Eligible Employee’s Compensation to be withheld by the Company or the Designated Subsidiary employing such Eligible Employee on each payday during the Offering Period as payroll deductions under the Plan. The percentage of Compensation designated by an Eligible Employee as payroll deductions may not be less than 1% and may not be more than the maximum percentage specified by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document (which maximum percentage shall be 15% in the absence of any such designation); provided that, in no event shall the actual amount withheld on any payday hereunder exceed the net amount payable to the Eligible Employee on such payday after taxes and any other applicable deductions therefrom (and if amounts to be withheld hereunder would otherwise result in a negative payment to the Eligible Employee on such payday, the amount to be withheld hereunder shall instead be reduced by the least amount necessary to avoid a negative payment amount for the Eligible Employee on such payday, as determined by the Administrator). The payroll deductions made for each Participant shall be credited to an account for such Participant under the Plan and shall be deposited with the general funds of the Company.

 

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(c) Unless otherwise provided in the terms of an Offering Document, a Participant may decrease the percentage of Compensation designated in his or her subscription agreement, subject to the limits of this Section 5.2, or may suspend his or her payroll deductions, in any case, at any time during an Offering Period; provided, however, that the Administrator may limit or eliminate the type or number of changes a Participant may make to his or her payroll deduction elections during each Offering Period in the applicable Offering Document (and in the absence of any specific designation by the Administrator, a Participant shall be allowed to decrease (but not increase) or suspend his or her payroll deduction elections, in either case, once during each Offering Period). Any such change or suspension of payroll deductions shall be effective with the first full payroll period starting at least five business days after the Company’s receipt of the new subscription agreement (or such shorter or longer period as may be specified by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document). If a Participant suspends his or her payroll deductions during an Offering Period: (i) such Participant’s cumulative unapplied payroll deductions prior to the suspension (if any) shall remain in his or her account and shall be applied to the purchase of Shares on the next occurring Purchase Date, and (ii) such Participant shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Offering Period for all purposes upon such Purchase Date (and shall be eligible to enroll in any Offering Period commencing on or after such Purchase Date if he or she remains an Eligible Employee as of the start of any such subsequent Offering Period and timely submits a valid election to participate). For clarity, if a Participant who suspends participation in an Offering Period ceases to be an Eligible Employee or he or she withdraws from participation in such Offering Period, in either case, prior to the Purchase Date next-following his or her suspension of participation in the Offering Period, in any case, such Participant’s cumulative unapplied payroll deductions shall be returned to him or her in accordance with Article VII.

 

(d) Except as otherwise set forth in herein or in an Offering Document or as otherwise determined by the Administrator, a Participant may participate in the Plan only by means of payroll deduction and may not make contributions by lump sum payment for any Offering Period.

 

5.3 Payroll Deductions. Except as otherwise provided herein or in the applicable Offering Document, payroll deductions for a Participant shall commence on the first payday following the Enrollment Date and shall end on the last payday in the Offering Period to which the Participant’s authorization is applicable, unless sooner terminated by the Participant as provided in Article VII or suspended by the Participant or the Administrator as provided in Section 5.2 and Section 5.6, respectively. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan to the contrary, in any non-U.S. jurisdiction where participation in the Plan through payroll deductions is prohibited, the Administrator may provide that an Eligible Employee may elect to participate through contributions to the Participant’s account under the Plan in a form acceptable to the Administrator in lieu of or in addition to payroll deductions; provided, however, that, for any Offering under the Section 423 Component, the Administrator shall take into consideration any limitations under Section 423 of the Code when applying an alternative method of contribution.

 

5.4 Effect of Enrollment. A Participant’s completion of a subscription agreement will enroll such Participant in the Plan for each subsequent Offering Period on the terms contained therein until the Participant either submits a new subscription agreement, withdraws from participation under the Plan as provided in Article VII or otherwise becomes ineligible to participate in the Plan.

 

5.5 Limitation on Purchase of Shares. An Eligible Employee may be granted rights under the Section 423 Component only if such rights, together with any other rights granted to such Eligible Employee under “employee stock purchase plans” of the Company, any Parent or any Subsidiary, as specified by Section 423(b)(8) of the Code, do not permit such employee’s rights to purchase stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary to accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 of the fair market value of such stock (determined as of the first day of the Offering Period during which such rights are granted) for each calendar year in which such rights are outstanding at any time. This limitation shall be applied in accordance with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code.

 

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5.6 Suspension of Payroll Deductions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section 5.5 (with respect to the Section 423 Component) or the other limitations set forth in this Plan, a Participant’s payroll deductions may be suspended by the Administrator at any time during an Offering Period. The balance of the amount credited to the account of each Participant that has not been applied to the purchase of Shares by reason of Section 423(b)(8) of the Code, Section 5.5 or the other limitations set forth in this Plan shall be paid to such Participant in one lump sum in cash within 30 days after the Purchase Date.

 

5.7 Foreign Employees. In order to facilitate participation in the Plan, the Administrator may provide for such special terms, rules and procedures applicable to Participants who are citizens or residents of a foreign jurisdiction, or who are employed by a Designated Subsidiary outside of the United States, as the Administrator may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy or custom. Except as permitted by Section 423 of the Code, with respect to the Section 423 Component, such special terms may not be more favorable than the terms of rights granted under the Section 423 Component to Eligible Employees who are residents of the United States. Such special terms may be set forth in an addendum to the Plan in the form of an appendix or sub-plan (which appendix or sub-plan may be designed to govern Offerings under the Section 423 Component or the Non-Section 423 Component, as determined by the Administrator). To the extent that the terms and conditions set forth in an appendix or sub-plan conflict with any provisions of the Plan, the provisions of the appendix or sub-plan shall govern except as otherwise set forth therein. The adoption of any such appendix or sub-plan shall be pursuant to Section 11.2(g) and any other applicable provision herein. Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrator is specifically authorized to adopt rules and procedures, with respect to Participants who are foreign nationals or employed in non-U.S. jurisdictions, regarding the exclusion of particular Subsidiaries from participation in the Plan, eligibility to participate, the definition of Compensation, handling of payroll deductions or other contributions by Participants, payment of interest, conversion of local currency, data privacy security, payroll tax, withholding procedures, establishment of bank or trust accounts to hold payroll deductions or contributions.

 

5.8 Leave of Absence. During leaves of absence approved by the Company meeting the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.421-1(h)(2) under the Code, unless otherwise set forth in the terms of an Offering Document, a Participant may continue participation in the Plan by making cash payments to the Company on his or her normal payday equal to the Participant’s authorized payroll deduction.

 

Article VI.
grant and Exercise of rights

 

6.1 Grant of Rights. On the Enrollment Date of each Offering Period, each Eligible Employee participating in such Offering Period shall be granted a right to purchase the maximum number of Shares specified under Section 4.2, subject to the limits in Section 5.5, and shall have the right to buy, on each Purchase Date during such Offering Period (at the applicable Purchase Price), such number of whole Shares as is determined by dividing (a) such Participant’s payroll deductions accumulated prior to such Purchase Date and retained in the Participant’s account as of the Purchase Date, by (b) the applicable Purchase Price (rounded down to the nearest Share). The right shall expire on the last day of the Offering Period, or if earlier, the date on which the Participant withdraws in accordance with Section 7.1 or Section 7.3.

 

6.2 Exercise of Rights. On each Purchase Date, each Participant’s accumulated payroll deductions and any other additional payments specifically provided for herein or in the applicable Offering Document will be applied to the purchase of whole Shares, up to the maximum number of Shares permitted pursuant to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Offering Document, at the Purchase Price. No fractional Shares shall be issued upon the exercise of rights granted under the Plan, unless the Offering Document specifically provides otherwise. Any cash in lieu of fractional Shares remaining after the purchase of whole Shares upon exercise of a purchase right will be credited to a Participant’s account and carried forward and applied toward the purchase of whole Shares for the next following Offering Period. Shares issued pursuant to the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Administrator may determine and may be issued in certificated form or issued pursuant to book-entry procedures.

 

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6.3 Pro Rata Allocation of Shares. If the Administrator determines that, on a given Purchase Date, the number of Shares with respect to which rights are to be exercised may exceed (a) the number of Shares that were available for issuance under the Plan on the Enrollment Date of the applicable Offering Period, or (b) the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan on such Purchase Date, the Administrator may in its sole discretion provide that the Company shall make a pro rata allocation of the Shares available for purchase on such Enrollment Date or Purchase Date, as applicable, in as uniform a manner as shall be practicable and as it shall determine in its sole discretion to be equitable among all Participants for whom rights to purchase Shares are to be exercised pursuant to this Article VI on such Purchase Date, and shall either (i) continue all Offering Periods then in effect, or (ii) terminate any or all Offering Periods then in effect pursuant to Article IX. The Company may make pro rata allocation of the Shares available on the Enrollment Date of any applicable Offering Period pursuant to the preceding sentence, notwithstanding any authorization of additional Shares for issuance under the Plan by the Company’s stockholders subsequent to such Enrollment Date. The balance of the amount credited to the account of each Participant that has not been applied to the purchase of Shares shall be paid to such Participant without interest in one lump sum in cash as soon as reasonably practicable after the Purchase Date, or such earlier date as determined by the Administrator.

 

6.4 Withholding. At the time a Participant’s rights under the Plan are exercised, in whole or in part, or at the time some or all of the Shares issued under the Plan is disposed of, the Participant must make adequate provision for the Company’s federal, state, or other tax withholding obligations, if any, that arise upon the exercise of the right or the disposition of the Shares. At any time, the Company may, but shall not be obligated to, withhold from the Participant’s compensation or Shares received pursuant to the Plan the amount necessary for the Company to meet applicable withholding obligations, including any withholding required to make available to the Company any tax deductions or benefits attributable to sale or early disposition of Shares by the Participant.

 

6.5 Conditions to Issuance of 6.6Shares. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificate or certificates for, or make any book entries evidencing, Shares purchased upon the exercise of rights under the Plan prior to fulfillment of all of the following conditions: (a) the admission of such Shares to listing on all stock exchanges, if any, on which the Shares are then listed; (b) the completion of any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal law or under the rulings or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other governmental regulatory body, that the Administrator shall, in its absolute discretion, deem necessary or advisable; (c) the obtaining of any approval or other clearance from any state or federal governmental agency that the Administrator shall, in its absolute discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable; (d) the payment to the Company of all amounts that it is required to withhold under federal, state or local law upon exercise of the rights, if any; and (e) the lapse of such reasonable period of time following the exercise of the rights as the Administrator may from time to time establish for reasons of administrative convenience.

 

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Article VII.
WITHDRAWAL; CESSATION OF ELIGIBILITY

 

7.1 Withdrawal. A Participant may withdraw all but not less than all of the payroll deductions credited to his or her account and not yet used to exercise his or her rights under the Plan at any time by giving written notice to the Company in a form acceptable to the Company no later than two weeks prior to the end of the then-applicable Purchase Period (or such shorter or longer period as may be specified by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document). All of the Participant’s payroll deductions credited to his or her account during such Purchase Period and not yet used to exercise rights under the Plan shall be paid to such Participant as soon as reasonably practicable after receipt of notice of withdrawal, such Participant’s rights for the Offering Period shall be automatically terminated, and no further payroll deductions for the purchase of Shares shall be made for such Offering Period. If a Participant withdraws from an Offering Period (including by virtue of a suspension as described in Section 5.2(c) above), payroll deductions shall not resume at the beginning of any subsequent Offering Period unless the Participant is an Eligible Employee and timely delivers to the Company a new subscription agreement by the applicable enrollment deadline for any such subsequent Offering Period, as determined by the Administrator.

 

7.2 Future Participation. A Participant’s withdrawal from an Offering Period shall not have any effect upon his or her eligibility to participate in any similar plan that may hereafter be adopted by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary or in any subsequent Offering Period that commences on or after the Participant’s withdrawal from any Offering Period.

 

7.3 Cessation of Eligibility. Upon a Participant’s ceasing to be an Eligible Employee for any reason, he or she shall be deemed to have elected to withdraw from the Plan pursuant to this Article VII and the payroll deductions credited to such Participant’s account during the then-current Purchase Period shall be paid to such Participant or, in the case of his or her death, to the Participant’s Designated Beneficiary, within 30 days following such Participant’s ceasing to be an Eligible Employee, and such Participant’s rights for the Offering Period shall be automatically terminated. For clarity, if a Participant transfers employment from the Company or any Designated Subsidiary participating in either the Section 423 Component or Non-Section 423 Component to any Designated Subsidiary that is neither participating in the Section 423 Component nor the Non-Section 423 Component, then, in any case, such transfer shall be treated as a termination of employment under the Plan and the Participant shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Plan pursuant to this Article VII and the payroll deductions credited to such Participant’s account during the then-current Purchase Period shall be paid to such Participant or, in the case of his or her death, to the Participant’s Designated Beneficiary, within 30 days following such Participant’s transfer of employment, and such Participant’s participation in the Offering Period shall be automatically terminated. If a Participant transfers employment from the Company or any Designated Subsidiary participating in the Section 423 Component to any Designated Subsidiary participating in the Non-Section 423 Component, such transfer shall not be treated as a termination of employment under the Plan, but the Participant shall immediately cease to participate in the Section 423 Component; however, any contributions made for the then-current Purchase Period in which such transfer occurs shall be transferred to the Non-Section 423 Component, and such Participant shall immediately join the then-current Offering under the Non-Section 423 Component upon the same terms and conditions in effect for the Participant’s participation in the Section 423 Component, except for such modifications otherwise applicable for Participants in such Offering. A Participant who transfers employment from any Designated Subsidiary participating in the Non-Section 423 Component to the Company or any Designated Subsidiary participating in the Section 423 Component shall not be treated as terminating the Participant’s employment under the Plan and shall remain a Participant in the Non-Section 423 Component until the earlier of (a) the end of the current Offering Period under the Non-Section 423 Component or (b) the Enrollment Date of the first Offering Period in which the Participant is eligible to participate following such transfer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may establish different rules to govern transfers of employment between entities participating in the Section 423 Component and the Non-Section 423 Component, consistent with the applicable requirements of Section 423 of the Code or other Applicable Law.

 

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Article VIII.
Adjustments upon Changes in SHARES

 

8.1 Changes in Capitalization. Subject to Section 8.3, in the event that the Administrator determines that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities, or other property), change in control, reorganization, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, combination, repurchase, redemption, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, or sale, transfer, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or sale or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event, as determined by the Administrator, affects the Shares such that an adjustment is determined by the Administrator to be appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended by the Company to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any outstanding purchase rights under the Plan, the Administrator shall make equitable adjustments, if any, to reflect such change with respect to (a) the aggregate number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) that may be issued under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Section 3.1 and the limitations established in each Offering Document pursuant to Section 4.2 on the maximum number of Shares that may be purchased); (b) the class(es) and number of Shares and price per Share subject to outstanding rights; and (c) the Purchase Price with respect to any outstanding rights.

 

8.2 Other Adjustments. Subject to Section 8.3, in the event of any transaction or event described in Section 8.1 or any unusual or nonrecurring transactions or events affecting the Company, any affiliate of the Company, or the financial statements of the Company or any affiliate, or of changes in Applicable Law or accounting principles, the Administrator, in its discretion, and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Administrator determines that such action is appropriate in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any right under the Plan, to facilitate such transactions or events or to give effect to such changes in laws, regulations or principles:

 

(a) To provide for either (i) termination of any outstanding right in exchange for an amount of cash, if any, equal to the amount that would have been obtained upon the exercise of such right had such right been currently exercisable or (ii) the replacement of such outstanding right with other rights or property selected by the Administrator in its sole discretion;

 

(b) To provide that the outstanding rights under the Plan shall be assumed by the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by similar rights covering the stock of the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and prices;

 

(c) To make adjustments in the number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding rights under the Plan and/or in the terms and conditions of outstanding rights and rights that may be granted in the future;

 

(d) To provide that Participants’ accumulated payroll deductions may be used to purchase Shares prior to the next occurring Purchase Date on such date as the Administrator determines in its sole discretion and the Participants’ rights under the ongoing Offering Period(s) shall be terminated; and

 

(e) To provide that all outstanding rights shall terminate without being exercised.

 

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8.3 No Adjustment Under Certain Circumstances. Unless determined otherwise by the Administrator, no adjustment or action described in this Article VIII or in any other provision of the Plan shall be authorized to the extent that such adjustment or action would cause the Section 423 Component of the Plan to fail to satisfy the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.

 

8.4 No Other Rights. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no Participant shall have any rights by reason of any subdivision or consolidation of shares of stock of any class, the payment of any dividend, any increase or decrease in the number of shares of stock of any class or any dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or any other corporation. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or pursuant to action of the Administrator under the Plan, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of Shares subject to outstanding rights under the Plan or the Purchase Price with respect to any outstanding rights.

 

Article IX.
Amendment, modification and termination

 

9.1 Amendment, Modification and Termination. The Administrator may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan at any time and from time to time; provided, however, that approval of the Company’s stockholders shall be required to amend the Plan to increase the aggregate number, or change the type, of shares that may be sold pursuant to rights under the Plan under Section 3.1 (other than an adjustment as provided by Article VIII) or as may otherwise be required under Section 423 of the Code.

 

9.2 Certain Changes to Plan. Without stockholder consent and without regard to whether any Participant rights may be considered to have been adversely affected (and, with respect to the Section 423 Component of the Plan, to the extent permitted by Section 423 of the Code), the Administrator shall be entitled to change or terminate the Offering Periods, limit the frequency and/or number of changes in the amount withheld from Compensation during an Offering Period, establish the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld in a currency other than U.S. dollars, permit payroll withholding in excess of the amount designated by a Participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in the Company’s processing of payroll withholding elections, establish reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or accounting and crediting procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the purchase of Shares for each Participant properly correspond with amounts withheld from the Participant’s Compensation, and establish such other limitations or procedures as the Administrator determines in its sole discretion to be advisable that are consistent with the Plan.

 

9.3 Actions In the Event of Unfavorable Financial Accounting Consequences. In the event the Administrator determines that the ongoing operation of the Plan may result in unfavorable financial accounting consequences, the Administrator may, in its discretion and, to the extent necessary or desirable, modify or amend the Plan to reduce or eliminate such accounting consequence including, but not limited to:

 

(a) altering the Purchase Price for any Offering Period including an Offering Period underway at the time of the change in Purchase Price;

 

(b) shortening any Offering Period so that the Offering Period ends on a new or earlier Purchase Date, including an Offering Period underway at the time of the Administrator action;

 

(c) allocating Shares; and

 

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(d)   such other changes and modifications as the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate.

 

Such modifications or amendments shall not require stockholder approval or the consent of any Participant.

 

9.4 Payments Upon Termination of Plan. Upon termination of the Plan, the balance in each Participant’s Plan account shall be refunded as soon as practicable after such termination, without any interest thereon, or if the Administrator so determines, the Offering Period may be shortened so that the purchase of Shares occurs prior to the termination of the Plan.

 

Article X.
TERM OF PLAN

 

The Plan shall become effective on the Effective Date and shall continue until terminated by the Board in accordance with Section 9.1. No right may be granted under the Plan prior to the Effective Date. No rights may be granted under the Plan during any period of suspension of the Plan or after termination of the Plan.

 

Article XI.
ADMINISTRATION

 

11.1 Administrator. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Administrator of the Plan shall be the Compensation Committee of the Board (or another committee or a subcommittee of the Board to which the Board delegates administration of the Plan). The Board may at any time vest in the Board any authority or duties for administration of the Plan. The Administrator may delegate administrative tasks under the Plan to the services of an Agent or Employees to assist in the administration of the Plan, including establishing and maintaining an individual securities account under the Plan for each Participant.

 

11.2 Authority of Administrator. The Administrator shall have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:

 

(a) To determine when and how rights to purchase Shares shall be granted and the provisions of each offering of such rights (which need not be identical).

 

(b) To designate from time to time which Subsidiaries of the Company shall be Designated Subsidiaries, which designation may be made without the approval of the stockholders of the Company.

 

(c) To impose a mandatory holding period pursuant to which Participants may not dispose of or transfer Shares purchased under the Plan for a period of time determined by the Administrator in its discretion.

 

(d) To construe and interpret the Plan and rights granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration. The Administrator, in the exercise of this power, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan, in a manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan fully effective.

 

(e) To amend, suspend or terminate the Plan as provided in Article IX.

 

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(f) Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Administrator deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company and its Subsidiaries and to carry out the intent that the Plan be treated as an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code for the Section 423 Component.

 

(g) The Administrator may adopt annexes or sub-plans applicable to particular Designated Subsidiaries or locations, which annexes or sub-plans may be designed to be outside the scope of Section 423 of the Code. The rules of such annexes or sub-plans may take precedence over other provisions of this Plan, with the exception of Section 3.1 hereof, but unless otherwise superseded by the terms of such annex or sub-plan, the provisions of this Plan shall govern the operation of such annex or sub-plan.

 

11.3 Decisions Binding. The Administrator’s interpretation of the Plan, any rights granted pursuant to the Plan, any subscription agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Administrator with respect to the Plan are final, binding, and conclusive on all parties.

 

Article XII.
MISCELLANEOUS

 

12.1 Restriction upon Assignment. A right granted under the Plan shall not be transferable other than by will or the Applicable Laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant. Except in the case of a Participant’s death, a right under the Plan may not be exercised to any extent except by the Participant. The Company shall not recognize and shall be under no duty to recognize any assignment or alienation of the Participant’s interest in the Plan, the Participant’s rights under the Plan or any rights thereunder.

 

12.2 Rights as a Stockholder. With respect to Shares subject to a right granted under the Plan, no Participant or Designated Beneficiary shall be deemed to be a stockholder of the Company, and no Participant or Designated Beneficiary shall have any of the rights or privileges of a stockholder, until such Shares have been issued to the Participant or the Designated Beneficiary following exercise of the Participant’s rights under the Plan. No adjustments shall be made for dividends (ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash securities, or other property) or distribution or other rights for which the record date occurs prior to the date of such issuance, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or as determined by the Administrator.

 

12.3 Interest. No interest shall accrue on the payroll deductions or contributions of a Participant under the Plan.

 

12.4 Notices. All notices or other communications by a Participant to the Company under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have been duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.

 

12.5 Equal Rights and Privileges. Subject to Section 5.7, all Eligible Employees will have equal rights and privileges under the Section 423 Component so that the Section 423 Component of this Plan qualifies as an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code. Subject to Section 5.7, any provision of the Section 423 Component that is inconsistent with Section 423 of the Code will, without further act or amendment by the Company, the Board or the Administrator, be reformed to comply with the equal rights and privileges requirement of Section 423 of the Code. Eligible Employees participating in the Non-Section 423 Component need not have the same rights and privileges as other Eligible Employees participating in the Non-Section 423 Component or as Eligible Employees participating in the Section 423 Component.

 

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12.6 Use of Funds. All payroll deductions received or held by the Company under the Plan may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such payroll deductions.

 

12.7 Reports. Statements of account shall be given to Participants at least annually, which statements shall set forth the amounts of payroll deductions, the Purchase Price, the number of Shares purchased and the remaining cash balance, if any.

 

12.8 No Employment Rights. Nothing in the Plan shall be construed to give any person (including any Eligible Employee or Participant) the right to employment or service (or to remain in the employ or service) with the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary or affect the right of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary to terminate the employment or service of any person (including any Eligible Employee or Participant) at any time, with or without cause.

 

12.9 Notice of Disposition of Shares. Each Participant shall give prompt notice to the Company of any disposition or other transfer of any Shares purchased upon exercise of a right under the Section 423 Component of the Plan if such disposition or transfer is made: (a) within two years from the Enrollment Date of the Offering Period in which the Shares were purchased or (b) within one year after the Purchase Date on which such Shares were purchased. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the Participant in such disposition or other transfer.

 

12.10 Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as a director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary will be liable to any Participant, former Participant, Designated Beneficiary or any other person for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan or any Offering Period, and such individual will not be personally liable with respect to the Plan because of any contract or other instrument executed in his or her capacity as an Administrator, director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary.  The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each director, officer, other employee and agent of the Company or any Subsidiary that has been or will be granted or delegated any duty or power relating to the Plan’s administration or interpretation, against any cost or expense (including attorneys’ fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the Administrator’s approval) arising from any act or omission concerning this Plan unless arising from such person’s own fraud or bad faith.

 

12.11 Data Privacy. As a condition for participation in the Plan, each Participant explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as described in this section by and among the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates exclusively for implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan.  The Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may hold certain personal information about a Participant, including the Participant’s name, address and telephone number; birthdate; social security, insurance number or other identification number; salary; nationality; job title(s); any Shares held in the Company or its Subsidiaries and affiliates; and participation details, to implement, manage and administer the Plan and any Offering Period(s) (the “Data”).  The Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may transfer the Data amongst themselves as necessary to implement, administer and manage a Participant’s participation in the Plan and any Offering Period(s), and the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may transfer the Data to third parties assisting the Company with Plan implementation, administration and management.  These recipients may be located in the Participant’s country, or elsewhere, and the Participant’s country may have different data privacy laws and protections than the recipients’ country.  By participating in any Offering Period under the Plan, each Participant authorizes such recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, to implement, administer and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan, including any required Data transfer to a broker or other third party with whom the Company or the Participant may elect to deposit any Shares.  The Data related to a Participant will be held only as long as necessary to implement, administer, and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan.  A Participant may, at any time, view the Data that the Company holds regarding such Participant, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data regarding such Participant, recommend any necessary corrections to the Data regarding the Participant or refuse or withdraw the consents in this Section 12.11 in writing, without cost, by contacting the local human resources representative.  If the Participant refuses or withdraws the consents in this Section 12.11, and the Company may cancel Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan or any Offering Period(s).  For more information on the consequences of refusing or withdrawing consent, Participants may contact their local human resources representative.

 

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12.12 Severability. If any portion of the Plan or any action taken under it is held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity will not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan will be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provisions had been excluded, and the illegal or invalid action will be null and void.

 

12.13 Titles and Headings.  The titles and headings in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, if any conflict, the Plan’s text, rather than such titles or headings, will control.

 

12.14 Conformity to Securities Laws.  Participant acknowledges that the Plan is intended to conform to the extent necessary with Applicable Laws.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan and all Offering Periods will be administered only in conformance with Applicable Laws.  To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Plan and all Offering Periods will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

 

12.15 Relationship to Other Benefits.  No payment under the Plan will be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary except as expressly provided in writing in such other plan or an agreement thereunder.

 

12.16 Governing Law. The Plan and any agreements hereunder shall be administered, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, disregarding any state’s choice of law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than the State of Delaware.

 

12.17 Electronic Forms. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law and in the discretion of the Administrator, an Eligible Employee may submit any form or notice as set forth herein by means of an electronic form approved by the Administrator. Before the commencement of an Offering Period, the Administrator shall prescribe the time limits within which any such electronic form shall be submitted to the Administrator with respect to such Offering Period in order to be a valid election.

 

12.18 Section 409A. The Section 423 Component of the Plan and the rights to purchase Shares granted pursuant to Offerings thereunder are intended to be exempt from the application of Section 409A of the Code and the U.S. Department of Treasury Regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”). Neither the Non-Section 423 Component nor any right to purchase Shares granted pursuant to an Offering thereunder is intended to constitute or provide for “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, if the Administrator determines that any right to purchase Shares granted under the Plan may be or become subject to Section 409A or that any provision of the Plan may cause a right to purchase Shares granted under the Plan to be or become subject to Section 409A, the Administrator may adopt such amendments to the Plan and/or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions as the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to avoid the imposition of taxes under Section 409A, either through compliance with the requirements of Section 409A or with an available exemption therefrom.

 

* * * * *

 

 

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Exhibit 10.6

 

Fold, Inc.
Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant
(2019 Equity Incentive Plan)

 

Fold, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated from time to time (the “Plan”), hereby awards to Participant (as of the date indicated below) a Restricted Stock Unit Award for the number of shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) set forth below (the “Award”). The Award is subject to all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein and in the Plan and the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), both of which are attached hereto and incorporated herein in their entirety. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein will have the meanings set forth in the Plan or the Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms in the Award and the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. 

 

Participant:

As described on Carta
Date of Grant: As described on Carta
Vesting Commencement Date: As described on Carta
Number of Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) Subject to Award: As described on Carta

 

Vesting:   Participant will receive a benefit with respect to an RSU only if it vests on or before the Expiration Date (defined below). Two vesting requirements must be satisfied in order for an RSU to vest — a time and service-based requirement (the “Service-Based Requirement”) and the “Liquidity Event Requirement” (defined below). An RSU shall actually vest (and therefore becomes a “Vested RSU”) on the first date up”on which both the Service-Based Requirement and the Liquidity Event Requirement are satisfied with respect to that particular RSU (the “Vesting Date”).
     
Liquidity Event Requirement:  

The Liquidity Event Requirement will be satisfied as to any then-outstanding RSUs on the first to occur of: (1) a Change of Control (provided that the Change of Control constitutes a “change in ownership or control” within the meaning of Section 409A); or (2) the first sale of Common Stock pursuant to an initial public offering (“IPO”) registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

For purposes of this Award, a Change of Control will not include transaction in which stockholders of the Company receive consideration in exchange for their Shares unless at least 50% of the consideration received by a majority of the stockholders of the Company consists of cash and/or securities that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Stock Market or any other exchange or market of similar stature.

     
Service-Based Requirement:  

The Service-Based Requirement will be satisfied in installments as follows: [As described on Carta].

 

For the avoidance of doubt, once the Participant’s Continuous Service Status ends, no additional RSUs will be deemed to have the Service-Based Requirement satisfied with respect to such RSUs.

     
Settlement:   If an RSU vests as provided for above, the Company will deliver one Share for each Vested RSU. The Shares will be issued in accordance with the issuance schedule set forth in Section 5 of the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement.
     
Expiration:   If both the Service-Based Requirement and the Liquidity Event Requirement are not satisfied on or before 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the seventh anniversary of the Date of Grant (the “Expiration Date”), the RSUs shall expire on the Expiration Date, unless they are terminated earlier pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement or the Plan.

 

 

 

 

Additional Terms/Acknowledgements: Participant acknowledges receipt of, and understands and agrees to, this Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant, the Agreement and the Plan. Participant further acknowledges that as of the Date of Grant, this Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant, the Agreement and the Plan set forth the entire understanding between Participant and the Company regarding this Award and supersede all prior oral and written agreements, offer letters, promises and/or representations on that subject with the exception of (i) equity awards previously granted and delivered to Participant, (ii) any compensation recovery policy that is adopted by the Company or is otherwise required by Applicable Laws and (iii) any written arrangement that would provide for vesting acceleration of this specific restricted stock unit Award upon the terms and conditions set forth therein (provided that if there is any conflict in the vesting and/or acceleration terms, those contained in this Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant and Agreement shall control).

 

By accepting the Award, Participant acknowledges having received and read the Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant, the Agreement, and the Plan (the “Grant Documents”) and agrees to all of the terms and conditions set forth in the Grant Documents. Furthermore, by accepting the Award, Participant consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party designated by the Company.

 

Notwithstanding the above, if Participant has not affirmatively accepted the Award within 90 days of the Date of Grant set forth in this Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant, Participant is deemed to have accepted the Award, subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Grant Documents.

 

Fold, Inc.   Participant
     
By:                
Name & Title: [As described on Carta]   Name:[As described on Carta]
Date: [As described on Carta]   Date: [As described on Carta]

 

Attachments: Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement, 2019 Equity Incentive Plan

 

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Fold, Inc.
Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement
(2019 Equity Incentive Plan)

 

Pursuant to the Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant (the “Grant Notice”) and this Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), Fold, Inc. (the “Company”) has awarded you a Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) Award (the “Award”) under its 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated from time to time (the “Plan”). The Award is granted to you effective as of the Date of Grant set forth in the Grant Notice for this Award. Capitalized terms not explicitly defined in this Agreement will have the same meanings given to them in the Plan and Grant Notice. In the event of any conflict between the terms in this Agreement and the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. The details of the Award, in addition to those set forth in the Grant Notice and the Plan, are as follows.

 

1. Grant of the Award. The Award represents the right to be issued on a future date the number of Shares as indicated in the Grant Notice upon the satisfaction of the terms set forth in this Agreement. Except as otherwise provided herein, you will not be required to make any payment to the Company with respect to your receipt of the Award, the vesting of the RSUs, or the delivery of the underlying Common Stock.

 

2. Vesting. Subject to the limitations contained herein, the Award will vest in accordance with the vesting schedule provided in the Grant Notice. Upon termination of your Continuous Service Status, any RSUs that have yet to satisfy any time and service-based requirement, including the Service-Based Requirement, will be forfeited at no cost to the Company and you will have no further right, title or interest in or to such underlying Shares.

For purposes of this Award, termination of Continuous Service Status will be deemed to occur as of the date you are no longer actively providing services as an Employee (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment laws in the jurisdiction where you are employed or providing services or the terms of your employment or service agreement, if any) and will not be extended by any notice period (e.g., your period of employment or service will not include any contractual notice period or period of “garden leave” or similar period mandated under employment laws in the jurisdiction where you are employed or the terms of your employment or service agreement, if any); the Administrator shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when you are no longer actively providing services for purposes of the Award.

 

3. Number of Shares. The RSUs subject to the Award may be adjusted from time to time for capitalization adjustments and corporate transactions as provided in Section 10 of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no fractional shares or rights for fractional shares of Common Stock will be created pursuant to such adjustments, and the Administrator will, in its discretion, determine an equivalent benefit for any fractional shares or fractional shares that might be created by such adjustments.

 

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4. Securities Law and Other Compliance. You may not be issued any Shares under the Award unless either (a) the Shares are registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); or (b) the Company has determined that such issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Award also must comply with other Applicable Laws and regulations governing the Award, and you will not receive such Shares if the Company determines that such receipt would not be in material compliance with such laws and regulations. The Company will have no liability for failure to issue or deliver any Shares pursuant to this Award unless such issuance or delivery would comply with Applicable Laws, with such compliance determined by the Company in consultation with its legal counsel. Furthermore, the Applicable Laws of the country in which you are residing or working at the time of grant, vesting, and/or settlement of this Award (including any rules or regulations governing securities, foreign exchange, tax, labor or other matters) may restrict or prevent settlement of this Award. As a condition to the Award, the Company may require you to make any representation and warranty to the Company as may be required by Applicable Laws.

 

5. Settlement of RSUs. Subject to the satisfaction of the Tax-Related Items withholding obligations set forth in Section 14 of this Agreement, the Company will deliver to you a number of Shares equal to the number of Vested RSUs subject to the Award, including any additional Shares received pursuant to Section 3 above that relate to those Vested RSUs, on a date determined by the Company, in its sole and absolute discretion, on or after the applicable vesting date(s) as provided in the Grant Notice, but in no event later than March 15th of the year following the year in which the applicable vesting date occurs. Subject to the foregoing, if the Liquidity Event Requirement is satisfied by reason of an IPO, the Company will deliver Shares that become Vested Shares prior to the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period (defined below) on the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, but in no event later than March 15th of the year following the year in which the applicable vesting date occurs. The form of such delivery (e.g., a stock certificate or electronic entry evidencing such Shares) will be determined by the Company. In all cases, the delivery of Shares under this Award is intended to comply with U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) and will be construed and administered in such a manner.

 

6. Dividends. You will receive no benefit or adjustment to your RSUs with respect to any cash dividend, stock dividend or other distribution except as provided in the Plan with respect to a capitalization adjustment or corporate transaction.

 

7. Lock-Up Agreement. If so requested by the Company or the underwriters in connection with the initial public offering of the Company’s securities registered under the Securities Act, you shall not sell, make any short sale of, loan, grant any option for the purchase of, or otherwise dispose of any securities of the Company however or whenever acquired (except for those being registered) without the prior written consent of the Company or such underwriters, as the case may be, for 180 days from the effective date of the registration statement, plus such additional period, to the extent required by FINRA rules, up to a maximum of 216 days from the effective date of the registration statement (the “Lock-Up Period”), and you shall execute any such agreement reflecting the foregoing as may be requested by the underwriters at the time of such offering.

 

8. Imposition of Other Requirements. The Company reserves the right to cancel or forfeit outstanding grants or impose other requirements on your participation in the Plan, on this Award and the Shares subject to this Award and on any other Award or Shares acquired under the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable in order to comply with Applicable Laws or facilitate the administration of the Plan. You agree to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.

 

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9. Transfer Restrictions. This Award may not be Transferred (as defined below) in any manner otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution. The terms of this Award shall be binding upon your executors, administrators, heirs, successors and assigns. In addition, the Shares (or any rights of or interests in such Shares) acquired pursuant to this Award may not be Transferred to any person or entity unless such Transfer is approved by the Administrator prior to such Transfer, which approval may be granted or withheld in the Administrator’s sole and absolute discretion (except as otherwise specifically provided in Section 12 of the Plan). “Transferred” or “Transfer” shall mean the direct or indirect assignment, sale, transfer, tender, pledge, hypothecation, or the grant, creation or suffrage of a lien or encumbrance in or upon, or the gift, placement in trust, or the Constructive Sale (as such term is defined below) or other disposition of this Award or the Shares subject to this Award (including transfer by testamentary or intestate succession, merger or otherwise by operation of law) or any right, title or interest therein (including, but not limited to, any right or power to vote to which the holder thereof may be entitled, whether such right or power is granted by proxy or otherwise), or the record or beneficial ownership thereof, the offer to make such a sale, transfer, Constructive Sale or other disposition, and each agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, to effect any of the foregoing. “Constructive Sale” shall mean, with respect to the Award or the Shares subject to this Award, a short sale with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring an offsetting derivative contract with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a futures or forward contract to deliver such security, or entering into any other hedging or other derivative transaction that has the effect of materially changing the economic benefits and risks of ownership. Any purported Transfer effected in violation of this Section 9 shall be null and void and shall have no force or effect and the Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any Shares that have been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of this Agreement or (ii) to treat as owner of such Shares or to accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any purchaser or other transferee to whom such Shares shall have been so transferred. The foregoing transfer restrictions with respect to any Shares received upon settlement of the Award shall terminate upon (i) the first sale of Common Stock of the Company to the general public pursuant to a registration statement filed with and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act or (ii) any transfer or conversion of Shares made pursuant to a statutory merger or statutory consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation or corporations if the common stock of the surviving corporation or any direct or indirect parent corporation thereof is registered under the Exchange Act.

 

10. Repurchase Right. The Company is hereby granted the right to repurchase during the Applicable Period for the Applicable Price all (or any portion) of the Shares (the “Repurchase Right”). “Applicable Period” means the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date on which the Company consummates a bona fide preferred stock financing in which it issues and sells preferred stock (other than its Series Seed Preferred Stock) for cash (including shares of preferred stock issued upon conversions of convertible notes or SAFEs) to one or more institutional investors for aggregate “new money” proceeds of at least $3 million. “Applicable Price” means (a) with respect to Shares that have not satisfied the Service-Based Requirement as of the date of exercise of the Repurchase Right, $0.0001 per Share (as adjusted for any stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations, recapitalizations or similar events with respect to such shares), and (b) with respect to Shares that have satisfied the Service-Based Requirement as of the date of exercise of the Repurchase Right, the price per share of the Company’s Common Stock as set forth in the most recent 409A valuation obtained by the Company. The Repurchase Right shall be exercisable by written notice delivered to you by the Company, which shall indicate the number of RSUs to be repurchased and the date on which the repurchase is to be effected (such date to be not more than thirty (30) days after the date of notice). The Company may assign its Repurchase Right under this Section 10 to any party, including, without limitation, Card for Coin, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

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11. Voting Agreement. As a condition to this Award and to the Company’s issuance of any Shares under this Agreement, you must execute and deliver a joinder agreement to the Company’s Voting Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time (the “Voting Agreement”), so as to become a party thereto, and to be bound by the terms and conditions thereof.

 

12. Electronic Delivery and Translation. The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to your current or future participation in the Plan by electronic means. By accepting this Award, whether electronically or otherwise, you hereby (i) consent to receive such documents by electronic means, (ii) consent to the use of electronic signatures, and (iii) if applicable, agree to participate in the Plan and/or receive any such documents through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company, including but not limited to the use of electronic signatures or click-through electronic acceptance of terms and conditions.

 

13. Restrictive Legends and Stop-Transfer Orders.

 

(a) Any stock certificate or, in the case of uncertificated securities, any notice of issuance, for the Shares shall bear the following legends (as well as any legends required by the Company or applicable U.S. state and federal corporate and securities laws):

 

(i) THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS AND UNTIL REGISTERED UNDER SUCH ACT AND/OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR UNLESS THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL OR OTHER EVIDENCE, REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND ITS COUNSEL, THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.

 

(ii) THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERABILITY AND RESALE, INCLUDING A LOCK-UP PERIOD IN THE EVENT OF A PUBLIC OFFERING, AS SET FORTH IN AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE Company AND THE stockholder, A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE PRINCIPAL OFFICE OF THE COMPANY. BY ACCEPTING ANY INTEREST IN SUCH SECURITIES, THE PERSON HOLDING SUCH INTEREST SHALL BE DEEMED TO AGREE TO AND SHALL BECOME BOUND BY ALL THE PROVISIONS OF SAID AGREEMENT.

 

(iii) Any legend required by the Voting Agreement, as applicable, or by appropriate U.S. blue sky officials.

 

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(b) You agree that, in order to ensure compliance with the restrictions referred to herein, the Company may issue appropriate “stop transfer” instructions to its transfer agent, if any, and that, if the Company transfers its own securities, it may make appropriate notations to the same effect in its own records.

 

(c) The Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any Shares that have been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement or the Plan or (ii) to treat as owner of such Shares or to accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any purchaser or other transferee to whom such Shares shall have been so transferred.

 

(d) You acknowledge that the Shares are shall be held subject to all the provisions of this Section 13, the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Company and any amendments thereto, copies of which are on file at the principal office of the Company. A statement of all of the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions granted to or imposed upon the respective classes and/or series of shares of stock of the Company and upon the holders thereof may be obtained by any stockholder upon request and without charge, at the principal office of the Company, and the Company will furnish any stockholder, upon request and without charge, a copy of such statement. You acknowledge that the provisions of this Section 13 shall constitute the notices required by Sections 151(f) and 202(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law and you hereby expressly waive the requirement of Section 151(f) of the Delaware General Corporation Law that you receive the written notice provided for in Sections 151(f) and 202(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law within a reasonable time after the issuance of the Shares.

 

(e) You acknowledge and understand that, but for the waiver made herein, you would be entitled, if and when Shares are issued to you pursuant to this Award and upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof, to inspect for any proper purpose, and to make copies and extracts from, the Company’s stock ledger, a list of its stockholders, and its other books and records, and the books and records of subsidiaries of the Company, if any, under the circumstances and in the manner provided in Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (any and all such rights, and any and all such other rights as may be provided for in Section 220, the “Inspection Rights”). In light of the foregoing, until the first sale of Common Stock of the Company to the general public pursuant to a registration statement filed with and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act, you hereby unconditionally and irrevocably waive the Inspection Rights, whether such Inspection Rights would be exercised or pursued directly or indirectly pursuant to Section 220 or otherwise, and covenant and agree never to directly or indirectly commence, voluntarily aid in any way, prosecute, assign, transfer, or cause to be commenced any claim, action, cause of action, or other proceeding to pursue or exercise the Inspection Rights. The foregoing waiver applies to your Inspection Rights in your capacity as a stockholder, if and when Shares are issued to you pursuant to this Award, and shall not affect any rights of a director, in his or her capacity as such, under Section 220. The foregoing waiver shall not apply to any contractual inspection rights you may have under any written agreement with the Company.

 

14. Award Not an Employment or Service Contract. By accepting this Award, you acknowledge and agree that the right to continue vesting in the Award pursuant to Section 2 and the schedule set forth in the Grant Notice is earned only by maintaining Continuous Service Status (not through the act of being hired, being granted this Award or any other award or benefit) and that the Company has the right to reorganize, sell, spin-out or otherwise restructure one or more of its businesses or Affiliates at any time or from time to time, as it deems appropriate (a “reorganization”). You further acknowledge and agree that such reorganization could result in the termination of your Continuous Service Status, or the termination of Affiliate status of your employer and the loss of benefits available to you under this Agreement, including but not limited to, the termination of the right to continue vesting in the Award. You further acknowledge and agree that this Agreement, the Plan, the transactions contemplated hereunder and the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice or any covenant of good faith and fair dealing that may be found implicit in any of them do not constitute an express or implied promise of continued engagement as an Employee for the term of this Agreement, for any period, or at all, and will not interfere in any way with your right or the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate your Continuous Service Status at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice.

 

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15. Responsibility For Taxes. Regardless of any action the Company or your employer, if different, (the “Employer”) takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, payment on account or other tax-related withholding items related to your participation in the Plan and legally applicable to you (“Tax-Related Items”), you hereby acknowledge that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains your responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or the Employer. You further acknowledge that the Company and the Employer (1) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the Award, including, but not limited to, the grant or vesting of the Award, the issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Award, the subsequent sale of shares of Common Stock and the receipt of any dividends; and (2) do not commit to and are under no obligation to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the Award to reduce or eliminate your liability for Tax-Related Items or achieve a particular tax result. Further, if you are subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction, you acknowledge that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.

Prior to any relevant taxable or tax withholding event, you shall pay or make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard, you authorize the Company and/or the Employer or their respective agents, in their sole discretion and without any notice or authorization by you, to satisfy any applicable withholding obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by one or a combination of the following methods:

 

(a) withholding from your wages or other cash compensation paid by the Company or the Employer to you through payroll or otherwise;

 

(b) withholding from proceeds of the sale of Shares acquired at settlement of the Award through a mandatory sale arranged by the Company (on your behalf pursuant to this authorization without further consent);

 

(c) upon your request and subject to approval by the Company, in its sole discretion, and compliance with Applicable Laws, withholding from fully vested shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to you upon the settlement of the Award a number of whole shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value, determined by the Company as of the date of exercise, not in excess of the maximum amount of Tax-Related Items withholding.

 

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Notwithstanding the above, if you are classified as a Section 16 officer of the Company under the Exchange Act, you shall be restricted to alternative (c) above for purposes of satisfying all Tax-Related Items, unless this withholding method is not permissible under the applicable laws of the country in which you reside, or the Company has authorized an alternative method for the relative taxable event.

 

Depending on the withholding method, the Company may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by considering applicable minimum statutory withholding amounts or other applicable withholding rates, including maximum applicable rates, in which case you may receive a refund of any over-withheld amount in cash and will have no entitlement to the Common Stock equivalent. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding in Shares, for tax purposes, you are deemed to have been issued the full number of Shares subject to the Vested RSU, notwithstanding that a number of the Shares are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items.

 

Finally, you agree to pay to the Company or the Employer, including through withholding from your wages or other cash compensation paid to you by the Company and/or the Employer, any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for as a result of your participation in the Plan that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described. The Company may refuse to issue or deliver the shares of Common Stock or the proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock, if you fail to comply with your obligations in connection with the Tax-Related Items.

 

16. Investment Representations. In connection with your acquisition of the Common Stock under your Award, you represent to the Company the following:

 

(a) You are aware of the Company’s business affairs and financial condition and have acquired sufficient information about the Company to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to acquire the Shares. You are purchasing the Shares for investment for your own account only and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any “distribution” thereof within the meaning of the Securities Act or under any applicable provision of state law. You do not have any present intention to transfer the Shares to any other person or entity.

 

(b) You understand that the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act by reason of a specific exemption therefrom, which exemption depends upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of your investment intent as expressed herein.

 

(c) You further acknowledge and understand that the securities must be held indefinitely unless they are subsequently registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration is available. You further acknowledge and understand that the Company is under no obligation to register the securities. You understand that the certificate evidencing the Common Stock will be imprinted with a legend that prohibits the transfer of the Common Stock unless the Common Stock is registered or such registration is not required in the opinion of counsel for the Company.

 

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(d) You are familiar with the provisions of Rule 144, promulgated under the Securities Act, which, in substance, permits limited public resale of “restricted securities” acquired, directly or indirectly, from the issuer of the securities (or from an affiliate of such issuer), in a non-public offering subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. You understand that the Company provides no assurances as to whether you will be able to resell any or all of the Shares pursuant to Rule 144, which rule requires, among other things, that the Company be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, that resales of securities take place only after the holder of the Shares has held the Shares for certain specified time periods, and under certain circumstances, that resales of securities be limited in volume and take place only pursuant to brokered transactions. Notwithstanding this Section 16(d), you acknowledge and agree to the restrictions set forth in Section 16(e) below.

 

(e) You further understand that in the event all of the applicable requirements of Rule 144 are not satisfied, registration under the Securities Act, compliance with Regulation A, or some other registration exemption will be required; and that, notwithstanding the fact that Rule 144 is not exclusive, the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission has expressed its opinion that persons proposing to sell private placement securities other than in a registered offering and otherwise than pursuant to Rule 144 will have a substantial burden of proof in establishing that an exemption from registration is available for such offers or sales, and that such persons and their respective brokers who participate in such transactions do so at their own risk.

 

(f) You represent that you are not subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the Securities Act. You also agree to notify the Company if you become subject to such disqualifications after the date hereof.

 

17. No Advice Regarding Grant. The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding your participation in the Plan, or your acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares. You understand and agree that you should consult with your own personal tax, financial and/or legal advisors regarding the Award and Tax-Related Items arising in connection with the Award and by accepting the Award, you have agreed that you have done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so.

 

18. Unsecured Obligation. The Award is unfunded, and as a holder of a vested Award, you will be considered an unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to the Company’s obligation, if any, to issue Shares pursuant to this Agreement. You will not have voting or any other rights as a stockholder of the Company with respect to the Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement until such Shares are issued to you pursuant to Section 5. Nothing contained in this Agreement, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, will create or be construed to create a trust of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between you and the Company or any other person.

 

19. Notices. Any notices provided for in the Grant Notice, this Agreement or the Plan will be given in writing and will be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in the case of notices delivered by the Company to you, five (5) days after deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the last address you provided to the Company.

 

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20. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) The rights and obligations of the Company under the Award will be transferable to any one or more persons or entities, and all covenants and agreements hereunder will inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by the Company’s successors and assigns. Your rights and obligations under the Award may only be assigned with the prior written consent of the Company.

 

(b) You agree upon request to execute any further documents or instruments necessary or desirable in the sole determination of the Company to carry out the purposes or intent of the Award.

 

(c) You acknowledge and agree that you have reviewed the documents provided to you in relation to the Award in their entirety, have had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing and accepting the Award, and fully understand all provisions of such documents.

 

(d) This Agreement will be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required.

 

(e) All obligations of the Company under the Plan and this Agreement will be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.

 

(f) The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this Agreement, and all acts and transactions pursuant hereto and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be governed, construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the state of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of law. For purposes of litigating any dispute that may arise directly or indirectly from this Agreement, the parties hereby submit and consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state of Delaware and agree that any such litigation shall be conducted only in the courts of Delaware or the federal courts of the United States located in Delaware and no other courts.

 

21. Governing Plan Document. The Award is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of the Award, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. Except as expressly provided herein, in the event of any conflict between the provisions of the Award and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will control.

  

22. Severability. If all or any part of this Agreement or the Plan is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity will not invalidate any portion of this Agreement or the Plan not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any section of this Agreement (or part of such a section) so declared to be unlawful or invalid will, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such section or part of a section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.

 

23. Amendment. This Agreement may not be modified, amended or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by you and by a duly authorized representative of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be amended solely by the Administrator by a writing which specifically states that it is amending this Agreement, so long as a copy of such amendment is delivered to you, and provided that, except as otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, no such amendment materially and adversely affecting your rights hereunder may be made without your written consent. In addition, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or this Agreement, the Company reserves the right to revise this Agreement as it deems necessary or advisable, in its sole discretion and without your consent, to comply with Section 409A or to otherwise avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition under Section 409A in connection with the Award.

 

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24. Compliance With Section 409A of the Code. This Award is intended to comply with the “short-term deferral” rule set forth in U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if it is determined that the Award fails to satisfy the requirements of the short-term deferral rule and is otherwise deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A, and if you are a “Specified Employee” (within the meaning set forth Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) as of the date of your separation from service (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)), then the issuance of any Shares that would otherwise be made upon the date of the separation from service or within the first six months thereafter will not be made on the originally scheduled date(s) and will instead be issued in a lump sum on the date that is six months and one day after the date of the separation from service, with the balance of the Shares issued thereafter in accordance with the original vesting and issuance schedule set forth above, but if and only if such delay in the issuance of the Shares is necessary to avoid the imposition of taxation on you in respect of the Shares under Section 409A of the Code. Each installment of Shares that vests is intended to constitute a “separate payment” for purposes of U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2). Notwithstanding any contrary provision of the Plan, the Notice of Grant, or of this Agreement, under no circumstances will the Company reimburse you for any taxes or other costs under Code Section 409A or any other tax law or rule. All such taxes and costs are solely your responsibility.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank]

 

 

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Exhibit 10.7

 

Execution Version

 

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of December 24, 2024, is by and among Fold, Inc., a Delaware corporation with offices located at 55 East Third Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401 (except, that after the Public Company Date (as defined below), all references to “Company” herein shall also be deemed to include any Successor Public Company (as defined below), mutatis mutandis) (the “Company”), and each of the investors listed on the Schedule of Buyers attached hereto (individually, a “Buyer” and collectively, the “Buyers”).

 

RECITALS

 

A. On July 24, 2024, the Company entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (as in effect as of the date hereof, the “Merger Agreement”), with FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “SPAC”), and EMLD Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SPAC (“Merger Sub”, and together with SPAC and the Company, each a “BC Party”, and together with their subsidiaries, the “BC Entities”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Merger Sub shall merge with and into the Company and, at the closing thereof (the “Business Combination Closing”, and such date, the “Business Combination Closing Date”), the Company, as the surviving entity, shall be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SPAC (the “Business Combination”). In connection with the Business Combination, the Company has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Business Combination Registration Statement”).

 

B. The Company and each Buyer is executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and Rule 506(b) of Regulation D (“Regulation D”) as promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the 1933 Act.

 

C. The Company has authorized a new series of senior secured convertible notes of the Company, in the aggregate original principal amount of $30 million, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Notes”), which Notes shall be convertible into shares of Common Stock (as defined below) (the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the terms of the Notes, including, without limitation, upon conversion or otherwise, collectively, the “Conversion Shares”), in accordance with the terms of the Notes.

 

D. Each Buyer wishes to purchase, and the Company wishes to sell, at the Initial Closing (as defined below), upon the terms and conditions stated in this Agreement, (i) a Note in the aggregate original principal amount set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (3) on the Schedule of Buyers (which aggregate principal amount for all Buyers shall not exceed $20 million) (each an “Initial Note”, and collectively, the “Initial Notes”), (ii) a Series A Warrant to initially acquire up to such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (5) on the Schedule of Buyers, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B-1 (the “Series A Warrants”) (the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Series A Warrants, collectively, the “Series A Warrant Shares”), (ii) a Series B Prepaid Warrant to initially acquire up to such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (6) on the Schedule of Buyers, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B-2 (the “Series B Warrants”) (the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Series B Warrants, collectively, the “Series B Warrant Shares”) and (iii) a Series C Warrant to initially acquire up to such aggregate number of additional shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (7) on the Schedule of Buyers, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B-3 (the “Series C Warrants”, and together with the Series A Warrants and the Series B Warrants, the “Warrants”) (the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Series C Warrants, collectively, the “Series C Warrant Shares”, and together with the Series A Warrant Shares and the Series B Warrant Shares, the “Warrant Shares”).

 

 

 

 

E. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, after the Business Combination Closing Date, the Company and each Buyer may mutually agree to consummate one or more Additional Closings (as defined below) for the purchase by such Buyer, and the sale by the Company, of one or more additional Notes with an aggregate original principal amount for all Additional Closings not to exceed the maximum aggregate principal amount set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (4) on the Schedule of Buyers (which aggregate principal amount for all Buyers for all Additional Closings shall not exceed $10 million) (each an “Additional Note”, and collectively, the “Additional Notes”). For the purpose of this Agreement, “Public Company Date” means the initial date on which either (i) the shares of Common Stock of the Company are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) or (ii) any publicly traded common equity (or equivalent security) of any Successor Entity (as defined in the Notes) (or Parent Entity (as defined in the Notes), as applicable) are issued in exchange for the Common Stock in the applicable Business Combination or other similar transaction (such applicable entity, the “Successor Public Company”), in either case, whether as a result of a public offering, the Business Combination, recapitalization, reorganization or otherwise.

 

F. At the Initial Closing, the parties hereto shall execute and deliver a Registration Rights Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights with respect to the Registrable Securities, under the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and applicable state securities laws.

 

G. The Notes, the Conversion Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.”

 

H. The Notes will rank senior to all outstanding and future indebtedness of the Company, and its Subsidiaries (as defined below) (other than Permitted Safe Notes (as defined in the Notes) secured by Permitted Safe Note Collateral (as defined in the Notes) to the extent prior to the Public Company Date and Permitted Treasury Indebtedness (as defined in the Notes) secured by Permitted Treasury Collateral (as defined in the Notes)) and the Notes will be secured by a first priority perfected security interest in all of the existing and future assets of the Company and its direct and indirect Subsidiaries, including a pledge of all of the capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries, as evidenced by (i) a security agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D (the “Security Agreement”), and (ii) account control agreements with respect to certain Bitcoin accounts described in the Security Agreement, in form and substance acceptable to each Buyer, duly executed by the Company and each depositary bank (each, a “Custodian”) in which each such account is maintained (the “Custodian Control Agreement”, and together with the Security Agreement, the Perfection Certificates (as defined below) and the other security documents and agreements entered into in connection with this Agreement and each of such other documents and agreements, as each may be amended or modified from time to time, collectively, the “Security Documents”).

 

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AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Buyer hereby agree as follows:

 

1. PURCHASE AND SALE OF NOTES AND WARRANTS.

 

(a) Purchase of Notes and Warrants.

 

(i) Purchase of Initial Notes and Warrants. Subject to the satisfaction (or waiver) of the conditions set forth in Sections 6(a) and 7(a) below, the Company shall issue and sell to each Buyer, and each Buyer severally, but not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company on the Initial Closing Date (as defined below) (A) an Initial Note in the original principal amount as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (3) on the Schedule of Buyers, (B) Series A Warrants to initially acquire up to that aggregate number of Series A Warrant Shares as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (5) on the Schedule of Buyers, (C) Series B Warrants to initially acquire up to such aggregate number of Series B Warrant Shares as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (6) on the Schedule of Buyers and (D) Series C Warrants to initially acquire up to such aggregate number of Series C Warrant Shares as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column

(7) on the Schedule of Buyers (the “Initial Closing”).

 

(ii) Purchase of Additional Notes. Subject to the satisfaction (or waiver) of the conditions set forth in Sections 1(b)(ii), 6(b) and 7(b) below, the Company shall issue and sell to each Buyer, and each Buyer severally, but not jointly, with any other Buyer, shall purchase from the Company on the applicable Additional Closing Date (as defined below), an Additional Note in the original principal amount as is set forth in the Additional Closing Notice (each, an “Additional Closing”).

 

(b) Closings. The Initial Closing and Additional Closing (collectively, the “Closings”) of the purchase of Notes and Warrants by the Buyers shall occur remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures, on the date of this Agreement, at such time as it mutually agreed upon, orally or in writing, by the Company and such Buyers.

 

(i) Initial Closing. The date and time of the Initial Closing (the “Initial Closing Date”) shall be 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the first (1st) Business Day on which the conditions to the Initial Closing set forth in Sections 6(a) and 7(a) below are satisfied or waived (or such other date as is mutually agreed to by the Company and each Buyer). As used herein “Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.

 

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(ii) Additional Closing.

 

(1) Additional Closing Dates. Subject to the satisfaction (or waiver) of the conditions set forth in this Section 1(b)(ii) and Sections 6(b) and 7(b) below (the “Additional Closing Conditions”), the date and time of the Additional Closing shall be 10:00 a.m., New York time on the later of (x) the proposed closing date as set forth in the applicable Additional Closing Notice (as defined below) and (y) the first (1st) Trading Day (as defined in the Notes) after the Responding Party (as defined below) shall have returned a duly executed Additional Closing Notice to the Initiating Party (as defined below) (or such other date as is mutually agreed to by the Company and such applicable Buyer(s)) (each, an “Additional Closing Date,” and the Initial Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, each, a “Closing Date”).

 

(2) Additional Closing Mechanics. At any time after the Business Combination Closing Date, the Company or any Buyer (as applicable, the “Initiating Party”) may deliver one or more written notices (each, an “Additional Closing Notice”, and the date thereof each, an “Additional Closing Notice Date”) to the other party (the “Responding Party”), (A) requesting an Additional Closing of such aggregate principal amount of the Additional Notes to be purchased by such applicable Buyer as set forth in such Additional Closing Notice (which, together with the aggregate principal amount of any Additional Notes issued at any prior Additional Closings, shall not exceed the maximum aggregate principal amount as set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (4) on the Schedule of Buyers), and (B) setting forth the proposed Additional Closing Date. If a Responding Party fails to execute and return such Additional Closing Notice to the Initiating Party within five (5) Business Days of receipt, such Additional Closing Notice shall be automatically cancelled. For the avoidance of doubt, no Additional Closing shall occur hereunder unless both the Company and each such applicable Buyer shall have duly executed and delivered an Additional Closing Notice with respect thereto and no party shall be under any obligation to execute and deliver any Additional Closing Notice. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no Additional Closings shall occur hereunder from and after the date that is the twelve (12) month anniversary of the Business Combination Closing Date (or (x) such later date as the Company and the Required Holders (as defined below) shall mutually agree in writing or (y) if earlier, any Irrevocable Additional Closing Notice Date (as defined below)) (the “Additional Closing Expiration Date”).

 

(3) Irrevocable Withdrawal Notice. At any time after the Business Combination Closing Date, either party may deliver written notice (the “Irrevocable Additional Closing Notice”, and such date of delivery thereof, the “Irrevocable Additional Closing Notice Date”) to the other party informing them that such party will not consent to any Additional Closing. The Irrevocable Additional Closing Notice shall be irrevocable once delivered, and following the delivery of the Irrevocable Additional Closing Notice, no Additional Closing shall occur.

 

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(c) Purchase Price. The aggregate purchase price for the Initial Notes and the Warrants to be purchased by each Buyer (the “Initial Purchase Price”) shall be the amount set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (8) on the Schedule of Buyers. Each Buyer shall pay approximately $950 for each $1,000 of principal amount of Initial Notes and related Warrants to be purchased by such Buyer at the Initial Closing. Each Buyer and the Company agree that the Initial Notes and the Warrants constitute an “investment unit” for purposes of Section 1273(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Buyers and the Company mutually agree that the allocation of the issue price of such investment unit between the Initial Notes and the Warrants in accordance with Section 1273(c)(2) of the Code and Treasury Regulation Section 1.1273-2(h) shall be an allocation that the parties shall agree prior to the time of filing of any tax returns with respect thereto, and neither the Buyers nor the Company shall take any position inconsistent with such allocation in any tax return or in any judicial or administrative proceeding in respect of taxes. The aggregate purchase price for the Additional Notes to be purchased by each Buyer at any given Additional Closing (each, an “Additional Purchase Price”, and together with the Initial Purchase Price, each, a “Purchase Price”) shall be $950 for each $1,000 of aggregate principal amount of Additional Notes to be issued in such Additional Closing (which, together with the Additional Purchase Price of each prior Additional Closings, shall not exceed the aggregate amount set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (9) on the Schedule of Buyers).

 

(d) Form of Payment.

 

(i) Initial Closing. At the Initial Closing, (i) each Buyer shall pay its respective Initial Purchase Price (less, in the case of any Buyer, the amounts withheld pursuant to Section 4(g)) to the Company for the Initial Notes and Warrants to be issued and sold to such Buyer at the Initial Closing, by wire transfer of immediately available funds in accordance with the Initial Flow of Funds Letter (as defined below) and (ii) the Company shall deliver to each Buyer (A) an Initial Note in the aggregate original principal amount as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (3) of the Schedule of Buyers, (B) Series A Warrants to initially acquire up to that aggregate number of Series A Warrant Shares as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (5) on the Schedule of Buyers and (C) Series B Warrants to initially acquire up to such aggregate number of Series B Warrant Shares as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (6) on the Schedule of Buyers and (D) Series C Warrants to initially acquire up to such aggregate number of Series C Warrant Shares as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (7) on the Schedule of Buyers, in each case, duly executed on behalf of the Company and registered in the name of such Buyer or its designee.

 

(ii) Additional Closing. At each Additional Closing, (i) each Buyer participating in such Additional Closing shall pay its respective applicable Additional Purchase Price for such Additional Closing (less, in the case of any Buyer, the amounts withheld pursuant to Section 4(g)) to the Company for the Additional Notes to be issued and sold to such Buyer at such Additional Closing, by wire transfer of immediately available funds in accordance with the applicable Additional Flow of Funds Letter (as defined below) and (ii) the Company shall deliver to each Buyer an Additional Note in the aggregate original principal amount as is set forth in the applicable Additional Closing Notice to be issued to such Buyer, duly executed on behalf of the Company and registered in the name of such Buyer or its designee.

 

(e) Exchange of Initial Securities in Business Combination Registration Statement. The Company and each Buyer hereby acknowledge and agree that each of the Initial Notes and the Warrants shall be exchanged in connection with the Business Combination Closing for identical Initial Notes and Warrants, respectively, issued by the Successor Public Company pursuant to the Business Combination Registration Statement.

 

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2. BUYER’S REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.

 

Each Buyer, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to the Company with respect to only itself that, as of the date hereof and as of each Closing Date:

 

(a) Organization; Authority. Such Buyer is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with the requisite power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (as defined below) to which it is a party and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder.

 

(b) No Public Sale or Distribution. Such Buyer (i) is acquiring its Note and Warrants, (ii) upon conversion of its Note will acquire the Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion thereof, and (iii) upon exercise of its Warrants (other than pursuant to a Cashless Exercise (as defined in the Warrants)) will acquire the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise thereof, in each case, for its own account and not with a view towards, or for resale in connection with, the public sale or distribution thereof in violation of applicable securities laws, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted under the 1933 Act; provided, however, by making the representations herein, such Buyer does not agree, or make any representation or warranty, to hold any of the Securities for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to dispose of the Securities at any time in accordance with or pursuant to a registration statement or an exemption from registration under the 1933 Act. Such Buyer does not presently have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any Person to distribute any of the Securities in violation of applicable securities laws. For purposes of this Agreement, “Person” means an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization, any other entity and any Governmental Entity or any department or agency thereof.

 

(c) Accredited Investor Status. Such Buyer is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D.

 

(d) Reliance on Exemptions. Such Buyer understands that the Securities are being offered and sold to it in reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying in part upon the truth and accuracy of, and such Buyer’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of such Buyer set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of such Buyer to acquire the Securities.

 

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(e) Information. Such Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company and materials relating to the offer and sale of the Securities that have been requested by such Buyer. Such Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigations conducted by such Buyer or its advisors, if any, or its representatives shall modify, amend or affect such Buyer’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained herein. Such Buyer understands that its investment in the Securities involves a high degree of risk. Such Buyer has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the Securities.

 

(f) No Governmental Review. Such Buyer understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities or the fairness or suitability of the investment in the Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities.

 

(g) Transfer or Resale. Such Buyer understands that except as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement and Section 4(h) hereof: (i) the Securities have not been and are not being registered under the 1933 Act or any state securities laws, and may not be offered for sale, sold, assigned or transferred unless (A) subsequently registered thereunder, (B) such Buyer shall have delivered to the Company (if requested by the Company) an opinion of counsel, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company, to the effect that such Securities to be sold, assigned or transferred may be sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to an exemption from such registration, or (C) such Buyer provides the Company with reasonable assurance that such Securities can be sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 144A promulgated under the 1933 Act (or a successor rule thereto) (collectively, “Rule 144”); (ii) any sale of the Securities made in reliance on Rule 144 may be made only in accordance with the terms of Rule 144, and further, if Rule 144 is not applicable, any resale of the Securities under circumstances in which the seller (or the Person through whom the sale is made) may be deemed to be an underwriter (as that term is defined in the 1933 Act) may require compliance with some other exemption under the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder; and (iii) neither the Company nor any other Person is under any obligation to register the Securities under the 1933 Act or any state securities laws or to comply with the terms and conditions of any exemption thereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Securities may be pledged in connection with a bona fide margin account or other loan or financing arrangement with such applicable Buyer’s broker-dealer secured by the Securities and such pledge of Securities shall not be deemed to be a transfer, sale or assignment of the Securities hereunder, and no Buyer effecting a pledge of Securities shall be required to provide the Company with any notice thereof or otherwise make any delivery to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or any other Transaction Document (as defined in Section 3(b)), including, without limitation, this Section 2(g). The Securities may not be pledged in connection with any loan or financing arrangement (other than any arrangement with such Buyer’s broker-dealer) without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

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(h) Validity; Enforcement. This Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which such Buyer is a party have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of such Buyer and shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of such Buyer enforceable against such Buyer in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation and other similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of applicable creditors’ rights and remedies.

 

(i) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by such Buyer of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which such Buyer is a party and the consummation by such Buyer of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (i) result in a violation of the organizational documents of such Buyer, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which such Buyer is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws) applicable to such Buyer, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such conflicts, defaults, rights or violations which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of such Buyer to perform its obligations hereunder.

 

(j) No Public Market. Such Buyer understands that no public market now exists for the Securities and the Company has made no assurances that a public market will ever exist for the Securities.

 

(k) Foreign Person. If such Buyer is not a United States person (as defined by Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), such Buyer hereby represents that it has satisfied itself as to the full observance of the laws of its jurisdiction in connection with any invitation to subscribe for the Securities or any use of this Agreement, including (i) the legal requirements within its jurisdiction for the purchase of the Securities, (ii) any foreign exchange restrictions applicable to such purchase, (iii) any governmental or other consents that may need to be obtained, and (iv) the income tax and other tax consequences, if any, that may be relevant to the purchase, holding, redemption, sale, or transfer of the Securities. Such Buyer’s subscription and payment for and continued beneficial ownership of the Securities will not violate any applicable securities or other laws of such Buyer’s jurisdiction.

 

(l) General Solicitation. Such Buyer, nor any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, stockholders or partners has either directly or indirectly, including, through a broker or finder (a) engaged in any general solicitation, or (b) published any advertisement in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.

 

(m) Residence. The office or offices of such Buyer in which it has its principal place of business is identified in the address or addresses of such Buyer set forth on such Buyer’s signature page or the Schedule of Buyers.

 

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(n) No Other Representations or Warranties. Except for the representations and warranties contained in the Transaction Documents and in Section 3 of this Agreement (as modified by the Disclosure Schedule), neither the Company, nor any Person on behalf of the Company, has made, and no Buyer has relied on, any other representation and warranty, express or implied, relating to the Company, its Subsidiaries, the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries or otherwise in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the results of operations or financial condition of the Company, including any representations or warranties as to the future sales, revenue, profitability or success of the business, or any representations or warranties arising from statute or otherwise, from a course of dealing or usage of trade.

 

3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.

 

The Company represents and warrants to each of the Buyers that, except as set forth on the Disclosure Schedule attached as Exhibit E to this Agreement, which exceptions shall be deemed to be part of the representations and warranties made hereunder, the following representations are true and correct as of the date hereof and as of each Closing Date (other than the representations and warranties in Section 3(xx), which shall only be made with respect to any Additional Closings after the Public Company Date). The Disclosure Schedule shall be arranged in sections corresponding to the numbered and lettered sections in this Section 3 and the disclosures in any section of the Disclosure Schedule shall qualify other sections in this Section 3 only to the extent it is readily apparent from a reading of the disclosure that such disclosure is applicable to the other sections. As used herein, the phrase “to the Company’s knowledge” shall mean the actual knowledge after reasonable investigation of William Reeves and Wolfe Repass (and, if different, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company as of such time of determination).

 

(a) Organization and Qualification. Each of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries are entities duly organized and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which they are formed, and have the requisite power and authority to own their properties and to carry on their business as now being conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted. Each of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign entity to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which its ownership of property or the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below). As used in this Agreement, “Material Adverse Effect” means any material adverse effect on (i) the business, properties, assets, liabilities, operations (including results thereof), condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary, individually or taken as a whole, (ii) the transactions contemplated hereby or in any of the other Transaction Documents or any other agreements or instruments to be entered into in connection herewith or therewith or (iii) the authority or ability of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to perform any of their respective obligations under any of the Transaction Documents (as defined below). Other than the Persons (as defined below) set forth on Schedule 3(a), the Company has no Subsidiaries. “Subsidiaries” means any Person in which the Company, directly or indirectly, (I) owns any of the outstanding capital stock or holds any equity or similar interest of such Person or (II) controls or operates all or any part of the business, operations or administration of such Person, and each of the foregoing, is individually referred to herein as a “Subsidiary.”

 

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(b) Authorization; Enforcement; Validity. The Company has the requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof. Each Subsidiary has the requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is a party. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and the consummation by the Company and its Subsidiaries of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Notes and the reservation for issuance and issuance of the Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes as of the applicable Closing and the issuance of the Warrants and the reservation for issuance and issuance of the Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants as of the Initial Closing Date) have been duly authorized by the Company’s board of directors and each of its Subsidiaries’ board of directors or other governing body, as applicable, and (other than the filing with the SEC of one or more registration statements in accordance with the requirements of the Registration Rights Agreement, a Form D with the SEC and any filing(s) required by applicable state “blue sky” securities laws, rules and regulations (together the “Securities Filings”)) no further filing, consent or authorization is required by the Company, its Subsidiaries, their respective boards of directors or their stockholders or other governing body. This Agreement has been, and as of such applicable Closing, the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party will be duly executed and delivered by the Company, and each constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of applicable creditors’ rights and remedies and except as rights to indemnification and to contribution may be limited by federal or state securities law and except as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies. Prior to such Closing, the Transaction Documents to which each Subsidiary is a party will be duly executed and delivered by each such Subsidiary, and shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of each such Subsidiary, enforceable against each such Subsidiary in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of applicable creditors’ rights and remedies and except as rights to indemnification and to contribution may be limited by federal or state securities law and except as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies. “Transaction Documents” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Notes, the Warrants, the Security Documents, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions (as defined below) and each of the other agreements and instruments entered into or delivered by any of the parties hereto in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, as may be amended from time to time.

 

(c) Issuance of Securities. The issuance of the Notes and, if applicable, the Warrants at the applicable Closing are duly authorized and upon issuance in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents shall be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free from all preemptive or similar rights, mortgages, defects, claims, liens, pledges, charges, taxes, rights of first refusal, encumbrances, security interests and other encumbrances (collectively “Liens”) with respect to the issuance thereof. As of the applicable Closing, the Company shall have reserved from its duly authorized capital stock not less than 200% of the sum of (i) the maximum number of Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes (assuming for purposes hereof that (w) if prior to the Additional Closing Expiration Date, all Additional Notes issuable hereunder have been issued as of such date of determination, (x) the Notes are convertible at the Alternate Conversion Price (as defined in the Notes) assuming an Alternate Conversion Date (as defined in the Note) as of the date hereof, (y) interest on the Notes shall accrue through the stated maturity date of the applicable Notes and will be converted in shares of Common Stock at a conversion price equal to the Alternate Conversion Price assuming an Alternate Conversion Date as of the date hereof and (z) any such conversion shall not take into account any limitations on the conversion of the Notes set forth in the Notes), and (ii) the maximum number of Warrant Shares initially issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of the Warrants set forth therein, but after giving effect to any adjustments to the Warrants as a result of the deemed issuance of all of the Additional Notes issuable hereunder). Upon issuance or conversion in accordance with the Notes or exercise in accordance with the Warrants (as the case may be), the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares, respectively, when issued, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all preemptive or similar rights or Liens with respect to the issue thereof, with the holders being entitled to all rights accorded to a holder of Common Stock. Subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Buyers in this Agreement, the offer and issuance by the Company of the Securities is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act.

 

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(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and its Subsidiaries and the consummation by the Company and its Subsidiaries of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Notes, the Warrants, the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares and the reservation for issuance of the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares) will not (i) result in a violation of the Certificate of Incorporation (as defined below) (including, without limitation, any certificate of designation contained therein), Bylaws (as defined below), certificate of formation, memorandum of association, articles of association, bylaws or other organizational documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any capital stock or other securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) in any respect under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including, without limitation, foreign, federal and state securities laws and regulations) applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which any property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected.

 

(e) Consents. Assuming the accuracy of the representations made by the applicable Buyer in Section 2, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is required to obtain any consent from, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with (other than the Securities Filings), any Governmental Entity (as defined below) or any regulatory or self-regulatory agency or any other Person in order for it to execute, deliver or perform any of its respective obligations under or contemplated by the Transaction Documents, in each case, in accordance with the terms hereof or thereof. All consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which the Company or any Subsidiary is required to obtain pursuant to the preceding sentence have been or will be obtained or effected on or prior to such Closing Date, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries are aware of any facts or circumstances which might prevent the Company or any of its Subsidiaries from obtaining or effecting any of the registration, application or filings contemplated by the Transaction Documents. “Governmental Entity” means any nation, state, county, city, town, village, district, or other political jurisdiction of any nature, federal, state, local, municipal, foreign, or other government, governmental or quasi-governmental authority of any nature (including any governmental agency, branch, department, official, or entity and any court or other tribunal), multi-national organization or body; or body exercising, or entitled to exercise, any administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory, or taxing authority or power of any nature or instrumentality of any of the foregoing, including any entity or enterprise owned or controlled by a government or a public international organization or any of the foregoing.

 

(f) Acknowledgment Regarding Buyer’s Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Buyer is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and that no Buyer is (i) an officer or director of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (iii) to its knowledge, a “beneficial owner” of more than 10% of the shares of Common Stock (as defined for purposes of Rule 13d-3 of the 1934 Act). The Company further acknowledges that no Buyer is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and any advice given by a Buyer or any of its representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby is merely incidental to such Buyer’s purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Buyer that the Company’s and each Subsidiary’s decision to enter into the Transaction Documents to which it is a party has been based solely on the independent evaluation by the Company, each Subsidiary and their respective representatives.

 

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(g) No General Solicitation; Placement Agent’s Fees. Neither the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf, has engaged in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities. The Company shall be responsible for the payment of any placement agent’s fees, financial advisory fees, or brokers’ commissions (other than for Persons engaged by any Buyer or its investment advisor) relating to or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, placement agent fees payable to Cohen & Company Capital Markets, as placement agent (the “Placement Agent”) in connection with the sale of the Securities. The fees and expenses of the Placement Agent to be paid by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are as set forth on Schedule 3(g) attached hereto. The Company shall pay, and hold each Buyer harmless against, any liability, loss or expense (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees and out-of-pocket expenses) arising in connection with any such claim. The Company acknowledges that it has engaged the Placement Agent in connection with the sale of the Securities. Other than the Placement Agent, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has engaged any placement agent or other agent in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities.

 

(h) No Integrated Offering. None of the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their affiliates, nor any Person acting on their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would require registration of the issuance of any of the Securities under the 1933 Act, whether through integration with prior offerings or otherwise, or cause this offering of the Securities to require approval of stockholders of the Company for purposes of the 1933 Act or under any applicable stockholder approval provisions, including, without limitation, under the rules and regulations of any exchange or automated quotation system on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated for quotation. None of the Company, its Subsidiaries, their affiliates nor any Person acting on their behalf have taken any action or steps that would require registration of the issuance of any of the Securities under the 1933 Act or cause the offering of any of the Securities to be integrated with other offerings of securities of the Company.

 

(i) Dilutive Effect. The Company understands and acknowledges that the number of Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares will increase in certain circumstances. The Company further acknowledges that its obligation to issue the Conversion Shares pursuant to the terms of the Notes in accordance with this Agreement and the Notes and the Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrants in accordance with this Agreement, the Notes and the Warrants is, in each case, absolute and unconditional regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have on the ownership interests of other stockholders of the Company.

 

(j) Application of Takeover Protections; Rights Agreement. The Company and its board of directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, interested stockholder, business combination, poison pill (including, without limitation, any distribution under a rights agreement), stockholder rights plan or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws or other organizational documents or the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or otherwise which is or could become applicable to any Buyer as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Company’s issuance of the Securities and any Buyer’s ownership of the Securities. The Company and its board of directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any stockholder rights plan or similar arrangement relating to accumulations of beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock or a change in control of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

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(k) Material Liabilities; Financial Information; Forecasts. Except as set forth on Schedule 3(k)(i), the Company has no liabilities or obligations, absolute or contingent (individually or in the aggregate), except obligations under contracts made in the ordinary course of business that as of the date of this Agreement would not be required to be reflected in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States, consistently applied for the periods covered thereby (“GAAP”). The historical financial information of the Company delivered to the Buyers on or prior to the date hereof, and attached hereto as Schedule 3(k)(ii) (collectively, the “Financial Statements”), fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, at the respective dates thereof, subject to adjustments which are not expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. The forecasts and projections previously delivered to the Buyers by the Company and attached hereto as Schedule 3(k)(iii) have been prepared in good faith and on the basis of assumptions that are fair and reasonable in light of current and reasonably foreseeable circumstances. No other information provided by or on behalf of the Company to any of the Buyers contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, in the light of the circumstance under which they are or were made. The Company is not currently contemplating to amend or restate any of the Financial Statements, nor is the Company currently aware of facts or circumstances which would require the Company to amend or restate any of the Financial Statements, in each case, in order for any of the Financials Statements to be in compliance with GAAP. The Company has not been informed by its independent accountants that they recommend that the Company amend or restate any of the Financial Statements or that there is any need for the Company to amend or restate any of the Financial Statements.

 

(l) Financial Statements. The Company has delivered to each Buyer its audited financial statements (including balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows) as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and its unaudited financial statements (including balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows) as of September 30, 2024 (the “Balance Sheet Date”) and for the 9-month period ended on the Balance Sheet Date (collectively, the “Financial Statements”). The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods indicated, except that the unaudited Financial Statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP. The Financial Statements fairly present in all material respects the financial condition and operating results of the Company as of the dates, and for the periods, indicated therein, subject in the case of the unaudited Financial Statements to normal year-end audit adjustments. Except as set forth in the Financial Statements, the Company has no material liabilities or obligations, contingent or otherwise, other than (i) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business subsequent to the Balance Sheet Date; (ii) obligations under contracts and commitments incurred in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) liabilities and obligations of a type or nature not required under GAAP to be reflected in the Financial Statements, which, in all such cases, individually and in the aggregate would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company maintains and will continue to maintain a standard system of accounting established and administered in accordance with GAAP.

 

(m) Absence of Certain Changes. Since January 1, 2024, there has been no Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Specifically, except as set forth on Schedule 3(m), since January 1, 2024, neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have:

 

(i) declared, set aside or paid any dividend or other distribution with respect to any shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any direct or indirect redemption, purchase or other acquisition of any such shares;

 

(ii) sold, assigned, pledged, encumbered, transferred or other disposed of any tangible asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than sales or the licensing of its products to customers in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice), or sold, assigned, pledged, encumbered, transferred or other disposed of any Intellectual Property (as defined in Section 3(x)) (other than licensing of products of the Company or its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business and on a non-exclusive basis);

 

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(iii) entered into any licensing or other agreement with regard to the acquisition or disposition of any Intellectual Property other than licenses in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or any amendment or consent with respect to any licensing agreement filed or required to be filed with respect to any Governmental Entity;

 

(iv) capital expenditures, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $100,000;

 

(v) any obligation or liability (whether absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise, and whether due or to become due) incurred by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, in excess of $100,000 individually, other than obligations under customer contracts, current obligations and liabilities, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice;

 

(vi) any Lien on any property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries except for Liens in existence on the date of this Agreement that are described on Schedule 3(m)(vi).

 

(vii) any payment, discharge, satisfaction or settlement of any suit, action, claim, arbitration, proceeding or obligation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries involving consideration of over $50,000, except in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice;

 

(viii) any split, combination or reclassification of any equity securities;

 

(ix) any material loss, destruction or damage to any property of the Company or any Subsidiary, whether or not insured;

 

(x) any acceleration or prepayment of any Indebtedness (as defined below) for borrowed money or the refunding of any such Indebtedness;

 

(xi) any labor trouble involving the Company or any Subsidiary or any material change in their personnel or the terms and conditions of employment, in each case, that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(xii) any waiver of any valuable right, whether by contract or otherwise, in each case, that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(xiii) except as disclosed in Schedule 3(m)(xiii), any loan or extension of credit to any officer or employee of the Company;

 

(xiv) any change in the independent public accountants of the Company or its Subsidiaries or any material change in the accounting methods or accounting practices followed by the Company or its Subsidiaries, as applicable, or any material change in depreciation or amortization policies or rates;

 

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(xv) any resignation or termination of any officer or Key Employee (as defined below) or group of employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

(xvi) any change in any compensation arrangement or agreement with any employee, officer, director or stockholder that would result in the aggregate compensation to such Person in such year to exceed $100,000;

 

(xvii) any material increase in the compensation of employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries (including any increase pursuant to any written bonus, pension, profit sharing or other benefit or compensation plan, policy or arrangement or commitment) or any increase in any such compensation or bonus payable to any officer, stockholder, director, consultant or agent of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries having an annual salary or remuneration in excess of $100,000, in each case, outside of the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

 

(xviii) any acquisition or disposition of any material assets (or any contract or arrangement therefor), or any other material transaction by the Company or any Subsidiary otherwise than for fair value in the ordinary course of business;

 

(xix) written-down the value of any asset of the Company or its Subsidiaries or written-off as uncollectible of any accounts or notes receivable or any portion thereof except in the ordinary course of business and in a magnitude consistent with historical practice;

 

(xx) cancelled any debts or claims or any material amendment, termination or waiver of any rights of the Company or its Subsidiaries;

 

(xxi) any other event or condition of any character, other than events affecting the economy or the Company’s industry generally, that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; or

 

(xxii) any agreement, whether in writing or otherwise, to take any of the actions specified in the foregoing items (i) through (xxi).

 

Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any steps to seek protection pursuant to any law or statute relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, liquidation or winding up, nor does the Company or any Subsidiary have any knowledge or reason to believe that any of their respective creditors intend to initiate involuntary bankruptcy proceedings or any actual knowledge of any fact which would reasonably lead a creditor to do so. The Company and its Subsidiaries, individually and on a consolidated basis, are not as of the date hereof, and after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby to occur at such Closing, will not be Insolvent (as defined below). For purposes of this Section 3(m), “Insolvent” means, (i) with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, (A) the present fair saleable value of the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ assets is less than the amount required to pay the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ total Indebtedness (as defined below), (B) the Company and its Subsidiaries are unable to pay their debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured or (C) the Company and its Subsidiaries intend to incur or believe that they will incur debts that would be beyond their ability to pay as such debts mature; and (ii) with respect to the Company and each Subsidiary, individually, (A) the present fair saleable value of the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s (as the case may be) assets is less than the amount required to pay its respective total Indebtedness, (B) the Company or such Subsidiary (as the case may be) is unable to pay its respective debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured or (C) the Company or such Subsidiary (as the case may be) intends to incur or believes that it will incur debts that would be beyond its respective ability to pay as such debts mature. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has engaged in any business or in any transaction, and is not about to engage in any business or in any transaction, for which the Company’s or such Subsidiary’s remaining assets constitute unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the business in which it is engaged as such business is now conducted and is proposed to be conducted.

 

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(n) No Undisclosed Events, Liabilities, Developments or Circumstances. No event, liability, development or circumstance has occurred or exists, or is reasonably expected to exist based on events or circumstances that have occurred on or prior to the date hereof with respect to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses, properties, liabilities, prospects, operations (including results thereof) or condition (financial or otherwise), that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(o) Conduct of Business; Regulatory Permits. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of or in default under its Certificate of Incorporation, any certificate of designation, preferences or rights of any other outstanding series of preferred stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Bylaws or their organizational charter, certificate of formation, memorandum of association, articles of association, Certificate of Incorporation or certificate of incorporation or bylaws, respectively. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any judgment, decree or order or any statute, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will conduct its business in violation of any of the foregoing, except in all cases for possible violations which could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to possess such certificates, authorizations or permits would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit. There is no agreement, commitment, judgment, injunction, order or decree binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party which has or would reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or materially impairing any business practice of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any acquisition of property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or the conduct of business by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as currently conducted other than such effects, individually or in the aggregate, which have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(p) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company, the Company’s subsidiary or any director, officer, agent, employee, nor any other person acting for or on behalf of the foregoing (individually and collectively, a “Company Affiliate”) have violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the “FCPA”) or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, nor has any Company Affiliate offered, paid, promised to pay, or authorized the payment of any money, or offered, given, promised to give, or authorized the giving of anything of value, to any officer, employee or any other person acting in an official capacity for any Governmental Entity to any political party or official thereof or to any candidate for political office (individually and collectively, a “Government Official”) or to any person under circumstances where such Company Affiliate knew or was aware of a high probability that all or a portion of such money or thing of value would be offered, given or promised, directly or indirectly, to any Government Official, for the purpose of:

 

(i) (A) influencing any act or decision of such Government Official in his/her official capacity, (B) inducing such Government Official to do or omit to do any act in violation of his/her lawful duty, (C) securing any improper advantage, or (D) inducing such Government Official to influence or affect any act or decision of any Governmental Entity, or

 

(ii) assisting the Company or its Subsidiaries in obtaining or retaining business for or with, or directing business to, the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

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(q) Transactions With Affiliates. No current or former director, officer or, to the knowledge of the Company, 10% stockholder of the Company or its Subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any affiliate of any thereof, is presently, or has ever been, (i) a party to any transaction with the Company or its Subsidiaries (including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services by, or rental of real or personal property from, or otherwise requiring payments to, any such director, officer or stockholder or such associate or affiliate or relative Subsidiaries (other than for ordinary course services as employees, officers or directors of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries)) or (ii) the direct or indirect owner of an interest in any corporation, firm, association or business organization which is a competitor, supplier or customer of the Company or its Subsidiaries (except for a passive investment (direct or indirect) in less than 5% of the common stock of a company whose securities are traded on or quoted through an Eligible Market (as defined in the Notes)), nor does any such Person receive income from any source other than the Company or its Subsidiaries which relates to the business of the Company or its Subsidiaries or should properly accrue to the Company or its Subsidiaries. No employee, officer, stockholder or director of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or member of his or her immediate family is indebted to the Company or its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, nor is the Company or any of its Subsidiaries indebted (or committed to make loans or extend or guarantee credit) to any of them, other than (i) for payment of salary for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred on behalf of the Company, and (iii) for other standard employee benefits made generally available to all employees or executives (including stock option agreements outstanding under any stock option plan approved by the Board of Directors of the Company).

 

(r) Equity Capitalization.

 

(i) Definitions:

 

(A) “Common Stock” means (x) the Company’s shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, and (y) any capital stock into which such common stock shall have been changed or any share capital resulting from a reclassification of such common stock.

 

(B) “Preferred Stock” means (x) the Company’s blank check preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share, the terms of which may be designated by the board of directors of the Company in a certificate of designations and (y) any capital stock into which such preferred stock shall have been changed or any share capital resulting from a reclassification of such preferred stock (other than a conversion of such preferred stock into Common Stock in accordance with the terms of such certificate of designations).

 

(ii) Authorized and Outstanding Capital Stock. As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company is set forth in the Business Combination Registration Statement. “Common Stock Equivalents” means any capital stock or other security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is at any time and under any circumstances directly or indirectly convertible into, exercisable or exchangeable for, or which otherwise entitles the holder thereof to acquire, any capital stock or other security of the Company (including, without limitation, Common Stock) or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

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(iii) Valid Issuance; Available Shares; Affiliates. All of such outstanding shares are duly authorized and have been, or upon issuance will be, validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. Schedule 3(r)(iii) sets forth the number of shares of Common Stock that are (A) reserved for issuance pursuant to Common Stock Equivalents (as defined below) (other than the Notes and the Warrants) and (B) that are, as of the date hereof, owned by Persons who are “affiliates” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act and calculated based on the assumption that only officers, directors and holders of at least 10% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock are “affiliates” without conceding that any such Persons are “affiliates” for purposes of federal securities laws) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. To the Company’s knowledge, no Person owns 10% or more of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock (calculated based on the assumption that all Common Stock Equivalents (as defined below), whether or not presently exercisable or convertible, have been fully exercised or converted (as the case may be) taking account of any limitations on exercise or conversion (including “blockers”) contained therein without conceding that such identified Person is a 10% stockholder for purposes of federal securities laws).

 

(iv) Existing Securities; Obligations. Except as disclosed on Schedule 3(r)(iv): (A) none of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s shares, interests or capital stock is subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights or Liens suffered or permitted by the Company or any Subsidiary; (B) there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any shares, interests or capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (C) there are no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of their securities under the 1933 Act (except pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement); (D) there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (E) there are no securities or instruments containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Securities; and (F) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement.

 

(v) Organizational Documents. The Company has furnished to the Buyers true, correct and complete copies of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), and the Company’s bylaws, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the “Bylaws”).

 

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(s) Indebtedness and Other Contracts. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, (i) except as disclosed on Schedule 3(s), has any outstanding debt securities, notes, credit agreements, credit facilities or other agreements, documents or instruments evidencing Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound, (ii) is, after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby in breach or default of (or with the passage of time would reasonably be expected to be in breach of) any contract, agreement or instrument, under which a breach or default by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (iii) has any financing statements securing obligations in any amounts filed in connection with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (iv) is in violation of any term of, or in default under, any contract, agreement or instrument relating to any Indebtedness, except where such violations and defaults would not result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect, or (v) is a party to any contract, agreement or instrument relating to any Indebtedness, the performance of which, in the judgment of the Company’s officers, has or is expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this Agreement: (x) “Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication (A) all indebtedness for borrowed money, (B) all obligations issued, undertaken or assumed as the deferred purchase price of property or services (including, without limitation, “capital leases” in accordance with GAAP) (other than trade payables entered into in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice), (C) all reimbursement or payment obligations with respect to letters of credit, surety bonds and other similar instruments, (D) all obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments, including obligations so evidenced incurred in connection with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses, (E) all indebtedness created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, or incurred as financing, in either case with respect to any property or assets acquired with the proceeds of such indebtedness (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or bank under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (F) all monetary obligations under any leasing or similar arrangement which, in connection with GAAP, consistently applied for the periods covered thereby, is classified as a capital lease, (G) all indebtedness referred to in clauses (A) through (F) above secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien upon or in any property or assets (including accounts and contract rights) owned by any Person, even though the Person which owns such assets or property has not assumed or become liable for the payment of such indebtedness, and (H) all Contingent Obligations in respect of indebtedness or obligations of others of the kinds referred to in clauses (A) through (G) above; and (y) “Contingent Obligation” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect liability, contingent or otherwise, of that Person with respect to any Indebtedness, lease, dividend or other obligation of another Person if the primary purpose or intent of the Person incurring such liability, or the primary effect thereof, is to provide assurance to the obligee of such liability that such liability will be paid or discharged, or that any agreements relating thereto will be complied with, or that the holders of such liability will be protected (in whole or in part) against loss with respect thereto.

 

(t) Litigation. There is no action, suit, arbitration, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by any court, public board, other Governmental Entity, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in writing against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the Common Stock or any of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ officers or directors, whether of a civil or criminal nature or otherwise, in their capacities as such, except as set forth in Schedule 3(t). No director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has willfully violated 18 U.S.C. §1519 or engaged in spoliation in reasonable anticipation of litigation. The Company is not aware of any fact which might result in or form the basis for any such action, suit, arbitration, investigation, inquiry or other proceeding. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, determination or award of any Governmental Entity.

 

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(u) Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as management of the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will be unable to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(v) Employee Matters; Benefit Plans.

 

(i) Except as set forth on Schedule 3(v)(i), the employment of each officer and employee of the Company is terminable at the will of the Company. The Company and its Subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with all applicable laws relating to wages, hours, equal opportunity, collective bargaining, workers’ compensation insurance and the payment of social security and other taxes. The Company is not aware that any officer or Key Employee intends to terminate his, her or their employment with the Company or its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, nor does the Company have a present intention, or know of a present intention of its Subsidiaries, to terminate the employment of any officer or Key Employee. As used herein, “Key Employee” means William Reeves and Wolfe Repass. There are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened employment discrimination charges or complaints against or involving the Company or its Subsidiaries before any federal, state, or local board, department, commission or agency, or unfair labor practice charges or complaints, disputes or grievances affecting the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

(ii) Since the Company’s inception, neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries has experienced any labor disputes, union organization attempts or work stoppage due to labor disagreements. There are no written or oral contracts, commitments, agreements, understandings or other arrangements with any labor organization, nor work rules or practices agreed to with any labor organization or employee association, applicable to employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor is the Company or its Subsidiaries a party to, or bound by, any collective bargaining or similar agreement; there is not, and since the Company’s inception there has not been, any representation of the employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries by any labor organization and, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no union organizing activities among the employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and to the Company’s knowledge, no question concerning representation has been raised or is threatened respecting the employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

(iii) Schedule 3(v)(iii) contains a true, correct and complete list of each pension, retirement, savings, deferred compensation and profit-sharing plan and each stock option, stock appreciation, stock purchase, performance share, bonus or other incentive plan, severance plan, health, group insurance or other welfare plan, or other similar plan (whether written or otherwise) and any “employee benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), under which the Company has any current or future obligation or liability (including any potential, contingent or secondary liability under Title IV of ERISA) or under which any employee or former employee (or beneficiary of any employee or former employee) of the Company has or may have any current or future right to benefits (the term “plan” shall include any contract, agreement (including an employment or independent contractor agreement), policy or understanding, each such plan being hereinafter referred to in this Agreement individually as a “Benefit Plan”). The Company has made all required contributions and has no liability to any such Benefit Plan, other than liability for health plan continuation coverage described in Part 6 of Title I(B) of ERISA, and has complied in all material respects with all applicable last for any such Benefit Plan.

 

(iv) There are no actions, claims, audits, lawsuits or arbitrations pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, with respect to any Benefit Plan or the assets of any Benefit Plan. Except as set forth in Schedule 3(v)(iv), each Benefit Plan has been administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms and with all applicable Legal Requirements (as defined below) (including, without limitation, the Code and ERISA). “Legal Requirement” means any federal, state, local, municipal, foreign, international, multinational, or other administrative order, constitution, law, ordinance, principle of common law, regulation, statute, or treaty.

 

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(v) Except as set forth in Schedule 3(v)(v), the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not (1) entitle any employee or independent contractor of the Company or its Subsidiaries to severance pay or termination benefits, (2) accelerate the time of payment or vesting, or increase the amount of compensation due to any current or former employee or independent contractor of the Company or its Subsidiaries, (3) obligate the Company or any of its affiliates to pay or otherwise be liable for any compensation, vacation days, pension contribution or other benefits to any current or former employee, consultant, agent or independent contractor of the Company or its Subsidiaries for periods before the applicable Closing Date, (4) require assets to be set aside or other forms of security to be provided with respect to any liability under a Benefit Plan, or (5) result in any “parachute payment” (within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code) under any Benefit Plan.

 

Except as otherwise permitted pursuant to employment agreements with the Company disclosed to the Buyers, each officer of the Company is currently devoting all of such officer’s business time to the conduct of the business of the Company. Except as otherwise permitted pursuant to employment agreements with the Company disclosed to the Buyers, the Company is not aware of any officer or Key Employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries planning to work less than full time at the Company or its Subsidiaries in the future.

 

(w) Assets; Title.

 

(i) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has good and valid title to, or a valid leasehold interest in, as applicable, all of its properties and assets, free and clear of all Liens except (i) any Lien for taxes not yet due or delinquent or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP, (ii) any statutory Lien arising in the ordinary course of business by operation of law with respect to a liability that is not yet due or delinquent, (iii) any Lien created by operation of law, such as materialmen’s liens, mechanics’ liens and other similar liens, arising in the ordinary course of business with respect to a liability that is not yet due or delinquent or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (iv) such as have been disposed of in the ordinary course of business and (v) Permitted Liens (as defined in the Notes). All tangible personal property owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries has been maintained in good operating condition and repair, except (x) for ordinary wear and tear, and (y) where such failure would not have a Material Adverse Effect. All assets leased by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are in the condition required by the terms of the lease applicable thereto during the term of such lease and upon the expiration thereof. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property, if any, and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such Liens set forth in Schedule 3(w)(i).

 

(ii) Schedule 3(w)(ii) sets forth a complete list of all real property and interests in real property leased by the Company as of the date hereof involving payments to or from the Company of over $50,000.00 (the “Real Property”). The Company has good and valid leasehold interest in all real property and interests in real property shown on Schedule 3(w)(ii) to be leased by it free and clear of all Liens except where such Liens would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth on Schedule 3(w)(ii), there exists no default, or any event which upon notice or the passage of time, or both, would give rise to any default, in the performance of the Company or by any lessor under any such lease, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, is the landlord of any such lease in default except where any such default would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(x) Intellectual Property.

 

(i) Except as set forth on Schedule 3(x)(i), the Company and its Subsidiaries own all right, title and interest in and to, or have a valid and enforceable license to use all the Intellectual Property used by them in connection with the their respective businesses, which represents all intellectual property rights necessary to the conduct of the their business as now conducted. To the Company’s knowledge, the Company and its Subsidiaries are in material compliance with all contractual obligations relating to the protection of such of the Intellectual Property as they use pursuant to license or other agreement. The conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, to the Company’s knowledge, as currently conducted, or as reasonably be expected to be conducted, does not, and is not reasonably expected to, conflict with or infringe any proprietary right or Intellectual Property of any third party, including, without limitation, the transmission, reproduction, use, display or modification of any content or material (including framing, and linking web site content) on a web site, bulletin board or other like medium hosted by or on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for such infringements and conflicts which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no claim, suit, action or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary: (i) alleging any such conflict or infringement with any third party’s proprietary rights; or (ii) challenging the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s ownership or use of, or the validity or enforceability of any Intellectual Property.

 

(ii) Schedule 3(x)(ii) sets forth a complete and current list of registered trademarks or copyrights, issued patents, applications therefor, or other forms of Intellectual Property registration anywhere in the world that is owned by the Company or a Subsidiary (“Listed Intellectual Property”) and the owner of record, date of application or issuance and relevant jurisdiction as to each. All Listed Intellectual Property is owned by the Company or a Subsidiary, free and clear of security interests, liens, encumbrances or claims of any nature. All Listed Intellectual Property is valid, subsisting, unexpired, in proper form and enforceable and all renewal fees and other maintenance fees that have fallen due on or prior to the effective date of this Agreement have been paid. To the Company’s knowledge, no Listed Intellectual Property is the subject of any proceeding before any governmental, registration or other authority in any jurisdiction, including any office action or other form of preliminary or final refusal of registration, except as noted on Schedule 3(x)(ii). The consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not alter or impair any Intellectual Property that is owned or licensed by the Company or a Subsidiary.

 

(iii) Schedule 3(x)(iii) sets forth a complete list of all agreements relating to Intellectual Property to which the Company or a Subsidiary is a party, subject or bound (the “Intellectual Property Contracts”) (other than agreements involving (A) the license of the Company of standard, generally commercially available “off-the-shelf” third party products that are not and will not to any extent be part of any product, service or intellectual property offering of the Company, (B) backup licenses from employees and contractors granted in connection with providing services to the Company, (C) licenses to Open Source Software (as defined below), (D) customary nondisclosure agreements entered into by the Company in the ordinary course of business that do not include any terms (w) granting the right to use residuals, (x) assigning Intellectual Property, (y) granting express license rights, or (z) constituting a covenant not to assert rights to Intellectual Property; (E) nonexclusive feedback licenses and nonexclusive licenses to use trademarks, in each case that are incidental to the subject matter of the applicable agreement in which they are incorporated; and (F) licenses to the Company solely for the purpose of enabling the Company to provide services to the licensor). Each Intellectual Property Contract: (i) is valid and binding on the Company or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, and, to the Company’s knowledge, the counterparties thereto, and is in full force and effect and (ii) upon consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby shall continue in full force and effect without penalty or other adverse consequence. For the purposes hereof, “Open Source Software” means any open source, software, technologies or other materials that are licensed or distributed under any license arrangement or other distribution model qualifying for the “Open Source” definition promulgated by the Open Source Initiative at www.opensource.org/osd or any other public domain or “community” (or similar) materials (collectively “Open Source Software”).

 

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(iv) [Intentionally Omitted]

 

(v) Except as set forth on Schedule 3(x)(v), no present or former employee, officer or director of the Company or any Subsidiary, or agent or outside contractor of the Company or any Subsidiary, holds any right, title or interest, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or to any Intellectual Property that is owned or licensed by the Company or any Subsidiary unless such Intellectual Property has been assigned to the Company.

 

(vi) To the Company’s knowledge: (i) none of the Listed Intellectual Property has been used, disclosed or appropriated to the detriment of the Company or any Subsidiary for the benefit of any Person other than the Company; and (ii) no employee, independent contractor or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary has misappropriated any trade secrets or other confidential information of any other Person in the course of the performance of his or her duties as an employee, independent contractor or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(vii) Any programs, modifications, enhancements or other inventions, improvements, discoveries, methods or works of authorship (“Works”) that were created by employees of the Company or any Subsidiary were made in the regular course of such employees’ employment or service relationships with the Company or its Subsidiary using the Company’s or the Subsidiary’s facilities and resources and, as such, constitute either works made for hire or all rights and title to and in such Works have been fully assigned to the Company or a Subsidiary. Each such employee who has created Works or any employee who in the regular course of his employment may create Works and all consultants have signed an assignment or similar agreement with the Company or the Subsidiary confirming the Company’s or the Subsidiary’s ownership or, in the alternate, transferring and assigning to the Company or the Subsidiary all right, title and interest in and to such programs, modifications, enhancements or other inventions including copyright and other intellectual property rights therein.

 

(viii) For the purpose of this Agreement, “Intellectual Property” shall mean all of the following: (A) trademarks and service marks, trade dress, product configurations, trade names and other indications of origin, applications or registrations in any jurisdiction pertaining to the foregoing and all goodwill associated therewith; (B) inventions, discoveries, improvements, ideas, know-how, formula methodology, processes, technology, software (including password unprotected interpretive code or source code, object code, development documentation, programming tools, drawings, specifications and data) and applications and patents in any jurisdiction pertaining to the foregoing, including re-issues, continuations, divisions, continuations-in-part, renewals or extensions; (C) trade secrets, including confidential information and the right in any jurisdiction to limit the use or disclosure thereof; (D) copyrights in writings, designs software, mask works or other works, applications or registrations in any jurisdiction for the foregoing and all moral rights related thereto; (E) database rights; (F) internet websites, domain names and applications and registrations pertaining thereto and all intellectual property used in connection with or contained in all versions of the Company’s Web sites; (G) rights under all agreements relating to the foregoing; (H) books and records pertaining to the foregoing; and (I) claims or causes of action arising out of or related to past, present or future infringement or misappropriation of the foregoing.

 

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(y) Environmental Laws. (i) The Company and its Subsidiaries (A) are in compliance with any and all Environmental Laws (as defined below), (B) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (C) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where, in each of the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the failure to so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The term “Environmental Laws” means all federal, state, local or foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including, without limitation, laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder.

 

(ii) No Hazardous Materials:

 

(A) have been disposed of or otherwise released from any Real Property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in violation of any Environmental Laws; or

 

(B) are present on, over, beneath, in or upon Real Property or any portion thereof in quantities that would constitute a violation of any Environmental Laws. No prior use by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any Real Property has occurred that violates any Environmental Laws, which violation would have a material adverse effect on the business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(iii) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries knows of any other person who or entity which has stored, treated, recycled, disposed of or otherwise located on any Real Property any Hazardous Materials, including, without limitation, such substances as asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls.

 

(iv) None of the Real Properties are on any federal or state “Superfund” list or Liability Information System (“CERCLIS”) list or any state environmental agency list of sites under consideration for CERCLIS, nor subject to any environmental related Liens.

 

(z) Subsidiary Rights. The Company or one of its Subsidiaries has the unrestricted right to vote, and (subject to limitations imposed by applicable law) to receive dividends and distributions on, all capital securities of its Subsidiaries as owned by the Company or such Subsidiary.

 

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(aa) Tax Status. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) has timely made or filed all foreign, federal and state income and all other tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has timely paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply except in each case as would not be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company and its Subsidiaries know of no basis for any such claim. The Company is not operated in such a manner as to qualify as a passive foreign investment company, as defined in Section 1297 of the Code. The net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) for United States federal income tax purposes of the consolidated group of which the Company is the common parent, if any, shall not be adversely effected by the transactions contemplated hereby. The transactions contemplated hereby do not constitute an “ownership change” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code, thereby preserving the Company’s ability to utilize such NOLs.

 

(bb) [Intentionally Omitted].

 

(cc) Off Balance Sheet Arrangements. There is no transaction, arrangement, or other relationship between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and an unconsolidated or other off balance sheet entity that is required to be disclosed by the Company in its 1934 Act filings and is not so disclosed or that otherwise would be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(dd) Investment Company Status. The Company is not, and upon consummation of the sale of the Securities will not be, an “investment company,” an affiliate of an “investment company,” a company controlled by an “investment company” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(ee) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is, or has ever been, and so long as any of the Securities are held by any of the Buyers, shall become, a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Code, and the Company and each Subsidiary shall so certify upon any Buyer’s request.

 

(ff) Transfer Taxes. On such Closing Date, all stock transfer or other taxes (other than income or similar taxes) which are required to be paid in connection with the issuance, sale and transfer of the Securities to be sold to each Buyer hereunder will be, or will have been, fully paid or provided for by the Company, and all laws imposing such taxes will be or will have been complied with.

 

(gg) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.

 

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(hh) Illegal or Unauthorized Payments; Political Contributions. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge (after reasonable inquiry of its officers and directors), any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or other representatives of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any other business entity or enterprise with which the Company or any Subsidiary is or has been affiliated or associated, has, directly or indirectly, made or authorized any payment, contribution or gift of money, property, or services, whether or not in contravention of applicable law, (i) as a kickback or bribe to any Person or (ii) to any political organization, or the holder of or any aspirant to any elective or appointive public office except for personal political contributions not involving the direct or indirect use of funds of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(ii) Money Laundering. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with, and have not previously violated, the USA Patriot Act of 2001 and all other applicable U.S. and non-U.S. anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the laws, regulations and Executive Orders and sanctions programs administered by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, including, but not limited, to (i) Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001 entitled, “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism” (66 Fed. Reg. 49079 (2001)); and (ii) any regulations contained in 31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V.

 

(jj) Books and Records. The books of account, ledgers, order books, records and documents of the Company and its Subsidiaries accurately and completely reflect all information relating to the respective businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries, the nature, acquisition, maintenance, location and collection of each of their respective assets, and the nature of all transactions giving rise to material obligations or accounts receivable of the Company or its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, except where the failure to so reflect such information would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The minute books of the Company and its Subsidiaries contain accurate records of all meetings and accurately reflect all other actions taken by the stockholders, boards of directors and all committees of the boards of directors, and other governing Persons of the Company and its Subsidiaries, respectively.

 

(kk) Acknowledgement Regarding Buyers’ Trading Activity. It is understood and acknowledged by the Company (a) (i) that none of the Buyers have been asked by the Company or its Subsidiaries to agree, nor has any Buyer agreed with the Company or its Subsidiaries, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) that each Buyer shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter party in any “derivative” transaction and (iii) each Buyer may rely on the Company’s obligation to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon conversion, exercise or exchange, as applicable, of the Securities as and when required pursuant to the Transaction Documents for purposes of effecting trading in the Common Stock of the Company. The Company further understands and acknowledges that following the public disclosure of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents pursuant to the Initial 8-K Filing (as defined below) one or more Buyers may engage in hedging and/or trading activities at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods that the value and/or number of the Conversion Shares deliverable with respect to the Notes are being determined and such hedging and/or trading activities, if any, can reduce the value of the existing stockholders’ equity interest in the Company both at and after the time the hedging and/or trading activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging and/or trading activities do not, in and of themselves, constitute a breach of this Agreement, the Notes or any other Transaction Document or any of the documents executed in connection herewith or therewith.

 

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(ll) Management. Except as set forth in Schedule 3(ll) hereto, during the past five year period, no current or former officer or director or, to the knowledge of the Company, no current ten percent (10%) or greater stockholder of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has been the subject of:

 

(i) a petition under bankruptcy laws or any other insolvency or moratorium law or the appointment by a court of a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer for such Person, or any partnership in which such person was a general partner at or within two years before the filing of such petition or such appointment, or any corporation or business association of which such person was an executive officer at or within two years before the time of the filing of such petition or such appointment;

 

(ii) a conviction in a criminal proceeding or a named subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations that do not relate to driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence); (iii) any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining any such person from, or otherwise limiting, the following activities:

 

(1) Acting as a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, floor broker, leverage transaction merchant, any other person regulated by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission or an associated person of any of the foregoing, or as an investment adviser, underwriter, broker or dealer in securities, or as an affiliated person, director or employee of any investment company, bank, savings and loan association or insurance company, or engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with such activity;

 

(2) Engaging in any particular type of business practice; or

 

(3) Engaging in any activity in connection with the purchase or sale of any security or commodity or in connection with any violation of securities laws or commodities laws;

 

(iv) any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting for more than sixty (60) days the right of any such person to engage in any activity described in the preceding sub paragraph, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;

 

(v) a finding by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the SEC or other authority to have violated any securities law, regulation or decree and the judgment in such civil action or finding by the SEC or any other authority has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated; or

 

(vi) a finding by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated any federal commodities law, and the judgment in such civil action or finding has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated.

 

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(mm) Stock Option Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the applicable stock option plan of the Company and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock option plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company to knowingly grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.

 

(nn) No Disagreements with Accountants and Lawyers. There are no material disagreements of any kind presently existing, or reasonably anticipated by the Company to arise, between the Company and the accountants and lawyers formerly or presently employed by the Company and the Company is current with respect to any fees owed to its accountants and lawyers which could affect the Company’s ability to perform any of its obligations under any of the Transaction Documents. In addition, on or prior to the date hereof, the Company had discussions with its accountants about its financial statements. Based on those discussions, the Company has no reason to believe that it will need to restate any such financial statements or any part thereof.

 

(oo) No Disqualification Events. With respect to Securities to be offered and sold hereunder in reliance on Rule 506(b) under the 1933 Act (“Regulation D Securities”), none of the Company, any of its predecessors, any affiliated issuer, any director, executive officer, other officer of the Company participating in the offering contemplated hereby, any beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power, nor any promoter (as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) connected with the Company in any capacity at the time of sale (each, an “Issuer Covered Person” and, together, “Issuer Covered Persons”) is subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the 1933 Act (a “Disqualification Event”), except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3). The Company has exercised reasonable care to determine whether any Issuer Covered Person is subject to a Disqualification Event. The Company has complied, to the extent applicable, with its disclosure obligations under Rule 506(e), and has furnished to the Buyers a copy of any disclosures provided thereunder.

 

(pp) Other Covered Persons. The Company is not aware of any Person (other than the Placement Agent) that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of Buyers or potential purchasers in connection with the sale of any Regulation D Securities.

 

(qq) No Additional Agreements. The Company does not have any agreement or understanding with any Buyer with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents other than as specified in the Transaction Documents.

 

(rr) Public Utility Holding Act. None of the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a “holding company,” or an “affiliate” of a “holding company,” as such terms are defined in the Public Utility Holding Act of 2005.

 

(ss) Federal Power Act. None of the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to regulation as a “public utility” under the Federal Power Act, as amended.

 

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(tt) Cybersecurity. The Company and its Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company’s business. The Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data, including “Personal Data,” used in connection with their businesses. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, social security number or tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (iii) “personal data” as defined by the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (EU 2016/679); (iv) any information which would qualify as “protected health information” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (collectively, “HIPAA”); and (v) any other piece of information that allows the identification of such natural person, or his or her family, or permits the collection or analysis of any data related to an identified person’s health or sexual orientation. There have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person or such, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same except in each case, where such would not, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification except in each case, where such would not, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(uu) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries are, and at all prior times were, in compliance with all applicable state and federal data privacy and security laws and regulations, including without limitation HIPAA, and the Company and its Subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable actions to prepare to comply with, and since May 25, 2018, have been and currently are in compliance with, the GDPR (EU 2016/679) (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”) except in each case, where such would not, either individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To ensure compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company and its Subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling, and analysis of Personal Data (the “Policies”). The Company and its Subsidiaries have at all times made all disclosures to users or customers required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and none of such disclosures made or contained in any Policy have, to the Company’s knowledge, been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements in any material respect. The Company further certifies that neither it nor any Subsidiary: (i) has received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, or other corrective action pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.

 

(vv) Ranking of Notes. No Indebtedness of the Company, at such Closing, will be senior to, or pari passu with, the Notes in right of payment, except for any Other Notes (as defined in the Note), whether with respect to payment or redemptions, interest, damages, upon liquidation or dissolution or otherwise.

 

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(ww) Disclosure. No statement made by the Company in this Agreement, any other Transaction Document or the exhibits and schedules attached hereto or in any certificate or schedule furnished or to be furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Buyers or any of their representatives in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained herein or therein not misleading. The due diligence materials previously provided by or on behalf of the Company to each Buyer (the “Due Diligence Materials”), have been prepared in a good faith effort by the Company to describe the Company’s present and proposed products, and projected growth of the Company and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not materially misleading, except that with respect to assumptions, projections and expressions of opinion or predictions contained in the Due Diligence Materials, the Company represents only that such assumptions, projections, expressions of opinion and predictions were made in good faith and that the Company believes there is a reasonable basis therefor. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Buyer makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 2.

 

(xx) Additional Representations for Additional Closings after the Public Company Date.

 

(i) SEC Documents; Financial Statements. During the two (2) years prior to the date hereof, the Successor Public Company has timely filed all reports, schedules, forms, proxy statements, statements and other documents required to be filed by it with the SEC pursuant to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act (all of the foregoing filed prior to the date hereof and all exhibits and appendices included therein and financial statements, notes and schedules thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein being hereinafter referred to as the “SEC Documents”). The Successor Public Company has delivered or has made available to the Buyers or their respective representatives true, correct and complete copies of each of the SEC Documents requested by any such Buyer and not available on the EDGAR system. As of their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to the SEC Documents, and none of the SEC Documents, at the time they were filed with the SEC, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. As of their respective dates, the financial statements of the Successor Public Company included in the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect as of the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), consistently applied, during the periods involved (except (i) as may be otherwise indicated in such financial statements or the notes thereto, or (ii) in the case of unaudited interim statements, to the extent they may exclude footnotes or may be condensed or summary statements) and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Successor Public Company as of the dates thereof and the results of its operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments which will not be material, either individually or in the aggregate). The reserves, if any, established by the Successor Public Company or the lack of reserves, if applicable, are reasonable based upon facts and circumstances known by the Successor Public Company on the date hereof and there are no loss contingencies that are required to be accrued by the Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 5 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board which are not provided for by the Successor Public Company in its financial statements or otherwise. No other information provided by or on behalf of the Successor Public Company to any of the Buyers which is not included in the SEC Documents contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, in the light of the circumstance under which they are or were made. The Successor Public Company is not currently contemplating to amend or restate any of the financial statements (including, without limitation, any notes or any letter of the independent accountants of the Company with respect thereto) included in the SEC Documents (the “Financial Statements”), nor is the Successor Public Company currently aware of facts or circumstances which would require the Successor Public Company to amend or restate any of the Financial Statements, in each case, in order for any of the Financials Statements to be in compliance with GAAP and the rules and regulations of the SEC. The Successor Public Company has not been informed by its independent accountants that they recommend that the Successor Public Company amend or restate any of the Financial Statements or that there is any need for the Successor Public Company to amend or restate any of the Financial Statements. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have any liabilities or obligations required to be disclosed in the SEC Documents which are not so disclosed in the SEC Documents, other than those incurred in the ordinary course of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ respective businesses and which, individually or in the aggregate, do not or could not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(ii) Principal Market Status. The Company is not violation of any of the rules, regulations or requirements of the Principal Market (as defined in the Notes) and has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances that could reasonably lead to delisting or suspension of the Common Stock by the Principal Market in the foreseeable future. Since the Business Combination Closing Date, (i) the Common Stock has been listed or designated for quotation on the Principal Market, (ii) trading in the Common Stock has not been suspended by the SEC or the Principal Market and (iii) the Company has received no communication, written or oral, from the SEC or the Principal Market regarding the suspension or delisting of the Common Stock from the Principal Market.

 

(iii) Internal Accounting and Disclosure Controls. Solely with respect to any Additional Closing on or after the Public Company Date, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements that accurately reflect the current status of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and to maintain asset and liability accountability, (iii) access to assets or incurrence of liabilities is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets and liabilities is compared with the existing assets and liabilities at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any difference. Solely with respect to any Additional Closing on or after the Public Company Date, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice or correspondence from any accountant, Governmental Entity or other Person relating to any potential material weakness or significant deficiency in any part of the internal controls over financial reporting of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

4. COVENANTS.

 

(a) Best Efforts. Each Buyer shall use its best efforts to timely satisfy each of the covenants hereunder and conditions to be satisfied by it as provided in Section 6 of this Agreement. The Company shall use its best efforts to timely satisfy each of the covenants hereunder and conditions to be satisfied by it as provided in Section 7 of this Agreement.

 

(b) Form D and Blue Sky. The Company shall file a Form D with respect to the Securities as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof to each Buyer promptly after such filing. The Company shall, on or before each Closing Date, take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to, qualify the Securities for sale to the Buyers at such Closing pursuant to this Agreement under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States (or to obtain an exemption from such qualification), and shall provide evidence of any such action so taken to the Buyers on or promptly following such Closing Date. Without limiting any other obligation of the Company under this Agreement, the Company shall timely make all filings and reports relating to the offer and sale of the Securities required under all applicable securities laws (including, without limitation, all applicable federal securities laws and all applicable “Blue Sky” laws), and the Company shall comply with all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws, statutes, rules, regulations and the like relating to the offering and sale of the Securities to the Buyers.

 

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(c) Reporting Status. Immediately following the Public Company Date and until the date on which a Buyer or any transferee or assignee thereof to which a Buyer assigns its rights as a holder of Securities under this Agreement (each an “Investor”, and collectively, the “Investors”) shall have sold all of the Conversion Shares (the “Reporting Period”), the Company shall timely file all reports (after giving effect to any extensions permitted by such report, as applicable) required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to the 1934 Act, and the Company shall not terminate its status as an issuer required to file reports under the 1934 Act even if the 1934 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder would no longer require or otherwise permit such termination, and the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to maintain its eligibility to register the Conversion Shares for resale by the Investors on Form S-3 once Form S-3 is available to the Company for such use.

 

(d) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the proceeds from the sale of the Securities for general corporate purposes, but not, directly or indirectly, for (i) except as set forth on Schedule 4(d), the satisfaction of any indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) the redemption or repurchase of any securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iii) the settlement of any outstanding litigation.

 

(e) Financial Information. From and after the Public Company Date, the Company agrees to send the following to each Investor during the Reporting Period (i) unless the following are filed with the SEC through EDGAR and are available to the public through the EDGAR system a copy of its Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, any interim reports or any consolidated balance sheets, income statements, stockholders’ equity statements and/or cash flow statements for any period other than annual, any Current Reports on Form 8-K and any registration statements (other than on Form S-8) or amendments filed pursuant to the 1933 Act and (ii) unless the following are filed with the SEC through EDGAR, copies of any notices and other information made available or given to the stockholders of the Company generally, contemporaneously with the making available or giving thereof to the stockholders. For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 4(e) shall not require the Company to separately provide to any Investor materials that are filed with the SEC and made available to the public through EDGAR.

 

(f) Listing. Immediately following the Public Company Date, the Company shall promptly secure the listing or designation for quotation (as the case may be) of all of the Underlying Securities (as defined below) upon each national securities exchange and automated quotation system, if any, upon which the Common Stock is then listed or designated for quotation (as the case may be) (subject to official notice of issuance) and shall maintain such listing or designation for quotation (as the case may be) of all Underlying Securities from time to time issuable under the terms of the Transaction Documents on such national securities exchange or automated quotation system; provided, that if the Public Company Date occurred by virtue of an underwritten public offering, the Company shall be required to secure the listing of the Common Stock and the Conversion Shares on either The New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market or the Nasdaq Global Select Market (each, an “Eligible Market”). From and after such listing of the Common Stock on an Eligible Market, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall take any action which could be reasonably expected to result in the delisting or suspension of the Common Stock on an Eligible Market. The Company shall pay all fees and expenses in connection with satisfying its obligations under this Section 4(f). “Underlying Securities” means the (i) the Conversion Shares, (ii) the Warrant Shares and (iii) any capital stock of the Company issued or issuable with respect to the Notes, the Conversion Shares, the Warrant Shares, or the Warrants, respectively, including, without limitation, (1) as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event or otherwise and (2) shares of capital stock of the Company into which the shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged and shares of capital stock of a Successor Entity (as defined in the Warrants) into which the shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged, in each case, without regard to any limitations on conversion of the Notes or exercise of the Warrants, respectively.

 

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(g) Fees. The Company shall reimburse the lead Buyer (i) at the Initial Closing, (x) a non-accountable amount of $150,000 for the fees and expenses of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, $50,000 for the fees and expenses of Blank Rome LLP and $5,000 for the fees and expenses of RPCK Rastegar Panchal, LLP, and (y) $75,000 for diligence expenses, and (ii) at each Additional Closing, a non-accountable amount of $35,000 for the fees and expenses of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, $15,000 for the fees and expenses of Blank Rome LLP and $10,000 for the fees and expenses of RPCK Rastegar Panchal, LLP, in each case, for all costs and expenses incurred by it or its affiliates in connection with the structuring, documentation, negotiation and applicable closing of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (including, without limitation, as applicable, all legal fees of outside counsel and disbursements of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and Blank Rome LLP, counsels to the lead Buyer, any other fees and expenses in connection with the structuring, documentation, negotiation and closing of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and due diligence and regulatory filings in connection therewith) (the “Transaction Expenses”), less $75,000 previously paid to the lead Buyer, and shall be withheld by the lead Buyer from its Purchase Price at such applicable Closing; provided, that the Company shall promptly reimburse Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and Blank Rome LLP, as applicable, on demand for all Transaction Expenses applicable thereto in accordance hereto not so reimbursed through such withholding at such applicable Closing. The Company shall be responsible for the payment of any placement agent’s fees, financial advisory fees, Controlled Account Bank fees, transfer agent fees, DTC (as defined below) fees or broker’s commissions (other than for Persons engaged by any Buyer) relating to or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, any fees or commissions payable to the Placement Agent, who is the Company’s sole placement agent in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement). The Company shall pay, and hold each Buyer harmless against, any liability, loss or expense (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and out-of-pocket expenses) arising in connection with any claim relating to any such payment. Except as otherwise set forth in the Transaction Documents, each party to this Agreement shall bear its own expenses in connection with the sale of the Securities to the Buyers.

 

(h) Pledge of Securities. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Company acknowledges and agrees that the Securities may be pledged by an Investor in connection with a bona fide margin agreement or other loan or financing arrangement with such applicable Buyer’s broker-dealer that is secured by the Securities. The pledge of Securities shall not be deemed to be a transfer, sale or assignment of the Securities hereunder, and no Investor effecting a pledge of Securities shall be required to provide the Company with any notice thereof or otherwise make any delivery to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, including, without limitation, Section 2(g) hereof; provided that an Investor and its pledgee shall be required to comply with the provisions of Section 2(g) hereof in order to effect a sale, transfer or assignment of Securities to such pledgee; provided further, that no transfer shall be permitted to exist except in compliance with the terms of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents. The Company hereby agrees to execute and deliver such documentation as a pledgee of the Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge of the Securities to such pledgee by a Buyer.

 

(i) Disclosure of Transactions and Other Material Information.

 

(i) Disclosure of Transaction. On the earliest to occur of the following dates: (i) the date that the Company files a Form 10 registering the Company’s Common Stock under the 1934 Act, (ii) the date that the Company files a registration statement under the 1933 Act for a public offering of Common Stock of the Company, and (iii) if the Public Company Date occurs by virtue of a merger, the effective time of such merger (or the Business Combination Closing Date, as applicable), the Company (or the Successor Public Company, as applicable) shall file a Current Report on Form 8-K describing all the material terms of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in the form required by the 1934 Act and attaching all the material Transaction Documents (including, without limitation, this Agreement (and all schedules to this Agreement), the form of the Warrants, the form of Note, the form of Security Documents, the form of Lock-Up Agreements and the form of the Registration Rights Agreement) (including all attachments, the “Initial 8-K Filing”). Following the date that both the Company and a Buyer have duly executed and delivered an Additional Closing Notice to each other, the Company shall, within the deadline required by applicable SEC rules, file a Current Report on Form 8 K (each, an “Additional 8-K Filing”, and together with the Initial 8-K Filing, the “8-K Filings” and each an “8-K Filing”) reasonably acceptable to the Buyers, disclosing that an Additional Closing Notice has been executed by such Persons, attaching such Additional Closing Notice and all material Transaction Documents with respect to such Additional Closing (to the extent not previously included in a filing with the SEC). From and after the filing of such applicable 8-K Filing, the Company shall have disclosed all material, non-public information (if any) provided to any of the Buyers by any BC Entity or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. In addition, effective upon the filing of such applicable 8-K Filing, each BC Party acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between any BC Entity or any of their respective officers, directors, affiliates, employees or agents, on the one hand, and any of the Buyers or any of their affiliates, on the other hand, shall terminate.

 

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(ii) Limitations on Disclosure. No BC Party shall, and the BC Parties shall cause each BC Entity and each of its and their respective officers, directors, employees and agents not to, provide any Buyer with any material, non-public information regarding any BC Entity from and after the date hereof without the express prior written consent of such Buyer (which consent (x) shall be sought through a customary “wall-cross” procedure and (y) may be granted or withheld in such Buyer’s sole discretion). In the event of a breach of the covenant set forth in the preceding sentence, the Company hereby agrees to publicly disclose, in the form of a press release, public advertisement or otherwise, such material, non-public information within three (3) Business Days of such breach; provided, that in the event the Company refuses to make such material, non-public information available within such three (3) Business Days, the applicable Buyer shall have the right to make a public disclosure of such material, non-public information, unless the Company reasonably believes such information does not constitute material, non-public information and certifies such in writing to the Buyers (which certification may be by email). No Buyer shall have any liability to any BC Entity, or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees, affiliates, stockholders or agents, for any such disclosure; provided that any such disclosure made by a Buyer shall be reasonably limited to the information necessary to cleanse such Buyer in respect of such material, non-public information. To the extent that any BC Entity delivers any material, non-public information to a Buyer without such Buyer’s consent, each BC Party hereby covenants and agrees that such Buyer shall not have any duty of confidentiality with respect to, or a duty not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information. Subject to the foregoing, neither the BC Entities nor any Buyer shall issue any press releases or any other public statements with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, the Company shall be entitled, without the prior approval of any Buyer, to make the Press Release and any press release or other public disclosure with respect to such transactions (i) in substantial conformity with the applicable 8-K Filing and contemporaneously therewith and (ii) as is required by applicable law and regulations (provided that in the case of clause (i) each Buyer shall be consulted by the Company in connection with any such press release or other public disclosure prior to its release). Without the prior written consent of the applicable Buyer (which may be granted or withheld in such Buyer’s sole discretion), except as otherwise required by law, the Company shall not (and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and affiliates to not) disclose the name of such Buyer in any filing, announcement, release or otherwise. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary and without implication that the contrary would otherwise be true, each BC Party expressly acknowledges and agrees that no Buyer shall have (unless expressly agreed to by a particular Buyer after the date hereof in a written definitive and binding agreement executed by the applicable BC Party and such particular Buyer (it being understood and agreed that no Buyer may bind any other Buyer with respect thereto)), any duty of confidentiality with respect to, or a duty not to trade on the basis of, any material, non-public information regarding any BC Entity.

 

(j) Reservation of Shares. So long as any of the Notes or Warrants remain outstanding, the Company shall take all action necessary to at all times have authorized, and reserved for the purpose of issuance, no less than 200% of the sum of (i) the maximum number of Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes (assuming for purposes hereof that (w) if prior to the Additional Closing Expiration Date, all Additional Notes issuable hereunder have been issued as of such date of determination, (x) the Notes are convertible at the Alternate Conversion Price assuming an Alternate Conversion Date as of such date of determination, (y) interest on the Notes shall accrue through the stated maturity date of the applicable Notes and will be converted in shares of Common Stock at a conversion price equal to the Alternate Conversion Price assuming an Alternate Conversion Date as of such date of determination and (z) any such conversion shall not take into account any limitations on the conversion of the Notes set forth in the Notes), and (ii) the maximum number of Warrant Shares initially issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of the Warrants set forth therein, but after giving effect to any adjustments to the Warrants as a result of the deemed issuance of all of the Additional Notes issuable hereunder)(collectively, the “Required Reserve Amount”); provided that at no time shall the number of shares of Common Stock reserved pursuant to this Section 4(j) be reduced other than proportionally in connection with any conversion, exercise and/or redemption, as applicable of Notes and Warrants (except that the Company may reduce the number of shares of Common Stock reserved from and after the Additional Closing Expiration Date solely to the extent all Additional Notes issuable hereunder have not been issued as of such date). If at any time the number of shares of Common Stock authorized and reserved for issuance is not sufficient to meet the Required Reserve Amount, the Company will promptly take all corporate action necessary to authorize and reserve a sufficient number of shares, including, without limitation, calling a special meeting of stockholders to authorize additional shares to meet the Company’s obligations pursuant to the Transaction Documents, in the case of an insufficient number of authorized shares, obtain stockholder approval of an increase in such authorized number of shares, and voting the management shares of the Company in favor of an increase in the authorized shares of the Company to ensure that the number of authorized shares is sufficient to meet the Required Reserve Amount.

 

(k) Conduct of Business. The business of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be conducted in violation of any law, ordinance or regulation of any Governmental Entity, except where such violations would not reasonably be expected to result, either individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(l) Other Notes; Variable Securities. So long as any Notes remain outstanding, the Company and each Subsidiary shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any Subsequent Placement involving a Variable Rate Transaction (other than a Permitted ATM and/or a Permitted Treasury Indebtedness (as defined in the Notes) and/or, solely if prior to the Business Combination Closing Date, Permitted SAFE Notes (as defined in the Notes)) or the Amended Existing SAFEs (as defined below). “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company or any Subsidiary (i) issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents either (A) at a conversion, exercise or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such Common Stock Equivalents, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such Common Stock Equivalents or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock, other than pursuant to a customary “weighted average” anti-dilution provision or (ii) enters into any agreement (including, without limitation, an equity line of credit or an “at-the-market” offering) whereby the Company or any Subsidiary may sell securities at a future determined price (other than standard and customary “preemptive” or “participation” rights). Each Buyer shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company and its Subsidiaries to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages. “Permitted ATM” means an at-the-market offering with a registered broker-dealer.

 

(m) Passive Foreign Investment Company. The Company shall conduct its business, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to conduct their respective businesses, in such a manner as will ensure that the Company will not be deemed to constitute a passive foreign investment company within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code.

 

(n) Restriction on Redemption and Cash Dividends. So long as any Notes are outstanding, the Company shall not, directly or indirectly, redeem, or declare or pay any cash dividend or distribution on, any securities of the Company without the prior express written consent of the Buyers.

 

(o) Corporate Existence. So long as any Buyer beneficially owns any Notes, the Company shall not be party to any Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Notes) unless the Company is in compliance with the applicable provisions governing Fundamental Transactions set forth in the Notes.

 

(p) Regulation M. The Company will not take any action prohibited by Regulation M under the 1934 Act, in connection with the distribution of the Securities contemplated hereby.

 

(q) General Solicitation. None of the Company, any of its affiliates (as defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act) or any person acting on behalf of the Company or such affiliate will solicit any offer to buy or offer or sell the Securities by means of any form of general solicitation or general advertising within the meaning of Regulation D, including: (i) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine or similar medium or broadcast over television or radio; and (ii) any seminar or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any general solicitation or general advertising.

 

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(r) Integration. None of the Company, any of its affiliates (as defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act), or any person acting on behalf of the Company or such affiliate will sell, offer for sale, or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in the 1933 Act) which will be integrated with the sale of the Securities in a manner which would require the registration of the Securities under the 1933 Act and the Company will take all action that is appropriate or necessary to assure that its offerings of other securities will not be integrated for purposes of the 1933 Act with the issuance of Securities contemplated hereby.

 

(s) Notice of Disqualification Events. The Company will notify the Buyers in writing, prior to such applicable Closing Date of (i) any Disqualification Event relating to any Issuer Covered Person and (ii) any event that would, with the passage of time, become a Disqualification Event relating to any Issuer Covered Person.

 

(t) Books and Records. The Company will keep proper books of record and account, in which full and correct entries shall be made of all financial transactions and the asset and business of the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP.

 

(u) Financial Statements and Inspection.

 

(i) The Company shall deliver to each Buyer (unless any such Buyer has elected by written notice to the Company that it does not want to receive any or all of the following):

 

(1) as soon as practicable following the end of each fiscal quarter (other than the fourth fiscal quarter of each fiscal year), but in no event later than forty-five (45) days after the end of such fiscal quarter, unaudited statements of income and cash flows for such fiscal quarter, and an unaudited balance sheet and a statement of stockholders’ equity as of the end of such fiscal quarter, all prepared in accordance with GAAP (except that such financial statements may (i) be subject to normal year-end audit adjustments; and (ii) not contain all notes thereto that may be required in accordance with GAAP);

 

(2) as soon as practicable following the end of each fiscal year, but in no event later than ninety (90) days following the end of such fiscal year, a balance sheet as of the end of such year, (ii) statements of income and of cash flows for such year, and (iii) a statement of stockholders’ equity as of the end of such year; and

 

(3) notice of any Material Adverse Effect as soon as practicable after the Company becomes aware of such Material Adverse Effect, but in no event later than five (5) Business Days after the Company becomes aware of such Material Adverse Effect, provided that nothing in this Section 4(u) shall require the Company to disclose any information which would adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel.

 

(ii) The Company shall notify the Buyers in writing of (i) any material default under any of the Company’s agreements governing its Indebtedness and (ii) the receipt by the Company of any default notices in connection therewith, in each case promptly and in no event later than five (5) Business Days after the occurrence of any such default or the receipt of any such default notice.

 

(iii) The Company shall permit each Buyer to visit and inspect the Company’s properties, to examine its books of account, records, contracts and agreements and to discuss the Company’s affairs, finances and accounts with its Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer during normal business hours of the Company and upon reasonable prior notice as may be reasonably requested by such Buyer, provided that the Company shall not be obligated to provide access to any information that it reasonably and in good faith considers to be a trade secret or confidential information (unless covered by an enforceable confidentiality agreement, in form acceptable to the Company) or the disclosure of which would adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel.

 

(iv) The covenants set forth in this Section 4(u) shall terminate as to Buyers and be of no further force or effect upon the earlier of the Public Company Date and the time when no Notes are outstanding.

 

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(v) Additional Issuance of Securities. So long as any Buyer beneficially owns any Securities, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Required Holders, issue any Notes (other than to the Buyers as contemplated hereby) and the Company shall not issue any other securities that would cause a breach or default under the Notes or the Warrants. The Company agrees that for the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the date immediately following the 90th Trading Day (as defined in the Notes) after the later of (x) the Public Company Date (or, if any of the Underlying Securities are subject to a lockup in connection with the Public Company Date, the date of termination (or expiration, as applicable) of such lockup) and (y) the earlier to occur of (x) the effective date of a registration statement registering the resale by the Investors of the Underlying Securities and (y) the date the Securities are initially eligible to be resold by the Investors pursuant to Rule 144 (provided that such period shall be extended by the number of calendar days during such period and any extension thereof contemplated by this proviso on which any registration statement registering the resale of any Underlying Securities is not effective or any prospectus contained therein is not available for use or any Current Public Information Failure (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) exists) (the “Restricted Period”), neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall directly or indirectly issue, offer, sell, grant any option or right to purchase, or otherwise dispose of (or announce any issuance, offer, sale, grant of any option or right to purchase or other disposition of) any equity security or any equity-linked or related security (including, without limitation, any “equity security” (as that term is defined under Rule 405 promulgated under the 1933 Act), any Common Stock Equivalents (as defined below), any debt, any preferred stock or any purchase rights) (any such issuance, offer, sale, grant, disposition or announcement (whether occurring during the Restricted Period or at any time thereafter) is referred to as a “Subsequent Placement”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4(v) shall not apply in respect of the issuance of (i) shares of Common Stock or Options (as defined in the Notes) issued, directly or indirectly, to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Company in their capacity as such pursuant to an Approved Stock Plan (as defined below), provided that the exercise price of any such Options is not lowered, none of such options are amended to increase the number of shares issuable thereunder and none of the terms or conditions of any such options are otherwise materially changed in any manner that adversely affects any of the Buyers; (ii) shares of Common Stock issued upon the conversion or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents (other than standard options to purchase Common Stock issued pursuant to an Approved Stock Plan that are covered by clause (i) above) issued prior to the date hereof, provided that the conversion, exercise or other method of issuance (as the case may be) of any such Common Stock Equivalent is made solely pursuant to the conversion, exercise or other method of issuance (as the case may be) provisions of such Common Stock Equivalent or the Certificate of Incorporation, as applicable, that were in effect on the date immediately prior to the date of this Agreement (excluding amendments of the Certificate of Incorporation that does not amend, modify or waive any of the terms or conditions of any securities issuable thereunder in a manner adverse to the Buyers), the conversion, exercise or issuance price of any such Common Stock Equivalents (other than standard options to purchase Common Stock issued pursuant to an Approved Stock Plan that are covered by clause (i) above) is not lowered, none of such Common Stock Equivalents (other than standard options to purchase Common Stock issued pursuant to an Approved Stock Plan that are covered by clause (i) above) are amended to increase the number of shares issuable thereunder and none of the terms or conditions of any such Common Stock Equivalents (other than standard options to purchase Common Stock issued pursuant to an Approved Stock Plan that are covered by clause (i) above) are otherwise materially changed in any manner that adversely affects the economic interests of any of the Buyers; (iii) the Conversion Shares, (iv) the Warrant Shares, (v) amendments to any simple agreements for future equity issued and outstanding as of the date hereof (the “Existing SAFEs”), provided (I) such amendments do not have the effect of increasing the number of shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents issuable upon the conversion of the Existing SAFEs, (II) such amendments are solely for the purpose of facilitating the conversion of the Existing SAFEs in connection with the Business Combination Closing, and (III) such amendments do not have the effect of reducing the conversion price of the Existing SAFEs (clause (v), the “Amended Existing SAFEs”) (vi) if prior to the Public Company Date, Permitted Safe Notes and/or equity securities of the Company that will be exchanged into shares of Common Stock of the Successor Public Company at a price per share greater than or equal to $6.50 per share of common equity of the Successor Public Company, (vii) any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable in connection with any bona fide strategic or commercial alliances, sponsored research, collaboration, technology license, development, OEM, marketing or other similar agreements, acquisitions, mergers, licensing arrangements, and strategic partnerships (in an aggregate amount not in excess of 25% of the market capitalizations of the Company as of the time immediately following the Business Combination Closing Date), provided, that (A) the primary purpose of such issuance is not to raise capital as reasonably determined, and (B) the purchaser or acquirer or recipient of the securities in such issuance solely consists of either (I) the actual participants in such strategic or commercial alliance, strategic or commercial licensing arrangement or strategic or commercial partnership, (II) the actual owners of such assets or securities acquired in such acquisition or merger or (III) the stockholders, partners, employees, consultants, officers, directors or members of the foregoing Persons, in each case, which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset, in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, and (IV) the number or amount of securities issued to such Persons by the Company shall not be disproportionate to each such Person’s actual participation in (or fair market value of the contribution to) such strategic or commercial alliance or strategic or commercial partnership or ownership of such assets or securities to be acquired by the Company, as applicable, (vii) shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to Permitted Sale Notes and (viii) shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to Permitted Sale Notes or Amended Existing SAFEs and (ix) the securities to be issued in the Business Combination in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, as in effect as of the date hereof (each of the foregoing in clauses (i) through (x), collectively the “Excluded Securities”). For the purpose of this Agreement, “Approved Stock Plan” means any employee benefit plan which has been approved by the board of directors of the Company prior to or subsequent to the date hereof pursuant to which shares of Common Stock, options to purchase Common Stock, restricted stock purchase agreements and restricted stock units or any other similar equity awards may be issued to any employee, officer, director, consultant, advisor or service provider for services provided to the Company in their capacity as such.

 

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(w) Participation Right. At any time on or prior to the third anniversary of the Initial Closing Date, no BC Entity shall, directly or indirectly, effect any Subsequent Placement unless the Company shall have first complied with this Section 4(w). The Company acknowledges and agrees that the right set forth in this Section 4(w) is a right granted by the Company, separately, to each Buyer.

 

(i) At least five (5) Trading Days prior to any proposed or intended Subsequent Placement, the Company shall deliver to each Buyer a written notice (each such notice, a “Pre-Notice”), which Pre-Notice shall not contain any information (including, without limitation, material, non-public information) other than: (A) if the proposed Offer Notice (as defined below) constitutes or contains material, non-public information, a statement asking whether the Investor is willing to accept material non-public information or (B) if the proposed Offer Notice does not constitute or contain material, non-public information, (x) a statement that the Company proposes or intends to effect a Subsequent Placement, (y) a statement that the statement in clause (x) above does not constitute material, non-public information and (z) a statement informing such Buyer that it is entitled to receive an Offer Notice (as defined below) with respect to such Subsequent Placement upon its written request. Upon the written request of a Buyer within three (3) Trading Days after the Company’s delivery to such Buyer of such Pre-Notice, and only upon a written request by such Buyer, the Company shall promptly, but no later than one (1) Trading Day after such request, deliver to such Buyer an irrevocable written notice (the “Offer Notice”) of any proposed or intended issuance or sale or exchange (the “Offer”) of the securities being offered (the “Offered Securities”) in a Subsequent Placement, which Offer Notice shall (A) identify and describe the Offered Securities, (B) describe the price and other terms upon which they are to be issued, sold or exchanged, and the number or amount of the Offered Securities to be issued, sold or exchanged, (C) identify the Persons (if known) to which or with which the Offered Securities are to be offered, issued, sold or exchanged and (D) offer to issue and sell to or exchange with such Buyer in accordance with the terms of the Offer such Buyer’s pro rata portion of 25% of the Offered Securities, provided that the number of Offered Securities which such Buyer shall have the right to subscribe for under this Section 4(w) shall be (x) based on such Buyer’s pro rata portion of the aggregate original principal amount of the Notes purchased hereunder by all Buyers (the “Basic Amount”), and (y) with respect to each Buyer that elects to purchase its Basic Amount, any additional portion of the Offered Securities attributable to the Basic Amounts of other Buyers as such Buyer shall indicate it will purchase or acquire should the other Buyers subscribe for less than their Basic Amounts (the “Undersubscription Amount”), which process shall be repeated until each Buyer shall have an opportunity to subscribe for any remaining Undersubscription Amount.

 

(ii) To accept an Offer, in whole or in part, such Buyer must deliver a written notice to the Company prior to the end of the fifth (5th) Trading Day after such Buyer’s receipt of the Offer Notice (the “Offer Period”), setting forth the portion of such Buyer’s Basic Amount that such Buyer elects to purchase and, if such Buyer shall elect to purchase all of its Basic Amount, the Undersubscription Amount, if any, that such Buyer elects to purchase (in either case, the “Notice of Acceptance”). If the Basic Amounts subscribed for by all Buyers are less than the total of all of the Basic Amounts, then each Buyer who has set forth an Undersubscription Amount in its Notice of Acceptance shall be entitled to purchase, in addition to the Basic Amounts subscribed for, the Undersubscription Amount it has subscribed for; provided, however, if the Undersubscription Amounts subscribed for exceed the difference between the total of all the Basic Amounts and the Basic Amounts subscribed for (the “Available Undersubscription Amount”), each Buyer who has subscribed for any Undersubscription Amount shall be entitled to purchase only that portion of the Available Undersubscription Amount as the Basic Amount of such Buyer bears to the total Basic Amounts of all Buyers that have subscribed for Undersubscription Amounts, subject to rounding by the Company to the extent it deems reasonably necessary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company desires to modify or amend the terms and conditions of the Offer prior to the expiration of the Offer Period, the Company may deliver to each Buyer a new Offer Notice and the Offer Period shall expire on the fifth (5th) Trading Day after such Buyer’s receipt of such new Offer Notice.

 

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(iii) (A) The Company shall have forty (40) Business Days from the expiration of the Offer Period above (A) to offer, issue, sell or exchange all or any part of such Offered Securities as to which a Notice of Acceptance has not been given by a Buyer (the “Refused Securities”) pursuant to a definitive agreement(s) (the “Subsequent Placement Agreement”), but only to the offerees described in the Offer Notice (if so described therein) and only upon terms and conditions (including, without limitation, unit prices and interest rates) that are not more favorable to the acquiring Person or Persons or less favorable to the Company than those set forth in the Offer Notice and (B) the Company shall have forty (40) Business Days from the expiration of the Offer Period above to publicly announce (x) the execution of such Subsequent Placement Agreement, and (y) either (I) the consummation of the transactions contemplated by such Subsequent Placement Agreement or (II) the termination of such Subsequent Placement Agreement, which, if after the Public Company Date, shall be filed with the SEC on a Current Report on Form 8-K with such Subsequent Placement Agreement and any documents contemplated therein filed as exhibits thereto.

 

(iv) In the event the Company shall propose to sell less than all the Refused Securities (any such sale to be in the manner and on the terms specified in Section 4(w)(iii) above), then each Buyer may, at its sole option and in its sole discretion, withdraw its Notice of Acceptance or reduce the number or amount of the Offered Securities specified in its Notice of Acceptance to an amount that shall be not less than the number or amount of the Offered Securities that such Buyer elected to purchase pursuant to Section 4(w)(ii) above multiplied by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which shall be the number or amount of Offered Securities the Company actually proposes to issue, sell or exchange (including Offered Securities to be issued or sold to Buyers pursuant to this Section 4(w) prior to such reduction) and (ii) the denominator of which shall be the original amount of the Offered Securities. In the event that any Buyer so elects to reduce the number or amount of Offered Securities specified in its Notice of Acceptance, the Company may not issue, sell or exchange more than the reduced number or amount of the Offered Securities unless and until such securities have again been offered to the Buyers in accordance with Section 4(w)(i) above.

 

(v) Upon the closing of the issuance, sale or exchange of all or less than all of the Refused Securities, such Buyer shall acquire from the Company, and the Company shall issue to such Buyer, the number or amount of Offered Securities specified in its Notice of Acceptance, as reduced pursuant to Section 4(w)(iv) above if such Buyer has so elected, upon the terms and conditions specified in the Offer. The purchase by such Buyer of any Offered Securities is subject in all cases to the preparation, execution and delivery by the Company and such Buyer of a separate purchase agreement relating to such Offered Securities reasonably satisfactory to such Buyer and its counsel. For the avoidance of doubt, any comments to the purchase agreement provided by such Buyer and its counsel shall not be considered a modification or amendment to the Offer.

 

(vi) Any Offered Securities not acquired by a Buyer or other Persons in accordance with this Section 4(w) may not be issued, sold or exchanged until they are again offered to such Buyer under the procedures specified in this Agreement.

 

(vii) The Company and each Buyer agree that if any Buyer elects to participate in the Offer, neither the Subsequent Placement Agreement with respect to such Offer nor any other transaction documents related thereto (collectively, the “Subsequent Placement Documents”) shall include any term or provision whereby such Buyer shall be required to agree to any restrictions on trading as to any securities of the Company or be required to consent to any amendment to or termination of, or grant any waiver, release or the like under or in connection with, any agreement previously entered into with the Company or any instrument received from the Company.

 

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(viii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4(w) and unless otherwise agreed to by such Buyer, the Company shall either confirm in writing to such Buyer that the transaction with respect to the Subsequent Placement has been abandoned or shall publicly disclose its intention to issue the Offered Securities, in either case, in such a manner such that such Buyer will not be in possession of any material, non-public information, by the fifth (5th) Trading Day following delivery of the Offer Notice. If by such fifth (5th) Trading Day, no public disclosure regarding a transaction with respect to the Offered Securities has been made, and no notice regarding the abandonment of such transaction has been received by such Buyer, such transaction shall be deemed to have been abandoned and such Buyer shall not be in possession of any material, non-public information with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Should the Company decide to pursue such transaction with respect to the Offered Securities, the Company shall provide such Buyer with another Offer Notice and such Buyer will again have the right of participation set forth in this Section 4(w). The Company shall not be permitted to deliver more than one such Offer Notice to such Buyer in any sixty (60) day period, except as expressly contemplated by the last sentence of Section 4(w)(ii).

 

(ix) The restrictions contained in this Section 4(w) shall not apply in connection with the issuance of any Excluded Securities. The Company shall not circumvent the provisions of this Section 4(w) by providing terms or conditions to one Buyer that are not provided to all.

 

(x) Conversion and Exercise Procedures. Each of the form of Exercise Notice (as defined in the Warrants) included in the Warrants and the form of Conversion Notice (as defined in the Notes) included in the Notes set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Buyers in order to exercise the Warrants or convert the Notes. Except as provided in Section 5(d), no additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Buyers to exercise their Warrants or convert their Notes. The Company shall honor exercises of the Warrants and conversions of the Notes and shall deliver the Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Notes and Warrants.

 

(y) Collateral Agent. Each Buyer hereby (i) appoints ATW Growth Opportunities SPV, LLC, as the collateral agent hereunder and under the other Security Documents (in such capacity, the “Collateral Agent”), and (ii) authorizes the Collateral Agent (and its officers, directors, employees and agents) to take such action on such Buyer’s behalf in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof. The Collateral Agent shall not have, by reason hereof or any of the other Security Documents, a fiduciary relationship in respect of any Buyer. Neither the Collateral Agent nor any of its officers, directors, employees or agents shall have any liability to any Buyer for any action taken or omitted to be taken in connection hereof or any other Security Document except to the extent caused by its own gross negligence or willful misconduct, and each Buyer agrees to defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless the Collateral Agent and all of its officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, the “Collateral Agent Indemnitees”) from and against any losses, damages, liabilities, obligations, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, fees, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses) incurred by such Collateral Agent Indemnitee, whether direct, indirect or consequential, arising from or in connection with the performance by such Collateral Agent Indemnitee of the duties and obligations of Collateral Agent pursuant hereto or any of the Security Documents. The Collateral Agent shall not be required to exercise any discretion or take any action, but shall be required to act or to refrain from acting (and shall be fully protected in so acting or refraining from acting) upon the instructions of the Required Holders, and such instructions shall be binding upon all holders of Notes; provided, however, that the Collateral Agent shall not be required to take any action which, in the reasonable opinion of the Collateral Agent, exposes the Collateral Agent to liability or which is contrary to this Agreement or any other Transaction Document or applicable law. The Collateral Agent shall be entitled to rely upon any written notices, statements, certificates, orders or other documents or any telephone message believed by it in good faith to be genuine and correct and to have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person, and with respect to all matters pertaining to this Agreement or any of the other Transaction Documents and its duties hereunder or thereunder, upon advice of counsel selected by it.

 

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(z) Successor Collateral Agent.

 

(i) The Collateral Agent may resign from the performance of all its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Transaction Documents at any time by giving at least ten (10) Business Days’ prior written notice to the Company and each holder of Notes. Such resignation shall take effect upon the acceptance by a successor Collateral Agent of appointment pursuant to clauses (ii) and (iii) below or as otherwise provided below. If at any time the Collateral Agent (together with its affiliates) beneficially owns less than $100,000 in aggregate principal amount of Notes, the Required Holders may, by written consent, remove the Collateral Agent from all its functions and duties hereunder and under the other Transaction Documents.

 

(ii) Upon any such notice of resignation or removal, the Required Holders shall appoint a successor collateral agent. Upon the acceptance of any appointment as Collateral Agent hereunder by a successor agent, such successor collateral agent shall thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the collateral agent, and the Collateral Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents. After the Collateral Agent’s resignation or removal hereunder as the collateral agent, the provisions of this Section 4(z) shall inure to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it while it was the Collateral Agent under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents.

 

(iii) If a successor collateral agent shall not have been so appointed within ten (10) Business Days of receipt of a written notice of resignation or removal, the Collateral Agent shall then appoint a successor collateral agent who shall serve as the Collateral Agent until such time, if any, as the Required Holders appoint a successor collateral agent as provided above.

 

(iv) In the event that a successor Collateral Agent is appointed pursuant to the provisions of this Section 4(z) that is not a Buyer or an affiliate of any Buyer (or the Required Holders or the Collateral Agent (or its successor), as applicable, notify the Company that they or it wants to appoint such a successor Collateral Agent pursuant to the terms of this Section 4(z)), the Company and each Subsidiary thereof covenants and agrees to promptly take all actions reasonably requested by the Required Holders or the Collateral Agent (or its successor), as applicable, from time to time, to secure a successor Collateral Agent satisfactory to the requesting part(y)(ies), in their sole discretion, including, without limitation, by paying all reasonable and customary fees and expenses of such successor Collateral Agent, by having the Company and each Subsidiary thereof agree to indemnify any successor Collateral Agent pursuant to reasonable and customary terms and by each of the Company and each Subsidiary thereof executing a collateral agency agreement or similar agreement and/or any amendment to the Security Documents reasonably requested or required by the successor Collateral Agent.

 

(aa) Subsidiary Guarantee. For so long as any Notes remain outstanding, upon any entity becoming a direct, or indirect, Material Subsidiary (as defined in the Security Agreement) of the Company, the Company shall cause each such Material Subsidiary to become party to the guaranty by executing a joinder to the guaranty reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Required Holders.

 

(bb) Lock-Up Agreements; No Waiver of Lock-Up Agreements. Prior to the time of the Business Combination Closing, each BC Entity shall have delivered to such Buyer, investor rights and lock-up agreements, in the form of Exhibit F hereof (each, a “Lock-Up Agreement”), duly executed and delivered by such stockholders of any BC Entity, as applicable, as listed on Schedule 7(b)(xix) attached hereto (the “Lock-Up Stockholders”), pursuant to which the Lock-Up Stockholders shall have agreed not to directly, or indirectly, sell any securities of any BC Entity (including, without limitation, any securities issued pursuant to the Business Combination Registration Statement), until the six (6) month anniversary of the Business Combination Closing Date. Neither Company, nor any BC Entity, shall amend, waive, modify or fail to use best efforts to enforce any provision of the Lock-Up Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, no Buyer shall be a third party beneficiary of any Lock-Up Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall be permitted to release Lock-Up Stockholders from the Lock-Up Agreement, solely to the extent necessary to comply with the continuing listing requirements of the Principal Market as of the Business Combination Closing Date.

 

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(cc) Additional Covenants after Public Company Date. From and after the Public Company Date, the following covenants shall apply:

 

(i) Dilutive Issuances. For so long as any Notes or Warrants remain outstanding, the Successor Public Company shall not, in any manner, enter into or affect any Dilutive Issuance (as defined in the Notes) if the effect of such Dilutive Issuance is to cause the Successor Public Company to be required to issue upon conversion of any Notes or exercise of any Warrant any shares of Common Stock in excess of that number of shares of Common Stock which the Successor Public Company may issue upon conversion of the Notes and exercise of the Warrants without breaching the Successor Public Company’s obligations under the rules or regulations of the Principal Market.

 

(ii) Integration. None of the Successor Public Company, any of its affiliates (as defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act), or any person acting on behalf of the Successor Public Company or such affiliate will sell, offer for sale, or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in the 1933 Act) which will be integrated with the sale of the Securities in a manner which would require the registration of the Securities under the 1933 Act or require stockholder approval under the rules and regulations of the Principal Market and the Successor Public Company will take all action that is appropriate or necessary to assure that its offerings of other securities will not be integrated for purposes of the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations of the Principal Market, with the issuance of Securities contemplated hereby.

 

(dd) Closing Documents. On or prior to fourteen (14) calendar days after each Closing Date, the Company agrees to deliver, or cause to be delivered, to each Buyer and Kelley Drye & Warren LLP a complete closing set of the executed Transaction Documents, Securities and any other document required to be delivered to any party pursuant to Section 7 hereof or otherwise.

 

5. REGISTER; TRANSFER AGENT INSTRUCTIONS; LEGEND.

 

(a) Register. The Company shall maintain at its principal executive offices (or such other office or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice to each holder of Securities), a register for the Notes and the Warrants in which the Company shall record the name and address of the Person in whose name the Notes and the Warrants have been issued (including the name and address of each transferee), the principal amount of the Notes held by such Person, the number of Conversion Shares issuable pursuant to the terms of the Notes and the number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants held by such Person. The Company shall keep the register open and available at all times during business hours for inspection of any Buyer or its legal representatives.

 

(b) Transfer Agent Instructions. On or prior to the Public Company Date, the Successor Public Company shall issue irrevocable instructions to its transfer agent and any subsequent transfer agent (as applicable, the “Transfer Agent”) in a form acceptable to each of the Buyers (the “Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions”) to issue certificates or credit shares to the applicable balance accounts at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registered in the name of each Buyer or its respective nominee(s), for the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares in such amounts as specified from time to time by each Buyer to the Company upon conversion of the Notes or the exercise of the Warrants (as the case may be). Holdco represents and warrants that no instruction other than the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions referred to in this Section 5(b), and stop transfer instructions to give effect to Section 2(g) hereof, will be given by the Successor Public Company to its transfer agent with respect to the Securities, and that the Securities shall otherwise be freely transferable on the books and records of the Successor Public Company, as applicable, to the extent provided in this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents; provided that Holdco or the Successor Public Company (as the case may be) shall not be prohibited from delivering to its transfer agent such other documentation as the transfer agent reasonably requests. If a Buyer effects a sale, assignment or transfer of the Securities in accordance with Section 2(g), the Successor Public Company shall permit the transfer and shall promptly instruct its transfer agent to issue one or more certificates or credit shares to the applicable balance accounts at DTC in such name and in such denominations as specified by such Buyer to effect such sale, transfer or assignment. In the event that such sale, assignment or transfer involves Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement or in compliance with Rule 144, the transfer agent shall issue such shares to such Buyer, assignee or transferee (as the case may be) without any restrictive legend in accordance with Section 5(d) below. The Successor Public Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to a Buyer. Accordingly, the Successor Public Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Section 5(b) will be inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Successor Public Company of the provisions of this Section 5(b), that a Buyer shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an order and/or injunction restraining any breach and requiring immediate issuance and transfer, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required. The Company shall cause its counsel to issue the legal opinion referred to in the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions to the Successor Public Company’s transfer agent on each Effective Date (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement). Any fees (with respect to the transfer agent, counsel to the Successor Public Company or otherwise) associated with the issuance of such opinion or the removal of any legends on any of the Securities shall be borne by the Successor Public Company.

 

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(c) Legends. Each Buyer understands that the Securities have been issued (or will be issued in the case of the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares) pursuant to an exemption from registration or qualification under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, and except as set forth below, the Securities shall bear any legend as required by the “blue sky” laws of any state and a restrictive legend in substantially the following form (and a stop-transfer order may be placed against transfer of such stock certificates):

 

[NEITHER THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE [CONVERTIBLE] [EXERCISABLE] HAVE BEEN][THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN] REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED (I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR (B) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE HOLDER (IF REQUESTED BY THE COMPANY), IN A FORM REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SAID ACT OR (II) UNLESS SOLD OR ELIGIBLE TO BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR RULE 144A UNDER SAID ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.

 

(d) Removal of Legends. Certificates evidencing Securities shall not be required to contain the legend set forth in Section 5(c) above or any other legend (i) while a registration statement covering the resale of such Securities is effective under the 1933 Act, (ii) following any sale of such Securities pursuant to Rule 144 (assuming the transferor is not an affiliate of the Company), (iii) if such Securities are eligible to be sold, assigned or transferred under Rule 144 (provided that a Buyer provides the Company with reasonable assurances that such Securities are eligible for sale, assignment or transfer under Rule 144 which shall not include an opinion of Buyer’s counsel), (iv) in connection with a sale, assignment or other transfer (other than under Rule 144), provided that such Buyer provides the Company with an opinion of counsel to such Buyer, in a generally acceptable form, to the effect that such sale, assignment or transfer of the Securities may be made without registration under the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act or (v) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the 1933 Act (including, without limitation, controlling judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the SEC). If a legend is not required pursuant to the foregoing, the Company shall no later than two (2) Trading Days (or such earlier date as required pursuant to the 1934 Act or other applicable law, rule or regulation for the settlement of a trade initiated on the date such Buyer delivers such legended certificate representing such Securities to the Company) following the delivery by a Buyer to the Company or the transfer agent (with notice to the Company) of a legended certificate representing such Securities (endorsed or with stock powers attached, signatures guaranteed, and otherwise in form necessary to affect the reissuance and/or transfer, if applicable), together with any other deliveries from such Buyer as may be required above in this Section 5(d), as directed by such Buyer, either: (A) provided that the Company’s transfer agent is participating in the DTC Fast Automated Securities Transfer Program (“FAST”) and such Securities are Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares, credit the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock to which such Buyer shall be entitled to such Buyer’s or its designee’s balance account with DTC through its Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian system or (B) if the Company’s transfer agent is not participating in FAST, issue and deliver (via reputable overnight courier) to such Buyer, a certificate representing such Securities that is free from all restrictive and other legends, registered in the name of such Buyer or its designee (the date by which such credit is so required to be made to the balance account of such Buyer’s or such Buyer’s designee with DTC or such certificate is required to be delivered to such Buyer pursuant to the foregoing is referred to herein as the “Required Delivery Date”, and the date such shares of Common Stock are actually delivered without restrictive legend to such Buyer or such Buyer’s designee with DTC, as applicable, the “Share Delivery Date”). The Company shall be responsible for any transfer agent fees or DTC fees with respect to any issuance of Securities or the removal of any legends with respect to any Securities in accordance herewith.

 

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(e) Failure to Timely Deliver; Buy-In. After the Public Company Date, if the Successor Public Company fails, for any reason or for no reason, to issue and deliver (or cause to be delivered) to a Buyer (or its designee) by the Required Delivery Date, either (I) if the Transfer Agent is not participating in FAST, a certificate for the number of Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) to which such Buyer is entitled and register such Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) on the Successor Public Company’s share register or, if the Transfer Agent is participating in FAST, to credit the balance account of such Buyer or such Buyer’s designee with DTC for such number of Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) submitted for legend removal by such Buyer pursuant to Section 5(d) above or (II) if a registration statement covering the resale of the Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) submitted for legend removal by such Buyer pursuant to Section 5(d) above (the “Unavailable Shares”) is not available for the resale of such Unavailable Shares and the Successor Public Company fails to promptly, but in no event later than as required pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement (x) so notify such Buyer and (y) deliver the Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares, as applicable, electronically without any restrictive legend by crediting such aggregate number of Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) submitted for legend removal by such Buyer pursuant to Section 5(d) above to such Buyer’s or its designee’s balance account with DTC through its Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian system (the event described in the immediately foregoing clause (II) is hereinafter referred as a “Notice Failure” and together with the event described in clause (I) above, a “Delivery Failure”), then, in addition to all other remedies available to such Buyer, the Successor Public Company shall pay in cash to such Buyer on each day after the Share Delivery Date and during such Delivery Failure an amount equal to the lesser of (x) solely with respect to the first three Delivery Failures and/or Notice Failures (if any), 5% of the applicable Daily Failure Amount (as defined below) and (y) 1% of the product of (A) the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock not issued to such Buyer on or prior to the Required Delivery Date and to which such Buyer is entitled, and (B) any trading price of the Common Stock selected by such Buyer in writing as in effect at any time during the period beginning on the date of the delivery by such Buyer to the Successor Public Company of the applicable Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) and ending on the applicable Share Delivery Date (with respect to any Trading Day, the “Daily Failure Amount”). In addition to the foregoing, if on or prior to the Required Delivery Date either (I) if the Transfer Agent is not participating in FAST, the Successor Public Company shall fail to issue and deliver a certificate to a Buyer and register such shares of Common Stock on the Successor Public Company’s share register or, if the Transfer Agent is participating in FAST, credit the balance account of such Buyer or such Buyer’s designee with DTC for the number of shares of Common Stock to which such Buyer submitted for legend removal by such Buyer pursuant to Section 5(d) above (ii) below or (II) a Notice Failure occurs, and if on or after such Trading Day such Buyer purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Buyer of shares of Common Stock submitted for legend removal by such Buyer pursuant to Section 5(d) above that such Buyer anticipated receiving from the Successor Public Company (a “Buy-In”), then the Successor Public Company shall, within one (1) Trading Day after such Buyer’s request and in such Buyer’s discretion, either (i) pay cash to such Buyer in an amount equal to such Buyer’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any, for the shares of Common Stock so purchased) (the “Buy-In Price”), at which point the Successor Public Company’s obligation to so deliver such certificate or credit such Buyer’s balance account shall terminate and such shares shall be cancelled, or (ii) promptly honor its obligation to so deliver to such Buyer a certificate or certificates or credit the balance account of such Buyer or such Buyer’s designee with DTC representing such number of shares of Common Stock that would have been so delivered if the Successor Public Company timely complied with its obligations hereunder and pay cash to such Buyer in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Buy-In Price over the product of (A) such number of shares of Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) that the Successor Public Company was required to deliver to such Buyer by the Required Delivery Date multiplied by (B) the lowest Closing Sale Price (as defined in the Warrants) of the Common Stock on any Trading Day during the period commencing on the date of the delivery by such Buyer to the Successor Public Company of the applicable Conversion Shares or Warrant Shares (as the case may be) and ending on the date of such delivery and payment under this clause (ii). Nothing shall limit such Buyer’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity, including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Successor Public Company’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock (or to electronically deliver such shares of Common Stock) as required pursuant to the terms hereof. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, with respect to any given Notice Failure and/or Delivery Failure, this Section 5(e) shall not apply to the applicable Buyer the extent the Successor Public Company has already paid such amounts in full to such Buyer with respect to such Notice Failure and/or Delivery Failure and/or Conversion Failure (as defined in the Notes) and/or Delivery Failure (as defined in the Warrants), as applicable, pursuant to the analogous sections of the Note or Warrant, as applicable, held by such Buyer.

 

(f) FAST Compliance. While any Warrants remain outstanding, the Successor Public Company shall maintain a transfer agent that participates in FAST.

 

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6. CONDITIONS TO THE COMPANY’S OBLIGATION TO SELL.

 

(a) The obligation of the Company hereunder to issue and sell the Notes and the related Warrants to each Buyer at the Initial Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Initial Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the Company’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Company at any time in its sole discretion by providing each Buyer with prior written notice thereof:

 

(i) Such Buyer shall have executed each of the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party and delivered the same to the Company.

 

(ii) Such Buyer and each other Buyer shall have delivered to the Company the Purchase Price (less, in the case of any Buyer, the amounts withheld pursuant to Section 4(g)) for the Note and the related Warrants being purchased by such Buyer at the Initial Closing by wire transfer of immediately available funds in accordance with the Initial Flow of Funds Letter.

 

(iii) The representations and warranties of such Buyer shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of the Initial Closing Date as though originally made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such specific date), and such Buyer shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by such Buyer at or prior to the Initial Closing Date.

 

(iv) No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction that prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

 

(b) The obligation of the Company hereunder to issue and sell the Additional Notes to each Buyer at the Additional Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Additional Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the Company’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Company at any time in its sole discretion by providing each Buyer with prior written notice thereof:

 

(i) Such Buyer shall have executed each of the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party and delivered the same to the Company.

 

(ii) Such Buyer and each other Buyer shall have delivered to the Company the Purchase Price (less, in the case of any Buyer, the amounts withheld pursuant to Section 4(g)) for the Additional Notes being purchased by such Buyer at the Additional Closing by wire transfer of immediately available funds in accordance with the Additional Flow of Funds Letter.

 

(iii) The representations and warranties of such Buyer shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of the Additional Closing Date as though originally made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such specific date), and such Buyer shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by such Buyer at or prior to the Additional Closing Date.

 

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(iv) No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction that prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

 

7. CONDITIONS TO EACH BUYER’S OBLIGATION TO PURCHASE.

 

(a) The obligation of each Buyer hereunder to purchase its Initial Note and its related Warrants at the Initial Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Initial Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for each Buyer’s sole benefit and may be waived by such Buyer at any time in its sole discretion by providing the Company with prior written notice thereof:

 

(i) The Company and each Subsidiary (as the case may be) shall have duly executed and delivered to such Buyer each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and the Company shall have duly executed and delivered to such Buyer (A) an Initial Note in such original principal amount as is set forth across from such Buyer’s name in column (3) of the Schedule of Buyers, (B) a Series A Warrant (initially for such aggregate number of Series A Warrant Shares as is set forth across from such Buyer’s name in column (5) of the Schedule of Buyers), (C) a Series B Warrant (initially for such aggregate number of Series B Warrant Shares as is set forth across from such Buyer’s name in column (6) of the Schedule of Buyers) and (D) a Series C Warrant (initially for such aggregate number of Series C Warrant Shares as is set forth across from such Buyer’s name in column (7) of the Schedule of Buyers), in each case, as being purchased by such Buyer at the Initial Closing pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(ii) Such Buyer shall have received the opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, the Company’s counsel, dated as of the Initial Closing Date, in the form acceptable to such Buyer.

 

(iii) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate evidencing the good standing of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries in each such entity’s jurisdiction of formation issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of such jurisdiction of formation as of a date within ten (10) days of the Initial Closing Date.

 

(iv) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate evidencing the Company’s and each Subsidiary’s qualification as a foreign corporation and good standing issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of each jurisdiction in which the Company and each Subsidiary conducts business and is required to so qualify, as of a date within ten (10) days of the Initial Closing Date.

 

(v) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation as certified by the Delaware Secretary of State within ten (10) days of the Initial Closing Date.

 

(vi) Each Subsidiary shall have delivered to such Buyer a certified copy of its Certificate of Incorporation (or such equivalent organizational document) as certified by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of such Subsidiary’s jurisdiction of incorporation within ten (10) days of the Initial Closing Date.

 

(vii) The Company and each Subsidiary shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate, in the form acceptable to such Buyer, executed by the Secretary of the Company and each Subsidiary and dated as of the Initial Closing Date, as to (i) the resolutions consistent with Section 3(b) as adopted by the Company’s and each Subsidiary’s board of directors in a form reasonably acceptable to such Buyer, (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and the organizational documents of each Subsidiary and (iii) the Bylaws of the Company and the bylaws of each Subsidiary, each as in effect at the Initial Closing.

 

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(viii) Each and every representation and warranty of the Company shall be true and correct as of the date when made and as of the Initial Closing Date as though originally made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such specific date), as modified by any updated Disclosure Schedule delivered by the Company at the Initial Closing (provided, the Buyer is provided reasonable time to review any updates to the Disclosure Schedule), and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Initial Closing Date. Such Buyer shall have received a certificate, duly executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, dated as of the Initial Closing Date, to the foregoing effect and as to such other matters as may be reasonably requested by such Buyer in the form acceptable to such Buyer.

 

(ix) The Company shall have obtained all governmental, regulatory or third party consents and approvals, if any, necessary for the sale of the Securities.

 

(x) No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction that prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

 

(xi) In accordance with the terms of the Security Documents, the Company shall have delivered to the Collateral Agent appropriate financing statements on Form UCC-1 to be duly filed in such office or offices as may be necessary or, in the opinion of the Collateral Agent, desirable to perfect the security interests purported to be created by each Security Document.

 

(xii) Within two (2) Business Days prior to the Initial Closing, each Buyer and the Collateral Agent shall have received (A) satisfactory results of UCC Lien searches and the results of searches for any tax Lien and judgment Lien filed against such Person or its property, which results, except as otherwise agreed to in writing by the Collateral Agent and the Buyers, shall not show any such Liens; and (B) a perfection certificate, duly completed and executed by the Company and each of its Subsidiaries, in form and substance satisfactory to the Buyers (the “Initial Perfection Certificate”).

 

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(xiii) The Collateral Agent shall have received the Security Agreement, duly executed by the Company and each of its Subsidiaries.

 

(xiv) Each Custodian (as defined in the Security Agreement) and the Collateral Agent shall have duly executed and delivered to such Buyer a Custodian Control Agreement (as defined in the Security Agreement) with respect to each account of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries held at such Custodian as required by the Security Agreement.

 

(xv) Such Buyer shall have received a letter on the letterhead of the Company, duly executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, setting forth the wire amounts of each Buyer and the wire transfer instructions of the Company with respect to the Initial Closing (the “Initial Flow of Funds Letter”).

 

(xvi) The Company and its Subsidiaries shall have delivered to such Buyer such other documents, instruments or certificates relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as such Buyer or its counsel may reasonably request.

 

(b) The obligation of each Buyer hereunder to purchase its Additional Note at such applicable Additional Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before such applicable Additional Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for each Buyer’s sole benefit and may be waived by such Buyer at any time in its sole discretion by providing the Company with prior written notice thereof:

 

(i) The Company and each Subsidiary (as the case may be) shall have duly executed and delivered to such Buyer each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and the Company shall have duly executed and delivered to such Buyer (A) an Additional Note in such original principal amount as is set forth across from such Buyer’s name in column (4) of the Schedule of Buyers as being purchased by such Buyer at such Additional Closing pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(ii) Such Buyer shall have received the opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, the Company’s counsel, dated as of such Additional Closing Date, in the form acceptable to such Buyer.

 

(iii) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a copy of the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions, in the form acceptable to such Buyer, which instructions shall have been delivered to and acknowledged in writing by the Company’s transfer agent.

 

(iv) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate evidencing the formation and good standing of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries in each such entity’s jurisdiction of formation issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of such jurisdiction of formation as of a date within ten (10) days of such Additional Closing Date.

 

(v) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate evidencing the Company’s and each Subsidiary’s qualification as a foreign corporation and good standing issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of each jurisdiction in which the Company and each Subsidiary conducts business and is required to so qualify, as of a date within ten (10) days of such Additional Closing Date.

 

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(vi) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation as certified by the Delaware Secretary of State within ten (10) days of such Additional Closing Date.

 

(vii) Each Subsidiary shall have delivered to such Buyer a certified copy of its Certificate of Incorporation (or such equivalent organizational document) as certified by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of such Subsidiary’s jurisdiction of incorporation within ten (10) days of such Additional Closing Date.

 

(viii) The Company and each Subsidiary shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate, in the form acceptable to such Buyer, executed by the Secretary of the Company and each Subsidiary and dated as of such Additional Closing Date, as to (i) the resolutions consistent with Section 3(b) as adopted by the Company’s and each Subsidiary’s board of directors in a form reasonably acceptable to such Buyer, (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and the organizational documents of each Subsidiary and (iii) the Bylaws of the Company and the bylaws of each Subsidiary, each as in effect at such Additional Closing.

 

(ix) Each and every representation and warranty of the Company shall be true and correct as of the date when made and as of such Additional Closing Date as though originally made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such specific date), as modified by any updated Disclosure Schedule delivered by the Company at such Additional Closing (provided the Buyer is provided reasonable time to review any updates to the Disclosure Schedule), and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to such Additional Closing Date. Such Buyer shall have received a certificate, duly executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, dated as of such Additional Closing Date, to the foregoing effect and as to such other matters as may be reasonably requested by such Buyer in the form acceptable to such Buyer.

 

(x) The Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a letter from the Company’s transfer agent certifying the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on such Additional Closing Date immediately prior to such Additional Closing.

 

(xi) The Company shall have obtained all governmental, regulatory or third party consents and approvals, if any, necessary for the sale of the Securities.

 

(xii) No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction that prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

 

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(xiii) In accordance with the terms of the Security Documents, the Company shall have delivered to the Collateral Agent appropriate financing statements on Form UCC-1 to be duly filed in such office or offices as may be necessary or, in the opinion of the Collateral Agent, desirable to perfect the security interests purported to be created by each Security Document.

 

(xiv) Within two (2) Business Days prior to the Additional Closing, each Buyer and the Collateral Agent shall have received (A) satisfactory results of UCC Lien searches and the results of searches for any tax Lien and judgment Lien filed against such Person or its property, which results, except as otherwise agreed to in writing by the Collateral Agent and the Buyers, shall not show any such Liens; and (B) a perfection certificate, duly completed and executed by the Company and each of its Subsidiaries, in form and substance satisfactory to the Buyers (the “Additional Perfection Certificate”, together with the Initial Perfection Certificate, the “Perfection Certificates”).

 

(xv) The Collateral Agent shall have received the Security Agreement, duly executed by the Company and each of its Subsidiaries.

 

(xvi) Each Custodian (as defined in the Security Agreement) and the Collateral Agent shall have duly executed and delivered to such Buyer a Custodian Control Agreement (as defined in the Security Agreement) with respect to each account of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries held at such Custodian as required by the Security Agreement.

 

(xvii) Such Buyer shall have received a letter on the letterhead of the Company, duly executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, setting forth the wire amounts of each Buyer and the wire transfer instructions of the Company with respect to such Additional Closing (the “Additional Flow of Funds Letter”).

 

(xviii) The greater of (I) 300 Bitcoin and (II) the product of (x) the 30-day VWAP of Bitcoin and (y) the aggregate number of Bitcoin held by the Company in Custodian Account Agreements, in each case, as of the Trading Day ended immediately prior to such Additional Closing, shall not be less than 200% of the sum of (A) the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding and (B) the aggregate principal amount of the Additional Notes to be issued in such Additional Closing

 

(xix) Each BC Entity shall have delivered to such Buyer the Lock-Up Agreements, duly executed and delivered by the Lock-Up Stockholders, pursuant to which the Lock-Up Stockholders shall have agreed not to directly, or indirectly, sell any securities of any BC Entity (including, without limitation, any securities issued pursuant to the Business Combination Registration Statement), until the six (6) month anniversary of the Business Combination Closing Date.

 

(xx) The Company and its Subsidiaries shall have delivered to such Buyer such other documents, instruments or certificates relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as such Buyer or its counsel may reasonably request.

 

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8. TERMINATION.

 

In the event that the Initial Closing shall not have occurred with respect to a Buyer within five (5) days of the date hereof, then such Buyer shall have the right to terminate its obligations under this Agreement with respect to itself at any time on or after the close of business on such date without liability of such Buyer to any other party; provided, however, (i) the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 8 shall not be available to such Buyer if the failure of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to have been consummated by such date is the result of such Buyer’s breach of this Agreement and (ii) the abandonment of the sale and purchase of the Notes and the Warrants shall be applicable only to such Buyer providing such written notice, provided further that no such termination shall affect any obligation of the Company under this Agreement to reimburse such Buyer for the expenses described in Section 4(g) above unless the termination is due to such Buyer’s breach of this Agreement. Nothing contained in this Section 8 shall be deemed to release any party from any liability for any breach by such party of the terms and provisions of this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or to impair the right of any party to compel specific performance by any other party of its obligations under this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents.

 

9. MISCELLANEOUS.

 

(a) Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Jury Trial. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of New York. The Company hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in The City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or under any of the other Transaction Documents or with any transaction contemplated hereby or thereby, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed or operate to preclude any Buyer from bringing suit or taking other legal action against the Company in any other jurisdiction to collect on the Company’s obligations to such Buyer or to enforce a judgment or other court ruling in favor of such Buyer. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR UNDER ANY OTHER TRANSACTION DOCUMENT OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, ANY OTHER TRANSACTION DOCUMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.

 

(b) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by an e-mail which contains a portable document format (.pdf) file of an executed signature page, such signature page shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.

 

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(c) Headings; Gender. The headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, each pronoun herein shall be deemed to include the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular and plural forms thereof. The terms “including,” “includes,” “include” and words of like import shall be construed broadly as if followed by the words “without limitation.” The terms “herein,” “hereunder,” “hereof” and words of like import refer to this entire Agreement instead of just the provision in which they are found.

 

(d) Severability; Maximum Payment Amounts. If any provision of this Agreement is prohibited by law or otherwise determined to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the provision that would otherwise be prohibited, invalid or unenforceable shall be deemed amended to apply to the broadest extent that it would be valid and enforceable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Agreement so long as this Agreement as so modified continues to express, without material change, the original intentions of the parties as to the subject matter hereof and the prohibited nature, invalidity or unenforceability of the provision(s) in question does not substantially impair the respective expectations or reciprocal obligations of the parties or the practical realization of the benefits that would otherwise be conferred upon the parties. The parties will endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the prohibited, invalid or unenforceable provision(s) with a valid provision(s), the effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the prohibited, invalid or unenforceable provision(s). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or any other Transaction Document (and without implication that the following is required or applicable), it is the intention of the parties that in no event shall amounts and value paid by the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries (as the case may be), or payable to or received by any of the Buyers, under the Transaction Documents (including without limitation, any amounts that would be characterized as “interest” under applicable law) exceed amounts permitted under any applicable law. Accordingly, if any obligation to pay, payment made to any Buyer, or collection by any Buyer pursuant the Transaction Documents is finally judicially determined to be contrary to any such applicable law, such obligation to pay, payment or collection shall be deemed to have been made by mutual mistake of such Buyer, the Company and its Subsidiaries and such amount shall be deemed to have been adjusted with retroactive effect to the maximum amount or rate of interest, as the case may be, as would not be so prohibited by the applicable law. Such adjustment shall be effected, to the extent necessary, by reducing or refunding, at the option of such Buyer, the amount of interest or any other amounts which would constitute unlawful amounts required to be paid or actually paid to such Buyer under the Transaction Documents. For greater certainty, to the extent that any interest, charges, fees, expenses or other amounts required to be paid to or received by such Buyer under any of the Transaction Documents or related thereto are held to be within the meaning of “interest” or another applicable term to otherwise be violative of applicable law, such amounts shall be pro-rated over the period of time to which they relate.

 

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(e) Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement, the other Transaction Documents and the schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto and the instruments referenced herein and therein supersede all other prior oral or written agreements between the Buyers, any BC Entity, any of their affiliates and Persons acting on their behalf, including, without limitation, any transactions by any Buyer with respect to Common Stock or the Securities, and the other matters contained herein and therein, and this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, the schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto and the instruments referenced herein and therein contain the entire understanding of the parties solely with respect to the matters covered herein and therein; provided, however, nothing contained in this Agreement or any other Transaction Document shall (or shall be deemed to) (i) have any effect on any agreements any Buyer has entered into with, or any instruments any Buyer has received from, any BC Entity prior to the date hereof with respect to any prior investment made by such Buyer in any BC Entity or (ii) waive, alter, modify or amend in any respect any obligations of any BC Entity or Buyer, as applicable, or any rights of or benefits to any Buyer, any BC Entity or any other Person, in any agreement entered into prior to the date hereof between or among any BC Entity and any Buyer, or any instruments any Buyer or BC Entity, as applicable, received from any BC Entity or Buyer, as applicable, prior to the date hereof, and all such agreements and instruments shall continue in full force and effect. Except as specifically set forth herein or therein, neither any BC Party nor any Buyer makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to such matters. For clarification purposes, the Recitals are part of this Agreement. Subject to the Company’s ability to update the Disclosure Schedule as provided in Section 7, no provision of this Agreement may be amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the BC Parties and the Required Holders (as defined below), and any amendment to any provision of this Agreement made in conformity with the provisions of this Section 9(e) shall be binding on all Buyers and holders of Securities, as applicable; provided that no such amendment shall be effective to the extent that it (A) applies to less than all of the holders of the Securities then outstanding or (B) imposes any obligation or liability on any Buyer without such Buyer’s prior written consent (which may be granted or withheld in such Buyer’s sole discretion). No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the waiving party, provided that the Required Holders may waive any provision of this Agreement, and any waiver of any provision of this Agreement made in conformity with the provisions of this Section 9(e) shall be binding on all Buyers and holders of Securities, as applicable, provided that no such waiver shall be effective to the extent that it (1) applies to less than all of the holders of the Securities then outstanding (unless a party gives a waiver as to itself only) or (2) imposes any obligation or liability on any Buyer without such Buyer’s prior written consent (which may be granted or withheld in such Buyer’s sole discretion). No consideration (other than reimbursement of legal fees) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of any of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration also is offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents, all holders of the Notes or all holders of the Warrants (as the case may be). From the date hereof and while any Notes or Warrants are outstanding, no BC Entity shall be permitted to receive any consideration from a Buyer or a holder of Notes or Warrants that is not otherwise contemplated by the Transaction Documents in order to, directly or indirectly, induce any BC Entity (i) to treat such Buyer or holder of Notes or Warrants in a manner that is more favorable than to other similarly situated Buyers or holders of Notes or Warrants, as applicable, or (ii) to treat any Buyer(s) or holder(s) of Notes or Warrants in a manner that is less favorable than the Buyer or holder of Notes or Warrants that is paying such consideration; provided, however, that the determination of whether a Buyer has been treated more or less favorably than another Buyer shall disregard any securities of the Company purchased or sold by any Buyer. No BC Entity has, directly or indirectly, made any agreements with any Buyers relating to the terms or conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents except as set forth in the Transaction Documents. Without limiting the foregoing, each BC Party confirms that, except as set forth in this Agreement, no Buyer has made any commitment or promise or has any other obligation to provide any financing to any BC Entity or otherwise. As a material inducement for each Buyer to enter into this Agreement, each BC Party expressly acknowledges and agrees that (x) no due diligence or other investigation or inquiry conducted by a Buyer, any of its advisors or any of its representatives shall affect such Buyer’s right to rely on, or shall modify or qualify in any manner or be an exception to any of, such BC Party’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any other Transaction Document and (y) unless a provision of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document is expressly preceded by the phrase “except as disclosed in the SEC Documents,” nothing contained in any of the SEC Documents shall affect such Buyer’s right to rely on, or shall modify or qualify in any manner or be an exception to any of, such BC Party’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any other Transaction Document. “Required Holders” means ATW Growth Opportunities SPV, LLC so long as ATW Growth Opportunities SPV, LLC holds any of the Notes, Warrants or Underlying Securities issued or issuable hereunder or pursuant to the Notes and/or the Warrants.

 

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(f) Notices. Any notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt, when sent by electronic mail (provided that such sent email is kept on file (whether electronically or otherwise) by the sending party and the sending party does not receive an automatically generated message from the recipient’s email server that such e-mail could not be delivered to such recipient); or (iii) one (1) Business Day after deposit with an overnight courier service with next day delivery specified, in each case, properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The mailing addresses and e-mail addresses for such communications shall be:

 

If to the Company:

 

Fold, Inc.

11201 North Tatum Boulevard

Suite 300, Unit 42035

Phoenix, AZ 85028

Attention: Will Reeves

Email: will.reeves@foldapp.com

 

With a copy (for informational purposes only) to:

 

Latham & Watkins LLP

140 Scott Drive

Menlo Park, CA 94025

Telephone: (650) 328-4600

Attention: Benjamin A. Potter, Esq. E-Mail: Benjamin.Potter@lw.com

 

If to a Buyer, to its mailing address and e-mail address set forth on the Schedule of Buyers, with copies to such Buyer’s representatives as set forth on the Schedule of Buyers,

 

with a copy (for informational purposes only) to:

 

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

3 World Trade Center 175 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10007

Telephone: (212) 808-7540

Attention: Michael A. Adelstein, Esq.

E-mail: madelstein@kelleydrye.com

 

or to such other mailing address and/or e-mail address and/or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other party five (5) days prior to the effectiveness of such change, provided that Kelley Drye & Warren LLP shall only be provided copies of notices sent to the lead Buyer. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (B) mechanically or electronically generated by the sender’s e-mail containing the time, date and recipient’s e-mail or (C) provided by an overnight courier service shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service, receipt by e-mail or receipt from an overnight courier service in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or

(iii) above, respectively.

 

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(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and assigns, including any purchasers of any of the Notes. No BC Party shall assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Required Holders, including, without limitation, by way of a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Warrants) (unless the Company is in compliance with the applicable provisions governing Fundamental Transactions set forth in the Warrants) or a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Notes) (unless the Company is in compliance with the applicable provisions governing Fundamental Transactions set forth in the Notes). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not consummate the Business Combination unless the SPAC shall have executed a joinder to this Agreement (in its capacity as the Successor Public Company hereunder) on or prior to the Business Combination Closing Date. A Buyer may assign some or all of its rights hereunder in connection with any transfer of any of its Securities without the consent of the Company, in which event such assignee shall be deemed to be a Buyer hereunder with respect to such assigned rights.

 

(h) No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, other than the Indemnitees referred to in Section 9(k).

 

(i) Survival. The representations, warranties, agreements and covenants shall survive each Closing. Each Buyer shall be responsible only for its own representations, warranties, agreements and covenants hereunder.

 

(j) Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as any other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(k) Indemnification. In consideration of each Buyer’s execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and acquiring the Securities thereunder and in addition to all of each BC Party’s other obligations under the Transaction Documents, each BC Party, severally, shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless each Buyer and each holder of any Securities and all of their stockholders, partners, members, officers, directors, employees and direct or indirect investors and any of the foregoing Persons’ agents or other representatives (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) (collectively, the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and expenses in connection therewith (irrespective of whether any such Indemnitee is a party to the action for which indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements (the “Indemnified Liabilities”), incurred by any Indemnitee as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to (i) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by any BC Entity in any of the Transaction Documents, (ii) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of any BC Entity contained in any of the Transaction Documents or (iii) any cause of action, suit, proceeding or claim brought or made against such Indemnitee by a third party (including for these purposes a derivative action brought on behalf of any BC Entity) or which otherwise involves such Indemnitee that arises out of or results from (A) the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents, (B) any transaction financed or to be financed in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, with the proceeds of the issuance of the Securities, (C) any disclosure properly made by such Buyer pursuant to Section 4(i), or (D) the status of such Buyer or holder of the Securities either as an investor in any BC Entity pursuant to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or as a party to this Agreement (including, without limitation, as a party in interest or otherwise in any action or proceeding for injunctive or other equitable relief). The Company will not be liable to any Buyer under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Buyer effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is primarily attributable to any Buyer’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Buyer in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by a BC Entity may be unenforceable for any reason, the Company shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities which is permissible under applicable law. Except as otherwise set forth herein, the mechanics and procedures with respect to the rights and obligations under this Section 9(k) shall be the same as those set forth in Section 6 of the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

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(l) Construction. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party. No specific representation or warranty shall limit the generality or applicability of a more general representation or warranty. Each and every reference to share prices, shares of Common Stock and any other numbers in this Agreement that relate to the Common Stock shall be automatically adjusted for any stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations, recapitalizations or other similar transactions that occur with respect to the Common Stock after the date of this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty against, or a prohibition of, any actions with respect to the borrowing of, arrangement to borrow, identification of the availability of, and/or securing of, securities of the Company in order for such Buyer (or its broker or other financial representative) to effect short sales or similar transactions in the future.

 

(m) Remedies. Each Buyer and in the event of assignment by Buyer of its rights and obligations hereunder, each holder of Securities, shall have all rights and remedies set forth in the Transaction Documents and all rights and remedies which such holders have been granted at any time under any other agreement or contract and all of the rights which such holders have under any law. Any Person having any rights under any provision of this Agreement shall be entitled to enforce such rights specifically (without posting a bond or other security), to recover damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights granted by law. Furthermore, each BC Party recognizes that in the event that it or any BC Entity fails to perform, observe, or discharge any or all of its or such BC Entity’s (as the case may be) obligations under the Transaction Documents, any remedy at law would inadequate relief to the Buyers. Each BC Party therefore agrees that the Buyers shall be entitled to specific performance and/or temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctive or other equitable relief from any court of competent jurisdiction in any such case without the necessity of proving actual damages and without posting a bond or other security. The remedies provided in this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents shall be cumulative and in addition to all other remedies available under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents, at law or in equity (including a decree of specific performance and/or other injunctive relief).

 

(n) Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) the Transaction Documents, whenever any Buyer exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and any BC Entity does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Buyer may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to such applicable BC Entity, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights.

 

(o) Payment Set Aside; Currency. To the extent that a BC Entity makes a payment or payments to any Buyer hereunder or pursuant to any of the other Transaction Documents or any of the Buyers enforce or exercise their rights hereunder or thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to such BC Entity, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, foreign, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, all dollar amounts referred to in this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents are in United States Dollars (“U.S. Dollars”), and all amounts owing under this Agreement and all other Transaction Documents shall be paid in U.S. Dollars. All amounts denominated in other currencies (if any) shall be converted into the U.S. Dollar equivalent amount in accordance with the Exchange Rate on the date of calculation. “Exchange Rate” means, in relation to any amount of currency to be converted into U.S. Dollars pursuant to this Agreement, the U.S. Dollar exchange rate as published in the Wall Street Journal on the relevant date of calculation.

 

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(p) Judgment Currency.

 

(i) If for the purpose of obtaining or enforcing judgment against any BC Entity in connection with this Agreement or any other Transaction Document in any court in any jurisdiction it becomes necessary to convert into any other currency (such other currency being hereinafter in this Section 9(p) referred to as the “Judgment Currency”) an amount due in US Dollars under this Agreement, the conversion shall be made at the Exchange Rate prevailing on the Trading Day immediately preceding:

 

(1) the date actual payment of the amount due, in the case of any proceeding in the courts of New York or in the courts of any other jurisdiction that will give effect to such conversion being made on such date: or

 

(2) the date on which the foreign court determines, in the case of any proceeding in the courts of any other jurisdiction (the date as of which such conversion is made pursuant to this Section 9(p)(i)(2) being hereinafter referred to as the “Judgment Conversion Date”).

 

(ii) If in the case of any proceeding in the court of any jurisdiction referred to in Section 9(p)(i)(2) above, there is a change in the Exchange Rate prevailing between the Judgment Conversion Date and the date of actual payment of the amount due, the applicable party shall pay such adjusted amount as may be necessary to ensure that the amount paid in the Judgment Currency, when converted at the Exchange Rate prevailing on the date of payment, will produce the amount of US Dollars which could have been purchased with the amount of Judgment Currency stipulated in the judgment or judicial order at the Exchange Rate prevailing on the Judgment Conversion Date.

 

(iii) Any amount due from any BC Entity under this provision shall be due as a separate debt and shall not be affected by judgment being obtained for any other amounts due under or in respect of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document.

 

(q) Independent Nature of Buyers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Buyer under the Transaction Documents are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Buyer, and no Buyer shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Buyer under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Buyer pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Buyers as, and the Company acknowledges that the Buyers do not so constitute, a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Buyers are in any way acting in concert or as a group or entity, and the Company shall not assert any such claim with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or any matters, and the Company acknowledges that the Buyers are not acting in concert or as a group, and the Company shall not assert any such claim, with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The decision of each Buyer to purchase Securities pursuant to the Transaction Documents has been made by such Buyer independently of any other Buyer. Each Buyer acknowledges that no other Buyer has acted as agent for such Buyer in connection with such Buyer making its investment hereunder and that no other Buyer will be acting as agent of such Buyer in connection with monitoring such Buyer’s investment in the Securities or enforcing its rights under the Transaction Documents. The Company and each Buyer confirms that each Buyer has independently participated with the Company in the negotiation of the transaction contemplated hereby with the advice of its own counsel and advisors. Each Buyer shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of any other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Buyer to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The use of a single agreement to effectuate the purchase and sale of the Securities contemplated hereby was solely in the control of the Company, not the action or decision of any Buyer, and was done solely for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Buyer. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between applicable BC Entities and a Buyer, solely, and not between the Company, its Subsidiaries and the Buyers collectively and not between and among the Buyers.

 

[signature pages follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  FOLD, INC.
   
  By: /s/ Will Reeves
    Name:   Will Reeves
    Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

  BUYER:
   
  ATW GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES SPV, LLC
   
  By: /s/ Antonio Ruiz-Gimenez
    Name:   Antonio Ruiz-Gimenez
    Title: Managing Partner

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.8

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

This REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of December [   ], 2024, is by and among Fold, Inc., a Delaware corporation with offices located at 11201 North Tatum Boulevard, Suite 300, Unit 42035, Phoenix, AZ 85028 (except, that after the Public Company Date (as defined below), all references to “Company” herein shall also be deemed to include any Successor Public Company (as defined in below), mutatis mutandis) (the “Company”), and the undersigned buyers (each, a “Buyer,” and collectively, the “Buyers”).

 

RECITALS

 

A. In connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement by and among the parties hereto, dated as of December [   ], 2024 (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”), the Company has agreed, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Securities Purchase Agreement, to issue and sell to each Buyer the Additional Notes (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) which will be convertible into shares of Common Stock (the “Conversion Shares”) in accordance with the terms of the Additional Notes.

 

B. To induce the Buyers to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the “1933 Act”), and applicable state securities laws.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each of the Buyers hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Definitions.

 

Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

(a) “Additional Closing Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement.

 

(b) “Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.

 

 

 

(c) “Effective Date” means the date that the applicable Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC.

 

(d) “Effectiveness Deadline” means (i) with respect to the initial Registration Statement required to be filed pursuant to Section 2(a), the earlier of the (A) 120th calendar day after the Public Company Date and (B) 2nd Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that such Registration Statement will not be reviewed or will not be subject to further review and (ii) with respect to any additional Registration Statements that may be required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the earlier of the (A) 120th calendar day following the date on which the Company was required to file such additional Registration Statement and (B) 2nd Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that such Registration Statement will not be reviewed or will not be subject to further review.

 

(e) “Filing Deadline” means (i) with respect to the initial Registration Statement required to be filed pursuant to Section 2(a), the 30th calendar day after the Public Company Date and (ii) with respect to any additional Registration Statements that may be required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, the date on which the Company was required to file such additional Registration Statement pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; provided, however, that if the Filing Deadline falls on a day that is not a Business Day, then the Filing Deadline shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day.

 

(f) “Investor” means a Buyer or any transferee or assignee of any Registrable Securities or Additional Notes, as applicable, to whom a Buyer assigns its rights under this Agreement and who agrees to become bound by the provisions of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9 and any transferee or assignee thereof to whom a transferee or assignee of any Registrable Securities or Additional Notes, as applicable, assigns its rights under this Agreement and who agrees to become bound by the provisions of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9.

 

(g) “Person” means an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization or a government or any department or agency thereof.

 

(h) “Public Company Date” means the initial date on which either (i) the shares of Common Stock of the Company are registered under the 1934 Act or (ii) any publicly traded common equity (or equivalent security) of any Successor Entity (as defined in the Additional Notes) (or Parent Entity (as defined in the Additional Notes), as applicable) are issued in exchange for the Common Stock in the applicable Business Combination or other similar transaction (such applicable entity, the “Successor Public Company”), in either case, whether as a result of a public offering, Business Combination, recapitalization, reorganization or otherwise.

 

(i) “register,” “registered,” and “registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing one or more Registration Statements in compliance with the 1933 Act and pursuant to Rule 415 and the declaration of effectiveness of such Registration Statement(s) by the SEC.

 

(j) “Registrable Securities” means (i) the Conversion Shares, and (ii) any capital stock of the Company issued or issuable with respect to the Conversion Shares or the Additional Notes, including, without limitation, (1) as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event or otherwise and (2) shares of capital stock of the Company into which the shares of Common Stock (as defined in the Additional Notes) are converted or exchanged and shares of capital stock of a Successor Entity (as defined in the Additional Notes) into which the shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged, in each case, without regard to any limitations on conversion of the Additional Notes.

 

(k) “Registration Statement” means a registration statement or registration statements of the Company filed under the 1933 Act covering Registrable Securities.

 

(l) “Required Holders” shall have the meaning as set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement.

 

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(m) “Required Registration Amount” means 250% of the maximum number of Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion of the Additional Notes (assuming for purposes hereof that (x) the Additional Notes are convertible at the Alternate Conversion Price (as defined in the Additional Notes) as assuming an Alternate Conversion Date (as defined in the Additional Notes) as of such date of determination, (y) interest on the Additional Notes shall accrue through the thirty-six month anniversary of the Additional Closing Date (or, if such Additional Notes are not then outstanding, such date of determination) and will be converted into shares of Common Stock at an interest conversion price equal to the Interest Conversion Price (as defined in the Additional Notes) assuming an Interest Date (as defined in the Additional Note) as of the date hereof and (z) any such conversion shall not take into account any limitations on the conversion of the Additional Notes set forth in the Additional Notes and shall assuming the issuance of all Additional Notes then issuable pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement), all subject to adjustment as provided in Section 2(d) and/or Section 2(f).

 

(n) “Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the 1933 Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or any other similar or successor rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the Investors to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration.

 

(o) “Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the SEC under the 1933 Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or any other similar or successor rule or regulation of the SEC providing for offering securities on a continuous or delayed basis.

 

(p) “SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor thereto.

 

2. Registration.

 

(a) Mandatory Registration. The Company shall prepare and, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the Filing Deadline, file with the SEC an initial Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities, provided that such initial Registration Statement shall register for resale at least the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Required Registration Amount as of the date such Registration Statement is initially filed with the SEC; provided further that if Form S-3 is unavailable for such a registration, the Company shall use such other form as is required by Section 2(c). The Buyers acknowledge that Form S-1 will not be available to the Company until at least a year following the Business Combination Closing Date (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement). Such initial Registration Statement, and each other Registration Statement required to be filed pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, shall contain (except if otherwise directed by the Required Holders) the “Selling Stockholders” and “Plan of Distribution” sections in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have such initial Registration Statement, and each other Registration Statement required to be filed pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, declared effective by the SEC as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the applicable Effectiveness Deadline for such Registration Statement.

 

(b) Legal Counsel. Subject to Section 5 hereof, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, counsel solely to the lead investor (“Legal Counsel”) shall review and oversee any registration, solely on behalf of the lead investor, pursuant to this Section 2.

 

(c) Ineligibility to Use Form S-3. In the event that Form S-3 is not available for the registration of the resale of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Company shall (i) register the resale of the Registrable Securities on Form S-1 or another appropriate form reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders and (ii) undertake to register the resale of the Registrable Securities on Form S-3 as soon as such form is available, provided that the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of all Registration Statements then in effect until such time as a Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the resale of all the Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the SEC and the prospectus contained therein is available for use.

 

(d) Sufficient Number of Shares Registered. In the event the number of shares available under any Registration Statement is insufficient to cover all of the Registrable Securities required to be covered by such Registration Statement or an Investor’s allocated portion of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2(h), the Company shall amend such Registration Statement (if permissible), or file with the SEC a new Registration Statement (on the short form available therefor, if applicable), or both, so as to cover at least the Required Registration Amount as of the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the filing of such amendment or new Registration Statement, in each case, as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than fifteen (15) days after the necessity therefor arises (but taking account of any Staff position with respect to the date on which the Staff will permit such amendment to the Registration Statement and/or such new Registration Statement (as the case may be) to be filed with the SEC). The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause such amendment to such Registration Statement and/or such new Registration Statement (as the case may be) to become effective as soon as practicable following the filing thereof with the SEC, but in no event later than the applicable Effectiveness Deadline for such Registration Statement. For purposes of the foregoing provision, the number of shares available under a Registration Statement shall be deemed “insufficient to cover all of the Registrable Securities” if at any time the number of shares of Common Stock available for resale under the applicable Registration Statement is less than the product determined by multiplying (i) the Required Registration Amount as of such time by (ii) 0.90. The calculation set forth in the foregoing sentence shall be made without regard to any limitations on conversion, amortization and/or redemption of the Additional Notes (and such calculation shall assume (A) that the Additional Notes are then convertible in full into shares of Common Stock at the then prevailing Conversion Rate (as defined in the Additional Notes) and (B) the initial outstanding principal amount of the Additional Notes remains outstanding through the scheduled Maturity Date (as defined in the Additional Notes) and no redemptions of the Additional Notes occur prior to the scheduled Maturity Date.

 

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(e) Effect of Failure to File and Obtain and Maintain Effectiveness of any Registration Statement. If (i) a Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities required to be covered thereby (disregarding any reduction pursuant to Section 2(f)) and required to be filed by the Company pursuant to this Agreement is (A) not filed with the SEC on or before the Filing Deadline for such Registration Statement (a “Filing Failure”) (it being understood that if the Company files a Registration Statement without affording each Investor and Legal Counsel the opportunity to review and comment on the same as required by Section 3(c) hereof, the Company shall be deemed to not have satisfied this clause (i)(A) and such event shall be deemed to be a Filing Failure) or (B) not declared effective by the SEC on or before the Effectiveness Deadline for such Registration Statement (an “Effectiveness Failure”) (it being understood that if on the Business Day immediately following the Effective Date for such Registration Statement the Company shall not have filed a “final” prospectus for such Registration Statement with the SEC under Rule 424(b) in accordance with Section 3(b) (whether or not such a prospectus is technically required by such rule), the Company shall be deemed to not have satisfied this clause (i)(B) and such event shall be deemed to be an Effectiveness Failure), (ii) other than during an Allowable Grace Period (as defined below), on any day after the Effective Date of a Registration Statement sales of all of the Registrable Securities required to be included on such Registration Statement (disregarding any reduction pursuant to Section 2(f)) cannot be made pursuant to such Registration Statement (including, without limitation, because of a failure to keep such Registration Statement effective, a failure to disclose such information as is necessary for sales to be made pursuant to such Registration Statement, a suspension or delisting of (or a failure to timely list) the shares of Common Stock on the Principal Market (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) or any other limitations imposed by the Principal Market, or a failure to register a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock or by reason of a stop order) or the prospectus contained therein is not available for use for any reason (a “Maintenance Failure”), or (iii) if a Registration Statement is not effective for any reason or the prospectus contained therein is not available for use for any reason, and either (x) the Company fails for any reason to satisfy the requirements of Rule 144(c)(1), including, without limitation, the failure to satisfy the current public information requirement under Rule 144(c) or (y) the Company has ever been an issuer described in Rule 144(i)(1)(i) or becomes such an issuer in the future, and the Company shall fail to satisfy any condition set forth in Rule 144(i)(2) (a “Current Public Information Failure”) as a result of which any of the Investors are unable to sell Registrable Securities without restriction under Rule 144 (including, without limitation, volume restrictions), then, as partial relief for the damages to any holder by reason of any such delay in, or reduction of, its ability to sell the underlying shares of Common Stock (which remedy shall not be exclusive of any other remedies available at law or in equity, including, without limitation, specific performance), the Company shall pay to each holder of Registrable Securities relating to such Registration Statement an amount in cash equal to one percent (1%) of such Investor’s original principal amount stated in such Investor’s Additional Notes required to be included on such Registration Statement hereunder (1) on the date of such Filing Failure, Effectiveness Failure, Maintenance Failure or Current Public Information Failure, as applicable, and (2) on every thirty (30) day anniversary of (I) a Filing Failure until such Filing Failure is cured; (II) an Effectiveness Failure until such Effectiveness Failure is cured; (III) a Maintenance Failure until such Maintenance Failure is cured; and (IV) a Current Public Information Failure until the earlier of (i) the date such Current Public Information Failure is cured and (ii) such time that such public information is no longer required pursuant to Rule 144 (in each case, pro rated for periods totaling less than thirty (30) days). The payments to which a holder of Registrable Securities shall be entitled pursuant to this Section 2(e) are referred to herein as “Registration Delay Payments.” Following the initial Registration Delay Payment for any particular event or failure (which shall be paid on the date of such event or failure, as set forth above), without limiting the foregoing, if an event or failure giving rise to the Registration Delay Payments is cured prior to any thirty (30) day anniversary of such event or failure, then such Registration Delay Payment shall be made on the third (3rd) Business Day after such cure. In the event the Company fails to make Registration Delay Payments in a timely manner in accordance with the foregoing, such Registration Delay Payments shall bear interest at the rate of one percent (1%) per month (prorated for partial months) until paid in full. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Registration Delay Payments shall be owed to an Investor (other than with respect to a Maintenance Failure resulting from a suspension or delisting of (or a failure to timely list) the shares of Common Stock on the Principal Market) with respect to any period during which all of such Investor’s Registrable Securities may be sold by such Investor without restriction under 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).

 

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(f) Offering. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in the event the staff of the SEC (the “Staff”) or the SEC seeks to characterize any offering pursuant to a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement as constituting an offering of securities by, or on behalf of, the Company, or in any other manner, such that the Staff or the SEC do not permit such Registration Statement to become effective and used for resales in a manner that does not constitute such an offering and that permits the continuous resale at the market by the Investors participating therein (or as otherwise may be acceptable to each Investor) without being named therein as an “underwriter,” then the Company shall reduce the number of shares to be included in such Registration Statement by all Investors until such time as the Staff and the SEC shall so permit such Registration Statement to become effective as aforesaid. In making such reduction, the Company shall reduce the number of shares to be included by all Investors on a pro rata basis (based upon the number of Registrable Securities otherwise required to be included for each Investor) unless the inclusion of shares by a particular Investor or a particular set of Investors are resulting in the Staff or the SEC’s “by or on behalf of the Company” offering position, in which event the shares held by such Investor or set of Investors shall be the only shares subject to reduction (and if by a set of Investors on a pro rata basis by such Investors or on such other basis as would result in the exclusion of the least number of shares by all such Investors); provided, that, with respect to such pro rata portion allocated to any Investor, such Investor may elect the allocation of such pro rata portion among the Registrable Securities of such Investor. In addition, in the event that the Staff or the SEC requires any Investor seeking to sell securities under a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement to be specifically identified as an “underwriter” in order to permit such Registration Statement to become effective, and such Investor does not consent to being so named as an underwriter in such Registration Statement, then, in each such case, the Company shall reduce the total number of Registrable Securities to be registered on behalf of such Investor, until such time as the Staff or the SEC does not require such identification or until such Investor accepts such identification and the manner thereof. Any reduction pursuant to this paragraph will first reduce all Registrable Securities other than those issued pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement. In the event of any reduction in Registrable Securities pursuant to this paragraph, an affected Investor shall have the right to require, upon delivery of a written request to the Company signed by such Investor, the Company to file a registration statement within twenty (20) days of such request (subject to any restrictions imposed by Rule 415 or required by the Staff or the SEC) for resale by such Investor in a manner acceptable to such Investor, and the Company shall following such request cause to be and keep effective such registration statement in the same manner as otherwise contemplated in this Agreement for registration statements hereunder, in each case until such time as: (i) all Registrable Securities held by such Investor have been registered and sold pursuant to an effective Registration Statement in a manner acceptable to such Investor or (ii) all Registrable Securities may be resold by such Investor without restriction (including, without limitation, volume limitations) pursuant to Rule 144 (taking account of any Staff position with respect to “affiliate” status) and without the need for current public information required by Rule 144(c)(1) (or Rule 144(i)(2), if applicable) or (iii) such Investor agrees to be named as an underwriter in any such Registration Statement in a manner acceptable to such Investor as to all Registrable Securities held by such Investor and that have not theretofore been included in a Registration Statement under this Agreement (it being understood that the special demand right under this sentence may be exercised by an Investor multiple times and with respect to limited amounts of Registrable Securities in order to permit the resale thereof by such Investor as contemplated above).

 

(g) Piggyback Registrations. Without limiting any obligation of the Company hereunder or under the Securities Purchase Agreement, if there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities or the prospectus contained therein is not available for use and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement or offering statement relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others under the 1933 Act of any of its equity securities (other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the 1933 Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with the Company’s stock option or other employee benefit plans), then the Company shall deliver to each Investor a written notice of such determination and, if within fifteen (15) days after the date of the delivery of such notice, any such Investor shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such registration statement or offering statement all or any part of such Registrable Securities such Investor requests to be registered; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to register any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 2(g) that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 without restriction (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) or that are the subject of a then-effective Registration Statement.

 

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(h) Allocation of Registrable Securities. The initial number of Registrable Securities included in any Registration Statement and any increase in the number of Registrable Securities included therein shall be allocated pro rata among the Investors based on the number of Registrable Securities held by each Investor at the time such Registration Statement covering such initial number of Registrable Securities or increase thereof is declared effective by the SEC. In the event that an Investor sells or otherwise transfers any of such Investor’s Registrable Securities, each transferee or assignee (as the case may be) that becomes an Investor shall be allocated a pro rata portion of the then-remaining number of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement for such transferor or assignee (as the case may be). Any shares of Common Stock included in a Registration Statement and which remain allocated to any Person which ceases to hold any Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement shall be allocated to the remaining Investors, pro rata based on the number of Registrable Securities then held by such Investors which are covered by such Registration Statement.

 

(i) No Inclusion of Other Securities. Except for such securities (the “Business Combination Securities”) that the Company is required to register pursuant to the amended and restated registration rights agreement to be entered into between the Company and certain stockholders of the Company in connection with the Business Combination (the “Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement”), the Company shall in no event include any securities other than Registrable Securities on any Registration Statement filed in accordance herewith without the prior written consent of the Required Holders; provided, that, in the event of any reduction in the aggregate number of securities included on the applicable Registration Statement required by the SEC (or as necessary to prevent one or more Investors being deemed an underwriter under such applicable Registration Statement), the aggregate number of Business Combination Securities shall be reduced on such Registration Statement, pro rata, prior to any reduction of any of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement. Except for the Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, until the Applicable Date (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement), the Company shall not enter into any agreement providing any registration rights to any of its security holders, except as otherwise permitted under the Securities Purchase Agreement.

 

3. Related Obligations.

 

The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof, and, pursuant thereto, the Company shall have the following obligations:

 

(a) The Company shall promptly prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement with respect to all the Registrable Securities (but in no event later than the applicable Filing Deadline) and use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective as soon as practicable after such filing (but in no event later than the Effectiveness Deadline). Subject to Allowable Grace Periods, the Company shall keep each Registration Statement effective (and the prospectus contained therein available for use) pursuant to Rule 415 for resales by the Investors on a delayed or continuous basis at then-prevailing market prices (and not fixed prices) at all times until the earlier of (i) the date as of which all of the Investors may sell all of the Registrable Securities required to be covered by such Registration Statement (disregarding any reduction pursuant to Section 2(f)) 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) or (ii) the date on which the Investors shall have sold all of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement (the “Registration Period”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Company shall ensure that, when filed and at all times while effective, each Registration Statement (including, without limitation, all amendments and supplements thereto) and the prospectus (including, without limitation, all amendments and supplements thereto) used in connection with such Registration Statement (1) shall not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of prospectuses, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made) not misleading and (2) will disclose (whether directly or through incorporation by reference to other SEC filings to the extent permitted) all material information regarding the Company and its securities. The Company shall submit to the SEC, within one (1) Business Day after the later of the date that (i) the Company learns that no review of a particular Registration Statement will be made by the Staff or that the Staff has no further comments on a particular Registration Statement (as the case may be) and (ii) the consent of Legal Counsel is obtained pursuant to Section 3(c) (which consent shall be immediately sought), a request for acceleration of effectiveness of such Registration Statement to a time and date not later than twenty-four (24) hours after the submission of such request. The Company shall respond in writing to comments made by the SEC in respect of a Registration Statement as soon as practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) days after the receipt of comments by or notice from the SEC that an amendment is required in order for a Registration Statement to be declared effective.

 

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(b) Subject to Section 3(p) of this Agreement, the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC such amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) and supplements to each Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection with each such Registration Statement, which prospectus is to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 promulgated under the 1933 Act, as may be necessary to keep each such Registration Statement effective at all times during the Registration Period for such Registration Statement, and, during such period, comply with the provisions of the 1933 Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities of the Company required to be covered by such Registration Statement until such time as all of such Registrable Securities shall have been disposed of in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the seller or sellers thereof as set forth in such Registration Statement; provided, however, by 8:30 a.m. (New York time) on the Business Day immediately following each Effective Date, the Company shall file with the SEC in accordance with Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act the final prospectus to be used in connection with sales pursuant to the applicable Registration Statement (whether or not such a prospectus is technically required by such rule). In the case of amendments and supplements to any Registration Statement which are required to be filed pursuant to this Agreement (including, without limitation, pursuant to this Section 3(b)) by reason of the Company filing a report on Form 8-K, Form 10-Q or Form 10-K or any analogous report under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), the Company shall, if permitted under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC, have incorporated such report by reference into such Registration Statement, if applicable, or shall file such amendments or supplements with the SEC on the same day on which the 1934 Act report is filed which created the requirement for the Company to amend or supplement such Registration Statement.

 

(c) The Company shall (A) permit Legal Counsel and legal counsel for each other Investor to review and comment upon (i) each Registration Statement a reasonable amount of time prior to its filing with the SEC and (ii) all material amendments and supplements to each Registration Statement (including, without limitation, the prospectus contained therein) (except for Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any similar or successor reports) within a reasonable amount of time prior to their filing with the SEC, and (B) give due consideration to any comments provided by the Legal Counsel. The Company shall promptly furnish to Legal Counsel and legal counsel for each other Investor, without charge, (i) copies of any correspondence from the SEC or the Staff to the Company or its representatives relating to each Registration Statement, (ii) after the same is prepared and filed with the SEC, one (1) copy of each Registration Statement and any amendment(s) and supplement(s) thereto, including, without limitation, financial statements and schedules, and all exhibits and (iii) upon the effectiveness of each Registration Statement, one (1) copy of the prospectus included in such Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto; provided, however, that any such item listed in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii) which is available on the EDGAR system (or successor thereto) need not be furnished in physical form. The Company shall reasonably cooperate with Legal Counsel and legal counsel for each other Investor in performing the Company’s obligations pursuant to this Section 3.

 

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(d) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to (i) register and qualify, unless an exemption from registration and qualification applies, the resale by Investors of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement under such other securities or “blue sky” laws of all applicable jurisdictions in the United States, (ii) prepare and file in those jurisdictions, such amendments (including, without limitation, post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registrations and qualifications as may be necessary to maintain the effectiveness thereof during the Registration Period, (iii) take such other actions as may be necessary to maintain such registrations and qualifications in effect at all times during the Registration Period, and (iv) take all other actions reasonably necessary or advisable to qualify the Registrable Securities for sale in such jurisdictions; provided, however, the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (x) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 3(d), (y) subject itself to general taxation in any such jurisdiction, or (z) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction. The Company shall promptly notify Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor who holds Registrable Securities of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the registration or qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in the United States or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.

 

(e) The Company shall notify Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor in writing of the happening of any event, as promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such event, as a result of which the prospectus included in a Registration Statement, as then in effect, may include an untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided that in no event shall such notice contain any material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries), and, subject to Section 3(p), promptly prepare a supplement or amendment to such Registration Statement and such prospectus contained therein to correct such untrue statement or omission. The Company shall also promptly notify Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor in writing (i) when a prospectus or any prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment has been filed, when a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment has become effective (notification of such effectiveness shall be delivered to Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor by facsimile or e-mail on the same day of such effectiveness), and when the Company receives written notice from the SEC that a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment will be reviewed by the SEC, (ii) of any request by the SEC for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or related prospectus or related information, (iii) of the Company’s reasonable determination that a post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement would be appropriate; and (iv) of the receipt of any request by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority for any additional information relating to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto or any related prospectus. The Company shall respond as promptly as practicable to any comments received from the SEC with respect to each Registration Statement or any amendment thereto (it being understood and agreed that the Company’s response to any such comments shall be delivered to the SEC no later than fifteen (15) Business Days after the receipt thereof, subject to availability of financial statements required to be included in the Registration Statement).

 

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(f) The Company shall (i) use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness of each Registration Statement or the use of any prospectus contained therein, or the suspension of the qualification, or the loss of an exemption from qualification, of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction and, if such an order or suspension is issued, to obtain the withdrawal of such order or suspension at the earliest possible moment and (ii) notify Legal Counsel, legal counsel for each other Investor and each Investor who holds Registrable Securities of the issuance of such order and the resolution thereof or its receipt of actual notice of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for such purpose.

 

(g) If any Investor may be required under applicable securities law to be described in any Registration Statement as an underwriter and such Investor consents to so being named an underwriter, at the request of any Investor, the Company shall furnish to such Investor, on the date of the effectiveness of such Registration Statement and thereafter from time to time on such dates as an Investor may reasonably request (i) a letter, dated such date, from the Company’s independent certified public accountants in form and substance as is customarily given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the Investors, and (ii) an opinion, dated as of such date, of counsel representing the Company for purposes of such Registration Statement, in form, scope and substance as is customarily given in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the Investors.

 

(h) If any Investor may be required under applicable securities law to be described in any Registration Statement as an underwriter and such Investor consents to so being named an underwriter, upon the written request of such Investor, the Company shall make available for inspection by (i) such Investor, (ii) legal counsel for such Investor and (iii) one (1) firm of accountants or other agents retained by such Investor (collectively, the “Inspectors”), all pertinent financial and other records, and pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company (collectively, the “Records”), as shall be reasonably deemed necessary by each Inspector, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information which any Inspector may reasonably request; provided, however, each Inspector shall agree in writing to hold in strict confidence and not to make any disclosure (except to such Investor) or use of any Record or other information which the Company’s board of directors determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which determination the Inspectors are so notified, unless (1) the disclosure of such Records is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement or is otherwise required under the 1933 Act, (2) the release of such Records is ordered pursuant to a final, non-appealable subpoena or order from a court or government body of competent jurisdiction, or (3) the information in such Records has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement). Such Investor agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such Records is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt notice to the Company and allow the Company, at its expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, the Records deemed confidential. Nothing herein (or in any other confidentiality agreement between the Company and such Investor, if any) shall be deemed to limit any Investor’s ability to sell Registrable Securities in a manner which is otherwise consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

 

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(i) The Company shall hold in confidence and not make any disclosure of information concerning an Investor provided to the Company unless (i) disclosure of such information is necessary to comply with federal or state securities laws, (ii) the disclosure of such information is necessary to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in any Registration Statement or is otherwise required to be disclosed in such Registration Statement pursuant to the 1933 Act, (iii) the release of such information is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or other final, non-appealable order from a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction, or (iv) such information has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document. The Company agrees that it shall, upon learning that disclosure of such information concerning an Investor is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt written notice to such Investor and allow such Investor, at such Investor’s expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, such information.

 

(j) Without limiting any obligation of the Company under the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts either to (i) cause all of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement to be listed on each securities exchange on which securities of the same class or series issued by the Company are then listed, if any, if the listing of such Registrable Securities is then permitted under the rules of such exchange, (ii) secure designation and quotation of all of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement on an Eligible Market (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement), or (iii) if, despite the Company’s reasonable best efforts to satisfy the preceding clauses (i) or (ii) the Company is unsuccessful in satisfying the preceding clauses (i) or (ii), without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for at least two market makers to register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) as such with respect to such Registrable Securities. In addition, the Company shall cooperate with each Investor and any broker or dealer through which any such Investor proposes to sell its Registrable Securities in effecting a filing with FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 as requested by such Investor. The Company shall pay all fees and expenses in connection with satisfying its obligations under this Section 3(j).

 

(k) The Company shall cooperate with the Investors who hold Registrable Securities being offered and, to the extent applicable, facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates (not bearing any restrictive legend) representing the Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant to a Registration Statement and enable such certificates to be in such denominations or amounts (as the case may be) as the Investors may reasonably request from time to time and registered in such names as the Investors may request.

 

(l) If reasonably requested by an Investor, the Company shall as soon as practicable after receipt of notice from such Investor and subject to Section 3(p) hereof, (i) incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information as an Investor reasonably requests to be included therein relating to the sale and distribution of Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, information with respect to the number of Registrable Securities being offered or sold, the purchase price being paid therefor and any other terms of the offering of the Registrable Securities to be sold in such offering; (ii) make all required filings of such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment after being notified of the matters to be incorporated in such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment; and (iii) supplement or make amendments to any Registration Statement or prospectus contained therein if reasonably requested by an Investor holding any Registrable Securities.

 

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(m) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies or authorities as may be necessary to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities.

 

(n) The Company shall make generally available to its security holders as soon as practical, but not later than ninety (90) days after the close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement (in form complying with, and in the manner provided by, the provisions of Rule 158 under the 1933 Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company’s fiscal quarter next following the applicable Effective Date of each Registration Statement.

 

(o) Within one (1) Business Day after a Registration Statement which covers Registrable Securities is declared effective by the SEC, the Company shall deliver, and shall cause legal counsel for the Company to deliver, to the transfer agent for such Registrable Securities (with copies to the Investors whose Registrable Securities are included in such Registration Statement) confirmation that such Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC along with the Company’s legal counsel’s standard form of legal opinion regarding the removal of legends from share certificates upon sale pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

(p) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein (but subject to the last sentence of this Section 3(p)), at any time after the Effective Date of a particular Registration Statement, the Company may delay the disclosure of material, non-public information concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries the disclosure of which at the time is not, in the good faith opinion of the board of directors of the Company, in the best interest of the Company and, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, otherwise required (a “Grace Period”), provided that the Company shall promptly notify the Investors in writing of the (i) existence of material, non-public information giving rise to a Grace Period (provided that in each such notice the Company shall not disclose the content of such material, non-public information to any of the Investors) and the date on which such Grace Period will begin and (ii) date on which such Grace Period ends, provided further that (I) no Grace Period shall exceed thirty (30) consecutive days and during any three hundred sixty five (365) day period all such Grace Periods shall not exceed an aggregate of ninety (90) days and (II) the first day of any Grace Period must be at least five (5) Trading Days after the last day of any prior Grace Period (each, an “Allowable Grace Period”). For purposes of determining the length of a Grace Period above, such Grace Period shall begin on and include the date the Investors receive the notice referred to in clause (i) above and shall end on and include the later of the date the Investors receive the notice referred to in clause (ii) above and the date referred to in such notice. The provisions of Section 3(f) hereof shall not be applicable during the period of any Allowable Grace Period. Upon expiration of each Grace Period, the Company shall again be bound by the first sentence of Section 3(e) with respect to the information giving rise thereto unless such material, non-public information is no longer applicable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 3(p), the Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of an Investor, to the extent permitted by the Securities Purchase Agreement and applicable securities laws, in connection with any sale of Registrable Securities with respect to which such Investor has entered into a contract for sale, and delivered a copy of the prospectus included as part of the particular Registration Statement to the extent applicable, prior to such Investor’s receipt of the notice of a Grace Period and for which the Investor has not yet settled.

 

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(q) The Company shall take all other reasonable actions necessary to expedite and facilitate disposition by each Investors of its Registrable Securities pursuant to each Registration Statement.

 

(r) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary or affiliate thereof shall identify any Investor as an underwriter in any public disclosure or filing with the SEC, the Principal Market or any Eligible Market and any Buyer being deemed an underwriter by the SEC shall not relieve the Company of any obligations it has under this Agreement or any other Transaction Document (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement); provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit the Company from including the disclosure found in the “Plan of Distribution” section attached hereto as Exhibit A in the Registration Statement.

 

(s) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered, as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the Buyers in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof.

 

4. Obligations of the Investors.

 

(a) At least five (5) Business Days prior to the first anticipated filing date of each Registration Statement, the Company shall notify each Investor in writing of the information the Company requires from each such Investor with respect to such Registration Statement. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to complete the registration pursuant to this Agreement with respect to the Registrable Securities of a particular Investor that such Investor shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities held by it, as shall be reasonably required to effect and maintain the effectiveness of the registration of such Registrable Securities and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request.

 

(b) Each Investor, by such Investor’s acceptance of the Registrable Securities, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of each Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of such Investor’s election to exclude all of such Investor’s Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.

 

(c) Each Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(f) or the first sentence of 3(e), such Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement(s) covering such Registrable Securities until such Investor’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3(f) or the first sentence of Section 3(e) or receipt of notice that no supplement or amendment is required. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4(c), the Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of an Investor in accordance with the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement in connection with any sale of Registrable Securities with respect to which such Investor has entered into a contract for sale prior to the Investor’s receipt of a notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(f) or the first sentence of Section 3(e) and for which such Investor has not yet settled.

 

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5. Expenses of Registration.

 

All reasonable expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, incurred in connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Sections 2 and 3, including, without limitation, all registration, listing and qualifications fees, printers and accounting fees, FINRA filing fees (if any) and fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company shall be paid by the Company. The Company shall reimburse Legal Counsel for its fees and disbursements in connection with registration, filing or qualification pursuant to Sections 2 and 3 of this Agreement which amount shall be limited to $5,000 for each such registration, filing or qualification.

 

6. Indemnification.

 

(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will, and hereby does, indemnify, hold harmless and defend each Investor and each of its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees, agents, advisors, representatives (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding the lack of such title or any other title) and each Person, if any, who controls such Investor within the meaning of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act and each of the directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees, agents, advisors, representatives (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding the lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling Persons (each, an “Indemnified Person”), against any losses, obligations, claims, damages, liabilities, contingencies, judgments, fines, penalties, charges, costs (including, without limitation, court costs, reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of defense and investigation), amounts paid in settlement or expenses, joint or several, (collectively, “Claims”) incurred in investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim, suit, inquiry, proceeding, investigation or appeal taken from the foregoing by or before any court or governmental, administrative or other regulatory agency, body or the SEC, whether pending or threatened, whether or not an Indemnified Person is or may be a party thereto (“Indemnified Damages”), to which any of them may become subject insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact in a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or in any filing made in connection with the qualification of the offering under the securities or other “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in which Registrable Securities are offered (“Blue Sky Filing”), or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus if used prior to the effective date of such Registration Statement, or contained in the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented, if the Company files any amendment thereof or supplement thereto with the SEC) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein any material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which the statements therein were made, not misleading or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other law, including, without limitation, any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder relating to the offer or sale of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement or (iv) any violation of this Agreement (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iv) being, collectively, “Violations”). Subject to Section 6(c), the Company shall reimburse the Indemnified Persons, promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any legal fees or other reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (i) shall not apply to a Claim by an Indemnified Person arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such Indemnified Person for such Indemnified Person expressly for use in connection with the preparation of such Registration Statement or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto, if such prospectus was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(d); and (ii) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person and shall survive the transfer of any of the Registrable Securities by any of the Investors pursuant to Section 9.

 

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(b) In connection with any Registration Statement in which an Investor is participating, such Investor agrees to severally and not jointly indemnify, hold harmless and defend, to the same extent and in the same manner as is set forth in Section 6(a), the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any Claim or Indemnified Damages to which any of them may become subject, under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, insofar as such Claim or Indemnified Damages arise out of or are based upon any Violation, in each case, to the extent, and only to the extent, that such Violation occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Investor expressly for use in connection with such Registration Statement; and, subject to Section 6(c) and the below provisos in this Section 6(b), such Investor will reimburse an Indemnified Party any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim; provided, however, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 6(b) and the agreement with respect to contribution contained in Section 7 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of such Investor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, provided further that such Investor shall be liable under this Section 6(b) for only that amount of a Claim or Indemnified Damages as does not exceed the net proceeds to such Investor as a result of the applicable sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of any of the Registrable Securities by any of the Investors pursuant to Section 9.

 

(c) Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including, without limitation, any governmental action or proceeding) involving a Claim, such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party (as the case may be); provided, however, an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the fees and expenses of such counsel to be paid by the indemnifying party if: (i) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses; (ii) the indemnifying party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Claim and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) in any such Claim; or (iii) the named parties to any such Claim (including, without limitation, any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) and the indemnifying party, and such Indemnified Person or such Indemnified Party (as the case may be) shall have been advised by counsel that a conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Person or such Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party (in which case, if such Indemnified Person or such Indemnified Party (as the case may be) notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, then the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and such counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party, provided further that in the case of clause (iii) above the indemnifying party shall not be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one (1) separate legal counsel for such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be). The Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) shall reasonably cooperate with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or Claim by the indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) which relates to such action or Claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) reasonably apprised at all times as to the status of the defense or any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its prior written consent; provided, however, the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be), consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) of a release from all liability in respect to such Claim or litigation, and such settlement shall not include any admission as to fault on the part of the Indemnified Party. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person (as the case may be) with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (as the case may be) under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is materially and adversely prejudiced in its ability to defend such action.

 

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(d) The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified Damages are incurred.

 

(e) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained herein shall be in addition to (i) any cause of action or similar right of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person against the indemnifying party or others, and (ii) any liabilities the indemnifying party may be subject to pursuant to the law.

 

7. Contribution.

 

To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however: (i) no contribution shall be made under circumstances where the maker would not have been liable for indemnification under the fault standards set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement, (ii) no Person involved in the sale of Registrable Securities which Person is guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) in connection with such sale shall be entitled to contribution from any Person involved in such sale of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (iii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the amount of net proceeds received by such seller from the applicable sale of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Investor shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds actually received by such Investor from the applicable sale of the Registrable Securities subject to the Claim exceeds the amount of any damages that such Investor has otherwise been required to pay, or would otherwise be required to pay under Section 6(b), by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

8. Reports Under the 1934 Act.

 

With a view to making available to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144, the Company agrees to:

 

(a) make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144;

 

(b) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act so long as the Company remains subject to such requirements (it being understood and agreed that nothing herein shall limit any obligations of the Company under the Securities Purchase Agreement) and the filing of such reports and other documents is required for the applicable provisions of Rule 144; and

 

15

 

(c) furnish to each Investor so long as such Investor owns Registrable Securities, promptly upon request, (i) a written statement by the Company, if true, that it has complied with the reporting, submission and posting requirements of Rule 144, the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act and (ii) such other information as may be reasonably requested to permit the Investors to sell such securities pursuant to Rule 144 without registration.

 

9. Assignment of Registration Rights.

 

All or any portion of the rights under this Agreement shall be automatically assignable by each Investor to any transferee or assignee (as the case may be) of all or any portion of such Investor’s Registrable Securities or Additional Notes if: (i) such Investor agrees in writing with such transferee or assignee (as the case may be) to assign all or any portion of such rights, and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment (as the case may be); (ii) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment (as the case may be), furnished with written notice of (a) the name and address of such transferee or assignee (as the case may be), and (b) the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned (as the case may be); (iii) immediately following such transfer or assignment (as the case may be) the further disposition of such securities by such transferee or assignee (as the case may be) is restricted under the 1933 Act or applicable state securities laws if so required; (iv) at or before the time the Company receives the written notice contemplated by clause (ii) of this sentence such transferee or assignee (as the case may be) agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein; (v) such transfer or assignment (as the case may be) shall have been made in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Purchase Agreement and the Additional Notes (as the case may be); and (vi) such transfer or assignment (as the case may be) shall have been conducted in accordance with all applicable federal and state securities laws.

 

10. Amendment of Registration Rights.

 

Provisions of this Agreement may be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and the Required Holders; provided that any such amendment or waiver that complies with the foregoing, but that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Investor relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Investors shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Investor. Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this Section 10 shall be binding upon each Investor and the Company, provided that no such amendment shall be effective to the extent that it (1) applies to less than all of the holders of Registrable Securities or (2) imposes any obligation or liability on any Investor without such Investor’s prior written consent (which may be granted or withheld in such Investor’s sole discretion). No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the waiving party. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration (other than the reimbursement of legal fees) also is offered to all of the parties to this Agreement.

 

16

 

11. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) Solely for purposes of this Agreement, a Person is deemed to be a holder of Registrable Securities whenever such Person owns, or is deemed to own, of record such Registrable Securities. If the Company receives conflicting instructions, notices or elections from two or more Persons with respect to the same Registrable Securities, the Company shall act upon the basis of instructions, notice or election received from such record owner of such Registrable Securities.

 

(b) Any notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to be given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon receipt, when sent by electronic mail (provided that such sent email is kept on file (whether electronically or otherwise) by the sending party and the sending party does not receive an automatically generated message from the recipient’s email server that such e-mail could not be delivered to such recipient); or (iii) one (1) Business Day after deposit with an overnight courier service with next day delivery specified, in each case, properly addressed to the party to receive the same. The mailing addresses and e-mail addresses for such communications shall be:

 

If to the Company:

 

Fold, Inc.

11201 North Tatum Boulevard

Suite 300, Unit 42035

Phoenix, AZ 85028

Attention: Will Reeves

Email: will.reeves@foldapp.com

 

With a copy (for informational purposes only) to:

 

Latham & Watkins LLP

811 Main Street, Suite 3700

Houston, TX 77002

Attention: Ryan J. Maierson

Email: ryan.maierson@lw.com

 

If to the Transfer Agent:

 

Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

One State Street, 30th Floor

New York, NY 10004

Attention: Compliance Department

 

If to Legal Counsel:

 

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

3 World Trade Center

175 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10007

Telephone: (212) 808-7540

Facsimile: (212) 808-7897

Attention: Michael A. Adelstein, Esq.

E-mail: madelstein@kelleydrye.com

 

17

 

If to a Buyer, to its mailing address and/or email address set forth on the Schedule of Buyers attached to the Securities Purchase Agreement, with copies to such Buyer’s representatives as set forth on the Schedule of Buyers, or to such other mailing address and/or email address and/or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other party five (5) days prior to the effectiveness of such change, provided that Kelley Drye & Warren LLP shall only be provided notices sent to the lead investor. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (B) mechanically or electronically generated by the sender’s e-mail containing the time, date and recipient’s e-mail or (C) provided by a courier or overnight courier service shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service, receipt by e-mail or receipt from a nationally recognized overnight delivery service in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, respectively.

 

(c) Failure of any party to exercise any right or remedy under this Agreement or otherwise, or delay by a party in exercising such right or remedy, shall not operate as a waiver thereof. The Company and each Investor acknowledge and agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that each party hereto shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent or cure breaches of the provisions of this Agreement by any other party hereto and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof (without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required), this being in addition to any other remedy to which any party may be entitled by law or equity.

 

(d) All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in The City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

18

 

(e) If any provision of this Agreement is prohibited by law or otherwise determined to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the provision that would otherwise be prohibited, invalid or unenforceable shall be deemed amended to apply to the broadest extent that it would be valid and enforceable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Agreement so long as this Agreement as so modified continues to express, without material change, the original intentions of the parties as to the subject matter hereof and the prohibited nature, invalidity or unenforceability of the provision(s) in question does not substantially impair the respective expectations or reciprocal obligations of the parties or the practical realization of the benefits that would otherwise be conferred upon the parties. The parties will endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the prohibited, invalid or unenforceable provision(s) with a valid provision(s), the effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the prohibited, invalid or unenforceable provision(s).

 

(f) This Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, the schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto and the instruments referenced herein and therein constitute the entire agreement among the parties hereto and thereto solely with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein and therein. This Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, the schedules and exhibits attached hereto and thereto and the instruments referenced herein and therein supersede all prior agreements and understandings among the parties hereto solely with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof; provided, however, nothing contained in this Agreement or any other Transaction Document shall (or shall be deemed to) (i) have any effect on any agreements any Investor has entered into with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries prior to the date hereof with respect to any prior investment made by such Investor in the Company, (ii) waive, alter, modify or amend in any respect any obligations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any rights of or benefits to any Investor or any other Person in any agreement entered into prior to the date hereof between or among the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries and any Investor and all such agreements shall continue in full force and effect or (iii) limit any obligations of the Company under any of the other Transaction Documents.

 

(g) Subject to compliance with Section 9 (if applicable), this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the permitted successors and assigns of each of the parties hereto. This Agreement is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any Person, other than the parties hereto, their respective permitted successors and assigns and the Persons referred to in Sections 6 and 7 hereof.

 

(h) The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, each pronoun herein shall be deemed to include the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular and plural forms thereof. The terms “including,” “includes,” “include” and words of like import shall be construed broadly as if followed by the words “without limitation.” The terms “herein,” “hereunder,” “hereof” and words of like import refer to this entire Agreement instead of just the provision in which they are found.

 

19

 

(i) This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by an email which contains a portable document format (.pdf) file of an executed signature page, such signature page shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.

 

(j) Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as any other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(k) The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in Section 10, terms used in this Agreement but defined in the other Transaction Documents shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms on the Initial Closing Date (as defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement) in such other Transaction Documents unless otherwise consented to in writing by each Investor.

 

(l) All consents and other determinations required to be made by the Investors pursuant to this Agreement shall be made, unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, by the Required Holders, determined as if all of the outstanding Additional Notes then held by the Investors have been converted for Registrable Securities without regard to any limitations on redemption, amortization and/or conversion of the Additional Notes then held by Investors.

 

(m) This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person. The Company shall cause the SPAC to execute a joinder to this Agreement (in its capacity as the Successor Public Company) on or prior to the Business Combination Closing Date.

 

(n) The obligations of each Investor under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Investor, and no Investor shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Investor under this Agreement or any other Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Investor pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Investors as, and the Company acknowledges that the Investors do not so constitute, a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Investors are in any way acting in concert or as a group or entity with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or any matters, and the Company acknowledges that the Investors are not acting in concert or as a group, and the Company shall not assert any such claim, with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any of the other the Transaction Documents. Each Investor shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of any other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Investor to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The use of a single agreement with respect to the obligations of the Company contained herein was solely in the control of the Company, not the action or decision of any Investor, and was done solely for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Investor. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and an Investor, solely, and not between the Company and the Investors collectively and not between and among Investors.

 

[signature page follows]

 

20

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  FOLD, INC.
   
  By:  
    Name:     
    Title:  

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

  BUYERS:
   
  ATW GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES SPV, LLC
   
  By:  
    Name:            
    Title:  

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

The shares of common stock being offered by the selling stockholders are those issuable to the selling stockholders upon conversion of the notes. For additional information regarding the issuance of the notes, see “Private Placement of Additional Notes” above. We are registering the shares of common stock in order to permit the selling stockholders to offer the shares for resale from time to time. Except for the ownership of the notes issued pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, the selling stockholders have not had any material relationship with us within the past three years.

 

The table below lists the selling stockholders and other information regarding the beneficial ownership (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder) of the shares of common stock held by each of the selling stockholders. The second column lists the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholders, based on their respective ownership of shares of common stock and notes, as of             , 202_, assuming conversion of the notes held by each such selling stockholder on that date but taking account of any limitations on conversion set forth therein.

 

The third column lists the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus by the selling stockholders and does not take in account any limitations on conversion of the notes set forth therein.

 

In accordance with the terms of a registration rights agreement with the holders of the notes, this prospectus generally covers the resale of 250% of the maximum number of shares of common stock issued or issuable pursuant to the Additional Notes, including payment of interest on the notes through [DATE], determined as if the outstanding notes (including interest on the notes through [DATE]) were converted in full (without regard to any limitations on conversion contained therein solely for the purpose of such calculation) at an alternate conversion price and interest conversion price, as applicable, calculated as of the trading day immediately preceding the date this registration statement was initially filed with the SEC. Because the alternate conversion price and interest conversion price of the notes may be adjusted, the number of shares that will actually be issued may be more or less than the number of shares being offered by this prospectus. The fourth column assumes the sale of all of the shares offered by the selling stockholders pursuant to this prospectus.

 

Under the terms of the notes, a selling stockholder may not convert the notes to the extent (but only to the extent) such selling stockholder or any of its affiliates would beneficially own a number of shares of our common stock which would exceed 4.99% of the outstanding shares of the Company. The number of shares in the second column reflects these limitations. The selling stockholders may sell all, some or none of their shares in this offering. See “Plan of Distribution.

 

Name of Selling Stockholder  Number of Shares of
Common Stock Owned
Prior to Offering
  Maximum Number of Shares
of Common Stock to be Sold
Pursuant to this Prospectus
  Number of Shares of
Common Stock of
Owned After Offering
          
          

 

[LEAD BUYER] (1)

 

[OTHER BUYERS]

 

(1) [           ]

 

 

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We are registering the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes to permit the resale of these shares of common stock by the holders of the notes from time to time after the date of this prospectus. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the selling stockholders of the shares of common stock. We will bear all fees and expenses incident to our obligation to register the shares of common stock.

 

The selling stockholders may sell all or a portion of the shares of common stock held by them and offered hereby from time to time directly or through one or more underwriters, broker-dealers or agents. If the shares of common stock are sold through underwriters or broker-dealers, the selling stockholders will be responsible for underwriting discounts or commissions or agent’s commissions. The shares of common stock may be sold in one or more transactions at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve crosses or block transactions, pursuant to one or more of the following methods:

 

on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale;

 

in the over-the-counter market;

 

in transactions otherwise than on these exchanges or systems or in the over-the-counter market;

 

through the writing or settlement of options, whether such options are listed on an options exchange or otherwise;

 

ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

 

block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

 

privately negotiated transactions;

 

short sales made after the date the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC;

 

broker-dealers may agree with a selling security holder to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share;

 

a combination of any such methods of sale; and

 

any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

 

 

 

The selling stockholders may also sell shares of common stock under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, if available, rather than under this prospectus. In addition, the selling stockholders may transfer the shares of common stock by other means not described in this prospectus. If the selling stockholders effect such transactions by selling shares of common stock to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, such underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may receive commissions in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders or commissions from purchasers of the shares of common stock for whom they may act as agent or to whom they may sell as principal (which discounts, concessions or commissions as to particular underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may be in excess of those customary in the types of transactions involved). In connection with sales of the shares of common stock or otherwise, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers, which may in turn engage in short sales of the shares of common stock in the course of hedging in positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell shares of common stock short and deliver shares of common stock covered by this prospectus to close out short positions and to return borrowed shares in connection with such short sales. The selling stockholders may also loan or pledge shares of common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such shares.

 

The selling stockholders may pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the notes or shares of common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock from time to time pursuant to this prospectus or any amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act amending, if necessary, the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer and donate the shares of common stock in other circumstances in which case the transferees, donees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

 

To the extent required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, the selling stockholders and any broker-dealer participating in the distribution of the shares of common stock may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any commission paid, or any discounts or concessions allowed to, any such broker-dealer may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. At the time a particular offering of the shares of common stock is made, a prospectus supplement, if required, will be distributed, which will set forth the aggregate amount of shares of common stock being offered and the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any broker-dealers or agents, any discounts, commissions and other terms constituting compensation from the selling stockholders and any discounts, commissions or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to broker-dealers.

 

Under the securities laws of some states, the shares of common stock may be sold in such states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the shares of common stock may not be sold unless such shares have been registered or qualified for sale in such state or an exemption from registration or qualification is available and is complied with.

 

There can be no assurance that any selling stockholder will sell any or all of the shares of common stock registered pursuant to the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

The selling stockholders and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, Regulation M of the Exchange Act, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares of common stock by the selling stockholders and any other participating person. To the extent applicable, Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the shares of common stock to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares of common stock. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the shares of common stock and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares of common stock.

 

We will pay all expenses of the registration of the shares of common stock pursuant to the registration rights agreement, estimated to be $[ ] in total, including, without limitation, Securities and Exchange Commission filing fees and expenses of compliance with state securities or “blue sky” laws; provided, however, a selling stockholder will pay all underwriting discounts and selling commissions, if any. We will indemnify the selling stockholders against liabilities, including some liabilities under the Securities Act in accordance with the registration rights agreements or the selling stockholders will be entitled to contribution. We may be indemnified by the selling stockholders against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act that may arise from any written information furnished to us by the selling stockholder specifically for use in this prospectus, in accordance with the related registration rights agreements or we may be entitled to contribution.

 

Once sold under the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, the shares of common stock will be freely tradable in the hands of persons other than our affiliates.

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.9

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

PERFECTION CERTIFICATE

 

December 24, 2024

 

Reference is made to the Pledge and Security Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “Pledge and Security Agreement”), among Fold, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and ATW GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES SPV, LLC, as collateral agent for the Buyers (as defined below) (the “Agent”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Pledge and Security Agreement.

 

In connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”), made by and among and the investors listed on the Schedule of Buyers attached thereto (collectively, the “Buyers”), and the Company, the Company entered into the Pledge and Security Agreement, pursuant to which each Grantor certifies to the Agent and the Buyers on the date hereof as follows:

 

1. Names. The exact name of the Grantor (as it appears in the certificate of incorporation, as well as its state of incorporation, and organizational number are as follows:

 

Name  State of
Incorporation/
Formation
  Tax ID #  Organizational #
Fold, Inc.  Delaware  30-1206744  7539005

 

Set forth below is each other legal name that the Grantor has had at any time in the past five years:

 

Grantor  Past Names
Fold, Inc.  None.

 

Except as set forth in the table above or on Schedule 1, no Grantor has changed its identity or corporate structure in any way within the past five (5) years. Changes in identity or corporate structure include mergers, consolidations and acquisitions, as well as any change in form, name, nature or jurisdiction of incorporation/formation. If any such change has occurred, Schedule 1 includes the information required by Sections 1, 2 and 3 of this Certificate as to each acquiree or constituent party to a merger or consolidation.

 

The following is a list of all other names (including trade names or similar appellations) used by the Grantor or any of its divisions or other business units in connection with the conduct of its business or the ownership of its properties at any time during the past five (5) years:

 

Grantor  Additional Names
Fold, Inc.  N/A

 

2. Nature of Business. The Grantor is primarily involved in the following type of business:

 

Grantor  Nature of Business
Fold, Inc.  Consumer financial services

 

 

 

 

3. Current Locations. The chief executive office address of the Grantor is as follows:

 

Grantor  Chief Executive Office
Fold, Inc.  11201 North Tatum Blvd., Suite 300, Unit 42035,
Phoenix, AZ 85208

 

4. Prior Locations. Set forth below is all of the business locations, not otherwise listed herein, which were maintained by the Grantor at any time during the past five years:

 

Grantor  Business Location  Use
Fold, Inc.  655 Montgomery Street, San  mailing address
   Francisco, CA 94111   
       
Fold, Inc.  55 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA  mailing address
   94401   

 

5. Bank Deposits. Set forth on Schedule 5 is the name of each bank at which the Grantor maintains deposit accounts, commodities accounts, or securities accounts, the type of account and the account numbers for each account.

 

6. Intellectual Property. Attached hereto as Schedule 6 is a list of all the patents, patent applications, copyright registrations and copyright applications, trademarks, trademark registrations, trademark applications, material patent licenses, material copyright licenses and material trademark licenses, domain names now owned or used by the Grantor, including, for any such intellectual property owned by the Grantor that is registered or for which an application for registration has been filed, the jurisdiction where such intellectual property is registered or in which an application for registration has been filed, as applicable.

 

7. Controllable Electronic Records. Attached hereto as Schedule 7 is a list of all (i) controllable accounts, (ii) controllable electronic records, (iii) controllable payment intangibles, (iv) “electronic chattel paper” or “chattel paper” which is evidenced by a copy of an electronic record, in each case as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code of any applicable jurisdiction, (v) documents (as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code) evidenced by a record consisting of information stored in an electronic medium and (vi) electronic money (including, without limitation, cryptocurrencies), including the name at the custodian, broker, exchange or other third party at which the foregoing is maintained and the account number related thereto.

 

8. Ownership. Attached hereto as Schedule 8 is a true and correct list of all duly authorized, issued and outstanding types of equity or membership interests of the Grantor and its Subsidiaries and the record ownership of such equity or membership interests. Also set forth on Schedule 8 is a list of each equity investment of the Grantor that represents 50% or less of the equity investment of the entity in which such investment was made.

 

Perfection Certificate – Page 2

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Perfection Certificate as of the date first set forth above.

 

  FOLD, INC.
   
  By: /s/ Wolfe Repass
  Name:  Wolfe Repass
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

[Signature Page to Perfection Certificate]

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.10

 

[BC ENTITY]

 

______, 20__

 

[Transfer Agent]

[Address]

Attention:

 

Re:[BC Entity] - Lock-Up Agreement

 

Dear Sirs:

 

This Lock-Up Agreement is being delivered to you in connection with (a) that certain Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated as of December [__], 2024 by and among Fold, Inc., a Delaware corporation with offices located at 55 East Third Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401 (the “Company”) and the investors party thereto (the “Buyers”), with respect to the issuance of (i) senior secured convertible notes of the Company (the “Notes”), pursuant to which shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), may be issued upon conversion thereof, and (ii) warrants to purchase Common Stock. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

In order to induce the Buyers to enter into the Purchase Agreement, the undersigned agrees that during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the six (6) month anniversary of the Business Combination Closing Date (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, and will cause all affiliates (as defined in Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned or any person in privity with the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned not to, (i) sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, any securities of any BC Entity (including, without limitation, any securities issued pursuant to the Business Combination Registration Statement, any Common Stock and/or any Common Stock Equivalents) (the “Securities”), or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to any Securities owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (collectively, the “Undersigned’s Securities”), or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any of the Undersigned’s Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of any Securities, in cash or otherwise, (iii) make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any Securities (other than the Business Combination Registration Statement or as permitted pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement) or (iv) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing.

 

 

 

 

The foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned, and any affiliate of the undersigned and any person in privity with the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned, from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of the Undersigned’s Securities even if the Undersigned’s Securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include, without limitation, any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including, without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any of the Undersigned’s Securities or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from the Undersigned’s Securities.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Securities (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein or (ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin. The undersigned now has, and, except as contemplated by clauses (i) and (ii) above, for the duration of this Lock-Up Agreement will have, good and marketable title to the Undersigned’s Securities, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) and registrar against the transfer of the Undersigned’s Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

In order to enforce this covenant, the Company shall impose irrevocable stop-transfer instructions preventing the Transfer Agent from effecting any actions in violation of this Lock-Up Agreement.

 

The undersigned acknowledges that the execution, delivery and performance of this Lock-Up Agreement is a material inducement to each Buyer to complete the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement and that the Company shall be entitled to specific performance of the undersigned’s obligations hereunder. The undersigned hereby represents that the undersigned has the power and authority to execute, deliver and perform this Lock-Up Agreement, that the undersigned has received adequate consideration therefor and that the undersigned will indirectly benefit from the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement.

 

The undersigned understands and agrees that this Lock-Up Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors, and assigns.

 

This Lock-Up Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other person other than [TRANSFER AGENT].

 

This Lock-Up Agreement may be executed in two counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but both of which shall be considered one and the same instrument.

 

All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any provision of law or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State of New York. The Company hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in The City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or under any of the other Transaction Documents or with any transaction contemplated hereby or thereby, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it under this Lock-Up Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

2

 

 

  Very truly yours,
       
  [BC ENTITY]             
       
  By:  
    Name:                      
    Title:  

 

Agreed to and Acknowledged:  
       
[HOLDER]  
       
By:                           
  Name:                             
  Title:    

 

 

3

 

 

Exhibit 10.11

 

FOLD, INC.

655 Montgomery St

San Francisco, CA 94111

 

August 20, 2019

 

William Reeves

15421 Woodside Court,

Glen Ellen, CA 95442

 

Re: Offer of Employment

 

Dear William:

 

I am happy to offer you the position of Chief Executive Officer for Fold, Inc. (the “Company”). This letter sets forth the terms and conditions of your employment with the Company and includes a provision that any dispute between you and the Company and its affiliates be subject to arbitration. It is important that you understand clearly both what your benefits are and what the Company expects of you. By signing this letter, you will be accepting employment on the following terms.

 

1.Effect of Transition from Thesis to Fold. Your employment with the Company will commence as of the date of this letter. As you know, as the Company is a new company and is in the process of establishing banking relationships, payroll providers, etc. To ensure that you maintain continuous payroll and benefits coverage, you will also remain employed by Card for Coin, Inc. d/b/a Thesis (“Thesis”) until such time as the Company has such relationships in place (the “Effective Date”). The Company expects this to be completed on or around October 1, 2019. By signing this letter, you hereby resign from all positions you hold with Thesis as of the Effective Date. The Company will credit you the balance of your accrued time with Thesis off as of the Effective Date.

 

2.Duties. Your job title will be CEO, reporting to the Company’s Board of Directors. Your duties generally will be in the areas of management, but you may be assigned other duties as needed. This is a full-time position.

 

3.Compensation. This is an exempt position and you will be paid an annual base salary of $160,000. Your compensation will generally be reviewed annually. All reasonable business expenses that are documented by you and incurred in the ordinary course of business will be reimbursed in accordance with the Company’s standard policies and procedures.

 

4.Stock Compensation. You will be granted a restricted stock award (the “Award”) of 2,500,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Common Stock”). The Award shall vest, subject to continuous employment, at the rate of 12.5% (i.e. 6/48) of the underlying shares on the six month anniversary of the date of this letter and 1/48 of the shares vesting monthly thereafter. The terms and conditions applicable to your Award will be governed by your individual Restricted Stock Award Agreement and the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Although management of the Company will recommend to the Board of Directors that you be granted the Award, by execution of this letter, you acknowledge that you have no right to receive the Award unless the grant is approved by the Board of Directors.

 

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 2

 

5.Thesis Stock Options. Pursuant to the Stock Option Grant Agreement, as amended, between yourself and Thesis, your stock options in Thesis will not be terminated and will continue to vest pursuant to the original vesting schedule. Pursuant to your individual Stock Option Grant Agreement Amendment, Thesis may decide to terminate or pause the vesting of your Thesis stock options at any time.

 

6.Employee Benefits. You will be eligible to participate in Company-sponsored benefits, including health benefits, vacation, sick leave, holidays and other benefits that the Company may offer to similarly situated employees from time to time. Your eligibility to receive such benefits will be subject in each case to the generally applicable terms and conditions for the benefits in question and to the determinations of any person or committee administering such benefits. The Company may from time to time, in its sole discretion, amend or terminate the benefits available to you and the Company’s other employees. You will be covered by worker’s compensation insurance, state disability insurance and other governmental benefit programs as required by state law.

 

7.Adjustments and Changes in Employment Status. The Company reserves the right to make personnel decisions regarding your employment, including but not limited to decisions regarding any transfers or other changes in duties or assignments, changes in your salary and other compensation, changes in benefits and changes in Company policies or procedures.

 

8.At-will Employment. Your employment with the Company is “at-will.” In other words, either you or the Company can terminate your employment at any time for any reason, with or without cause and with or without notice, without liability except as expressly set forth in this letter. This term of employment is not subject to change or modification of any kind except if in writing and signed by you and an authorized representative of the Company.

 

9.Taxes. All forms of compensation referred to in this letter are subject to reduction to reflect applicable withholding and payroll taxes and all other deductions required by law. You acknowledge that the Company does not have a duty to design its compensation policies in a manner that minimizes your tax liabilities, and you will not make any claim against the Company or its Board of Directors related to tax liabilities arising from your compensation.

 

10.Proprietary Information Agreement. You will be required to sign and abide by the terms of the enclosed Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement prior to beginning employment.

 

11.References and Immigration Documents. This offer is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all of our reference and background checks and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company. You must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements.

 

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 3

 

12.Company Rules. As an employee of the Company, you will be expected to abide by the Company’s rules and regulations. You will be required to sign an acknowledgment that you have read and understand the Company rules of conduct as provided in the Company’s Employee Handbook, which the Company will distribute.

 

13.No Conflicting Obligations. By execution of this letter, you represent and warrant that your performance of this letter does not and will not breach any agreement you have entered into, or will enter into, with any other party. You agree not to enter into any written or oral agreement that conflicts with this letter.

 

14.Integrated Agreement. This letter supersedes any prior agreements, representations or promises of any kind, whether written, oral, express or implied between the parties hereto with respect to its subject matter. Likewise, this letter will constitute the full, complete and exclusive agreement between you and the Company with respect to its subject matter. This Agreement may only be changed by a writing, signed by you and an authorized representative of the Company.

 

15.Severability. If any term of this letter is held to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms herein will remain in full force and effect and will in no way be affected, and the parties will use their best efforts to find an alternative way to achieve the same result.

 

16.Governing Law. The terms of this letter and the resolution of any dispute as to the meaning, effect, performance or validity of this letter or arising out of, related to, or in any way connected with, this letter, your employment with the Company (or termination thereof) or any other relationship between you and the Company (a “Dispute”) will be governed by the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to the principles of conflict of laws. To the extent not subject to arbitration as described below, you and the Company consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of, and venue in, the state courts in Santa Clara County in the State of California (or in the event of exclusive federal jurisdiction, the courts of the Northern District of California in connection with any Dispute or any claim related to any Dispute).

 

17.Arbitration. Except as prohibited by law, you agree that any Dispute between you and the Company (or between you and any officer, director, employee or affiliates of the Company, each of whom is hereby designated a third party beneficiary of this letter regarding arbitration) will be resolved through binding arbitration in Santa Clara County, California under the Federal Arbitration Act and, to the extent not inconsistent with or preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act, the Arbitration Rules set forth in California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1280 et seq. Nothing in this arbitration provision is intended to limit any right you may have to file a charge with or obtain relief from the National Labor Relations Board or any other state or federal agency. You agree that such arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis only, not a class, collective or representative basis, and hereby waive any right to bring class-wide, collective or representative claims before any arbitrator or in any forum, except to the extent a representative action under the California Private Attorney General Act is, as a matter of law, not deemed subject to a such waiver. THE PARTIES UNDERSTAND THAT BY AGREEING TO ARBITRATE DISPUTES THEY ARE WAIVING ANY RIGHT THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE TO A JURY TRIAL. This arbitration provision is not intended to modify or limit substantive rights or the remedies available to the parties, including the right to seek interim relief, such as injunction or attachment, through judicial process, which shall not be deemed a waiver of the right to demand and obtain arbitration.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

 

 

To confirm your agreement with and acceptance of these terms, please sign one copy of this letter and return it to me. The other copy is for your records.

 

We look forward to your joining Fold!

 

Sincerely,  
     
FOLD, INC.  
     
By: /s/ Matt Luongo  
Name:  Matt Luongo  
Title: Director  
     
AGREED AND ACCEPTED AS OF THE DATE WRITTEN ABOVE:  
     
/s/ Will Reeves  
Will Reeves  
     
Date: 09/09/2019  

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.12

 

FOLD, INC.

655 Montgomery St

San Francisco, CA 94111

 

March 23, 2021

 

William Reeves

15421 Woodside Court,

Glen Ellen, CA 95442

 

Re: Offer Letter Amendment

 

Dear William:

 

This letter (the “Offer Letter Amendment”) amends your offer letter with the Fold, Inc. (the “Company”) dated August 29, 2019 (the “Offer Letter”), which is incorporated herein by reference. Except as set forth below, the terms and conditions of your Offer Letter remain in full force and effect.

 

1. Compensation: Subject to the initial closing of the Company’s forthcoming Series A Preferred Stock financing (the “Financing”) and commencing on the initial closing of the Financing, your annual base salary shall be increased to $200,000. Your compensation will generally be reviewed annually.

 

2. Financing Awards: Subject to the initial closing of the Financing, your continued employment with the Company through the grant date and approval by the Company’s board of directors, you will be granted two restricted stock awards (the “Financing Awards”), as follows:

 

a. You will be awarded (i) 334,880 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Common Stock”) to vest, subject to your continuous employment, in equal monthly installments over four years, with the vesting period beginning on March 23, 2021 and (ii) 200,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock to vest, subject to your continuous employment, in equal monthly installments over four years, with the vesting period beginning on December 1, 2020.

 

b. The terms and conditions applicable to the Financing Awards will be governed by your restricted stock award agreements and the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Although management of the Company will recommend to its board of directors that you be granted the Financing Awards, by execution of this letter, you acknowledge that you have no right to receive the Financing Awards unless the grant is approved by the board of directors. As a condition to your receipt of the Financing Awards, you must timely file an election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (a “Section 83(b) Election”) with the Internal Revenue Service in accordance with the terms of restricted stock award agreements governing the Financing Awards. You will forfeit the Financing Awards in their entirety if you fail to timely file the Section 83(b) Election.

 

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 2

 

3. Financing Award - Withholding Bonus: Subject to the issuance of the Financing Awards and your continued employment with the Company through the date of payment, the Company will pay you a one-time cash bonus (“Withholding Bonus”) on the date of issuance of the Financing Awards, not to exceed $252,747, to assist with the payment of any withholding and payroll taxes expected to be incurred with respect to the Financing Awards. You agree that the size of your Withholding Bonus will be definitively calculated by the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, the Withholding Bonus is itself compensation and therefore is subject to reduction to reflect applicable withholding and payroll taxes and all other deductions required by law. You will not be entitled to any additional compensation to cover any tax obligations with respect to the Withholding Bonus or Financing Awards. The net amount of the Withholding Bonus, after deduction for applicable withholding and payroll taxes, will be applied towards the tax withholding obligation due with respect to the Financing Awards.

 

4. Equity Acceleration: Subject to the closing of the Financing and approval by the Company’s board of directors, the following equity acceleration terms will apply to both the Financing Awards and all of your Company restricted stock awards outstanding as of the date of this Offer Letter Amendment:

 

In the event that, within one year following the date of a Change in Control (as defined below) or during the period following the execution of a definitive agreement providing for the Change in Control but before the date of consummation of the Change in Control (an “Interim Change in Control Period”), you are terminated by the Company or the Company’s successor without Cause (as defined below) (and other than due to death or disability) or you resign with Good Reason (as defined below) (such termination, an “Involuntary Termination”), your entire award (or unvested cash or property received by you in connection with such award as a result of the Change in Control) shall vest in full as of the later of the date of the Change in Control and the date of your Involuntary Termination.

 

5. Severance: If your employment is terminated (i) by the Company without Cause (and other than due to death or disability) or (ii) by you for Good Reason, provided you sign and allow to become effect a general release of claims in favor of the Company in a form provided by the Company within sixty (60) days following the date of your employment termination, the Company will pay you severance equal to 12-months your base salary in effect at such time, payable in a lump sum within sixty (60) days following your last day of employment. This payment will be subject to all legally required tax withholdings and deductions.

 

6. Definitions: For purposes of this letter:

 

a. “Cause”means (i) willful failure by you to perform your duties and responsibilities to the Company (or a successor Company, if appropriate) after written notice thereof and a failure to remedy such failure within thirty (30) days of such notice; (ii) commission by you of any act of fraud, embezzlement, dishonesty or any other willful misconduct that has caused or is reasonably expected to cause material injury to the Company (or a successor Company, if appropriate), including conviction of a felony; (iii) material unauthorized use or disclosure by you of any confidential information of the Company (or a successor Company, if appropriate) or any other party to whom you owe an obligation of nonuse and nondisclosure as a result of your relationship with the Company (or a successor Company, if appropriate); or (iv) material breach by you of any of your obligations under any written agreement with the Company (or a successor Company, if appropriate).

 

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 3

 

b. “Change in Control” means a Change in Control as defined under the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.

 

c. “Good Reason” means, without the your prior written consent, (i) a material change in your authority or operating responsibilities, provided that neither a mere change in title following a Change in Control to a position that is substantially similar to the position held prior to the Change in Control with respect to the operations of the Company nor an immaterial change in responsibilities shall, by itself, constitute a material change in authority or operating responsibilities; (ii) a failure to pay, or a reduction in, your base salary or minimum bonus (if applicable) in a manner that adversely affects you disproportionately as compared to other comparable service providers of the Company; or (iii) relocation of your principal place of employment to a facility or location more than 50 miles from the current location; provided that (A) within 30 days after you become aware of the circumstances alleged to constitute Good Reason, you provide the Company with written notice setting forth in reasonable detail the circumstances that constitute “Good Reason,” (B) the Company fails to cure such circumstances within 30 days of delivery of such notice and (C) you terminate your employment not later than 30 days after the end of such 30-day cure period.

 

7. Section 409A: The Offer Letter and this Offer Letter Amendment are intended to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (“Section 409A”) to the extent applicable, and the Offer Letter and this Offer Letter Amendment and the terms therein (including but not limited to “termination” and “termination of employment”) will be applied and interpreted consistent with that intent. To the extent any reimbursements provided under the Offer Letter and this Offer Letter Amendment are taxable and subject to Section 409A, such reimbursements shall be made only if (1) the expenses are incurred and reimbursable pursuant to a plan that provides an objective nondiscretionary definition of the expenses which are eligible for reimbursement; (2) the expenses are incurred during a prescribed period ending the earlier of the date of your death or any earlier date specified by the governing document for the reimbursement; (3) the amount of the expenses that are eligible for reimbursement during one calendar year may not affect the amount of reimbursements to be provided in any subsequent calendar years; (4), the reimbursement will be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the expense was incurred, or at such earlier time as specified under the agreement or applicable plan; and (5) the right to the reimbursement of expenses will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit. Any reference to a “termination of employment” will have the same meaning as a “separation from service” under Section 409A with respect to deferred compensation. In the case of any amounts that are payable to you under the Offer Letter and this Offer Letter Amendment, or under any other “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” (within the meaning of Section 409A) maintained by the Company in the form of installment payments, your right to receive such payments shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments under Treas. Reg. §1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii). In the event any amounts payable to you upon your termination of employment are deemed to be subject to the requirements of Section 409A and the period during which you may sign and allow the release of claims to become effective begins in one taxable year and ends in the immediately following taxable year, such payments will not be made until the second taxable year.

 

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 4

 

8. Governing Law: The terms of your Offer Letter and this Offer Letter Amendment, and the resolution of any dispute as to the meaning, effect, performance or validity of such or arising out of, related to, or in any way connected with, your Offer Letter and this Offer Letter Amendment, your employment with the Company (or termination thereof) or any other relationship between you and the Company (a “Dispute”) will be governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, without giving effect to the principles of conflict of laws. To the extent not subject to arbitration as described below, you and the Company consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of, and venue in, the state courts in Santa Clara County in the State of California (or in the event of exclusive federal jurisdiction, the courts of the Northern District of California) in connection with any Dispute or any claim related to any Dispute.

 

9. Miscellaneous. You agree that this Offer Letter Amendment is incorporated into and subject to the terms and representations of your Offer Letter as amended hereby, which terms and representations you reaffirm in their entirety, including, without limitation, sections 15 (Severability) and 17 (Arbitration).

 

 

 

 

To confirm your agreement with and acceptance of these terms, please sign one copy of this letter and return it to me. The other copy is for your records.

 

Sincerely,

 

FOLD, INC.  
     
By: /s/ Matt Luongo  
Name:  Matt Luongo  
Title: Director  

 

AGREED AND ACCEPTED AS OF THE DATE WRITTEN ABOVE:  
   
/s/ Will Reeves   
Will Reeves  

 

Date: March 23, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.13

 

 

March 26, 2021

 

Wolfe Repass

wolfe.repass@gmail.com

 

Re: Offer of Employment

 

Dear Wolfe:

 

I am happy to offer you the position of Finance and Operations Manager for Fold, Inc. (the “Company”). This letter sets forth the terms and conditions of your employment with the Company and includes a provision that any dispute between you and the Company and its affiliates be subject to arbitration. It is important that you understand clearly both what your benefits are and what the Company expects of you. By signing this letter, you will be accepting employment on the following terms.

 

1.Effective Date. Your employment will commence on the May 2, 2021 (the “Effective Date”).

 

2.Duties. Your job title will be Finance and Operations Manager, reporting to COO. Your duties generally will be in the areas of set forth at the Job Mission and Objectives attached, but you may be assigned other duties as needed. This is a full-time position.

 

3.Compensation. This is an exempt position and you will be paid an annual base salary you select on the signature page. Your compensation will generally be reviewed annually. All reasonable business expenses that are documented by you and incurred in the ordinary course of business will be reimbursed in accordance with the Company’s standard policies and procedures.

 

4.Stock Compensation. You be granted a restricted stock unit award (the “Award”) representing the right to receive the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Common Stock”) that you select on the signature page. The shares subject to the Award shall be issued following the vesting date, subject to applicable withholding taxes but without any obligation to pay an exercise price. The vesting of the Award shall be subject to a time-based service requirement and a liquidity event requirement, both of which must be satisfied during the term of the Award. The Award shall satisfy the time- based service requirement subject to continuous employment over a four-year period starting on the first day of employment, subject to a one-year cliff with monthly service- vesting thereafter. The liquidity event vesting requirement shall be satisfied on the first to occur of (i) a change in control of the Company in which stockholders receive cash and/or marketable securities, or (ii) an initial public offering of the Common Stock. The Award shall vest on the first date upon which both requirements are satisfied. Once your employment terminates, no additional Award units satisfy the time-based service requirement. However, those Award units that satisfied the time-based service requirement before termination of employment will remain eligible to vest if the liquidity event occurs before the expiration date specified in your individual RSU Award Agreement. The terms and conditions applicable to your Award will be governed by your individual RSU Award Agreement and the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Although management of the Company will recommend to the Board of Directors that you be granted the Award, by execution of this letter, you acknowledge that you have no right to receive the Award unless the grant is approved by the Board of Directors.

 

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 2

 

5.Employee Benefits. You will be eligible to participate in Company-sponsored benefits, including health benefits, vacation, sick leave, holidays and other benefits that the Company may offer to similarly situated employees from time to time. Your eligibility to receive such benefits will be subject in each case to the generally applicable terms and conditions for the benefits in question and to the determinations of any person or committee administering such benefits. The Company may from time to time, in its sole discretion, amend or terminate the benefits available to you and the Company’s other employees. You will be covered by worker’s compensation insurance, state disability insurance and other governmental benefit programs as required by state law. A description of our current benefits package is available at https://secure.justworks.com/benefits/company_benefits_overviews/94f2bcf5-dc48-454a- a198-eb2046f6a06a/show.

 

6.Adjustments and Changes in Employment Status. The Company reserves the right to make personnel decisions regarding your employment, including but not limited to decisions regarding any transfers or other changes in duties or assignments, changes in your salary and other compensation, changes in benefits and changes in Company policies or procedures.

 

7.At-will Employment. Your employment with the Company is “at-will.” In other words, either you or the Company can terminate your employment at any time for any reason, with or without cause and with or without notice, without liability except as expressly set forth in this letter. This term of employment is not subject to change or modification of any kind except if in writing and signed by you and an authorized representative of the Company.

 

8.Taxes. All forms of compensation referred to in this letter are subject to reduction to reflect applicable withholding and payroll taxes and all other deductions required by law. You acknowledge that the Company does not have a duty to design its compensation policies in a manner that minimizes your tax liabilities, and you will not make any claim against the Company or its Board of Directors related to tax liabilities arising from your compensation.

 

9.Proprietary Information Agreement. You will be required to sign and abide by the terms of the enclosed Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement prior to beginning employment.

 

10.References and Immigration Documents. This offer is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all of our reference and background checks and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company. You must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements.

 

 

 

 

 

55 E. 3rd. Ave. | San Mateo, CA | 94401

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 3

 

11.Company Rules. As an employee of the Company, you will be expected to abide by the Company’s rules and regulations. You will be required to sign an acknowledgment that you have read and understand the Company rules of conduct as provided in the Company’s Employee Handbook, which the Company will distribute.]

 

12.No Conflicting Obligations. By execution of this letter, you represent and warrant that your performance of this letter does not and will not breach any agreement you have entered into, or will enter into, with any other party. You agree not to enter into any written or oral agreement that conflicts with this letter.

 

13.Integrated Agreement. This letter supersedes any prior agreements, representations or promises of any kind, whether written, oral, express or implied between the parties hereto with respect to its subject matter. Likewise, this letter will constitute the full, complete and exclusive agreement between you and the Company with respect to its subject matter. This Agreement may only be changed by a writing, signed by you and an authorized representative of the Company.

 

14.Severability. If any term of this letter is held to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms herein will remain in full force and effect and will in no way be affected, and the parties will use their best efforts to find an alternative way to achieve the same result.

 

15.Governing Law. The terms of this letter and the resolution of any dispute as to the meaning, effect, performance or validity of this letter or arising out of, related to, or in any way connected with, this letter, your employment with the Company (or termination thereof) or any other relationship between you and the Company (a “Dispute”) will be governed by the laws of the State of Colorado, without giving effect to the principles of conflict of laws. To the extent not subject to arbitration as described below, you and the Company consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of, and venue in, the state courts in Santa Clara County in the State of California (or in the event of exclusive federal jurisdiction, the courts of the Northern District of California in connection with any Dispute or any claim related to any Dispute).

 

16.Arbitration. Except as prohibited by law, you agree that any Dispute between you and the Company (or between you and any officer, director, employee or affiliates of the Company, each of whom is hereby designated a third party beneficiary of this letter regarding arbitration) will be resolved through binding arbitration in Santa Clara County, California under the Federal Arbitration Act and, to the extent not inconsistent with or preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act, the Arbitration Rules set forth in California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1280 et seq. Nothing in this arbitration provision is intended to limit any right you may have to file a charge with or obtain relief from the National Labor Relations Board or any other state or federal agency. You agree that such arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis only, not a class, collective or representative basis, and hereby waive any right to bring class-wide, collective or representative claims before any arbitrator or in any forum. THE PARTIES UNDERSTAND THAT BY AGREEING TO ARBITRATE DISPUTES THEY ARE WAIVING ANY RIGHT THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE TO A JURY TRIAL. This arbitration provision is not intended to modify or limit substantive rights or the remedies available to the parties, including the right to seek interim relief, such as injunction or attachment, through judicial process, which shall not be deemed a waiver of the right to demand and obtain arbitration.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

 

 

55 E. 3rd. Ave. | San Mateo, CA | 94401 

 

 

 

To confirm your agreement with and acceptance of these terms, please sign this letter and select the compensation package below you prefer.

 

We look forward to your joining Fold!

 

Sincerely,   
   
FOLD, INC.  
   
By: /s/ Josh Rosenblatt  
Name:  Josh Rosenblatt  
Title: COO & GC  

 

AGREED AND ACCEPTED AS OF THE DATE WRITTEN ABOVE:  
     
/s/ Wolfe Repass  
Name:  Wolfe Repass  

 

I accept the following compensation package:

 

ü  $130,000 annual salary and 30,000 RSU Award

 

     $140,000 annual salary and 15,000 RSU Award

  

 

 

 

Job Mission and Overview

 

[See attached]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.14

 

 

 

Fold Inc. 11201 N Tatum Blvd Ste 300, #42035, Phoenix, AZ 85028-6039

 

May 19, 2022

 

Dear Wolfe,

 

We are pleased to inform you that you are being promoted to the role of Director of Finance and Business Operations, reporting to the CEO.

 

1.Compensation. Your new salary will be the annual salary you select on the signature page.

 

2.Stock Compensation. You will also be granted a restricted stock unit award (the “Award”) representing the right to receive the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Common Stock”) set forth on the signature page. The shares subject to the Award shall be issued following the vesting date, subject to applicable withholding taxes but without any obligation to pay an exercise price. The vesting of the Award shall be subject to a time-based service requirement and a liquidity event requirement, both of which must be satisfied during the term of the Award. The Award shall satisfy the time-based service requirement subject to continuous employment over a four-year period starting on the date hereof, subject to a one-year cliff with monthly service-vesting thereafter. The liquidity event vesting requirement shall be satisfied on the first to occur of (i) a change in control of the Company in which stockholders receive cash and/or marketable securities, or (ii) an initial public offering of the Common Stock. The Award shall vest on the first date upon which both requirements are satisfied. Once your employment terminates, no additional Award units satisfy the time-based service requirement. However, those Award units that satisfied the time-based service requirement before termination of employment will remain eligible to vest if the liquidity event occurs before the expiration date specified in your individual RSU Award Agreement. The terms and conditions applicable to your Award will be governed by your individual RSU Award Agreement and the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Although management of the Company will recommend to the Board of Directors that you be granted the Award, by execution of this letter, you acknowledge that you have no right to receive the Award unless the grant is approved by the Board of Directors.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

 

 

We thank you for your ongoing commitment to excellence at Fold, Inc., and congratulate you on your outstanding performance! The changes above will be effective as of May 19, 2022.

 

Let’s do this!

 

/s/ Will Reeves 06 / 01 / 2022  
Will Reeves, CEO  
Fold, Inc.  

 

I accept the following compensation package:

 

ü $195,250 annual salary and 40,411 RSU Award

 

    $180,480 annual salary and 46,279 RSU Award

 

By: /s/ Wolfe Repass  
  06 / 01 / 2022  

  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.15

 

 

December 15, 2021

 

Nicolleta Gonçalves

nikkigoncalves@hotmail.com

 

Re: Offer of Employment

 

Dear Nikki:

 

I am happy to offer you the position of Director of Compliance for Fold, Inc. (the “Company”). This letter sets forth the terms and conditions of your employment with the Company and includes a provision that any dispute between you and the Company are subject to arbitration. It is important that you understand clearly both what your benefits are and what the Company expects of you. By signing this letter, you will be accepting employment on the following terms.

 

1.Effective Date. Your employment will commence on January 17, 2022 (the “Effective Date”).

 

2.Duties. Your job title will be Director of Compliance, reporting to COO & General Counsel. Your initial duties generally will be in the areas of set forth in the Mission and Outcomes statement, at Attachment 1, but you may be assigned other duties as needed. This is a full-time position.

 

3.Compensation. This is an exempt position, and you will be paid an annual base salary you select on the signature page. Your compensation will generally be reviewed twice a year, in January and July. All reasonable business expenses that are documented by you and incurred in the ordinary course of business will be reimbursed in accordance with the Company’s standard policies and procedures.

 

4.Signing Bonus. You will receive a $10,000 signing bonus, payable during the first ten business days after the Effective Date.

 

5.Stock Compensation. You be granted a restricted stock unit award (the “Award”) representing the right to receive the number shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Common Stock”) you select on the signature page. The shares subject to the Award shall be issued following the vesting date, subject to applicable withholding taxes but without any obligation to pay an exercise price. The vesting of the Award shall be subject to a time-based service requirement and a liquidity event requirement, both of which must be satisfied during the term of the Award. The Award shall satisfy the time- based service requirement subject to continuous employment over a four-year period starting on the first day of employment, subject to a one-year cliff with monthly service- vesting thereafter. The liquidity event vesting requirement shall be satisfied on the first to occur of (i) a change in control of the Company in which stockholders receive cash and/or marketable securities, or (ii) an initial public offering of the Common Stock. The Award shall vest on the first date upon which both requirements are satisfied. Once your employment terminates, no additional Award units satisfy the time-based service requirement. However, those Award units that satisfied the time-based service requirement before termination of employment will remain eligible to vest if the liquidity event occurs before the expiration date specified in your individual RSU Award Agreement. The terms and conditions applicable to your Award will be governed by your individual RSU Award Agreement and the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Although management of the Company will recommend to the Board of Directors that you be granted the Award, by execution of this letter, you acknowledge that you have no right to receive the Award unless the grant is approved by the Board of Directors.

 

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 2

 

6.Employee Benefits. You will be eligible to participate in Company-sponsored benefits, including health benefits, vacation, sick leave, holidays and other benefits that the Company may offer to similarly situated employees from time to time. Your eligibility to receive such benefits will be subject in each case to the generally applicable terms and conditions for the benefits in question and to the determinations of any person or committee administering such benefits. The Company may from time to time, in its sole discretion, amend or terminate the benefits available to you and the Company’s other employees. You will be covered by worker’s compensation insurance, state disability insurance and other governmental benefit programs as required by state law. A description of our currents benefits package is available Attachment 2.

 

7.Adjustments and Changes in Employment Status. The Company reserves the right to make personnel decisions regarding your employment, including but not limited to decisions regarding any transfers or other changes in duties or assignments, changes in your salary and other compensation, changes in benefits and changes in Company policies or procedures.

 

8.At-will Employment. Your employment with the Company is “at-will.” In other words, either you or the Company can terminate your employment at any time for any reason, with or without cause and with or without notice, without liability except as expressly set forth in this letter. This term of employment is not subject to change or modification of any kind except if in writing and signed by you and an authorized representative of the Company.

 

9.Taxes. All forms of compensation referred to in this letter are subject to reduction to reflect applicable withholding and payroll taxes and all other deductions required by law. You acknowledge that the Company does not have a duty to design its compensation policies in a manner that minimizes your tax liabilities, and you will not make any claim against the Company or its Board of Directors related to tax liabilities arising from your compensation.

 

11201 N Tatum Blvd | Ste 300 | #42035 | Phoenix, AZ 85028-6039

 

 

 

 

Fold, Inc.

Page 3

 

 

10.Proprietary Information Agreement. You will be required to sign and abide by the terms of the enclosed Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement prior to beginning employment.

 

11.References and Immigration Documents. This offer is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all of our reference and background checks and on your ability to prove your identity and authorization to work in the U.S. for the Company. You must comply with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services employment verification requirements.

 

12.Company Rules. As an employee of the Company, you will be expected to abide by the Company’s rules and regulations. You will be required to sign an acknowledgment that you have read and understand the Company rules of conduct as provided in the Company’s Employee Handbook, which the Company will distribute.

 

13.No Conflicting Obligations. By execution of this letter, you represent and warrant that your performance of this letter does not and will not breach any agreement you have entered into, or will enter into, with any other party. You agree not to enter into any written or oral agreement that conflicts with this letter.

 

14.Integrated Agreement. This letter supersedes any prior agreements, representations or promises of any kind, whether written, oral, express or implied between the parties hereto with respect to its subject matter. Likewise, this letter will constitute the full, complete and exclusive agreement between you and the Company with respect to its subject matter. This Agreement may only be changed by a writing, signed by you and an authorized representative of the Company.

 

15.Severability. If any term of this letter is held to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms herein will remain in full force and effect and will in no way be affected, and the parties will use their best efforts to find an alternative way to achieve the same result.

 

11201 N Tatum Blvd | Ste 300 | #42035 | Phoenix, AZ 85028-6039

 

 

 

 

16.Governing Law. The terms of this letter and the resolution of any dispute as to the meaning, effect, performance or validity of this letter or arising out of, related to, or in any way connected with, this letter, your employment with the Company (or termination thereof) or any other relationship between you and the Company (a “Dispute”) will be governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, without giving effect to the principles of conflict of laws. To the extent not subject to arbitration as described below, you and the Company consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of, and venue in, the state courts in Maricopa County in the State of Arizona (or in the event of exclusive federal jurisdiction, the courts of the District of Arizona seated in Maricopa County in connection with any Dispute or any claim related to any Dispute).

 

17.Arbitration. Except as prohibited by law, you agree that any Dispute between you and the Company (or between you and any officer, director, employee or affiliates of the Company, each of whom is hereby designated a third party beneficiary of this letter regarding arbitration) will be resolved through binding arbitration in Maricopa County, Arizona under the Federal Arbitration Act and, to the extent not inconsistent with or preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act or any applicable state law. Nothing in this arbitration provision is intended to limit any right you may have to file a charge with or obtain relief from the National Labor Relations Board or any other state or federal agency. You agree that such arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis only, not a class, collective or representative basis, and hereby waive any right to bring class- wide, collective or representative claims before any arbitrator or in any forum. THE PARTIES UNDERSTAND THAT BY AGREEING TO ARBITRATE DISPUTES THEY ARE WAIVING ANY RIGHT THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE TO A JURY TRIAL. This arbitration provision is not intended to modify or limit substantive rights or the remedies available to the parties, including the right to seek interim relief, such as injunction or attachment, through judicial process, which shall not be deemed a waiver of the right to demand and obtain arbitration.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

11201 N Tatum Blvd | Ste 300 | #42035 | Phoenix, AZ 85028-6039

 

 

 

 

To confirm your agreement with and acceptance of these terms, please sign it prior to December 17, 2021.

 

We look forward to your joining Fold!

 

Sincerely,  
     

FOLD, INC.

 
     
By: /s/ Will Reeves  
Name:  Will Reeves  
Title: CEO  

  

AGREED AND ACCEPTED AS OF THE DATE WRITTEN ABOVE:  
   
/s/ Nikki Goncalves  
Name:  Nikki Goncalves  
Address:  1415 Martin Luther King Jr Way apt  
  2E Oakland CA 94612  

 

I accept the following compensation package:

 

ü $198,000 annual salary and 80,475 (~0.36 fully diluted) RSU Award

 

    $187,200 annual salary and 84,956 (~0.38% fully diluted) RSU Award

 

 

 

 

Attachment 1:

Mission and Outcomes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mission and Outcomes - Compliance

 

Mission

 

1.Initially build our first compliance department, including initial staff and tools.

 

2.Find solutions for any unique compliance challenges that arise from our secured credit program (when it launches).

 

3.Ensure that the proper KYC/AML tools and procedures are in place to support the launch and growth of our Free Debit Card.

 

4.Implement a robust fraud & abuse program to protect users and to ensure that our cardholders are gaming - but not abusing - our rewards game.

 

5.Identify relevant industry benchmarks which we should strive for, and set a reasonably aggressive timeline for hitting/exceeding those benchmarks.

 

6.Looking over the horizon: other forms of rewards.

 

Outcomes

 

1. Initially build our first compliance department, including initial staff and tools.

 

Thus far in Fold’s existence, we are just now experiencing the need for a full time compliance person. We are aware of needs in the following areas (from currently most to least pressing):

 

1.KYC fraud related to signing up for our Fold Rewards Prepaid Card.

 

2.ACH fraud related to fraudulent Fold Rewards Prepaid Card accounts

 

3.abuse of our rewards program by payment types that could be considered suspicious AML behavior.

 

4.chargebacks related to purchases made with the Fold Rewards Prepared Card

 

5.chargeback fraud related to our gift card sales,

 

The goal of this role would be to initially get an understanding of the scope of Fold’s compliance needs, and to map out a minimally viable team and tools to address those needs, during this period of growth.

 

2. Find solutions for any unique compliance challenges that arise from our secured credit program (when it launches).

 

For the most part, compliance requirements for prepaid programs have not been particularly challenging. When we launch the credit program, it will have some level of compliance needs as well (depending on which partner is selected, Fold will have varying levels of responsibility).

 

One unique challenge is that we will be the first program using bitcoin and rewards points to secure a secured credit card. We will need to work with our partners to identify areas of risk and spheres of responsibility for this product.

 

3. Ensure that the proper KYC/AML tools and procedures are in place to support the launch and growth of our Free Debit Card.

 

Our primary objective for the next twelve months is to grow our cardholder base. To date, we have required a fee ($150 annual for our Spin+ Tier and $21 activation for our Spin Tier). We plan on dropping the fee to $0 in the very near future, and instead

launching an optional monthly subscription model. We anticipate that when we launch the Free card, we will experience significant growth in cardholders (both legitimate and illegitimate).

 

 

 

 

Our KYC/AML tools, policies, and procedures are currently bare bones. While we have good visibility (or at least the ability to have that visibility) into our transaction and rewards data, we are currently limited with our other KYC/AML tools.

 

With that background, the priorities for this role would be:

 

Prioritize which compliance needs should be addressed first.

 

Team with current employees to document our policies and procedures.

 

Recommend additional hire(s) if needed, and recruit those positions.

 

4. Implement a robust fraud & abuse program to protect users and to ensure that our cardholders are gaming - but not abusing - our rewards game.

 

At our core, Fold aspires to be a gaming company. The reward element of our card is a game. With good strategies, a user can earn more than an average user. While Fold wants to reward gamers, we do not want to tolerate abusive behavior. A primary objective of this goal will be to clearly define the line between the two behaviors, and enforce that line.

 

To accomplish this goal, this role would be required to:

 

1.Fully understand our current rewards T&Cs.

 

2.Review abusive purchaser behavior and identify what the appropriate policy is for taking action against those accounts (including warnings, clawing back rewards, and terminating accounts).

 

3.Ensure that the company is sufficiently staffed to monitor and manage abuse.

 

5.  Identify relevant industry benchmarks which we should strive for, and set a reasonably aggressive timeline for hitting/exceeding those benchmarks.

 

Fold strives to be an extremely friendly rewards company. That mentality extends to our traditional finance partners, who often find Fold to be the first “crypto” company they partner with. So we take the path of having excellent customer support and an active intolerance of fraudulent behavior. While we can easily quantify our customer support metrics (i.e. <1 hour response time per ticket), we are not currently able to target metrics with respect to KYC/AML, abuse, or chargebacks.

 

To accomplish this outcome, you would:

 

Identify the one-three metrics which we should measure.

 

Ensure we have the reporting tools in place in order to measure those metrics.

 

Establish a baseline for those metrics, and 6 and 12 months goals.

 

6. Looking over the horizon: other forms of rewards.

 

Currently the only rewards we offer are in the form of bitcoin. As we evolve, we expect we will grow into other types of rewards that grow, namely certain stocks or mutual funds. While we expect that we will be able to partner with providers who can provide us with fractional share services, and who can handle reporting and compliance requirements, we are not sure.

 

Ultimately, we may decide we want to bring the broker-dealer requirements in-house. The responsibility for building a compliant program will ultimately fall to this role.

 

 

 

 

Attachment 2:

Benefits Overview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold Inc

Employee Benefits Overview

 

At Fold Inc we invest in our employees’ wellbeing and empower them with benefits provided through Justworks.

 

Health

 

 

1/9

 

 

2/9

 

 

More Features of your Health Benefits Program

 

 

3/9

 

 

 

4/9

 

 

Additional Benefits

 

 

5/9

 

 

 

 

6/9

 

 

 

 

7/9

 

 

Perks

 

 

  

8/9

 

 

Who’s Justworks?

  

Justworks is an HR platform that provides businesses with the tools they need to grow and support their teams. We do this with a simple, easy-to-use product and expert support from real people when it’s needed. Through Justworks, you’ll gain access to corporate-level benefits that support your health and wellbeing in and out of the office.

 

Check out www.justworks.com for more info.

 

+ Powered By
   
   

 

 

 

9/9

 

Exhibit 10.16

 

FOLD HOLDINGS, INC.

 

NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR COMPENSATION PROGRAM

 

Eligible Directors (as defined below) on the board of directors (the “Board”) of Fold Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) shall be eligible to receive cash and equity compensation as set forth in this Non-Employee Director Compensation Program (this “Program”). The cash and equity compensation described in this Program shall be paid or made, as applicable, automatically as set forth herein and without further action of the Board, to each member of the Board who is not an employee of the Company or any of its parents or subsidiaries and who is determined by the Board to be eligible to receive compensation under this Program (each, an “Eligible Director”), who may be eligible to receive such cash or equity compensation, unless such Eligible Director declines the receipt of such cash or equity compensation by written notice to the Company.

 

This Program shall become effective upon the closing of the transactions contemplated by that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated July 24, 2024, by and among Fold, Inc., FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., and EMLD Merger Sub Inc. (such closing date, the “Effective Date”) and shall remain in effect until it is revised or rescinded by further action of the Board. This Program may be amended, modified or terminated by the Board at any time in its sole discretion. No Eligible Director shall have any rights hereunder, except with respect to equity awards granted pursuant to Section 2 of this Program.

 

1. Cash Compensation.

 

a. Annual Retainers. Each Eligible Director shall be eligible to receive an annual cash retainer of $40,000 for service on the Board.

 

b. Additional Annual Retainers. An Eligible Director shall be eligible to receive the following additional annual retainers, as applicable:

 

(i) Chairperson. An Eligible Director serving as the Chairperson of the Board (other than an Executive Chairperson) shall be eligible to receive an additional annual retainer of $50,000 for such service.

 

(ii) Lead Independent Director. An Eligible Director serving as the Lead Independent Director of the Board shall be eligible to receive an additional annual retainer of $25,000 for such service.

 

(iii) Audit Committee. An Eligible Director serving as Chairperson of the Audit Committee shall be eligible to receive an additional annual retainer of $20,000 for such service. An Eligible Director serving as a member of the Audit Committee (other than the Chairperson) shall be eligible to receive an additional annual retainer of $10,000 for such service.

 

(iii) Compensation Committee. An Eligible Director serving as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee shall be eligible to receive an additional annual retainer of $15,000 for such service. An Eligible Director serving as a member of the Compensation Committee (other than the Chairperson) shall be eligible to receive an additional annual retainer of $7,500 for such service.

 

(iv)  Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. An Eligible Director serving as Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall be eligible to receive an additional annual retainer of $10,000 for such service. An Eligible Director serving as a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (other than the Chairperson) shall be eligible to receive an additional annual retainer of $5,000 for such service.

 

 

 

 

c. Payment of Retainers. The annual cash retainers described in Sections 1(a) and 1(b) shall be earned on a quarterly basis based on a calendar quarter and shall be paid by the Company in arrears not later than 30 days following the end of each calendar quarter. In the event an Eligible Director does not serve as a director, or in the applicable position(s) described in Section 1(b), for an entire calendar quarter, the retainer paid to such Eligible Director shall be prorated for the portion of such calendar quarter actually served as a director, or in such position, as applicable.

 

2. Equity Compensation.

 

a. General. Eligible Directors shall be granted the Annual Awards and (if applicable) the Pro-Rated Annual Awards described below (collectively, “Director Awards”). The Director Awards described below shall be granted under and shall be subject to the terms and provisions of the Company’s 2025 Incentive Award Plan (the “2025 Plan”), or any other applicable Company equity incentive plan then-maintained by the Company (the 2025 Plan or such other plan, in any case, as may be amended from time to time, the “Equity Plan”) and may be granted subject to the execution and delivery of award agreements, including any exhibits thereto, in substantially the forms approved by the Board prior to or in connection with such grants. All applicable terms of the Equity Plan apply to this Program as if fully set forth herein, and all grants of Director Awards hereby are subject in all respects to the terms of the Equity Plan.

 

b. Annual Awards. Each Eligible Director who (i) is serving on the Board as of the date of any annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) after the Effective Date and (ii) will continue to serve on the Board immediately following such Annual Meeting, shall be automatically be granted an award (an “Annual Award”) in the form of restricted stock units (“RSUs”), with the number of RSUs subject to each Annual Award determined by dividing (i) $125,000 by (ii) the average closing trading price of the Company’s common stock over the 30 consecutive trading days ending with the trading day immediately preceding the applicable grant date, rounded down to the nearest whole RSU. Each Annual Award shall be automatically granted on the date of such Annual Meeting and shall vest in full on the earlier to occur of (x) the one-year anniversary of the applicable grant date and (y) the day before the date of the next Annual Meeting following the grant date, subject to the Eligible Director’s continued service on the Board through the applicable vesting date.

 

c. Pro-Rated Annual Awards. Each Eligible Director who is initially elected or appointed to serve on the Board after the Effective Date, other than on the date of an Annual Meeting, shall be granted a pro-rated Annual Award (the “Pro-Rated Annual Award”) covering a number of RSUs determined by dividing (i) (A) $125,000, multiplied by (B) a fraction, the numerator of which equals 365 minus the number of days (capped at 365) elapsed from the immediately preceding Annual Meeting date (or the Effective Date, if there was no preceding Annual Meeting date) through the date on which such Eligible Director is appointed or elected to serve on the Board and the denominator of which equals 365 by (ii) the average closing trading price of the Company’s common stock over the 30 consecutive trading days ending with the trading day immediately preceding the applicable grant date, rounded down to the nearest whole RSU. Each Pro-Rated Annual Award shall be automatically granted on the date on which such Eligible Director is appointed or elected to serve on the Board and shall vest in full on the earlier to occur of (x) the one-year anniversary of the applicable grant date and (y) the day before the date of the next Annual Meeting following the grant date, subject to the Eligible Director’s continued service on the Board through the applicable vesting date. For the avoidance of doubt, an Eligible Director who is initially appointed or elected to serve on the Board on the date of an Annual Meeting shall receive an Annual Award pursuant to Section 2(b) above and shall not receive a Pro-Rated Annual Award.

 

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d. Termination of Employment of Employee Directors. Members of the Board who are employees of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company who subsequently terminate their employment and remain on the Board will not receive a Pro-Rated Annual Award, but to the extent that they otherwise become entitled to compensation under this Program after such employment terminates, will be eligible to receive, after termination of employment with the Company and any subsidiary of the Company, Annual Awards.

 

e. Accelerated Vesting. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) an Eligible Director’s Director Award(s) shall vest in full immediately prior to the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the 2025 Plan, or any similar or like term as defined in the then-applicable Equity Plan), subject to the Eligible Director’s continued service on the Board until immediately prior to such Change in Control, to the extent outstanding at such time, if the Eligible Director will not become, as of immediately following such Change in Control, a member of the Board or the board of directors of the successor to the Company (or any parent thereof), and (ii) an Eligible Director’s then-outstanding Director Award(s) shall vest in full upon such Eligible Director ceasing to serve as a member of the Board due to such Eligible Director’s death or Disability (as defined in the 2025 Plan, or any similar or like term as defined in the then-applicable Equity Plan).

 

f. Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Program, if, as of the date on which any Director Award is scheduled to be automatically granted pursuant to this Program, the Company has not yet filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Form S-8 Registration Statement covering the shares of Company common stock subject to the Director Award, the Director Award shall instead be automatically granted upon the effectiveness of such Form S-8 Registration Statement (subject to the Eligible Director’s continued service on the Board through the date of such effectiveness).

 

3. Compensation Limits. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Program, all compensation payable under this Program will be subject to any limits on the maximum amount of non-employee director compensation set forth in the Equity Plan, as in effect from time to time.

 

*****

 

 

3

 

Exhibit 10.17

 

FOLD HOLDINGS, INC.

EXECUTIVE SEVERANCE PLAN

 

Fold Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), has adopted this Fold Holdings, Inc. Executive Severance Plan, including the attached Exhibits (the “Plan”), for the benefit of Participants (as defined below) on the terms and conditions hereinafter stated. The Plan, as set forth herein, is intended to provide severance protections to a select group of management or highly compensated employees (within the meaning of ERISA (as defined below)) in connection with qualifying terminations of employment.

 

1. Defined Terms. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings indicated below:

 

1.1 “Base Salary” means, with respect to any Participant, the Participant’s annual base salary rate in effect immediately prior to a Qualifying Termination, disregarding any reduction which gives rise to Good Reason.

 

1.2 “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

1.3 “Cash Salary Severance” means the portion of a Participant’s Cash Severance that is based on the Participant’s Base Salary determined in accordance with Exhibit A or Exhibit B attached hereto, as applicable.

 

1.4 “Cash Severance” means the Cash Salary Severance and, if applicable, the Target Bonus Severance.

 

1.5 “Cause” means, in respect of a Participant, (i) the definition of “Cause” contained in an effective, written service or employment agreement between the Participant and the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company; or (ii) if no such agreement exists or such agreement does not define Cause, then Cause means: (a) the Participant’s unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information or trade secrets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any material breach of a written agreement between the Participant and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including without limitation a material breach of any employment, confidentiality, non-compete, non-solicit or similar agreement; (b) the Participant’s commission of, indictment for or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the Participant to, a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or any crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude (or any similar crime in any jurisdiction outside the United States); (c) the Participant’s negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of the Participant’s duties or the Participant’s willful or repeated failure or refusal to substantially perform assigned duties; (d) any act of fraud, embezzlement, material misappropriation or dishonesty committed by the Participant against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or (e) any acts, omissions or statements by the Participant which the Company determines to be materially detrimental or damaging to the reputation, operations, prospects or business relations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The findings and decision of the Administrator with respect to any Cause determination will be final and binding for all purposes.

 

1.6 “Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in the Company’s 2025 Incentive Award Plan, as may be amended from time to time, or any successor equity incentive plan established by the Company; provided that if a Change in Control constitutes a vesting or payment event with respect to any Severance Benefit that provides for the deferral of compensation that is subject to Code Section 409A, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Code Section 409A, the transaction or event with respect to such Severance Benefit shall only constitute a Change in Control for purposes of the vesting or payment timing of such Severance Benefit if such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

 

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1.7 “CIC Protection Period” means the period beginning on and including three months prior to the date on which a Change in Control is consummated and ending on and including the 12-month anniversary of the date on which such Change in Control is consummated.

 

1.8 “CIC Termination” means (i) during the portion of the CIC Protection Period that occurs prior to the date on which a Change in Control is consummated, a Qualifying Termination that occurs at the request of the acquirer (or its direct or indirect parent entity) in the Change in Control or that is otherwise related to the Change in Control (as determined by the Administrator); and (ii) during the portion of the CIC Protection Period that occurs on or after the date on which a Change in Control is consummated, any Qualifying Termination. For the avoidance of doubt, a Participant’s Qualifying Termination during the portion of the CIC Protection Period that occurs prior to the date on which a Change in Control is consummated and that does not satisfy clause (i) of the preceding sentence shall constitute a Qualifying Termination for purposes of the Plan but shall not constitute a CIC Termination.

 

1.9 “Claimant” shall have the meaning set forth in Exhibit C attached hereto.

 

1.10 “COBRA” means the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985.

 

1.11 “COBRA Benefits” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(b) hereof.

 

1.12 “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any successor thereto.

 

1.13 “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board, or such other committee as may be appointed by the Board to administer the Plan.

 

1.14 “Date of Termination” means the effective date of the termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

1.15 “Employee” means an individual who is an employee (within the meaning of Code Section 3401(c)) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

1.16 “Equity Acceleration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(c) hereof.

 

1.17 “Equity Award” means an equity or equity-based award granted by the Company covering shares of common stock of the Company.

 

1.18 “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

1.19 “Excise Tax” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 hereof.

 

1.20 “Good Reason” means, with respect to any Participant, the occurrence of one or more of the following events, without the Participant’s written consent: (i) a material diminution in the Participant’s duties, responsibilities, authority or title (other than any change made solely as the result of the Company (and its Subsidiaries) becoming a subsidiary, division or business unit of a larger company following a Change in Control so long as the Participant retains substantially the same duties and responsibilities at such subsidiary, division or business unit), (ii) the Company (or its Subsidiary) relocates the Participant’s principal place of employment to a location that is greater than 50 miles from the Participant’s place of employment as of the date on which he or she becomes a Participant in the Plan (other than a relocation that reduces the Participant’s one-way commute), or (iii) a material diminution in the Participant’s Base Salary or Target Bonus, except in connection with proportionate across-the-board salary reductions (and corresponding target bonus deductions) imposed on substantially all of the Company’s (or its Subsidiary’s) similarly-situated employees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Participant will not be deemed to have resigned for Good Reason unless (x) the Participant provides the Company with written notice setting forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances alleged by the Participant to constitute Good Reason within 30 days following the date of the occurrence of the event constituting Good Reason, (y) the Company fails to cure the same (to the extent capable of cure) within 30 days following its receipt of such notice and (z) the effective date of the Participant’s termination for Good Reason occurs no later than 30 days after the expiration of the Company’s cure period.

 

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1.21 “Independent Advisors” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.2 hereof.

 

1.22 “Non-U.S. Participant” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.5 hereof.

 

1.23 “Participant” means each Employee with a title of Vice President or higher who is selected by the Administrator (or designee thereof in accordance with Section 3 hereof) to participate in the Plan and is provided with (and, if applicable, countersigns) a Participation Notice in accordance with Section 13.2 hereof, other than any Employee who, at the time of his or her termination of employment, is covered by a plan or agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary that provides for cash severance or termination benefits. For the avoidance of doubt, retention bonus payments, change in control bonus payments and other similar payments shall not constitute “cash severance” for purposes of this definition.

 

1.24 “Participation Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 13.2 hereof.

 

1.25 “Performance-Based Equity Award” means an Equity Award which vests based on the satisfaction of performance goals.

 

1.26 “Qualifying Termination” means (i) with respect to any Tier 1 Participant or Tier 2 Participant, a termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company or a Subsidiary, as applicable, (a) by the Company or a Subsidiary, as applicable, without Cause or (b) by the Participant for Good Reason, and (ii) with respect to any Tier 3 Participant, a termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company or a Subsidiary, as applicable, by the Company or a Subsidiary, as applicable, without Cause. Notwithstanding anything contained herein, in no event shall a Participant be deemed to have experienced a Qualifying Termination (a) if such Participant is offered and/or accepts a comparable employment position with the Company or any Subsidiary, or (b) if in connection with a Change in Control or any other corporate transaction or sale of assets involving the Company or any Subsidiary, such Participant is offered and accepts a comparable employment position with the successor or purchaser entity (or an affiliate thereof), as applicable. A Qualifying Termination shall not include a termination due to the Participant’s death or disability.

 

1.27 “Release” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.4 hereof.

 

1.28 “Severance Benefits” means, collectively, the Cash Severance, COBRA Benefits and Equity Acceleration to which a Participant may become entitled pursuant to the Plan.

 

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1.29 “Severance Classification” means, with respect to any Participant, his or her designation as a “Tier 1”, “Tier 2” or “Tier 3” Participant in the Plan.

 

1.30 “Severance Period” means, with respect to any Participant, the number of months following the Participant’s Date of Termination during which the Participant is entitled to the Cash Salary Severance and COBRA Benefits, as determined in accordance with Exhibit A or Exhibit B, as applicable, attached hereto (based on the Participant’s Severance Classification).

 

1.31 “Statutory Severance” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.5 hereof.

 

1.32 “Subsidiary” means any entity (other than the Company), whether domestic or foreign, in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain beneficially owns, at the time of the determination, securities or interests representing at least 50% of the total combined voting power of all classes of securities or interests in one of the other entities in such chain.

 

1.33 “Target Bonus” means, with respect to any Participant, the Participant’s target annual cash performance bonus, if any, for the Company fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs. For clarity, if the Participant is not eligible to receive an annual cash performance bonus, such Participant’s Target Bonus shall equal zero.

 

1.34 “Target Bonus Severance” means the portion of a Participant’s Cash Severance that is based on the Participant’s Target Bonus, determined in accordance with Exhibit B attached hereto.

 

1.35 “Total Payments” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 hereof.

 

2. Effectiveness of the Plan; Notification. The Plan shall become effective on the date on which it is duly adopted by the Board. The Administrator shall, pursuant to a Participation Notice, notify each Participant that such Participant has been selected to participate in the Plan and of such Participant’s Severance Classification.

 

3. Administration. The Plan shall be interpreted, administered and operated by the Committee (the “Administrator”), which shall have complete authority, subject to the express provisions of the Plan, to interpret the Plan, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan, and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. The Administrator may delegate any of its duties hereunder to a subcommittee, or to such person or persons from time to time as it may designate other than to any Participant in the Plan. All decisions, interpretations and other actions of the Administrator (including with respect to whether a Qualifying Termination has occurred) shall be final, conclusive and binding on all parties who have an interest in the Plan.

 

4. Severance Benefits.

 

4.1 Eligibility. Each Employee who qualifies as a Participant and who experiences a Qualifying Termination is eligible to receive Severance Benefits under the Plan.

 

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4.2 Qualifying Termination Payment. In the event that a Participant experiences a Qualifying Termination (other than a CIC Termination), then, subject to Section 6 hereof and the Participant’s execution and, to the extent applicable, non-revocation of a Release in accordance with Section 4.4 hereof, and subject to any additional requirements specified in the Plan, the Company shall pay or provide to the Participant the following Severance Benefits:

 

(a) Cash Salary Severance. The Company shall pay to the Participant an amount in cash equal to the Participant’s Cash Salary Severance as determined in accordance with Exhibit A attached hereto (based on the Participant’s Severance Classification). The Cash Salary Severance (as set forth on Exhibit A) shall be paid to the Participant in accordance with the Company’s usual payroll periods during the Severance Period (as set forth on Exhibit A and based on the Participant’s Severance Classification) commencing on the Date of Termination; provided, that no such payments shall be made prior to the date on which the Release becomes effective and irrevocable and, if the aggregate period during which the Participant is entitled to consider and/or revoke the Release spans two calendar years, no payments under this Section 4.2(a) shall be made prior to the beginning of the second such calendar year (and any such payments otherwise payable prior thereto (if any) shall instead be paid on the first regularly scheduled Company payroll date in the second such calendar year).

 

(b) COBRA Benefits. Subject to the requirements of the Code, if the Participant properly elects health care continuation coverage under the Company’s group health plans pursuant to COBRA, to the extent that the Participant is eligible to do so, then the Company shall directly pay or, at its election, reimburse the Participant for the Participant’s and the Participant’s covered dependents coverage under its group health plans (at the same benefit levels and same cost to the Participant as would have applied if the Participant’s employment had not been terminated based on the Participant’s elections in effect on the Date of Termination) until the earlier of the end of the month during which the Participant’s Severance Period (as determined in accordance with Exhibit A attached hereto (based on the Participant’s Severance Classification)) ends or the date the Participant becomes eligible for healthcare coverage under a subsequent employer’s health plan (the “COBRA Benefits”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) if any plan pursuant to which such COBRA Benefits are provided is not, or ceases prior to the expiration of the period of continuation coverage to be, exempt from the application of Code Section 409A under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(a)(5), or (ii) the Company is otherwise unable to continue to cover the Participant under its group health plans without penalty under applicable law (including without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), then, in either case, an amount equal to each remaining Company subsidy or reimbursement shall thereafter be paid to the Participant in substantially equal monthly installments over the Severance Period (or the remaining portion thereof).

 

(c) Equity Award Treatment. Each outstanding Equity Award which is held by the Participant as of the Date of Termination shall be treated in accordance with the terms of the applicable Company equity plan and award agreement governing the Equity Award.

 

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4.3 CIC Termination Payment. In the event that a Participant experiences a CIC Termination, then, subject to Section 6 hereof and the Participant’s execution and, to the extent applicable, non-revocation of a Release in accordance with Section 4.4 hereof, and subject to any additional requirements specified in the Plan, then the Company shall pay or provide to the Participant the following Severance Benefits:

 

(a) Cash Salary Severance; COBRA Benefits. The Company shall pay or provide to the Participant, as applicable, the Severance Benefits set forth in Sections 4.2(a) and (b) hereof; provided, however, that the amount of the Cash Salary Severance and (for purposes of the COBRA Benefits) the Severance Period shall be determined in accordance with Exhibit B attached hereto (instead of in accordance with Exhibit A) based on the Participant’s Severance Classification and any Cash Salary Severance set forth in Exhibit B will be paid in a single lump-sum on the later of the 60th day following the Date of Termination and the date of the Change in Control; provided further, that if Cash Salary Severance payments set forth in Exhibit A have commenced under Section 4.2(a) prior to the consummation of the Change in Control, then the excess of the Cash Salary Severance payments set forth in Exhibit B over the actual aggregate amount of the Cash Salary Severance paid to the Participant under Section 4.2(a) prior to the consummation of such Change in Control shall be paid to the Participant in a lump-sum on the date on which the Change in Control is consummated (and, for clarity, no further Cash Salary Severance payments shall be made to the Participant under Section 4.2(a));

 

(b) Target Bonus Severance. The Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the Participant’s Target Bonus Severance (as set forth on Exhibit B), in a lump-sum cash payment on the later of the 60th day following the Date of Termination and the date of the Change in Control; provided, that such payment shall not be made prior to the date on which the Release becomes effective and irrevocable and, if the aggregate period during which the Participant is entitled to consider and/or revoke the Release spans two calendar years, such payment shall be made in the second such calendar year; and

 

(c) Equity Award Treatment. Except to the extent that the applicable Company equity plan or award agreement governing an Equity Award provides for different treatment upon a CIC Termination (in which case the terms of such Company equity plan or award agreement shall govern the treatment of such Equity Award), each outstanding and unvested Equity Award which is held by the Participant as of the Date of Termination shall vest (and, if applicable, become exercisable) in full on the date on which the Release becomes effective and irrevocable, with any performance goals applicable to any Performance-Based Equity Award that have not been satisfied as of the Date of Termination deemed achieved at target performance (the “Equity Acceleration”). For clarity, in the event the CIC Termination occurs prior to a Change in Control, then upon the Participant’s CIC Termination, each outstanding and unvested Equity Award held by the Participant as of the Date of Termination shall remain outstanding and eligible to vest in full in accordance with this Section 4.3(c) on the date on which the Release becomes effective and irrevocable or, if later, upon a Change in Control that is consummated within three months following the Date of Termination and, if a Change in Control does not occur within three (3) months after the Date of Termination, then the terms of the applicable Company equity plan and award agreement governing the treatment of the Equity Award upon a Qualifying Termination will apply to such Equity Award on the three (3)-month anniversary of the Date of Termination.

 

4.4 Release. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no Participant shall be eligible or entitled to receive or retain any Severance Benefits under the Plan unless he or she executes a general release of claims in a form prescribed by the Company (the “Release”) within 21 days (or 45 days if necessary to comply with applicable law) after being presented with such Release on or around the Date of Termination and, if he or she is entitled to a post-signing revocation period under applicable law, does not revoke such Release during such revocation period.

 

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4.5 Non-U.S. Participants. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, any Participant that resides outside of the United States (each, a “Non-U.S. Participant”) and is entitled to receive severance, notice or similar termination payments and/or benefits under the laws of the Participant’s country of residence upon the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries (collectively, “Statutory Severance”) and that becomes eligible to receive Severance Benefits under the Plan shall be entitled to receive either (a) the payments and benefits described in Section 4.2 or 4.3 above, as applicable, or (b) such Non-U.S. Participant’s Statutory Severance, whichever is greater.

 

4.6 Payments. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any Severance Benefits to be paid or provided under Section 4.2 or 4.3 above may be paid or provided by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

5. Limitations. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, if a Participant’s status as an Employee is terminated for any reason other than due to a Qualifying Termination, the Participant shall not be entitled to receive any Severance Benefits under the Plan, and the Company shall not have any obligation to such Participant under the Plan.

 

6. Section 409A.

 

6.1 General. To the extent applicable, the Plan shall be interpreted and applied consistent and in accordance with Code Section 409A and Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, to the extent that the Administrator determines that any payments or benefits under the Plan may not be either compliant with or exempt from Code Section 409A and related Department of Treasury guidance, the Administrator may in its sole discretion adopt such amendments to the Plan or take such other actions that the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to (a) exempt the compensation and benefits payable under the Plan from Code Section 409A and/or preserve the intended tax treatment of such compensation and benefits, or (b) comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A and related Department of Treasury guidance; provided, however, that this Section 6.1 shall not create any obligation on the part of the Administrator to adopt any such amendment or take any other action, nor shall the Company have any liability for failing to do so.

 

6.2 Potential Six-Month Delay. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, no amounts shall be paid to any Participant under the Plan during the six-month period following such Participant’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Code Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) and Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)) to the extent that the Administrator determines that paying such amounts at the time or times indicated in the Plan would result in a prohibited distribution under Code Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i). If the payment of any such amounts is delayed as a result of the previous sentence, then on the first business day following the end of such six-month period (or such earlier date upon which such amount can be paid under Code Section 409A without resulting in a prohibited distribution, including as a result of the Participant’s death), the Participant shall receive payment of a lump-sum amount equal to the cumulative amount that would have otherwise been payable to the Participant during such six-month period without interest thereon.

 

6.3 Separation from Service. A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of the Plan providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits that constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Code Section 409A upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Code Section 409A and, for purposes of any such provision of the Plan, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean “separation from service”.

 

7

 

 

6.4 Reimbursements. To the extent that any payments or reimbursements provided to a Participant under the Plan are deemed to constitute compensation to the Participant to which Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(1)(iv) would apply, such amounts shall be paid or reimbursed reasonably promptly, but not later than December 31st of the year following the year in which the expense was incurred. The amount of any such payments eligible for reimbursement in one year shall not affect the payments or expenses that are eligible for payment or reimbursement in any other taxable year, and the Participant’s right to such payments or reimbursement of any such expenses shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

6.5 Installments. For purposes of applying the provisions of Code Section 409A to the Plan, each separately identified amount to which a Participant is entitled under the Plan shall be treated as a separate payment. In addition, to the extent permissible under Code Section 409A, the right to receive any installment payments under the Plan shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each such installment payment shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment as permitted under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii). Whenever a payment under the Plan specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.

 

7. Limitation on Payments.

 

7.1 Best Pay Cap. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, in the event that any payment or benefit received or to be received by a Participant (whether pursuant to the terms of the Plan or any other plan, arrangement or agreement) (all such payments and benefits, including the Severance Benefits, being hereinafter referred to as the “Total Payments”) would be subject (in whole or part), to the excise tax imposed under Code Section 4999 (the “Excise Tax”), then, after taking into account any reduction in the Total Payments provided by reason of Code Section 280G in any other plan, arrangement or agreement, the Cash Severance benefits under the Plan shall first be reduced, and any non-cash Severance Benefits hereunder shall thereafter be reduced, to the extent necessary so that no portion of the Total Payments is subject to the Excise Tax but only if (a) the net amount of such Total Payments, as so reduced (and after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income taxes on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments) is greater than or equal to (b) the net amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (but after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of Excise Tax to which the Participant would be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments).

 

7.2 Certain Exclusions. For purposes of determining whether and the extent to which the Total Payments will be subject to the Excise Tax, (a) no portion of the Total Payments, the receipt or retention of which the Participant has waived at such time and in such manner so as not to constitute a “payment” within the meaning of Code Section 280G(b), will be taken into account; (b) no portion of the Total Payments will be taken into account which, in the written opinion of an independent, nationally recognized accounting firm (the “Independent Advisors”) selected by the Company, does not constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Code Section 280G(b)(2) (including by reason of Code Section 280G(b)(4)(A)) and, in calculating the Excise Tax, no portion of such Total Payments will be taken into account which, in the opinion of Independent Advisors, constitutes reasonable compensation for services actually rendered, within the meaning of Code Section 280G(b)(4)(B), in excess of the “base amount” (as defined in Code Section 280G(b)(3)) allocable to such reasonable compensation; and (c) the value of any non-cash benefit or any deferred payment or benefit included in the Total Payments shall be determined by the Independent Advisors in accordance with the principles of Code Sections 280G(d)(3) and (4).

 

8. No Mitigation. No Participant shall be required to seek other employment or attempt in any way to reduce or mitigate any Severance Benefits payable under the Plan and the amount of any such Severance Benefits shall not be reduced by any other compensation paid or provided to any Participant following such Participant’s termination of service.

 

8

 

 

9. Successors.

 

9.1 Company Successors. The Plan shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns. Any successor (whether direct or indirect and whether by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation, liquidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the Company’s business and/or assets shall assume and agree to perform the obligations of the Company under the Plan.

 

9.2 Participant Successors. The Plan shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by each Participant’s personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees, legatees or other beneficiaries. If a Participant dies while any amount remains payable to such Participant hereunder, all such amounts shall be paid in accordance with the terms of the Plan to the executors, personal representatives or administrators of such Participant’s estate.

 

10. Notices. All communications relating to matters arising under the Plan shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when hand delivered, faxed, emailed or mailed by reputable overnight carrier or United States certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed, if to a Participant, to the address on file with the Company or to such other address as the Participant may have furnished to the Company in writing in accordance herewith and, if to the Company, to such address as may be specified from time to time by the Administrator, except that notice of change of address shall be effective only upon actual receipt.

 

11. Claims Procedure; Arbitration.

 

11.1 Claims. Generally, Participants are not required to present a formal claim in order to receive benefits under the Plan. If, however, any Claimant believes that benefits are being denied improperly, that the Plan is not being operated properly, that fiduciaries of the Plan have breached their duties, or that the Claimant’s legal rights are being violated with respect to the Plan, the Claimant must file a formal claim, in writing, with the Administrator. This requirement applies to all claims that any Claimant has with respect to the Plan, including claims against fiduciaries and former fiduciaries, except to the extent the Administrator determines, in its sole discretion, that it does not have the power to grant all relief reasonably being sought by the Claimant. A formal claim must be filed within 90 days after the date the Claimant first knew or should have known of the facts on which the claim is based, unless the Administrator consents otherwise in writing. The Administrator shall provide a Claimant, on request, with a copy of the claims procedures established under Section 11.2 hereof.

 

11.2 Claims Procedure. The Administrator has adopted procedures for considering claims (which are set forth in Exhibit C attached hereto), which it may amend or modify from time to time, as it sees fit. These procedures shall comply with all applicable legal requirements. These procedures may provide that final and binding arbitration shall be the ultimate means of contesting a denied claim (even if the Administrator or its delegates have failed to follow the prescribed procedures with respect to the claim). The right to receive benefits under the Plan is contingent on a Claimant using the prescribed claims and arbitration procedures to resolve any claim.

 

12. Covenants.

 

12.1 Restrictive Covenants. A Participant’s right to receive and/or retain the Severance Benefits payable under this Plan is conditioned upon and subject to the Participant’s continued compliance with any restrictive covenants (e.g., confidentiality, non-solicitation, non-competition, non-disparagement) contained in any other written agreement between the Participant and the Company and/or any Subsidiary, as in effect on the date of the Participant’s Qualifying Termination.

 

9

 

 

12.2 Return of Property. A Participant’s right to receive and/or retain the Severance Benefits payable under the Plan is conditioned upon the Participant’s return to the Company of all Company documents (and all copies thereof) and other Company property (in each case, whether physical, electronic or otherwise) in the Participant’s possession or control.

 

13. Miscellaneous.

 

13.1 Entire Plan; Relation to Other Agreements. The Plan, together with any Participation Notice issued in connection with the Plan, contains the entire understanding of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any prior agreement, arrangement and understanding between any Participant, on the one hand, and the Company and/or any Subsidiary, on the other hand, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Severance Benefits payable under the Plan are not intended to duplicate any other severance benefits payable to a Participant by the Company. By participating in the Plan and accepting the Severance Benefits hereunder, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that any prior agreement, arrangement and understanding between any Participant, on the one hand, and the Company and/or any Subsidiary, on the other hand, with respect to the subject matter hereof (including, for clarity, provisions of any offer letter or employment or similar agreement providing such Participant with severance payments and/or benefits upon termination of such Participant’s employment with the Company or any Subsidiary) is hereby revoked and ineffective with respect to the Participant and the Participant shall not be entitled to receive any severance payments or benefits pursuant to any such agreement, arrangement or understanding.

 

13.2 Participation Notices. The Administrator shall have the authority, in its sole discretion, to select Employees to participate in the Plan and to provide written notice to any such Employee that he or she is a Participant in, and eligible to receive Severance Benefits under, the Plan (a “Participation Notice”) at or any time prior to his or her termination of employment.

 

13.3 No Right to Continued Service. Nothing contained in the Plan shall (a) confer upon any Participant any right to continue as an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary, (b) constitute any contract of employment or agreement to continue employment for any particular period, or (c) interfere in any way with the right of the Company to terminate a service relationship with any Participant, with or without Cause.

 

13.4 Termination and Amendment of Plan. Prior to the consummation of a Change in Control, the Plan may be amended, suspended or terminated by the Administrator at any time and from time to time, in its sole discretion; provided that any such amendment that would materially and adversely affect Participant rights under the Plan will be effective no earlier than the six-month anniversary of the date that such amendment is approved. Notwithstanding the foregoing, during the 12-month period following the consummation of a Change in Control, the Plan may not be amended or terminated except with the prior written consent of each Participant who would be materially and adversely affected by such amendment or termination. After the expiration of such 12-month period, the Plan may again be amended or terminated by the Administrator at any time and from time to time, in its sole discretion, subject to the first sentence of this Section 13.4 (and provided that no such amendment or termination shall adversely affect the rights of any Participant who has experienced a Qualifying Termination on or prior to such amendment or termination).

 

13.5 Survival. Section 7 (Limitation on Payments), Section 11 (Claims Procedure; Arbitration) and Section 12 (Covenants) hereof shall survive the termination or expiration of the Plan and shall continue in effect.

 

10

 

 

13.6 Severance Benefit Obligations. Notwithstanding anything contained herein, Severance Benefits paid or provided under the Plan may be paid or provided by the Company or any Subsidiary employer, as applicable.

 

13.7 Withholding. The Company and the Subsidiaries shall have the authority and the right to deduct and withhold an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, local and foreign taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to any Severance Benefits payable under the Plan.

 

13.8 Benefits Not Assignable. Except as otherwise provided herein or by law, no right or interest of any Participant under the Plan shall be assignable or transferable, in whole or in part, either directly or by operation of law or otherwise, including without limitation by execution, levy, garnishment, attachment, pledge or in any manner; no attempted assignment or transfer thereof shall be effective; and no right or interest of any Participant under the Plan shall be liable for, or subject to, any obligation or liability of such Participant. When a payment is due under the Plan to a Participant who is unable to care for his or her affairs, payment may be made directly to his or her legal guardian or personal representative.

 

13.9 Applicable Law. The Plan is intended to be an unfunded “top hat” pension plan within the meaning of U.S. Department of Labor Regulation Section 2520.104-23 and shall be interpreted, administered, and enforced as such in accordance with ERISA. To the extent that state law is applicable, the statutes and common law of the State of Delaware, excluding any that mandate the use of another jurisdiction’s laws, will apply.

 

13.10 Validity. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan, which shall remain in full force and effect.

 

13.11 Captions. The captions contained in the Plan are for convenience only and shall have no bearing on the meaning, construction or interpretation of the Plan’s provisions.

 

13.12 Expenses. The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company or its successor, as applicable.

 

13.13 Unfunded Plan. The Plan shall be maintained in a manner to be considered “unfunded” for purposes of ERISA. The Company shall be required to make payments only as benefits become due and payable. No person shall have any right, other than the right of an unsecured general creditor against the Company, with respect to the benefits payable hereunder, or which may be payable hereunder, to any Participant, surviving spouse or beneficiary hereunder. If the Company, acting in its sole discretion, establishes a reserve or other fund associated with the Plan, no person shall have any right to or interest in any specific amount or asset of such reserve or fund by reason of amounts which may be payable to such person under the Plan, nor shall such person have any right to receive any payment under the Plan except as and to the extent expressly provided in the Plan. The assets in any such reserve or fund shall be part of the general assets of the Company, subject to the control of the Company.

 

* * * * *

 

11

 

 

Exhibit A

 

Calculation of non-Change in control Severance Amounts

 

Severance Classification Cash Salary Severance Severance Period
Tier 1 12 months of Base Salary 12 months
Tier 2 9 months of Base Salary 9 months
Tier 3 6 months of Base Salary 6 months

 

Exh. A-1

 

 

Exhibit B

 

Calculation of Change in control Severance Amounts

 

Severance
Classification
Cash Severance Severance Period
(for purposes of COBRA Benefits)
Tier 1 1.
2.
Cash Salary Severance: 18 months of Base Salary
Target Bonus Severance: 150% of Target Bonus
18 months
Tier 2 1.
2.
Cash Salary Severance: 12 months of Base Salary
Target Bonus Severance: 100% of Target Bonus
12 months
Tier 3 1.
2.
Cash Salary Severance: 9 months of Base Salary
Target Bonus Severance: 75% of Target Bonus
9 months

 

Exh. B-1

 

 

EXHIBIT C

 

Detailed Claims Procedures

 

Section 1.1. Claim Procedure. Claims for benefits under the Plan shall be administered in accordance with Section 503 of ERISA and the Department of Labor Regulations thereunder. The Administrator shall have the right to delegate its duties under this Exhibit and all references to the Administrator shall be a reference to any such delegate, as well. The Administrator shall make all determinations as to the rights of any Participant, beneficiary, alternate payee or other person who makes a claim for benefits under the Plan (each, a “Claimant”). A Claimant may authorize a representative to act on his or her behalf with respect to any claim under the Plan. A Claimant who asserts a right to any benefit under the Plan that he or she has not received, in whole or in part, must file a written claim with the Administrator. All written claims shall be submitted to Victoria Cooper, People Manager at people@foldapp.com or 11201 N Tatum Blvd, Ste 300 #42035, Phoenix, AZ 85028-6039.

 

(a) Regular Claims Procedure. The claims procedure in this subsection (a) shall apply to all claims for Plan benefits.

 

(1) Timing of Denial. If the Administrator denies a claim in whole or in part (an “adverse benefit determination”), then the Administrator will provide notice of the decision to the Claimant within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 90 days after the Administrator receives the claim, unless the Administrator determines that any extension of time for processing is required. In the event that the Administrator determines that such an extension is required, written notice of the extension will be furnished to the Claimant before the end of the initial 90-day review period. The extension will not exceed a period of 90 days from the end of the initial 90-day period, and the extension notice will indicate the special circumstances requiring such extension of time and the date by which the Administrator expects to render the benefit decision.

 

(2) Denial Notice. The Administrator shall provide every Claimant who is denied a claim for benefits with a written or electronic notice of its decision. The notice will set forth, in a manner to be understood by the Claimant:

 

i.the specific reason or reasons for the adverse benefit determination;

 

ii.reference to the specific Plan provisions on which the determination is based;

 

iii.a description of any additional material or information necessary for the Claimant to perfect the claim and an explanation as to why such information is necessary; and

 

iv.an explanation of the Plan’s appeal procedure and the time limits applicable to such procedures, including a statement of the Claimant’s right to bring an action under Section 502(a) of ERISA after receiving a final adverse benefit determination upon appeal.

 

(3) Appeal of Denial. The Claimant may appeal an initial adverse benefit determination by submitting a written appeal to the Administrator within 60 days of receiving notice of the denial of the claim. The Claimant:

 

i.may submit written comments, documents, records and other information relating to the claim for benefits;

 

ii.will be provided, upon request and without charge, reasonable access to and copies of all documents, records and other information relevant to the Claimant’s claim for benefits; and

 

iii.will receive a review that takes into account all comments, documents, records and other information submitted by the Claimant relating to the appeal, without regard to whether such information was submitted or considered in the initial benefit determination.

 

Exh. C-1

 

 

(4) Decision on Appeal. The Administrator will conduct a full and fair review of the claim and the initial adverse benefit determination. The Administrator holds regularly scheduled meetings at least quarterly. The Administrator shall make a benefit determination no later than the date of the regularly scheduled meeting that immediately follows the Plan’s receipt of an appeal request, unless the appeal request is filed within 30 days preceding the date of such meeting. In such case, a benefit determination may be made by no later than the date of the second regularly scheduled meeting following the Plan’s receipt of the appeal request. If special circumstances require a further extension of time for processing, a benefit determination shall be rendered no later than the third regularly scheduled meeting of the Administrator following the Plan’s receipt of the appeal request. If such an extension of time for review is required, the Administrator shall provide the Claimant with written notice of the extension, describing the special circumstances and the date as of which the benefit determination will be made, prior to the commencement of the extension. The Administrator generally cannot extend the review period any further unless the Claimant voluntarily agrees to a longer extension. The Administrator shall notify the Claimant of the benefit determination as soon as possible but not later than five days after it has been made.

 

(5) Notice of Determination on Appeal. The Administrator shall provide the Claimant with written or electronic notification of its benefit determination on review. In the case of an adverse benefit determination, the notice shall set forth, in a manner intended to be understood by the Claimant:

 

i.the specific reason or reasons for the adverse benefit determination;

 

ii.reference to the specific Plan provisions on which the adverse benefit determination is based;

 

iii.a statement that the Claimant is entitled to receive, upon request and without charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records and other information relevant to the claim for benefits;

 

iv.a statement describing any voluntary appeal procedures offered by the Plan and the Claimant’s right to obtain the information about such procedures; and

 

v.a statement of the Claimant’s right to bring an action under Section 502(a) of ERISA.

 

(b) Exhaustion; Judicial Proceedings. No action at law or in equity shall be brought to recover benefits under the Plan until the claim and appeal rights described in the Plan have been exercised and the Plan benefits requested in such appeal have been denied in whole or in part. If any judicial proceeding is undertaken to appeal the denial of a claim or bring any other action under ERISA other than a breach of fiduciary claim, the evidence presented may be strictly limited to the evidence timely presented to the Administrator. Any such judicial proceeding must be filed by the earlier of: (x) one year after the Administrator’s final decision regarding the claim appeal or (y) one year after the Participant or other Claimant commenced payment of the Plan benefits at issue in the judicial proceeding.

 

(c) Administrator’s Decision is Binding. Benefits under the Plan shall be paid only if the Administrator decides in its sole discretion that a Claimant is entitled to them. In determining claims for benefits, the Administrator has the authority to interpret the Plan, to resolve ambiguities, to make factual determinations, and to resolve questions relating to eligibility for and amount of benefits. Subject to applicable law, any decision made in accordance with the above claims procedures is final and binding on all parties and shall be given the maximum possible deference allowed by law. A misstatement or other mistake of fact shall be corrected when it becomes known and the Administrator shall make such adjustment on account thereof as it considers equitable and practicable.

 

 

Exh. C-2

 

Exhibit 10.18

 

AMENDMENT

TO

SPONSOR SHARE RESTRICTION AGREEMENT

 

THIS AMENDMENT TO THE SPONSOR SHARE RESTRICTION AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is made as of February 14, 2025, by and among FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), Emerald ESG Sponsor, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“EMLD Sponsor”), and Emerald ESG Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Advisors” and together with EMLD Sponsor, the “Sponsors”). Capitalized terms contained in this Amendment, but not specifically defined in this Amendment, shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Original Agreement (as defined below).

 

WHEREAS, on July 24, 2024, the parties entered into the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement by and among Parent and the Sponsors (the “Original Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, the parties desire to amend the Original Agreement to reflect the amendments contemplated by this Amendment.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.       Amendments.

 

1.1.       Section 1.2(b) of the Original Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

 

“(b) Timing and Lapse of Transfer Restrictions.

 

(i)1,622,547 of the Restricted Shares (the “Tranche I Restricted Shares”) shall not be transferable until the earlier of (x) the date that is six months following the Closing Date or (y) the first date that the Stock Price exceeds $12.00 for 20 Trading Days of any consecutive 30 Trading Day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing Date.

 

(ii)1,622,547 of the Restricted Shares (the “Tranche II Restricted Shares”) shall not be transferable until the earlier of (x) (A) in the event that the Applicable Proceeds as of the Closing Date equal or exceed the Target Amount, the date that is one-year following the Closing Date, and (B) in the event that the Applicable Proceeds as of the Closing Date are less than the Target Amount, the date that is two years following the Closing Date, or (y) the first date that the Stock Price exceeds $15.00 for 20 Trading Days of any consecutive 30 Trading Day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing Date.

 

(iii)1,622,547 of the Restricted Shares (the “Tranche III Restricted Shares”) shall not be transferable until the earlier of (x) the date that is ten years following the Closing Date, or (y) the first date that the Stock Price exceeds $17.00 for 20 Trading Days of any consecutive 30 Trading Day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing Date.

 

 

 

  

(iv)In the event that the Applicable Proceeds as of the date that is two years following the Closing Date are less than the Target Amount, the Sponsors shall automatically forfeit for no additional consideration (x) a number of Tranche II Restricted Shares equal to the Target Amount minus the actual Applicable Proceeds as of such date divided by 100 and (y) a number of Tranche III Restricted Shares equal to the Target Amount minus the actual Applicable Proceeds as of such date divided by 100; provided, that no more than an aggregate of 500,000 Tranche II Restricted Shares and 500,000 Tranche III Restricted Shares shall be forfeited pursuant to this Section 1.2(b)(iv). Any Restricted Shares forfeited pursuant to this Section 1.2(b)(iv) shall be deemed automatically cancelled and retired in full with no further action required by the parties.

 

(v)For the avoidance of doubt, each Sponsor shall be entitled to vote its Restricted Shares and receive dividends and other distributions with respect to such Restricted Shares during any period of time that such shares are subject to restriction on transfer hereunder.”

 

1.2       Schedule I to the Original Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as attached to this Amendment.

 

2.       Miscellaneous Provisions.

 

2.1.       Assignment. This Amendment and all of the provisions hereof will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, successors and permitted assigns. Neither this Amendment nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder will be assigned (including by operation of law) without the prior written consent of the non-assigning parties hereto and the Company.

 

2.2.       Severability. If any provision of this Amendment is held invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, the other provisions of this Amendment will remain in full force and effect. Any provision of this Amendment held invalid or unenforceable only in part or degree will remain in full force and effect to the extent not held invalid or unenforceable.

 

2.3.       Governing Law. This Amendment, the rights and duties of the parties hereto, and any disputes (whether in contract, tort or statute) arising out of, under or in connection with this Amendment will be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to its principles or rules of conflict of laws to the extent such principles or rules would require or permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction.

 

2.4.       Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts (any of which may be delivered by electronic transmission), each of which shall constitute an original, and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

2.5.       Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Amendment and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.

 

2.6.       Express Third-Party Beneficiary. Parent and the Sponsors hereby agree that the Company is an intended and express third-party beneficiary of all of the provisions of this Amendment and shall have the right to enforce the terms and conditions of this Amendment against Parent and/or Sponsors, as applicable, or prevent the breach thereof, or to exercise any other right, or seek any other remedy, which may be available to it as a third-party beneficiary of this Amendment. In addition, neither Parent nor the Sponsors shall agree to any waivers, modifications or amendments to this Amendment, without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

2.7.       Entire Agreement. The Original Agreement, as modified by this Amendment, constitutes the entire understanding of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings, arrangements, promises and commitments, whether written or oral, express or implied, relating to the subject matter hereof, and all such prior agreements, understandings, arrangements, promises and commitments are hereby canceled and terminated.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

  SPONSORS:
     
  EMERALD ESG SPONSOR, LLC
     
  By: /s/ Betsy Z. Cohen
  Name: Betsy Z. Cohen
  Title: Manager
     
  EMERALD ESG ADVISORS, LLC
     
  By: /s/ Betsy Z. Cohen
  Name: Betsy Z. Cohen
  Title: Manager
     
  PARENT:
     
  FTAC EMERALD ACQUISITION CORP.
     
  By: /s/ Bracebridge H. Young, Jr.
  Name:  Bracebridge H. Young, Jr.
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Acknowledged and Agreed:

 

FOLD, INC.  
     
By: /s/ Will Reeves  
Name:  Will Reeves  
Title: Chief Executive Officer  

 

[Signature Page to Amendment to Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement]

 

 

 

 

Schedule I

 

Sponsors & Sponsor Percentages

 

Sponsor  Sponsor Warrants to be Forfeited   Sponsor Co-Invest Shares   Tranche I Restricted Shares   Tranche II Restricted Shares   Tranche III Restricted Shares 
Emerald ESG Sponsor, LLC   488,041    976,081    [894,880]   [894,880]   [894,880]
Emerald ESG Advisors, LLC   -    -    [877,667]   [877,667]   [877,667]
Total   488,041    976,081    1,622,547    1,622,547    1,622,547 

 

 

 

Exhibit 14.1

 

FOLD HOLDINGS, INC.

 

CODE OF CONDUCT

  

(Effective as of February 14, 2025)

 

In accordance with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and of the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) Listing Standards, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Fold Holdings, Inc. (together with its affiliates, the “Company”) has adopted this Code of Conduct (this “Code”) to encourage as reasonably necessary:

 

Honest and ethical conduct, including fair dealing and the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest;

 

Full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosures;

 

Compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations;

 

Prompt internal reporting of any violations of law or the Code;

 

Accountability for adherence to the Code, including fair process by which to determine violations;

 

Consistent enforcement of the Code, including clear and objective standards for compliance; and

 

Protection for persons reporting any such questionable behavior.

 

All directors, officers and employees (each a “Covered Party” and, collectively, the “Covered Parties”) of the Company are expected to be familiar with the Code and to adhere to the principles and procedures set forth below.

 

I.Conflicts of Interest

 

A conflict of interest occurs when the private interests of a Covered Party interfere, or appear to interfere, with the interests of the Company as a whole.

 

For example, a conflict of interest can arise when a Covered Party takes actions or has personal interests that make it difficult to perform his or her Company duties objectively and effectively. A conflict of interest may also arise when a Covered Party, or a member of his or her immediate family,1 receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position at the Company.

 

 

1 Item 404(a) of SEC Regulation S-K defines “immediate family member” as a person’s child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, or any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the person’s household.

 

 

 

 

Conflicts of interest can also occur indirectly. For example, a conflict of interest may arise when a Covered Party is also an executive officer, a major stockholder or has a material interest in a company or organization doing business with the Company.

 

Each Covered Party has an obligation to conduct the Company’s business in an honest and ethical manner, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships. Any situation that involves, or may reasonably be expected to involve, a conflict of interest with the Company, should be disclosed promptly to the General Counsel.

 

This Code does not attempt to describe all possible conflicts of interest that could develop. Other common conflicts from which Covered Parties must refrain are set out below:

 

Covered Parties may not engage in any conduct or activities that are inconsistent with the Company’s best interests or that disrupt or impair the Company’s relationship with any person or entity with which the Company has or proposes to enter into a business or contractual relationship.

 

Covered Parties may not accept compensation, in any form, for services performed for the Company from any source other than the Company.

 

No Covered Party may take up any management or other employment position with, or have any material interest in, any firm or company that is in direct or indirect competition with the Company.

 

II.Disclosures

 

The information in the Company’s public communications, including all reports and documents filed with or submitted to the SEC, must be full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable.

 

To ensure the Company meets this standard, all Covered Parties (to the extent they are involved in the Company’s disclosure process) are required to maintain familiarity with the disclosure requirements, processes and procedures applicable to the Company commensurate with their duties. Covered Parties are prohibited from knowingly misrepresenting, omitting or causing others to misrepresent or omit, material facts about the Company to others, including the Company’s independent auditors, governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations.

 

III.Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations

 

The Company is obligated to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. It is the personal responsibility of each Covered Party to adhere to the standards and restrictions imposed by these laws, rules and regulations in the performance of his or her duties for the Company.

 

The Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer or Controller (or persons performing similar functions) of the Company are also required to promote compliance by all employees with the Code and to abide by Company standards, policies and procedures.

 

2

 

 

IV.Insider Trading

 

Trading on inside information is a violation of federal securities law. Covered Parties in possession of material non-public information about the Company or companies with whom we do business must abstain from trading or advising others to trade in the respective company’s securities from the time that they obtain such inside information until adequate public disclosure of the information. Material information is information of such importance that it can be expected to affect the judgment of investors as to whether or not to buy, sell, or hold the securities in question. To use non-public information for personal financial benefit or to “tip” others, including family members, who might make an investment decision based on this information is not only unethical but also illegal. Please refer to the Company’s Insider Trading Compliance Policy for more information.

 

V.Reporting, Accountability and Enforcement

 

The Company promotes ethical behavior at all times and encourages Covered Parties to talk to supervisors, managers and other appropriate personnel, including officers, outside counsel for the Company and the Board or the relevant committee thereof, when in doubt about the best course of action in a particular situation.

 

Covered Parties should promptly report suspected violations of laws, rules, regulations or the Code or any other unethical behavior by any director, officer, employee or anyone purporting to be acting on the Company’s behalf to appropriate personnel, including officers, outside counsel for the Company and the Board or the relevant committee thereof. Reports may be made anonymously. If requested, confidentiality will be maintained, subject to applicable law, regulations and legal proceedings. Nothing in this Code prevents you from communicating directly with relevant government authorities about potential violations of law, without first notifying the Company.

 

The Audit Committee of the Board shall investigate and determine, or shall designate appropriate persons to investigate and determine, the legitimacy of such reports. The Audit Committee of the Board will then determine the appropriate disciplinary action. Such disciplinary action includes, but is not limited to, reprimand, termination with cause, and possible civil and criminal prosecution.

 

To encourage employees to report any and all violations, the Company will not tolerate retaliation for reports made in good faith. Retaliation or retribution against any Covered Party for a report made in good faith of any suspected violation of laws, rules, regulations or this Code is cause for appropriate disciplinary action.

 

VI.Corporate Opportunities

 

Subject to the applicable provision of the Company’s organizational documents, all Covered Parties owe a duty to the Company to advance the legitimate interests of the Company when the opportunity to do so arises. Covered Parties are prohibited from directly or indirectly (a) taking personally for themselves opportunities that are discovered through the use of Company property, information or positions; (b) using Company property, information or positions for personal gain; or (c) competing with the Company for business opportunities; provided, however, if the Company’s disinterested directors of the Board determine that the Company will not pursue an opportunity that relates to the Company’s business, a Covered Party may do so, after notifying the disinterested directors of the Board of intended actions in order to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest.

 

3

 

 

VII.Confidentiality

 

In carrying out the Company’s business, Covered Parties may learn confidential or proprietary information about the Company, its customers, distributors, suppliers, or joint venture partners. Confidential or proprietary information includes all non-public information relating to the Company, or other companies, that would be harmful to the relevant company or useful or helpful to competitors if disclosed, including without limitation, financial results or prospects, information provided by a third party, trade secrets, new product or marketing plans, research and development ideas, potential acquisitions or investments, or information of use to our competitors or harmful to us or our customers if disclosed. Proprietary information includes without limitation, intellectual property such as trade secrets, patents, trademarks and copyrights, as well as business, marketing and service plans, designs, databases, records, salary information and any unpublished financial data and reports.

 

Covered Parties must maintain the confidentiality of all information entrusted to them, except when disclosure is authorized or legally mandated. Covered Parties must safeguard confidential information by keeping it secure, limiting access to those who have a need to know in order to do their job, and avoiding discussion of confidential information in public areas such as planes, elevators, and restaurants and on mobile phones. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, inquiries made by the press, analysts, investors or others. Covered parties also may not use such information for personal gain. These confidentiality obligations continue even after employment with the Company ends.

 

VIII.Fair Dealing

 

Each Covered Party should endeavor to deal fairly with the Company’s customers, service providers, suppliers, competitors and employees. No Covered Party may take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts, or any unfair dealing practice. Inappropriate use of confidential or proprietary information, misusing trade secret information that was obtained without the owner’s consent, or inducing such disclosures by past or present employees of other companies is also prohibited.

 

IX.Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets

 

All Covered Parties should protect the Company’s assets and ensure their efficient use. Theft, carelessness and waste have a direct impact on the Company’s profitability. All Company assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes. The obligation of employees to protect the Company’s assets includes its confidential or proprietary information.

 

4

 

 

X.Accuracy of Business Records

 

All financial books, records and accounts must accurately reflect transactions and events, and conform both to generally accepted accounting principles and to the Company’s system of internal controls. No entry may be made that intentionally hides or disguises the true nature of any transaction. Covered Parties should therefore attempt to be as clear, concise, truthful and accurate as possible when recording any information.

 

XI.Corporate Loans or Guarantees

 

The Company is prohibited to make loans and guarantees of obligations to directors, executive officers, and members of their immediate families.

 

XII.Gifts and Favors

 

The purpose of business gifts and entertainment in a commercial setting is to create goodwill and sound working relationships, not to gain unfair advantage with customers. Covered Parties must act in a fair and impartial manner in all business dealings. Gifts and entertainment should further the business interests of the Company and not be construed as potentially influencing business judgment or creating an obligation.

 

Gifts must not be lavish or in excess of the generally accepted business practices of one’s country and industry.2 Gifts of cash or cash equivalents are never permitted. Requesting or soliciting personal gifts, favors, entertainment or services is unacceptable. Covered Parties should contact the General Counsel or his or her designee to discuss if they are not certain that a gift is appropriate.

 

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, prohibits giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to officials of foreign governments or foreign political candidates in order to obtain or retain business. It is strictly prohibited to make illegal payments to government officials of any country. In addition, the promise, offer or delivery to an official or employee of the U.S. government of a gift, favor or other gratuity in violation of these rules would not only violate Company policy but could also be a criminal offense. State and local governments, as well as foreign governments, may have similar rules.

 

XIII.Antitrust Laws and Competition

 

The purpose of antitrust laws is to preserve fair and open competition and a free market economy, which are goals that the Company fully supports. Covered Parties must not directly or indirectly enter into any formal or informal agreement with competitors that fixes or controls prices, divides or allocates markets, limits the production or sale of products, boycotts certain suppliers or customers, eliminates competition or otherwise unreasonably restrains trade.

 

 

2 In general, no gift, entertainment or business courtesy should be offered, given, provided or accepted unless it: (1) is not a gift of cash, stock or negotiable instruments, (2) is consistent with customary business practices, (3) is not excessive in value (less than $500 or any such other amount determined by the head of the applicable department, or the General Counsel or his or her designee, as applicable), (4) cannot be construed as a bribe or payoff and (5) does not violate any laws or regulations. Covered employees and members of their immediate families may not offer, give or receive gifts from persons or entities who deal with the Company: (a) in those cases where the gift would be illegal or result in a violation of law; (b) as part of an agreement to do anything in return for the gift, (c) if the gift has a value beyond what is normal and customary in the Company’s business; (d) if for directors, the gift is being made to influence the director’s actions as a member of the Board; or (e) if the gift could create the appearance of a conflict of interest.

 

5

 

 

XIV.Political Contributions

 

Covered Parties may participate in the political process as individuals on their own time. However, Covered Parties must make every effort to ensure that they do not create the impression that they speak or act on behalf of the Company with respect to political matters. Company contributions to any political candidate or party or to any other organization that might use the contributions for a political candidate or party are prohibited, unless prior written approval has been given by the General Counsel or his or her designee and such contributions are permitted by applicable laws. A Covered Party may not receive any reimbursement from corporate funds for a personal political contribution.

 

XV.Discrimination and Harassment

 

The Company is an equal opportunity employer and will not tolerate illegal discrimination or harassment of any kind. The Company is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Examples include derogatory comments based on a person’s protected class and sexual harassment and unwelcome sexual advances. Similarly, offensive or hostile working conditions created by such harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated. Please refer to the Company’s Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy and relevant supplements for more information.

 

XVI.Environmental Protection

 

The Company is committed to managing and operating its assets in a manner that is protective of human health and safety and the environment. It is our policy to comply with both the letter and the spirit of the applicable health, safety and environmental laws and regulations and to attempt to develop a cooperative attitude with government inspection and enforcement officials. Covered Parties are encouraged to report conditions that they perceive to be unsafe, unhealthy or hazardous to the environment.

 

XVII.Personal Conduct and Social Media Policy

 

Covered Parties should take care when presenting themselves in public settings, as well as online and in web-based forums or networking sites. Each Covered Party is encouraged to conduct himself or herself in a responsible, respectful, and honest manner at all times. The Company understands that Covered Parties may wish to create and maintain a personal presence online using various forms of social media. However, in so doing Covered Parties should include a disclaimer that the views expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Company. Covered Parties should be aware that that even after a posting is deleted, certain technology may still make that content available to readers.

 

Covered Parties are prohibited from using or disclosing confidential, proprietary, sensitive or trade secret information of the Company, its partners, vendors, consultants or other third parties with which the Company does business. Harassment of other directors, officers or employees will also not be tolerated. A Covered Party may not provide any content to Company social media sites that may be construed as political lobbying or solicitation of contributions, or use the sites to link to any sites sponsored by or endorsing political candidates or parties, or to discuss political campaigns, political issues or positions on any legislation or law.

 

6

 

 

XVIII.Waivers

 

Before an employee, or an immediate family member of any such employee, engages in any activity that would be otherwise prohibited by this Code, he or she is strongly encouraged to obtain a written waiver from the General Counsel.

 

Before a director or executive officer, or an immediate family member of a director or executive officer, engages in any activity that would be otherwise prohibited by the Code, he or she must obtain a written waiver from the disinterested directors of the Board. Such waiver must then be disclosed to the Company’s stockholders, along with the reasons for granting the waiver.

 

XIX.No Rights Created

 

This Code is a statement of certain fundamental principles, policies and procedures that govern the Company’s Covered Parties in the conduct of the Company’s business. It is not intended to and does not create any rights in any employee, customer, client, visitor, supplier, competitor, stockholder or any other person or entity.

 

* * * * *

 

 

7

 

 

Exhibit 16.1

 

February 14, 2025

 

Office of the Chief Accountant

Securities and Exchange Commission

100 F Street, NE

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have read Fold Holdings, Inc.'s (legal successor of FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp.) statements included under Item 4.01 of its Form 8-K dated February 14, 2025. We agree with the statements concerning our Firm under Item 4.01, in which we were informed of our dismissal on February 14, 2025. We are not in a position to agree or disagree with other statements contained therein.

 

Very truly yours,  
   
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC  
   
New York, New York  

 

Exhibit 21.1

 

Subsidiaries of Fold Holdings, Inc.

 

Subsidiary   Jurisdiction of Incorporation
Fold, Inc.   Delaware

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

Fold, Inc.
Condensed Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)

 

   September 30,
2024
   December 31,
2023
 
Assets        
Current assets        
Cash and cash equivalents  $4,387,072   $1,491,544 
Accounts receivable, net   616,193    624,903 
Inventories   178,983    129,194 
Digital assets   6,371,951    5,333,384 
Safeguarding customer digital assets   6,801,838    1,229,467 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   513,464    510,151 
Total current assets   18,869,501    9,318,643 
Digital assets, long-term   63,929,891    82,631 
Capitalized software development costs, net   855,917    553,766 
Total assets  $83,655,309   $9,955,040 
           
Liabilities and stockholders’ deficit          
Current liabilities          
Accounts payable  $1,787,902   $185,423 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   20,046    25,942 
Customer rewards liability   6,371,951    5,333,384 
Safeguarding customer digital liabilities   6,801,838    1,229,467 
Deferred revenue   422,888    446,683 
Total current liabilities   15,404,625    7,220,899 
Deferred revenue, long-term   508,006    565,327 
Simple Agreements for Future Equity (“SAFEs”)   141,750,580    10,601,545 
Total liabilities   157,663,211    18,387,771 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 10)          
Stockholders’ deficit          
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 12,364,815 shares authorized, issued, and outstanding at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023   1,237    1,237 
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 25,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023; 7,072,300 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023   707    707 
Additional paid-in-capital   27,825,061    27,825,061 
Accumulated deficit   (101,834,907)   (36,259,736)
Total stockholders’ deficit   (74,007,902)   (8,432,731)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit  $83,655,309   $9,955,040 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

 

F-1

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Condensed Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)

 

   Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
   2024   2023 
Revenues, net  $15,311,724   $15,793,860 
           
Operating expenses          
Banking and payment costs   14,459,183    15,489,635 
Custody and trading costs   144,577    152,135 
Compensation and benefits   2,340,838    3,005,690 
Marketing expenses   219,567    393,621 
Professional fees   3,446,671    384,965 
Amortization expense   207,900    318,416 
Loss on customer rewards liability   2,344,103    2,250,160 
Gain on digital assets – rewards treasury   (2,639,860)   (2,110,329)
Other selling, general and administrative expenses   1,001,612    973,311 
Total operating expenses   21,524,591    20,857,604 
Operating loss   (6,212,867)   (5,063,744)
           
Other income (expense)          
Loss on digital assets – investment treasury   (377,039)    
Change in fair value of SAFEs   (59,042,901)   (827,595)
Other income   72,203    106,942 
Other income (expense), net   (59,347,737)   (720,653)
           
Net loss before income taxes   (65,560,604)   (5,784,397)
Income tax expense   14,567    10,004 
Net loss  $(65,575,171)  $(5,794,401)
           
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:          
Basic and diluted  $(9.27)  $(0.82)
Weighted average common shares outstanding:          
Basic and diluted   7,072,300    7,072,300 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

 

F-2

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Condensed Statements of Stockholders’ Deficit
(Unaudited)

 

   Convertible
Preferred Stock
   Common Stock   Additional
Paid-In
   Accumulated      
   Shares   Amount   Shares   Amount   Capital   Deficit   Total 
BALANCE DECEMBER 31, 2022   12,364,815   $1,237    7,072,300   $707   $27,816,728   $(29,086,737)  $(1,268,065)
Net loss                       (5,794,401)   (5,794,401)
Share based compensation expense                   6,250        6,250 
BALANCE SEPTEMBER 30, 2023   12,364,815   $1,237    7,072,300   $707   $27,822,978   $(34,881,138)  $(7,056,216)
Net loss                       (1,378,598)   (1,378,598)
Share based compensation expense                   2,083        2,083 
BALANCE DECEMBER 31, 2023   12,364,815   $1,237    7,072,300   $707   $27,825,061   $(36,259,736)  $(8,432,731)
Net loss                       (65,575,171)   (65,575,171)
BALANCE SEPTEMBER 30, 2024   12,364,815   $1,237    7,072,300   $707   $27,825,061   $(101,834,907)  $(74,007,902)

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

 

F-3

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
(Unaudited)

 

   Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
   2024   2023 
Cash flows from operating activities        
Net loss  $(65,575,171)  $(5,794,401)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:          
Amortization expense   207,900    318,416 
Gain on digital assets – rewards treasury   (2,639,860)   (2,110,329)
Loss on digital assets – investment treasury   377,039     
Loss on customer reward liability   2,344,103    2,250,160 
Change in fair value of SAFEs   59,042,901    827,595 
Share-based compensation expense       6,250 
Increase (decrease) in cash resulting from changes in:          
Accounts receivable, net   8,710    967,471 
Inventories   (49,789)   227,320 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   (3,313)   590,299 
Accounts payable   1,602,479    (198,891)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   49,508    (32,473)
Customer reward liability   1,323,384    2,928,012 
Deferred revenue   (81,116)   (203,742)
Net cash used in operating activities   (3,393,225)   (224,313)
           
Cash flows from investing activities          
Purchases of digital assets   (1,306,064)   (2,855,872)
Proceeds from sales of digital assets   104,868     
Payments for capitalized software development costs   (510,051)   (294,747)
Net cash used in investing activities   (1,711,247)   (3,150,619)
           
Cash flows from financing activities          
Proceeds from issuance of SAFEs   8,000,000    500,000 
Net cash provided by financing activities   8,000,000    500,000 
           
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   2,895,528    (2,874,932)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period   1,491,544    5,352,771 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period  $4,387,072   $2,477,839 
           
Non-cash investing and financing activities          
Distributions of digital assets to fulfill customer reward redemptions  $2,628,920   $4,161,183 
Distributions of digital assets to satisfy other current liabilities  $55,404   $13,306 
Proceeds from SAFE financings received in digital assets  $64,106,134   $ 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

 

F-4

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

1. ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

 

Fold, Inc. (“Fold,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is a bitcoin financial services company dedicated to expanding access to bitcoin through a comprehensive suite of consumer financial services. The Company was formed with the purpose of creating a modern financial services platform that allows customers to earn, accumulate, and utilize bitcoin in their everyday life. The Company offers consumers an FDIC insured checking account, through Sutton Bank, a prepaid Visa debit card, bill payments, and an extensive catalog of merchant reward offers. The Company also offers various forms of bitcoin buying and selling with low-to-zero fees and instant withdrawals. By integrating bitcoin across traditional financial services, the Company acts as a key point of entry for consumers to engage with and integrate bitcoin into their everyday lives. The Company’s products and services are available in the United States through the Fold mobile app.

 

The Company was incorporated in the state of Delaware on August 20, 2019. The Company is a remote-first company and does not designate a physical headquarters.

 

On July 24, 2024, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp. (“FTAC Emerald”), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company, providing for a proposed business combination that will result in Fold becoming a publicly-listed company.

 

Liquidity and capital resources

 

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $4.4 million, $14.0 million of unencumbered bitcoin treasury assets, positive working capital of $3.5 million, and an accumulated deficit of $101.8 million. The Company has a history of net operating losses, including net operating losses of $6.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

 

The Company has financed its operations principally through equity financing. From January 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024 the Company entered into SAFEs with various investors with aggregate proceeds of $71.1 million, of which $21.1 million is capable of being used to support operations. During that same period the Company also received $1.0 million of proceeds related to a SAFE issued in September 2023 which is capable of being used to support operations.

 

Management expects that the Company’s existing cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, SAFE financings received through September 30, 2024, and digital assets held will be sufficient to enable the Company to fund its anticipated level of operations through one year from the date these financial statements are available to be issued.

 

There is limited historical financial information about the Company upon which to base an evaluation of its performance. The business is subject to risks inherent in the establishment of an emerging growth enterprise, including limited capital resources, possible delays in product development, and possible cost overruns due to price and cost increases in services. The Company may require additional capital to pursue certain business opportunities or respond to technological advancements, competitive dynamics or technologies, customer demands, challenges, or unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, the Company has incurred and expects to continue to incur significant costs related to the proposed Merger with Emerald and becoming a public company.

 

Management anticipates raising additional capital through private equity fundraising and through the proposed Merger with FTAC Emerald. Although management believes that such capital sources will continue to be available, there can be no assurances that financing will be available to the Company when needed, or if available, on terms acceptable to the Company. If the Company is unable to obtain adequate financing on terms that are satisfactory to the Company, when the Company requires it, the Company’s ability to continue to grow or support the business and to respond to business challenges could be significantly limited, which may adversely affect the Company’s business plan.

 

F-5

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company.

 

Certain information or footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial reporting. These condensed financial statements and accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and accompanying notes for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of a normal recurring nature, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, operating results and cash flows for the periods presented. The interim results for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2024, or for any future periods.

 

Use of estimates

 

The preparation of the financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and expenses, as well as related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable; however, actual results could significantly differ from those estimates. The Company evaluates these estimates on an ongoing basis.

 

Estimates, judgments, and assumptions in these financial statements include, but are not limited to, those related to the determination of the recognition, measurement, and valuation of current and deferred income taxes; the fair value of performance stock-based awards issued; the useful lives and impairment assessment of long-lived assets; allowance for credit losses; the fair value of safeguarding customer digital assets and liabilities; the fair value of customer reward liability derivative instruments; the fair value of Simple Agreements for Future Equity (“SAFEs”); and loss contingency identification and valuation, including assessing the likelihood of adverse outcomes from positions, claims, and disputes, recoveries of losses recorded, and associated timing.

 

Capitalized software development costs, net

 

The Company capitalizes significant costs incurred in the acquisition or development of the internal software for use in the Company’s various service offerings. The Company incurs costs in developing software inclusive of direct external costs and internal payroll costs. Internal payroll costs typically include salaries and wages. Capitalized software costs are stated at cost net of accumulated amortization. Amortization is provided utilizing the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the software, which is three years. Costs incurred in the preliminary and post-implementation phases of the Company’s internal use software are expensed as incurred.

 

Capitalized software development costs consisted of the following:

 

   September 30,
2024
   December 31,
2023
 
Capitalized software, gross carrying amount  $1,257,714   $747,663 
Less: accumulated amortization   (401,797)   (193,897)
Capitalized software, net carrying value  $855,917   $553,766 

 

The gross carrying amount of internally developed software costs that had been capitalized but not placed into service is as follows:

 

   September 30,
2024
   December 31,
2023
 
Capitalized software not placed into service  $333,506   $204,370 

 

F-6

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.)

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded amortization expense on capitalized software development costs placed in service in the amount of $0.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, amortization expense included the write-off of capitalized software development costs of $0.2 million related to the abandonment of the associated projects. Amortization expense during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 did not include any write-offs related to the abandonment of projects.

 

Customer rewards liability

 

The Company offers certain rewards to its users through the Fold Rewards Program. This program allows the Company’s users to earn promotional credits denominated in bitcoin by engaging in various actions, either by engaging in qualifying spend transactions (the “Revenue Rewards”) or performing certain actions designated by the Company as primarily for marketing, growth, and retention purposes (the “Marketing Rewards”). Revenue Rewards are defined as those that are earned in direct relation to a qualifying spend transaction such as spending on the Fold Card, purchasing bitcoin, purchasing merchant offers, etc. Marketing Rewards are defined as those that are earned for behaviors unrelated to qualifying spend transactions such as sign-up bonuses, referral bonuses, spinning the daily spin wheel, etc. For accounting purposes, any reward that derives from a transaction where Fold receives revenue constitutes a Revenue Reward, whereas all other rewards constitute Marketing Rewards.

 

Revenue Rewards are considered “earned” at the time of the qualifying spend transaction. Revenue Rewards are immediately available for redemption by the user, except for those related to Fold Card transactions which cannot be redeemed until after a 30-day settlement period. Marketing Rewards are earned and available immediately upon the performance of a qualifying action by the user. To redeem available rewards, a user may redeem these promotional credits to receive bitcoin by initiating may request a withdrawal to a personal, external bitcoin wallet. Withdrawals can be made either to an external bitcoin wallet or to a user’s bitcoin wallet at the qualified custodians used by Fold.

 

The Company accrues both Revenue Rewards and Marketing Rewards, (collectively, the “Rewards”) within ‘Customer rewards liability’ in our accompanying balance sheets at the time the Reward is earned, with the corresponding impact on our statements of operations dependent on the type of Reward. Revenue Rewards are recorded as a reduction in the transaction price of the related revenue earned — see Revenue recognition below. Marketing Rewards are recorded as a marketing expense within operating expenses. The liability is initially recorded at the fair value of the bitcoin earned upon the action by the user and subsequently marked to fair value until redeemed or reversed, with gains and losses on this liability recorded within gain (loss) on customer rewards liability in our accompanying statements of operations. The liability is derecognized when the Reward is redeemed by the user and delivered to the user’s bitcoin wallet.

 

Per the terms and conditions of the Fold Rewards Program, Rewards are subject to adjustment for chargebacks, returns, refunds, or other circumstances. In addition, Rewards are subject to expiry if users fail to maintain an active account for more than twelve consecutive months. The Company estimates the amount of Rewards that will expire based on historical data, current user trends, and other factors and records those estimated amounts in the period those Rewards were earned. These accruals are accounted for as an adjustment to the transaction price of the original revenue transaction if the expiration relates to Revenue Rewards, or as contra-expense within marketing expense if the expiration relates to Marketing Rewards.

 

Derivatives

 

As our customer rewards liability results in an obligation to deliver a fixed amount of digital assets in the future, the Company has determined that it meets the definition of a derivative and marked it to fair value as discussed above. The Company has not designated this derivative instrument as a hedging instrument. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the notional amount of the customer rewards liability outstanding was 100 and 126 bitcoin, respectively, and the derivative instrument was valued at $6.4 million and $5.3 million, respectively, within ‘Customer rewards liability’ on our accompanying balance sheets. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded a loss of $2.3 million and $2.3 million, respectively, on the remeasurement of this liability. For more detail on the fair value measurement of this derivative instrument, refer to Note 12.

 

F-7

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.)

 

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, there were no significant changes to the recently adopted accounting pronouncements applicable to us from those disclosed in Note 2 to the financial statements included in our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023.

 

Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted

 

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. ASU 2024-03 requires public companies to disclose, in the notes to the financial statements, specific information about certain costs and expenses at each interim and annual reporting period. This includes disclosing amounts related to employee compensation, depreciation, and intangible asset amortization. In addition, public companies will need to provide qualitative description of the amounts remaining in relevant expense captions that are not separately disaggregated quantitatively. ASU 2024-03 is effective for public business entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Implementation of ASU 2024-03 may be applied prospectively or retrospectively. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2024-03 to have a material impact on its financial statements.

 

3. REVENUE

 

Disaggregation of revenue

 

We disaggregate revenue by service type and by platform as follows:

 

Revenue stream  Nine Months
Ended
September 30,
2024
   Nine Months
Ended
September 30,
2023
 
Banking and payment revenues  $15,252,865   $15,625,958 
Custody and trading revenues   62,340    23,961 
Other revenues   358    152,618 
Less: Sales returns and allowances   (3,839)   (8,677)
Revenues, net  $15,311,724   $15,793,860 

 

The net reduction in revenue related to Revenue Rewards totaled $1.2 million and $2.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

 

Deferred revenue

 

Contract liabilities are classified as deferred revenue in our balance sheets. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the contract liability related to our deferred subscription revenues was $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively, and the contract liability related to the deferred Visa incentive was $0.6 million and $0.7 million, respectively.

 

F-8

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

3. REVENUE (cont.)

 

The activity in deferred revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023, was as follows:

 

   Nine Months
Ended
September 30,
2024
   Year
Ended
December 31,
2023
 
Beginning of the period contract liability  $1,012,010   $1,313,666 
Revenue recognized from the contract liabilities included in the beginning balance   (421,584)   (661,426)
Increases due to cash received net of amounts recognized in revenue during the period   340,468    359,770 
End of period contract liability  $930,894   $1,012,010 

 

Contract costs

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, we did not incur any incremental costs to obtain and/or fulfill contracts with customers.

 

4. DIGITAL ASSETS

 

The Company holds digital assets, comprised solely of bitcoin, for two purposes: (1) to fulfill bitcoin rewards to customers in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Fold Rewards Program (“Rewards Treasury”); and (2) as a treasury asset with the intention to hold as a long-term investment (“Investment Treasury”). The Company purchases bitcoin for its Rewards Treasury to maintain a balance that is equal to or greater than its customer rewards liability and disburses bitcoin from its Rewards Treasury when customers redeem their rewards and the liability is satisfied.

 

The following is a summary of Fold’s bitcoin held in treasury as of the dates shown:

 

   September 30,
2024
   December 31,
2023
 
Rewards treasury (USD)  $6,371,951   $5,333,384 
Investment treasury (USD)   63,929,891    82,631 
Total bitcoin treasury (USD)  $70,301,842   $5,416,015 

 

   September 30,
2024
   December 31,
2023
 
Rewards treasury (BTC)   100    126 
Investment treasury (BTC)   1,003    2 
Total bitcoin treasury (BTC)   1,103    128 

 

As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company held 1,103 and 128 bitcoin, respectively, with an aggregate cost of $67.8 million and $3.3 million, respectively.

 

F-9

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

4. DIGITAL ASSETS (cont.)

 

A reconciliation, in the aggregate, of beginning and ending balances of the Company’s digital assets as of the dates shown is as follows:

 

   Rewards
Treasury
   Investment
Treasury
   Digital
Assets
 
Bitcoin held at January 1, 2023  $3,009,662   $177,264   $3,186,926 
Purchases of bitcoin   2,855,872        2,855,872 
Transfers of bitcoin from investment treasury   177,264    (177,264)    
Disbursements of bitcoin   (4,174,489)       (4,174,489)
Remeasurement gain (loss) on bitcoin   2,110,329        2,110,329 
Bitcoin held at September 30, 2023  $3,978,638   $   $3,978,638 
Purchases of bitcoin   466,720    82,631    549,351 
Disbursements of bitcoin   (1,238,238)        (1,238,238)
Remeasurement gain (loss) on bitcoin   2,126,264         2,126,264 
Bitcoin held at December 31, 2023  $5,333,384   $82,631   $5,416,015 
Purchases of bitcoin   1,187,899    118,165    1,306,064 
Proceeds from SAFE financings received in bitcoin       64,106,134    64,106,134 
Disbursements of bitcoin   (2,684,324)       (2,684,324)
Proceeds from sale of bitcoin   (104,868)       (104,868)
Remeasurement gain (loss) on bitcoin   2,639,860    (377,039)   2,262,821 
Bitcoin held at September 30, 2024  $6,371,951   $63,929,891   $70,301,842 

 

Disbursements of bitcoin represent amounts that were distributed to customers to fulfill customer rewards obligations and satisfy other current liabilities.

 

The remeasurement gain of $2.3 million recognized on the digital assets balances for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 consisted of a realized gain of $1.9 million and an unrealized gain of $0.4 million. The remeasurement gain of $2.1 million recognized on the digital assets balance for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 consisted of a realized loss of $0.3 million and an unrealized gain of $2.4 million.

 

5. CUSTOMER REWARDS LIABILITY

 

A reconciliation, in the aggregate, of beginning and ending balances of the Company’s customer rewards liability as of the dates shown is as follows:

 

   Customer
Rewards
Liability
 
Balance at January 1, 2023  $3,009,662 
Rewards earned by customers   3,452,296 
Rewards fulfilments   (4,161,183)
Expired rewards   (524,284)
Remeasurement (gain) loss on customer rewards liability   2,250,160 
Balance at September 30, 2023  $4,026,651 
Rewards earned by customers   623,848 
Rewards fulfilments   (1,251,544)
Expired rewards   (99,206)
Remeasurement (gain) loss on customer rewards liability   2,033,635 
Balance at December 31, 2023  $5,333,384 
Rewards earned by customers   1,469,239 
Rewards fulfilments   (2,628,920)
Expired rewards   (145,855)
Remeasurement (gain) loss on customer rewards liability   2,344,103 
Balance at September 30, 2024  $6,371,951 

 

F-10

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

5. CUSTOMER REWARDS LIABILITY (cont.)

 

Rewards fulfilments represent amounts that were distributed to customers to fulfill customer rewards obligations.

 

6. RELATED PARTIES

 

On May 31, 2024, the Company entered into a SAFE with Thesis, Inc., a principal shareholder and related party, with aggregate gross proceeds of $1.0 million.

 

7. SAFEs

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company:

 

Entered into six SAFEs with various investors with aggregate gross proceeds of $72.1 million; and

 

Received $1.0 million of proceeds related to a SAFE issued in September 2023

 

Three of the SAFEs (the “Bitcoin SAFEs”) issued during 2024, totaling $64.1 million, were funded with bitcoin that the Company held in treasury as of September 30, 2024.

 

Two of the Bitcoin SAFEs, totaling $50.0 million (the “Purchase Amount”) stipulate that the Company agrees to use the bitcoin received exclusively for treasury purposes, defined here as holding the bitcoin as a long-term investment, and that the Company may not use the bitcoin for operational or any other purposes during the eighteen (18) months beginning from the date of issuance. If there is a Public Offering before the termination of these SAFEs they will automatically convert into a number of shares of New Public Preferred Stock equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the applicable Public Offering Conversion Price. If there is no Public Offering before the termination of these SAFEs, at the written election of the Investor, (A) the Company shall transfer to the Investor the number of Bitcoins that the Investor paid to the Company on account of the Purchase Amount, or (B) the Safe shall be converted into the number of shares of a new series of Preferred Stock of the Company (the “New Private Preferred Stock”), equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the No Public Offering Conversion Price.

 

The remaining terms for the other SAFEs issued in 2024 reflect similar rights to, and obligations of, the Company as historically issued SAFEs.

 

Apart from the aforementioned terms, the SAFEs have no maturity dates and bear no interest. Upon an equity financing, the SAFEs will convert into a variable number of shares dependent on the terms of the individual SAFE, such as the Purchase Amount, Discount Rate, Post-Money Valuation Cap, and the Company Capitalization. At inception, the Purchase Amount and Post-Money Valuation Cap are both known, and the Company Capitalization results in a share calculation that is in essence a minimum number of shares to be delivered to the investor at conversion. Other conversion events include liquidity events such as a change of control, direct listing, or initial public offering. Upon a liquidity event or dissolution event, the investors to the SAFEs will automatically be entitled to receive cash proceeds equal to, at a minimum, the Purchase Amount, prior to and in preference to any distribution of any assets or surplus funds to the common and preferred stockholders of the Company.

F-11

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

7. SAFEs (cont.)

 

SAFEs outstanding as of September 30, 2024 consisted of the following purchase amounts and terms for conversion:

 

SAFE Number  Amount
Funded
   Conversion Detail
SAFE-26  $3,000,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $70,000,000
SAFE-27   500,000   15% Discount Rate
SAFE-28   500,000   15% Discount Rate
SAFE-29   3,000,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $70,000,000
SAFE-30   100,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $70,000,000
SAFE-31   100,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $70,000,000
SAFE-32   50,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $70,000,000
SAFE-33   250,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $70,000,000
SAFE-34   1,000,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $70,000,000
SAFE-35   1,000,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $130,000,000
SAFE-37   1,000,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $130,000,000
SAFE-38   5,000,000   Post-Money Valuation Cap $100,000,000
SAFE-39   26,856,785   Post-Money Valuation Cap $190,000,000
SAFE-40   23,143,215   Post-Money Valuation Cap $190,000,000
SAFE-41   14,106,134   Post-Money Valuation Cap $265,000,000

 

The SAFEs are classified as a liability based on Management’s evaluation of the characteristics of the instruments and the Company presents the SAFEs at fair value as a non-current liability in the Company’s accompanying balance sheets. The estimated fair value of the SAFEs considered the timing of issuance and whether there were changes in the various scenarios since issuance. As of and for the periods ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the fair value of the SAFEs was $141.8 million and $10.6 million, respectively, with the remeasurement on the SAFEs representing an increase in the liability of $59.0 million and $1.4 million, respectively, included in change in fair value of SAFEs on the accompanying statements of operations. Refer to Note 12 for further details on the fair value measurement of the SAFEs.

 

8. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

Common stock

 

Pursuant to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company dated March 23, 2021, the Board is authorized to issue 25,000,000 shares of common stock at a par value of $0.0001 per share. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company has 7,072,300 shares issued and outstanding. Any dividends declared on common shares will be subordinated to dividends under convertible preferred shares. Holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share. Upon a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, the assets legally available for distribution to stockholders would be distributed ratably among the holders of all classes of stock in order of preference.

 

Convertible preferred stock

 

As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had 12,364,815 shares of convertible preferred stock issued and outstanding. These shares include 1,000,000 Series Seed Preferred Shares for $3.00 per share issued on the Company’s inception date of August 20, 2019, and 5,389,718 Series A Preferred Shares for $2.41 per share, 3,005,374 shares of Series A-1 Preferred Stock for $0.63 per share, 797,236 shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock for $0.75 per share, 738,186 shares of Series A-3 Preferred Stock for $0.81 per share, 1,323,571 shares of Series A-4 Preferred Stock for $0.96 per share, and 110,730 shares of Series A-5 Preferred Stock for $0.99 per share (collectively, the “Series A Preferred Shares”), issued on March 23, 2021. The Series Seed Preferred Shares and Series A Preferred Shares (collectively, the “Preferred Shares”) have a par value of $0.0001 per share. The investors to the Series Seed Preferred Shares have the same dividend, liquidation, participation, conversion, and voting rights Dividends for the Preferred Shares are noncumulative and payable only upon declaration by the Board of Directors. Dividends will be paid at the rate of 8% of the issue price for each share of preferred stock, when declared.

 

F-12

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

8. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (cont.)

 

The Preferred Shareholders have a liquidation preference over common stockholders to any distributions in the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, winding up, merger or consolidation (only if there is a change in voting control), or the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all the assets or intellectual property of the Company.

 

The Preferred Shareholders are entitled to votes equal to the number of votes that would be attributed to the same amount of common shares, and voting rights and powers attributed to the Preferred Shares are equal to that of common stockholders. The Preferred Shareholders, as a separate voting class, are entitled to elect one member of the Board of Directors (the “Preferred Director”). The Preferred Director can only be removed by a majority vote of the preferred stock voting as a separate voting class. Any remaining directors will be elected by a single class consisting of common and preferred stock (on an as-converted basis).

 

The Preferred Shares are subject to an automatic conversion at the earlier of a vote or written consent of a majority of the Preferred Shareholders or a qualified Initial Public Offering (“IPO”). Additionally, the Preferred Shareholders have the option to convert at any time into common stock at the Conversion Price. The Conversion Price is initially equal to the issue price, as adjusted in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalizations. The Preferred Shareholders will receive common shares equal to the number of preferred shares held, multiplied by the issue price divided by the Conversion Price, as adjusted. Diluting issuances such as options or warrants will adjust the Conversion Price.

 

9. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION EXPENSE

 

The Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Equity Plan”) was adopted by the Board of Directors and approved by Company Stockholders on August 20, 2019. The purpose of this Equity Plan is to offer select Participants (defined as employees, consultants, or outside directors) the opportunity to acquire equity in the Company through the awards of Options, Restricted Stock Awards (“RSAs”), Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”), and Other Stock Awards (collectively and individually, “Awards”). RSUs are Awards of an unfunded and unsecured right to receive Shares (or cash or a combination of Shares and cash, as determined in the sole discretion of the Board) upon settlement of the Award. RSAs are Awards of restricted shares of Company common stock. Each Award may or may not be subject to vesting. Vesting occurs upon satisfaction of the conditions specified in each individual award agreement. As of September 30, 2024, the Company has not issued any Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, or Other Stock Awards through the Equity Plan.

 

Restricted Stock Units

 

The Company’s RSUs that have been awarded as of September 30, 2024 have two vesting conditions: a service condition for time in continuous services at the Company, and a performance condition related to the consummation of a liquidity event defined in the award agreements as the first to occur of a change of control of the Company or the first sale of common stock pursuant to an IPO. Compensation expense related to the RSUs will be recognized at such time that a liquidity event is effected.

 

Unrecognized compensation expense as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, was $4.3 million and $0.8 million for the RSUs. The weighted-average period over which unrecognized compensation expense as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 will be recognized is not estimable, as the performance condition for the recognition of RSU expense is not considered probable to occur until consummation of a liquidity event. The weighted-average grant date fair value during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $7.79 per share.

 

F-13

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

9. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION EXPENSE (cont.)

 

Restricted Stock Awards

 

The Company’s awarded RSAs are not subject to any performance condition vesting requirements and are instead subject only to service conditions. We recorded a nominal amount of share-based compensation expense related to RSAs for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. There was no material unrecognized compensation expense related to RSAs as of September 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023, as all unvested shares were purchased by the Participants at fair value at the time of issuance. There were not any additional RSAs granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2024. Share-based compensation expense for RSAs is included in compensation and benefits in the accompanying statements of operations.

 

Determination of fair value

 

The initial value of the awards on the dates that the RSUs and RSAs were granted was determined based on the underlying value of the Company’s common stock. As a private company, the common stock was valued by performing an enterprise valuation using a guideline public company market approach method. This method leverages an analysis of publicly traded peers to develop relevant market multiples and ratios applied to the Company’s historical and expected cash flows.

 

RSU and RSA activity

 

The following table summarizes RSU and RSA share activity under the Equity Plan for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023:

 

   RSUs   RSAs 
Shares nonvested at January 1, 2023   1,583,089    700,825 
Granted   242,010     
Vested       (550,367)
Forfeited   (284,123)    
Shares nonvested at December 31, 2023   1,540,976    150,458 
Granted   1,006,582     
Vested       (100,275)
Forfeited   (3,750)    
Shares nonvested at September 30, 2024   2,543,808    50,183 

 

Note that while certain RSUs have met the service condition, no RSUs have met the performance condition, and are therefore not included in common shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and 2023.

 

10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

401(k) Plan

 

We sponsor a 401(k) defined contribution plan covering all eligible U.S. employees. Both Company and employee contributions to the 401(k) plan are discretionary. For each of the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, we recorded a nominal amount of expense related to the 401(k) plan, which is included in compensation and benefits in the accompanying statements of operations.

 

Litigation

 

The Company was not a party of any ongoing or pending litigation as of September 30, 2024 and 2023, and accordingly, has not made any accrual related to legal proceedings in the Company’s balance sheets.

 

F-14

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

11. INCOME TAXES

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company had losses before income taxes of $65.6 million and a nominal amount of income tax expense. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company had losses before income taxes of $5.8 million and a nominal amount of income tax expense. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company’s actual tax expense differs from the expected tax benefit utilizing a federal rate of 21%, primarily due to the addback of the non-deductible SAFE Fair Value Adjustment and an increase in valuation allowance. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company’s actual tax expense differs from the expected tax benefit utilizing a federal rate of 21%, primarily due to the addback of the non-deductible SAFE Fair Value Adjustment and an increase in valuation allowance.

 

12. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

 

Financial assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis are classified as Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 as follows:

 

   As of September 30, 2024 
   Total   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3 
Assets:                
Digital assets  $70,301,842   $70,301,842   $   $ 
Safeguarding customer digital assets   6,801,838        6,801,838     
Total assets  $77,103,680   $70,301,842   $6,801,838   $ 
                     
Liabilities:                    
Customer rewards liability  $6,371,951   $   $   $6,371,951 
Safeguarding customer digital liabilities   6,801,838        6,801,838     
SAFEs   141,750,580            141,750,580 
Total liabilities  $154,924,369   $   $6,801,838   $148,122,531 

 

   As of December 31, 2023 
   Total   Level 1   Level 2   Level 3 
Assets:                
Digital assets  $5,416,015   $5,416,015   $   $ 
Safeguarding customer digital assets   1,229,467        1,229,467     
Total assets  $6,645,482   $5,416,015   $1,229,467   $ 
                     
Liabilities:                    
Customer rewards liability  $5,333,384   $   $   $5,333,384 
Safeguarding customer digital liabilities   1,229,467        1,229,467     
SAFEs   10,601,545            10,601,545 
Total liabilities  $17,164,396   $   $1,229,467   $15,934,929 

 

The carrying amounts of certain financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivables, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and deferred revenue approximate their fair values due to their short-term nature.

 

The fair value of the safeguarding obligation for digital assets and the corresponding safeguarding asset for digital assets was determined using Level 2 inputs which included using the value of the safeguarded asset in the market we determined to be the principal market for the related digital asset as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

 

F-15

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

12. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (cont.)

 

Customer rewards liability

 

The customer reward liability is classified as a Level 3 financial instrument within the fair value hierarchy primarily due to the reward forfeiture rate applied to the value of the bitcoin obligation, which is an unobservable input to the fair value measurement. The Company has determined the bitcoin price based on its value in the market we determined to be the principal market for the related digital asset as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, which is considered a Level 1 input. The forfeiture rate is then applied to reflect an estimated breakage rate of rewards that have been forfeited based on the contractual terms and conditions of our Rewards Program and historical trends of forfeiture rates on a three-year trailing basis. The estimated forfeiture rate applied to our customer rewards liability for the periods ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was 10%.

 

Simple Agreements for Future Equity

 

The estimated fair value of the SAFEs (refer to Note 7) is determined based on the aggregated, probability-weighted average of the outcomes of certain scenarios, including: (i) equity financing, with conversion of the SAFEs into a number of shares of convertible preferred stock at the lower of the post-money valuation cap price or discount price (ii) liquidity event (change of control, direct listing, or an initial public offering) with mandatory conversion to common stock at the lower of the post-money valuation cap price or discount price and (iii) dissolution event, with SAFE holders automatically entitled to receive cash payments equal to the purchase amount, prior to and in preference to any distribution of any assets or surplus funds to the holders of convertible preferred and common stock. The combined value of the probability-weighted average of those outcomes is then discounted back to each reporting period in which the SAFEs are outstanding, in each case based on a risk-adjusted discount rate estimated to set the probability-weighted sum of each scenario to the purchase price. The discount rate at each valuation date was adjusted by the change in the USD CCC bond rate to reflect the market movement between the issuance date and valuation date. Additionally, in the Company’s estimate of the fair value of the Bitcoin SAFEs, the current value of bitcoin was used as an estimate of the future value of a BTC-denominated payout. If there is not a Liquidity Event, the SAFE will result in the repayment of the bitcoin contributed at the issuance of the note. To value this scenario, which is weighted at an 18% probability, the Company considered the value of the underlying bitcoin as of the valuation date, reflecting an estimate of the future price.

 

Fair value measurements associated with SAFEs were determined based on significant inputs not observable in the market, which represent Level 3 measurements within the fair value hierarchy. Increases and decreases in the fair value of the SAFEs can result from updates to assumptions such as expected timing and probability of a qualified financing event, or changes in discount rates, among other assumptions. Based on the Company’s assessment of the valuation of the SAFEs, performed by the Company’s third-party valuation specialists, none of the changes in the fair value of those instruments were due to changes in the Company’s own credit risk for the reporting periods presented. Judgment is used in determining these assumptions as of the initial valuation date and at each subsequent reporting period. Changes or updates to assumptions could have a material impact on the reported fair value and the change in fair value of SAFEs and the results of operations in any given period.

 

The following table summarizes the significant inputs not observable in the market upon which the fair value measurements associated with the SAFEs were determined:

 

    VALUATION
TECHNIQUE
  UNOBSERVABLE
INPUT
  AS OF
SEPTEMBER 30,
2024
 
Liabilities           
SAFEs   Scenario-based approach  Probability weighting   1.0% – 80.0% 
       Discount rate-Bitcoin SAFES   129.3% 
       Discount rate-all other SAFEs   43.4% 
       Remaining term to event (in years)   0.75 

 

F-16

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

12. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (cont.)

 

The following table summarizes the changes in fair value associated with Level 3 financial instruments held at the beginning or end of the periods presented:

 

   SAFEs 
Balance at January 1, 2023  $8,727,540 
Proceeds from issuances of SAFEs   500,000 
Change in fair value of SAFEs   827,595 
Balance at September 30, 2023   10,055,135 
Change in fair value of SAFEs   546,410 
Balance at December 31, 2023   10,601,545 
Proceeds from issuances of SAFEs   72,106,134 
Change in fair value of SAFEs   59,042,901 
Balance at September 30, 2024  $141,750,580 

 

13. SAFEGUARDING OBLIGATION FOR DIGITAL ASSETS

 

As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had safeguarding customer digital assets and liabilities, comprised solely of bitcoin, of $6.8 million and $1.2 million, respectively. The safeguarding liability, and corresponding safeguarding customer digital assets on the balance sheets are measured at the fair value of the digital assets held for our customers. We are not aware of any actual or possible safeguarding loss events as of and for the periods ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 that would have a material impact on these balances. Therefore, the safeguarding customer digital liabilities and the related safeguarding customer digital assets are recorded at the same amount as of each period.

 

We provide custody services on behalf of our customers through unrelated third-party service providers, who are qualified custodians. We do not own digital assets held in a custodial capacity on behalf of our customers. We maintain internal record keeping of those assets and are obligated to safeguard the assets. We do not hold the cryptographic key information on behalf of our customers. The qualified custodians used by Fold hold our customer cryptographic key information.

 

14. NET LOSS PER SHARE

 

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding adjusted for the dilutive effect of all potential shares of common stock. In periods when the Company reported a net loss, diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share because the effects of potentially dilutive items were anti-dilutive.

 

   Nine months ended
September 30,
 
   2024   2023 
Basic net loss per share:        
Numerator:        
Net loss  $(65,575,171)  $(5,794,401)
Net loss attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted  $(65,575,171)  $(5,794,401)
           
Denominator:          
Basic shares:          
Weighted-average shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per share   7,072,300    7,072,300 
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders:          
Basic and diluted  $(9.27)  $(0.82)

 

F-17

 

 

Fold, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

 

14. NET LOSS PER SHARE (cont.)

 

The following potential common shares were excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share because their effect would have been anti-dilutive for the periods presented:

 

   Nine months ended
September 30,
 
   2024   2023 
Convertible preferred stock   12,364,815    12,364,815 
Unvested restricted stock units   2,543,808    1,695,235 
SAFEs(1)        
Total anti-dilutive securities   14,908,623    14,060,050 

 

 

(1)The contingently convertible SAFEs were not included for purposes of calculating the number of diluted shares outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and 2023, as the number of dilutive shares is based on a conversion ratio associated with the pricing of a future financing or liquidation event. Therefore, the contingently convertible SAFEs’ conversion ratio, and the resulting number of dilutive shares, is not determinable until the contingency is resolved.

 

15. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

The Company evaluated subsequent events, if any, that would require an adjustment to the Company’s financial statements or require disclosure in the notes to the financial statements through January 13, 2025, the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Where applicable, the notes to these financial statements have been updated to discuss significant subsequent events which have occurred.

 

On December 24, 2024, Fold entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “December 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement”) with an institutional investor (the “Investor”), pursuant to which (i) Fold issued to the Investor a Senior Secured Convertible Note in an aggregate principal amount of $20,000,000 (the “December 2024 Initial Investor Note”), and (ii) following the closing of the Business Combination, Fold (or New Fold, as successor to Fold) may issue to the Investor an additional Senior Secured Convertible Note in an aggregate principal amount of up to $10,000,000 (the “Additional Investor Note” and, together with the December 2024 Initial Investor Note, the “Investor Notes”), subject to the mutual discretion of Fold and the Investor. The Investor Notes will be convertible into shares of New Fold Common Stock at a conversion price of $11.50 per share. The Investor Notes are secured by Fold’s assets as collateral, including a portion of Fold’s proprietary bitcoin, and will mature three years after the closing of the Business Combination.

 

In connection with the December 2024 Initial Investor Note, the Investor received (i) warrants exercisable for 869,565 shares of Fold Common Stock with an exercise price of $12.50 per share (the “December 2024 Series A Warrants”), (ii) warrants that will become exercisable for 500,000 shares of New Fold Common Stock following the closing of the Business Combination with an effective exercise price of $0.001 per share (the “December 2024 Series B Warrants”), and (iii) warrants exercisable for 869,565 shares of New Fold Common Stock with an exercise price of $11.50 per share (the “December 2024 Series C Warrants” and, together with the December 2024 Series A Warrants and December 2024 Series B Warrants, the “Investor Warrants”).

 

 

F-18

 

 

Exhibit 99.2

 

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Defined terms included below have the same meaning as terms defined and included elsewhere in this filing. Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “Fold,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” in this section are to the business and operations of Fold prior to the Business Combination and to New Fold following the Business Combination.

 

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X to give effect to the acquisition of Fold by FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp. (“Emerald”).

 

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements are based on the historical financial statements of Emerald and Fold as adjusted to give effect to the Business Combination and related financing transactions. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of September 30, 2024 assumes that the Business Combination and the related December 2024 Initial Investor financing transactions were completed on September 30, 2024. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023 give pro forma effect to the Business Combination and the related financing transactions as if they had occurred on January 1, 2023.

 

The assumptions and estimates underlying the unaudited adjustments to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements are described in the accompanying notes, which should be read in conjunction with, the following:

 

Emerald’s unaudited condensed financial statements and related notes as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.

 

Fold’s unaudited condensed financial statements and related notes as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.

 

Emerald’s audited financial statements and related notes for the year ended December 31, 2023 included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.

 

Fold’s audited financial statements and related notes for the year ended December 31, 2023 included elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.

 

Certain direct and incremental costs related to the Business Combination will be recorded as a reduction against additional paid-in-capital, consistent with the accounting for reverse recapitalizations. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements do not give effect to any anticipated synergies, operating efficiencies or cost savings that may be associated with the Business Combination.

 

The unaudited condensed combined pro forma adjustments reflecting the consummation of the Business Combination and related transactions are based on certain estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions are based on information available as of the dates of these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements and may be revised as additional information becomes available. Therefore, it is likely that the actual adjustments will differ from the pro forma adjustments and it is possible the difference may be material.

 

The following describes the above entities:

 

Emerald

 

The Company is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on February 19, 2021, for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (a “Business Combination”). The Company may pursue an initial Business Combination target in any business or industry.

 

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from February 19, 2021 (inception) through September 30, 2024 relates to Emerald’s formation, the Public Offering (the “Public Offering” or “IPO”), and efforts in identifying a target to consummate an initial Business Combination. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after the completion of its initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company generates non-operating income in the form of interest income from the proceeds derived from the Public Offering placed in the Trust Account.

 

1

 

 

Fold

 

Fold is a bitcoin financial services company dedicated to expanding access to bitcoin through a comprehensive suite of consumer financial services. Fold was formed with the purpose of creating a modern financial services platform that allows customers to earn, accumulate, and utilize bitcoin in their everyday life. Fold offers consumers an FDIC insured checking account, a prepaid Visa debit card, bill payments, and an extensive catalog of merchant reward offers. Fold also offers various forms of bitcoin buying and selling with low-to-zero fees, instant withdrawals, and insured custody. By integrating bitcoin across traditional financial services, the Company acts as a key point of entry for consumers to engage with and integrate bitcoin into their everyday lives. Fold’s products and services are available in the United States through the Fold mobile app.

 

Description of the Business Combination

 

On July 24, 2024, FTAC Emerald and EMLD Merger Sub Inc. (“Merger Sub”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emerald, entered into a Merger Agreement with Fold, pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Sub will be merged with and into Fold with Fold surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emerald (the “Business Combination” and, together with the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Transactions”). As a result of the Transactions, Fold will become a subsidiary of Emerald, with the former stockholders of Fold becoming stockholders of Emerald. The aggregate consideration to be paid in the Transactions will consist of shares of Emerald Class A Common Stock based on Fold’s pre-money equity value of $365 million, plus additional consideration of $7.0 million based on the product of (i) the Specified BTC (as defined in the Company Disclosure Letter), (ii) the difference in the 60-day volume-weighted average price of Bitcoin as of the date of the Merger Agreement and February 9, 2025, and (iii) 0.2.

 

Description of the December 2024 Initial Investor Financing

 

On December 24, 2024, Fold entered into the December 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement with ATW Growth Opportunities SPV, LLC (the “Investor”) pursuant to which the Investor purchased an Initial Note with an aggregate principal amount of $20.0 million which is convertible to shares of Common Stock of Fold prior to the Business Combination, or shares of Common Stock of New Fold subsequent to the Business Combination. In conjunction with the Securities Purchase Agreement and Initial Note, Fold also issued Series A, Series B, and Series C Warrants to the Investor (collectively with the Initial Note, the “December 2024 Initial Investor Financing”) for 0.9 million, 0.5 million, and 0.9 million shares, respectively. The Series A Warrants are available for exercise for a period of eight years from December 24, 2024, at an exercise price of $12.50 per share. The Series B Warrants are available for exercise after the Business Combination date, for a period of eight years from December 24, 2024, at a nominal exercise price of $0.001 per share. The Series C Warrants are available for exercise for a period of one year from the Business Combination date, at an exercise price of $11.50 per share.

 

Treatment of Fold Securities

 

Fold Preferred Stock

 

Immediately prior to the effective time of the Business Combination (the “Effective Time”), Fold Preferred Stock will be converted into Fold Common Stock.

 

Fold Common Stock

 

At the Effective Time, Fold Common Stock will be converted into Emerald Common Stock.

 

Fold Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”)

 

At the Effective Time, outstanding Fold restricted stock units will be converted into an award of Emerald restricted stock units.

 

Fold Simple Agreements for Future Equity (“SAFEs”)

 

At the Effective Time, outstanding Fold SAFEs will be converted into Fold Common Stock based on the valuation caps or discount rates stated within the terms of the individual SAFE agreements.

 

2

 

 

Redemption of Class A Common Stock

 

Pursuant to Emerald’s second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, Emerald provided its public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem, in connection with the Closing, their shares of Emerald Class A Common Stock for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount on deposit in the Emerald Trust Account, which holds the proceeds of Emerald’s initial public offering, less taxes payable.

 

In December 2024 and February 2025, Emerald’s public stockholders redeemed 0.1 million and 3.3 million shares, respectively, for an aggregate redemption price of $1.2 million and $36.6 million, respectively.

 

Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement

 

Concurrently with the execution and delivery of the Merger Agreement, Emerald ESG Sponsor, LLC and Emerald ESG Advisors, LLC (collectively, the “Sponsors”) entered into a Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement with Emerald (the “Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement”). Pursuant to the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement, at the Closing, (i) all Emerald Warrants held by the Sponsors will be forfeited and cancelled, and (ii) approximately 5.3 million of the Sponsors’ founder shares (the “subject founder shares”) shall be subject to time-based transfer restrictions subject to early release as follows:

 

one-third of the subject founder shares shall remain subject to transfer restrictions until the earlier of (a) six months following the Closing or (b) the first date that the stock price exceeds $12.00 for 20 trading days of any consecutive 30 trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing;

 

one-third of the subject founder shares shall remain subject to transfer restrictions until the earlier of (a) (x) in the event that Emerald and Fold raise $50 million or more as of the Closing, one year following the Closing, and (y) in the event that Emerald and Fold raise less than $50 million as of the Closing, two years following the Closing, or (b) the first date that the stock price exceeds $15.00 for 20 trading days of any consecutive 30 trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing; and

 

one-third of the subject founder shares shall remain subject to transfer restrictions until the earlier of (a) ten years following the Closing or (b) the first date that the stock price exceeds $17.00 for 20 trading days of any consecutive 30 trading day period ending after the date that is 90 days after the Closing.

 

In the event that Emerald and Fold raise less than $50.0 million from the date of the Merger Agreement through the second anniversary of the Closing, the Sponsors shall automatically forfeit, for no additional consideration, up to 1,000,000 subject founder shares, as described in the Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement.

 

3

 

 

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED BALANCE SHEET

AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

 

   Emerald (Historical)   Fold, Inc. (Historical)  Pro Forma Transaction Adjustments     Combined Pro Forma 
Assets                     
Current assets:                     
Cash and cash equivalents  $20,439   $4,387,072  $14,185,323  2c  $23,336,125 
             (4,524,367) 2d     
             (550,000) 2e     
             (1,155,000) 2f     
             (7,822,842) 2g     
             18,795,500  2h     
Accounts receivable, net   -    616,193   -      616,193 
Prepaid expenses   114,312    -   -      114,312 
Prepaid income taxes   25,134    -   -      25,134 
Other current assets   -    513,464   -      513,464 
Inventories   -    178,983   -      178,983 
Digital assets   -    6,371,951   -      6,371,951 
Safeguarding customer digital assets   -    6,801,838   -      6,801,838 
Total current assets   159,885    18,869,501   18,928,614      37,958,000 
                      
                      
Digital assets, long-term   -    63,929,891   -      63,929,891 
Capitalized software development costs, net   -    855,917   -      855,917 
Investments held in Trust Account   51,996,271    -   (37,810,948) 2a   - 
             (14,185,323) 2c     
Total assets  $52,156,156   $83,655,309  $(33,067,657)    $102,743,808 
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)                     
Current liabilities:                     
Accounts payable and accrued expenses  $289,103   $1,807,948  $1,350,000  2h  $3,447,051 
Due to related party   556,451    -   (556,451) 2d   - 
Excise tax payable   2,122,813    -   (967,916) 2d   1,154,897 
Promissory note, net of discount   438,501    -   (438,501) 2e   - 
Related party loans   3,000,000    -   (3,000,000) 2d   - 
Customer reward liability   -    6,371,951   -      6,371,951 
Safeguarding customer digital liabilities   -    6,801,838   -      6,801,838 
Deferred revenue   -    422,888   -      422,888 
Total current liabilities   6,406,868    15,404,625   (3,612,868)     18,198,625 
Deferred advisory fee   1,155,000    -   (1,155,000) 2f   - 
Deferred revenue, long-term   -    508,006   -      508,006 
Convertible note, net   -    -   8,925,175  2h   8,925,175 
Simple Agreements for Future Equity ("SAFEs")   -    141,750,580   (141,750,580) 2b   - 
Total liabilities   7,561,868    157,663,211   (137,593,273)     27,631,806 
Class A common stock subject to possible redemption   51,996,271    -   (51,996,271) 2a   - 
Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)                     
Preferred stock   -    1,237   (1,237) 2b   - 
Class A common stock   959    -   134  2a   4,614 
             3,471  2b     
             50  2h     
Common stock   -    707   (707) 2b   - 
Additional paid-in-capital   6,493,705    27,825,061   14,185,189  2a   190,515,745 
             141,749,053  2b     
             (434,696) 2e     
             (7,822,842) 2g     
             8,520,275  2h     
Accumulated deficit   (13,896,647)   (101,834,907)  323,197  2e   (115,408,357)
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)   (7,401,983)   (74,007,902)  156,521,887      75,112,002 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)  $52,156,156   $83,655,309  $(33,067,657)    $102,743,808 

  

4

 

 

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

 

   Emerald (Historical)   Fold, Inc. (Historical)   Pro Forma Transaction Adjustments   Combined Pro Forma 
Revenues, net  $-   $15,311,724   $-   $15,311,724 
                     
Operating expenses                    
Banking and payment costs   -    14,459,183    -    14,459,183 
Custody and trading costs   -    144,577    -    144,577 
Compensation and benefits   -    2,340,838    3,544,710 3b  5,885,548 
Professional fees   -    3,446,671    -    3,446,671 
Loss on customer reward liability   -    2,344,103    -    2,344,103 
Gain on digital assets - rewards treasury   -    (2,639,860)   -    (2,639,860)
Other selling, general and administrative expenses   2,154,179    1,429,079    -    3,583,258 
Total operating expenses   2,154,179    21,524,591    3,544,710    27,223,480 
Loss from operations   (2,154,179)   (6,212,867)   (3,544,710)   (11,911,756)
                     
Other income (expense)                    
Loss on digital assets - investment treasury   -    (377,039)   -    (377,039)
Change in fair value of SAFEs   -    (59,042,901)   59,042,901 3d  - 
Interest income earned on investments held in trust account   2,353,695    -    (2,353,695)3a  - 
Interest expense   (323,197)        323,197 3e  (4,588,369)
              (4,588,369)3g    
Non-redemption agreement expense   (838,825)   -    838,825 3c  - 
Other income   -    72,203    -    72,203 
Other income (expense), net   1,191,673    (59,347,737)   53,262,859    (4,893,205)
                     
Net income (loss) before income taxes   (962,506)   (65,560,604)   49,718,149    (16,804,961)
Income tax expense   482,369    14,567    (482,369)3f  14,567 
Net income (loss)  $(1,444,875)  $(65,575,171)  $50,200,518   $(16,819,528)
                     
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding - Basic and Diluted   15,182,382    7,072,300         46,138,876 
Loss Per Share - Basic and Diluted  $(0.10)  $(9.27)       $(0.36)

 

5

 

 

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023

 

   Emerald (Historical)   Fold, Inc. (Historical)   Pro Forma Transaction Adjustments   Combined Pro Forma 
Revenues, net  $-   $21,534,032   $-   $21,534,032 
                     
Operating expenses                    
Banking and payment costs   -    20,999,385    -    20,999,385 
Custody and trading costs   -    169,698    -    169,698 
Compensation and benefits   -    3,713,196    772,882 3b  4,486,078 
Professional fees   -    421,218    -    421,218 
Loss on customer reward liability   -    4,283,795    -    4,283,795 
Gain on digital assets - rewards treasury   -    (4,236,593)   -    (4,236,593)
Other selling, general and administrative expenses   3,730,488    2,102,025    -    5,832,513 
Total operating expenses   3,730,488    27,452,724    772,882    31,956,094 
Loss from operations   (3,730,488)   (5,918,692)   (772,882)   (10,422,062)
                     
Other income (expense)                    
Change in fair value of SAFEs   -    (1,374,005)   1,374,005 3d  - 
Interest income earned on investments held in trust account   11,207,609    -    (11,207,609)3a  - 
Interest expense   -    -    (6,124,594)3g  (6,124,594)
Non-redemption agreement expense   (708,400)   -    708,400 3c  - 
Other income   -    129,940    -    129,940 
Other income (expense), net   10,499,209    (1,244,065)   (15,249,798)   (5,994,654)
                     
Net income (loss) before income taxes   6,768,721    (7,162,757)   (16,022,680)   (16,416,716)
Income tax expense   2,325,087    10,242    (2,325,087)3f  10,242 
Net income (loss)  $4,443,634   $(7,172,999)  $(13,697,593)  $(16,426,958)
                     
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding - Basic and Diluted   25,873,722    7,072,300         46,138,876 
Earning (Loss) Per Share - Basic and Diluted  $0.14   $(1.01)       $(0.36)

 

Note 1. Basis of Pro Forma Presentation

 

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X as amended by the final rule, Release No. 33-10786, “Amendments to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses.” Release No. 33-10786 replaces the existing pro forma adjustment criteria, which simplified requirements to depict the accounting for the transactions and present the reasonably estimable synergies and other transaction effects that have occurred or are reasonably expected to occur. These unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements do not present any estimable synergies and only present the Transaction adjustments, and have been presented to provide relevant information necessary for an understanding of the transactions discussed above. Adjustments have been made to depict in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet of Emerald and Fold as of September 30, 2024 the accounting for the transaction required by U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP) as if the Business Combination and December 2024 Initial Investor Financing transactions were completed as of September 30, 2024. The pro forma condensed combined statements of operations of Emerald and Fold for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023 reflect any corresponding effects of the balance sheet adjustments to the statement of operations assuming those adjustments were made as of the beginning of the period presented. These adjustments are described in the accompanying notes and are based on available information and certain assumptions we believe are reasonable but are subject to change. Emerald and Fold are collectively referred to herein as the “Companies,” and the Companies, subsequent to the Business Combination and the Transactions, are referred to herein as “New Fold”.

 

The Business Combination will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization because Fold has been determined to be the accounting acquirer under Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification Topic 805, Business Combinations (“ASC 805”).

 

6

 

 

The determination is primarily based on the evaluation of the following facts and circumstances taking into consideration:

 

the pre-combination equityholders of Fold will hold the majority of voting rights in New Fold;

 

the pre-combination equityholders of Fold will have the right to appoint the majority of the directors on the New Fold Board;

 

the senior management of Fold will comprise the senior management of New Fold; and

 

the operations of Fold will comprise the ongoing operations of New Fold.

 

Under the reverse recapitalization model, the Business Combination will be treated as Fold issuing equity for the net assets of Emerald, with no goodwill or intangible assets recorded.

 

The following summarizes the pro forma New Fold Common Shares outstanding after redemptions:

 

   Combined Pro Forma 
   Shares   % 
         
Emerald Public Shareholders (1)   1,341,633    3%
           
Sponsor Held Emerald Public Shares Not Subject to Restriction (2)   4,273,581    9%
Sponsor Held Emerald Restricted Shares   5,317,641    12%
Total Sponsor Held Emerald Shares   9,591,222    21%
           
Total Emerald Shares   10,932,855    24%
           
Fold Shares (3)   35,206,021    76%
           
Total Shares at Closing   46,138,876    100%

 

(1)Reflects aggregate redemptions of 3.4 million Class A common shares for $37.8 million that occurred subsequent to September 30, 2024.
(2)Includes 3.3 million shares assigned to unaffiliated third parties in exchange for executed non-redemption agreements.
(3)Includes the assumed exercise of 0.5 million Series B Warrant Shares for a nominal exercise price of $0.001 per share.

 

The unaudited pro forma adjustments are based on information currently available, and assumptions and estimates underlying the unaudited pro forma adjustments are described in the accompanying notes. Actual results may differ materially from the assumptions used to present the accompanying unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information.

 

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements have been prepared for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of what the actual results of operations and financial position would have been had the Business Combination and related transactions taken place on the dates indicated, nor do they purport to project the future consolidated results of operations or financial position of the combined company. They should be read in conjunction with the unaudited and audited financial statements and notes thereto of each of Emerald and Fold as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023, respectively and included elsewhere in this filing.

 

There were no significant intercompany balances or transactions between Emerald and Fold as of the date and for the periods of these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.

 

Fold is currently negotiating certain employment agreements for the post-closing entity. Based on the preliminary terms, these agreements would result in an increase in compensation cost on a pro forma basis. However, as these employment agreements are preliminary and not yet executed, Emerald has not included a pro forma adjustment because such amounts are not known and are deemed not factually supportable at this time.

 

The pro forma basic and diluted earnings per share amounts presented in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations are based upon the number of Emerald’s common shares outstanding, assuming the Business Combination and related transactions occurred on January 1, 2023.

 

7

 

 

Note 2. Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Balance Sheet Adjustments

 

The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of September 30, 2024 are as follows:

 

a)Represents the reclassification of 4.8 million of Class A common shares subject to possible redemption to permanent equity, less 3.4 million shares redeemed subsequent to September 30, 2024 for an aggregate redemption amount of $37.8 million.

 

b)Reflects the recapitalization of Fold. Immediately prior to the recapitalization, as triggered by the Business Combination, Fold historical preferred shares and Simple Agreements for Future Equity (“SAFEs”) convert to Fold common shares, which, collectively with the Fold historical common shares, are exchanged for New Fold Common Shares and additional paid-in-capital.

 

c)Reflects the reclassification of $52.0 million of cash and cash equivalents held in Emerald’s Trust Account that becomes available for transaction expenses, redemption of public shares, and the operating activities following the Business Combination, less 3.4 million shares redeemed subsequent to September 30, 2024, for a redemption amount of $37.8 million, and assuming no further redemptions. This adjustment does not reflect appreciation of the Trust Account subsequent to September 30, 2024 of approximately $0.7 million.

 

d)Reflects the repayment of Emerald’s balances due to related parties at the Business Combination date, including excise tax payable paid by Emerald subsequent to September 30, 2024.

 

e)Reflects the repayment of Emerald’s promissory note of $0.6 million, net of an original issue discount of $0.4 million reduced by accumulated amortization during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 of $0.3 million, under its subscription agreement with Polar Multi-Strategy Master Fund (“Polar”). This agreement stipulates the repayment to Polar of its Capital Contribution in cash or shares. This reflects a cash repayment of the Capital Contribution.

 

f)Reflects the payment of Emerald’s deferred advisory fee due at the closing of the Business Combination.

 

g)Reflects the accrual of Emerald and Fold transaction costs of $7.8 million incurred related to the closing of the Business Combination. Transaction costs include direct and incremental costs, such as legal, third party advisory, investment banking, and other miscellaneous fees. Transaction costs previously incurred that are not direct and incremental to the transaction have been included within the historical statement of operations of Emerald and Fold.

 

h)Reflects the gross cash proceeds from the December 2024 Initial Investor Financing of $20.0 million from the Investor, bifurcated between convertible notes, net and additional paid in capital based on the estimated relative fair value of the instruments, net of the debt discount of $1.0 million and estimated issuance costs accrued for and paid in conjunction with the transaction, totaling $1.6 million. Additionally, assumes the exercise of 500,000 Series B Warrant Shares for a nominal exercise price of $0.001 per share. Note that the estimated fair value of the warrants was calculated under a Black-Scholes model utilizing the enterprise valuation of Fold’s common shares as of September 30, 2024.

 

Note 3. Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statements of Operations

 

The pro forma adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023, are as follows:

 

a)Represents the elimination of interest income on Emerald’s Trust Account for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, and the year ended December 31, 2023.

 

b)Represents the recognition of the share-based compensation expense associated with the Restricted Stock Units which will convert to Fold Common Stock immediately prior to the closing of the transaction and will continue to vest during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023.

 

c)Represents the elimination of non-redemption agreement expense related to Emerald’s non-redemption agreements with unaffiliated third parties in exchange for each such party agreeing not to redeem public shares for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, and the year ended December 31, 2023.

 

d)Represents the elimination of $59.0 million and $1.4 million of historical changes in fair value associated with Fold’s SAFEs for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, and the year ended December 31, 2023, respectively. The elimination of these fair value adjustments to the SAFEs is a result of the SAFEs being converted to Fold common shares upon the close of the Business Combination. Refer to Note 2(b) for more information.

 

e)Represents the elimination of interest expense related to the amortization of Emerald’s discount on its promissory note with Polar for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. See Note 2(e) for more detail.

 

8

 

 

f)Represents the elimination of $0.5 million and $2.3 million of historical income tax expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, and the year ended December 31, 2023, respectively. The elimination of these tax provisions is due to the removal of investment trust income.

 

g)Represents the recognition of $4.6 million and $6.1 million of interest expense, including amortization of the estimated debt discount and debt issuance costs, into interest expense related to the December 2024 Initial Investor Financing for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, and the year ended December 31, 2023, respectively.

 

Note 4. Earnings (Loss) Per Share

 

Pro Forma Weighted Average Shares (Basic and Diluted)

 

The following pro forma weighted average shares calculations have been performed for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and for the year ended December 31, 2023. The unaudited condensed combined pro forma earnings (loss) per share (“EPS”), basic and diluted, are computed by dividing earnings or loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period.

 

Prior to the Business Combination, Emerald had Class A common stock, Class B common stock, and preferred stock authorized to be issued. There were not any Class B common shares or preferred shares issued or outstanding as of September 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023. In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, each currently issued and outstanding Emerald Class A common share will automatically convert on a one-for-one basis, into New Fold Class A common shares. Each currently issued and outstanding Emerald Class A common share will thereafter be renamed, and will have the rights and restrictions attached to the, New Fold Class A common shares.

 

As of September 30, 2024 Emerald had 12.5 million Public Warrants and 0.5 million Private Placement Warrants issued and outstanding. In connection with the Business Combination, Emerald will forfeit the Private Placement Warrants. The warrants are exercisable at $11.50 per share which exceeds the current market price of Emerald’s Class A common shares. Additionally, Fold had 0.9 million Series A and 0.9 million Series C Warrants outstanding, at an exercise price of $12.50 and $11.50 per share, respectively, which exceeds the current market price of Fold’s common shares. These warrants are considered anti-dilutive and excluded from the earnings (loss) per share calculation when the exercise price exceeds the average market value of the common share price during the applicable period.

 

The Initial Notes, as described above, contain a conversion feature that allows the Investor the option to convert the Initial Notes in exchange for 1.7 million shares of Class A common stock. The effect of the 1.7 million incremental Class A common shares issuable upon a conversion of the Initial Notes is anti-dilutive and as such, they have been excluded from the earnings (loss) per share calculation.

 

In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, 0.5 million of outstanding Sponsor warrants will be forfeited and cancelled, and a total of 5.3 million of Sponsor Restricted Shares will be issued, subject to the restrictions as described in the section Sponsor Share Restriction Agreement above. These shares are included in the earnings (loss) per share calculation.

 

   For the
nine months ended September 30,
2024
   For the year ended December 31,
2023
 
   Combined Pro Forma   Combined Pro Forma 
         
Pro forma net loss attributable to common shareholders - basic and diluted  $(16,819,528)  $(16,426,958)
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted   46,138,876    46,138,876 
Pro forma loss per share - basic and diluted  $(0.36)  $(0.36)
           
Pro forma weighted average shares - basic and diluted          
Emerald Public Shares (1)   1,341,633    1,341,633 
Sponsor Held Emerald Public Shares Not Subject to Restriction   4,273,581    4,273,581 
Sponsor Held Emerald Restricted Shares   5,317,641    5,317,641 
Total Emerald Shares   10,932,855    10,932,855 
           
Fold Shares (2)   35,206,021    35,206,021 
Total Pro Forma Weighted Average Shares - basic and diluted   46,138,876    46,138,876 

 

(1)Reflects aggregate redemptions of 3.4 million Class A common shares for $37.8 million that occurred subsequent to September 30, 2024.
(2)Includes the assumed exercise of 0.5 million Series B Warrant Shares for a nominal exercise price of $0.001 per share.

 

9

 

 

Exhibit 99.3

 

Fold Announces Closing of Business Combination

 

Fold Expects to Begin Trading on Nasdaq on or about February 19 Under the Symbol “FLD”

 

With over 1,000 bitcoin in its corporate treasury, Fold is building the financial products of tomorrow amid a wave of global bitcoin adoption

 

February 14, 2025 – [PHOENIX] – Fold Holdings, Inc. (“Fold”), a pioneering bitcoin financial services company, announced today the completion of its previously announced business combination with FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp. (“FTAC”), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, which was approved by FTAC’s shareholders on February 13, 2025. The combined company will operate under the name Fold Holdings, Inc., and its common stock and warrants are expected to begin trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “FLD” and “FLDDW,” respectively, beginning on or about February 19, 2025, subject to final approval of listing.

 

“Six years ago, we embarked on a mission to expand access to bitcoin investment opportunities through premium financial products,” said Will Reeves, Co-Founder and CEO of Fold. “Since then, we have achieved significant scale thanks to the support of our dedicated employees, partners and investors, leading us to this exciting moment in our company’s history. We believe being a public company better positions us to advance our vision of building a gateway to bitcoin-based financial services and expanding access to wealth creation for Fold’s customers.”

 

Advisors

 

Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC, is acting as exclusive financial advisor, capital markets advisor, and placement agent to Fold. Latham & Watkins LLP is acting as legal advisor to Fold. Stevens & Lee PC is acting as legal advisor to FTAC Emerald.

 

About Fold

 

Founded in 2019, Fold is a leading bitcoin financial services company dedicated to expanding access to bitcoin investment opportunities through premium financial products. By integrating bitcoin into everyday financial services, Fold aims to make the American Dream available to more people. For more information, visit https://foldapp.com/investors.

 

About FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp.

 

FTAC Emerald is a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Cohen Circle and formed for the purpose of entering into a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses with a core commitment to providing social, financial, and/or environmental value.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to the Business Combination. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “predict,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include the potential benefits of the Business Combination and the potential success of Fold’s market and growth strategies. These statements are based on assumptions and on the current expectations of FTAC and Fold’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Fold. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including: (i) changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; (ii) the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination; (iii) the effect of the consummation of the Business Combination on Fold’s business relationships, performance, and business generally; (iv) the ability to implement business plans and other expectations after the completion of the Business Combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities; (v) the risk of downturns, new entrants and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive industry in which Fold operates; and (vi) those factors discussed in Fold’s filings with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or Fold’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. While FTAC and Fold may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, each specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law.

 

Investor and Media Contacts

 

Fold: Fold@icrinc.com
FTAC Emerald: info@cohencircle.com

 

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Cover
Feb. 14, 2025
Entity Addresses [Line Items]  
Document Type 8-K
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Document Period End Date Feb. 14, 2025
Current Fiscal Year End Date --12-31
Entity File Number 001-41168
Entity Registrant Name Fold Holdings, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key 0001889123
Entity Tax Identification Number 86-2170416
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code DE
Entity Address, Address Line One 11201 North Tatum Blvd.
Entity Address, Address Line Two Suite 300
Entity Address, Address Line Three Unit 42035
Entity Address, City or Town Phoenix
Entity Address, State or Province AZ
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code 85028
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Local Phone Number 365-3277
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Soliciting Material false
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Entity Addresses [Line Items]  
Title of 12(b) Security Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share
Trading Symbol FLDD
Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share  
Entity Addresses [Line Items]  
Title of 12(b) Security Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share
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Former Address [Member]  
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Entity Registrant Name FTAC Emerald Acquisition Corp.
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