Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item
9A. Controls and Procedures.
Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
The
Trust and the Fund maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that material information required to be disclosed
in the Trust’s periodic reports filed or submitted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time period specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
The
duly appointed officers of the Sponsor, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, have evaluated the
effectiveness of the Trust’s and the Fund’s disclosure controls and procedures and have concluded that the disclosure controls
and procedures of the Trust and the Fund have been effective as of the end of the period covered by this annual report on Form 10-K.
Management’s
Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
This Report does not include a report of management’s
assessment regarding internal control over financial reporting or an attestation report of the Fund’s registered public accounting
firm due to a transition period established by rules of the SEC for newly public companies.
Management
of the Sponsor, on behalf of the Trust and the Fund are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial
reporting. The Trust and the Fund’s internal control system is designed to provide reasonable assurance to the Sponsor regarding
the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have
inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to
financial statement preparation and presentation.
Management
of the Sponsor, including Samuel Masucci III, Principal Executive Officer of the Sponsor, and John A. Flanagan, Principal Financial
Officer of the Sponsor, who perform functions equivalent to those of a principal executive officer and principal financial officer of
the Trust if the Trust had any officers, assessed the effectiveness of the Trust’s and the Fund’s internal control over financial
reporting as of June 30, 2022. In making this assessment, it used the criteria in the Internal Control – Integrated framework issued
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in 2013. Based on the assessment, Management believes that, as
of June 30, 2022, the internal control over financial reporting is effective for the Trust and the Fund.
Change in Internal
Control Over Financial Reporting
There
were no changes in the Trust’s or the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting during the last fiscal quarter that
have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s or the Fund’s internal control over
financial reporting.
Item
9B. Other Information.
Breakwave
has agreed to waive its license and services fee and the Sponsor has agreed to correspondingly assume the remaining expenses of BDRY
so that the Fund’s total annual expenses (excluding brokerage commissions, interest expense, and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed
3.50% per annum through March 31, 2024.
The
foregoing is a summary description of the Fee Waiver Agreement and the Expense Limitation Agreement, which are filed with this Annual
Report on Form 10-K as Exhibits 10.16 and 10.17, respectively, and are incorporated by reference.
Item
9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not
applicable.
55
Part
III
Item 10. Directors,
Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The Sponsor
and its Management
Neither
the Trust nor the Fund have executive officers. Pursuant to the terms of the Trust Agreements for the Fund, the Fund’s affairs
are managed by the Sponsor. The business and affairs of the Sponsor are managed by its chief executive officer, Samuel R. Masucci, III.
The
following are individual Principals, as that term is defined in CFTC Rule 3.1, for the Sponsor: Samuel R. Masucci, III, John A. Flanagan,
Matthew J. Bromberg and Reshma A. Tanczos. These individuals are principals due to their positions; however, Mr. Masucci
is also a principal due to his controlling stake in ETFMG.
Samuel
R. Masucci, III . Mr. Masucci is the founder of ETFMG and has been its Managing Owner since its formation in November 2013. Mr.
Masucci was listed as a principal, as that term is defined in CFTC Rule 3.1, of the Sponsor on September 23, 2014. Mr. Masucci serves
as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ETFMG with responsibilities for managing all ETF listed products and related service activities.
Mr. Masucci became the Chief Executive Officer of Factor Advisors, LLC, a financial services company, and as the Chairman since March
2013; in this position Mr. Masucci is the founder of ETFMG and has been its Managing Owner since its formation in November 2013. Mr.
Masucci was listed as a principal, as that term is defined in CFTC Rule 3.1, of the Sponsor on September 23, 2014. Mr. Masucci serves
as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ETFMG with responsibilities for managing all ETF listed products and related service activities.
Mr. Masucci became the Chief Executive Officer of Factor Advisors, LLC (“Factor Advisors”) in June 2012, a financial services
company, and became the Chairman in March 2013; in this position Mr. Masucci was listed as a principal of Factor Capital Management LLC
(“Factor Capital”) on June 20, 2012 and deregistered as a principal on September 23, 2014. Mr. Masucci became the Chief Executive
Officer of GENCAP Ventures, LLC, a financial services company, in May 2012 and was responsible for managing all ETF issues and related
service activities. Gencap was the parent of Factor Capital and Factor Advisors. ETFMG acquired Gencap in November 2013. Mr. Masucci
was out of the job market from January to May 2012. Mr. Masucci worked as Chief Executive Officer for MacroMarkets LLC, a financial services
company, from April 2005 to December 2011, with responsibility for running the day to day operations of an issuer of public securities
and a registered broker-dealer. From April 2005 to December 2011, Mr. Masucci also worked as the Chief Executive Officer, managing partner
and Chief Compliance Officer of Macro Financial LLC, which as its main business was a registered broker-dealer. From July 2001 to April
2005, Mr. Masucci worked as an owner and manager of The Cobblestone Group. The main business of The Cobblestone Group was fixed income
consulting to the investment banking and commercial banking industries. From March 1999 to June 2001, Mr. Masucci worked in mortgage
trading as a Managing Director for Bear Stearns Inc., a financial institution. Mr. Masucci was out of the job market from December 1998
to February 1999. From June 1996 to November 1998, Mr. Masucci worked at SBC Warburg/UBS, a financial institution, as an Executive Director
managing an asset backed securities group. From January 1992 to June 1996, Mr. Masucci worked in structured products (specifically, structuring
mortgage derivatives and hedge funds), at Merrill Lynch, a financial institution, as a Vice President. From January 1990 to January 1992,
Mr. Masucci worked as a financial consultant for Merrill Lynch, a financial institution, in the private client group in connection with
retail investors. From November 1987 to January 1990, Mr. Masucci worked at MetLife Insurance Company, an insurance company, as a retail
salesperson qualified to sell financial and insurance products to retail clients. From August 1984 to October 1987, Mr. Masucci worked
as a manager of jobsites for Forestdale Inc., which is a residential property developer. Mr. Masucci received his B.S. from Penn State
University in Finance in July 1984.
John
A. Flanagan. Mr. Flanagan serves as the Principal Financial Officer of the Sponsor and the Trust. Mr. Flanagan was listed as
a principal, as that term is defined in CFTC Rule 3.1, of the Sponsor on January 8, 2015. Since June 2014, Mr. Flanagan has served as
an Independent Trustee of Absolute Shares Trust, a multi-series exchange traded fund. Mr. Flanagan has been the President and sole owner
of John A. Flanagan CPA, LLC since December 2010. Mr. Flanagan was Chief Financial Officer of MacroMarkets LLC, an exchange traded fund
issuer from January 2007 to December 2010.
Matthew
J. Bromberg. Mr. Bromberg serves as the General Counsel of the Sponsor. Mr. Bromberg was listed as a principal of the Sponsor
in September 2020. Prior to joining the Sponsor, from 2019 to 2020, Mr. Bromberg was an investment management partner at the law firm
Dorsey & Whitney where he provided counsel to investment advisers relating to private investment funds, ETFs and mutual
funds, as well as to separately managed account and wrap fee program sponsors. From 2016 to 2019, Mr. Bromberg served as General Counsel
of WBI Investments, Inc., a registered investment adviser and ETF sponsor. During the same period, Mr. Bromberg also served as General
Counsel to Millington Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer affiliate of WBI Investments, Inc. From 2014 to 2015 Mr. Bromberg was an investment
management partner at the law firm of Reed Smith. From 2014 to 2015 and 2006 to 2013, Mr. Bromberg served as Senior Managing Counsel
to the Asset Servicing Division of BNY Mellon. Mr. Bromberg was in private practice, at the law firm of King & Spalding
between 2013 and 2014, where he represented financial institutions in transactional and regulatory matters with a focus on investment
advisers, registered public funds, private investment funds, banks, and broker-dealers. Mr. Bromberg received his B.A. in English Literature
from The State University of New York at Albany and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.
56
Reshma
A. Tanczos. Mrs. Tanczos serves as the Chief Compliance Officer of the Sponsor and the Trust. Mrs. Tanczos was listed as a principal
of the Sponsor on July 27, 2016. Prior to joining the Sponsor, from October 2007 to July 2016, Mrs. Tanczos was a Partner at the law
firm Crow & Cushing where she counseled clients in the financial services and money management industry focusing on SEC, CFTC, NFA
and FINRA regulatory compliance. From September 2006 to September 2007, Mrs. Tanczos clerked for the Honorable Philip L. Paley, Superior
Court of New Jersey, Law Division. Mrs. Tanczos received her B.S. in Economics from The George Washington University in May 2000 and
a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in May 2006.
Commodity Trading
Advisor
Breakwave
The
Sponsor has also entered into a Licensing and Services Agreement with Breakwave. Under this agreement, Breakwave has agreed to compose
and maintain the BDRY Benchmark Portfolio and license to the Sponsor the use of the BDRY Benchmark Portfolio.
Breakwave
is a limited liability company. The following individual is the President, sole investment professional and Principal, as that term is
defined in CFTC Rule 3.1:
John Kartsonas . John Kartsonas is the
Principal and Managing Partner of Breakwave Advisors LLC., a Commodity Trading Advisory firm based in New York. Mr. Kartsonas was listed
as a principal of the Sponsor on May 17, 2017. He has been a registered associated person and an NFA associate member of Breakwave since
May 17, 2017. From 2017 to the present Mr. Kartsonas has also served as a Director of Seanergy Maritime, an international shipping company
listed in the Nasdaq Capital Market. Prior to that, Mr. Kartsonas was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Carlyle Commodity Management from
October 2012 to January 2017, a commodity-focused investment firm based in New York and part of the Carlyle Group. He was responsible
for the firm’s Shipping and Freight investments. During his tenure, he managed one of the largest freight futures funds globally.
Mr. Kartsonas received his MBA from the Simon School of Business, University of Rochester.
Code of Ethics
The
Sponsor has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code of Ethics”) which applies to all of its officers (including
senior financial officers) and employees; the Sponsor’s Code of Ethics covers all officers and employees that manage the Trust
and the Fund. A printed copy of the Code of Ethics is available to any person free of charge, upon request, by contracting the Sponsor
at:
ETF
Managers Group Commodity Trust I
c/o
ETF Managers Capital LLC
30
Maple Street
Suite
2
Summit,
NJ 07901
Item 11. Executive
Compensation.
The
Fund has no employees, officers or directors and is managed by the Sponsor. None of the directors or officers of the Sponsor receive
compensation from the Fund.
57
The
Sponsor receives a management fee from BDRY, monthly in arrears, in an amount equal to the greater of 0.15% per annum on the daily NAV
of BDRY or $125,000. The Sponsor has contractually agreed to assume BDRY’s expenses (excluding brokerage fees, interest expense,
and extraordinary expenses) in order to cap BDRY’s total annual expenses at 3.50% per annum through March 31, 2024. The management
fees paid to the Sponsor by BDRY amounted to $131,335 and $130,137 for the years ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
The
Sponsor received a management fee from RISE prior to its liquidation, monthly in arrears, in an amount equal to the greater of 0.15%
per annum of the value of the Fund’s average daily net assets or $75,000. The Sponsor had contractually agreed to waive the Sponsor
Fee and/or assume the Fund’s Other Expenses (which term excludes brokerage fees, interest expense, and extraordinary expenses)
so that the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Expenses did not exceed 1.00% per annum through the liquidation date. The management fees
paid to the Sponsor by RISE amounted to $25,068 for the year ended June 30, 2021.
The
Sponsor also provides Principal Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Regulatory Reporting and Wholesale Support services to BDRY.
The fees for each service provided to the BDRY for the year ended June 30, 2022, all of which had been paid, or accrued, at June 30,
2022, were as follows:
Service
BDRY
Amount
Principal Financial Officer
$
24,999
Chief Compliance Officer
24,999
Regulatory Reporting
24,999
Legal
45,002
Wholesale Support
112,393
In
addition to the above, the Distributor provides Distribution services to the Fund. The fees for Distribution services paid to the Distributor
were $15,707 for BDRY for the year ended June 30, 2022.
Item 12. Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners. The following table sets forth shares as of June 30, 2022, information with respect to each person
known to own beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of any series in the Trust:
Series of the Trust
Name and Address of Beneficial
Owner
Amount and nature of
Beneficial
Ownership
Percent of
Class
BDRY
Saxo Bank AS Philip Heymans Alle 15 Hellerup, Denmark
337,014 Shares
12.37 %
Security
Ownership of Management.
None of the directors
or executive officers of the Sponsor owns any shares of the Fund.
58
Change
in Control.
The
Sponsor does not know of any arrangements which may subsequently result in a change in the control of the Trust.
Item 13. Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
Certain
Relationships and Related Transactions
See
Items 11 and 12.
Neither
the Trust nor the Fund entered into any transaction in excess of $120,000 in which any related person had a direct or indirect material
interest and the Trust and the Fund does not propose to enter into any such transaction.
Director
Independence
As
an unincorporated entity, the registrant does not have a Board of Directors.
Item
14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The fees for services accrued and/or billed to BDRY
and to RISE prior to its liquidation by its independent auditors for the year ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 were as follows:
2022
2021
Audit Fees
$ 69,847
$ 123,858
Audit-Related Fees
—
—
Tax Fees
461,064
100,960
All Other Fees
—
—
Total
$ 530,911
$ 224,818
Approval
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Services and Fees
The
Sponsor approved all of the services provided by WithumSmith+Brown, PC to the Funds described above. The Sponsor pre-approves all audit
and allowed non-audit services of the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, including all engagement fees and terms.
59
Part
IV
Item 15. Exhibits
and Financial Statement Schedules.
1.
See Index to Financial
Statements on page 29.
2.
No financial statement
schedules are filed herewith because (i) such schedules are not required or (ii) the information required has been presented in the
aforementioned financial statements.
3.
Exhibits required to be
filed by Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
60
Exhibit
Index
Listed
below are the exhibits which are filed or furnished as part of this annual report on Form 10-K (according to the number assigned to them
in Item 601 of Regulation S-K):
3.1(a)
Amended
and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of the Registrant. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No.
2 to Registration Statement No. 333-199190, filed on January 12, 2015.)
3.1(b)
Instrument
Establishing the Fund. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement No. 333-218453, filed
on October 6, 2017.)
3.1(c)
Amended
Exhibit C to the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement of the Trust. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement No. 333-218453, filed on October 6, 2017.)
3.2
Certificate of Trust of the Registrant. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement No. 333-218453, filed on October 6, 2017.
4.1
Description
of the Trust’s securities. (Incorporated by reference to the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on September 30,
2019.)
10.1
Form
of Authorized Participant Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-199190,
filed on January 28, 2015.)
10.2
Marketing
Agent Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on April 12, 2017.)
10.3
Amendment
No. 1 to Marketing Agent Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-218453,
filed on March 6, 2018.)
10.4
Amendment
No. 2 to Marketing Agent Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-218453,
filed on March 6, 2018.)
10.5
Licensing
and Services Agreement with respect to BDRY. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement
No. 333-218453, filed on March 6, 2018.)
10.6
Custody
Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-199190, filed on January
28, 2015.)
10.7
Amendment
No. 1 to Custody Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-218453,
filed on March 6, 2018.)
10.8
Fund
Administration Servicing Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-199190,
filed on January 28, 2015.)
10.9
Amendment
No. 1 to Fund Administration Servicing Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement
No. 333-218453, filed on March 6, 2018.)
10.10
Fund
Accounting Servicing Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-199190,
filed on January 28, 2015.)
10.11
Amendment
No. 1 to Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement
No. 333-218453, filed on March 6, 2018.)
61
10.12
Transfer
Agent Servicing Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement No. 333-199190,
filed on January 28, 2015.)
10.13
Amendment
No. 1 to Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement. (Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement
No. 333-218453, filed on March 6, 2018.)
10.14
Fee Waiver Agreement with respect to BDRY. (Incorporated by reference to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on September 6, 2022.)
10.15
Expense
Limitation Agreement with respect to BDRY. (Incorporated by reference to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on September 6, 2022.)
23.1
Consent
of Sullivan & Worcester LLP. (Incorporated by reference to Form S-1 Registration Statement No. 333-254634, filed on March 23,
2021.)
23.2
Consent of WithumSmith & Brown, P.C. as to the Trust (Filed herewith.)
23.3
Consent
of WithumSmith & Brown, P.C. as to the Sponsor. (Incorporated by reference to the Trust’s Current Report on Form 8-K,
filed on April 28, 2022.)
31.1
Certification by the Principal
Executive Officer of the Registrant pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 of the Exchange Act. (Filed herewith.)
31.2
Certification by the Principal
Financial Officer of the Registrant pursuant to Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 of the Exchange Act. (Filed herewith.)
32.1
Certification by the Principal
Executive Officer of the Registrant pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. (Filed herewith.)
32.2
Certification by the Principal
Financial Officer of the Registrant pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002. (Filed herewith.)
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in
Exhibit 101).
62
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
ETF Managers Group Commodity Trust I
(Registrant)
By:
ETF Managers Capital, LLC
its Sponsor
By:
/s/ Samuel
R. Masucci III
Name:
Samuel R. Masucci III
Principal Executive Officer
By:
/s/ John A.
Flanagan
Name:
John A. Flanagan
Principal Financial Officer
Date: September
26, 2022
63
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.