−Removed: NEXT TECHNOLOGY HOLDING INC (Formerly known as “WeTrade Group, Inc”) (the “Company”) was incorporated in the State of
−Removed: Wyoming on March 28, 2019.
−Removed: As of December 31, 2023, the Company pursue two corporate strategies.
−Removed: One business strategy is to continue
−Removed: providing software development services, and the other strategy is to acquire and hold bitcoin.
−Removed: provide AI-enabled software development services to our customers, which included developing, designing, and implementing various SAAS
−Removed: software solutions for businesses of all types, including industrial and other businesses.
−Removed: Acquisition Strategy
−Removed: bitcoin acquisition strategy generally involves acquiring bitcoin with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements, and
−Removed: from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities or engaging in other capital raising transactions
−Removed: with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.
−Removed: view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings and expect to continue to accumulate bitcoin.
−Removed: We have not set any specific target for
−Removed: the amount of bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional
−Removed: financings to purchase additional bitcoin.
−Removed: overall strategy also contemplates that we may (i) periodically sell bitcoin for general corporate purposes, including to generate cash
−Removed: for treasury management or in connection with strategies that generate tax benefits in accordance with applicable law, (ii) enter into
−Removed: additional capital raising transactions that are collateralized by our bitcoin holdings, and (iii) consider pursuing additional strategies
−Removed: to create income streams or otherwise generate funds using our bitcoin holdings.
−Removed: believe that, due to its limited supply, bitcoin offers the opportunity for appreciation in value if its adoption increases and has the
−Removed: potential to serve as a hedge against inflation in the long-term.
−Removed: following table presents a roll-forward of our bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our bitcoin purchases, and
−Removed: digital asset impairment losses during the period:
−Removed: asset original cost basis
−Removed: asset gain / (losses)
−Removed: asset market value
−Removed: number of Bitcoin held
−Removed: Balance at December 31, 2022
+Added: Next Technology Holding Inc (Formerly known as
+Added: “WeTrade Group, Inc”) (the “Company”) was incorporated in the State of Wyoming on March 28, 2019.
+Added: As of December
+Added: 31, 2024, the Company pursue two corporate strategies.
+Added: One business strategy is to continue providing software development services, and
+Added: the other strategy is to acquire and hold Bitcoin.
+Added: Software development
+Added: We provide AI-enabled software development services
+Added: to our customers, which include developing, designing, and implementing various SAAS software solutions for businesses of all types, including
+Added: industrial and other businesses.
+Added: Bitcoin Acquisition Strategy
+Added: Our Bitcoin acquisition strategy generally involves
+Added: acquiring Bitcoin with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements, and from time to time, subject to market conditions,
+Added: issuing debt or equity securities or engaging in other capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase
+Added: We view our Bitcoin holdings as being held for
+Added: trading and expect to continue to accumulate Bitcoin.
+Added: We have not set any specific target for the amount of Bitcoin we seek to hold, and
+Added: we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional financing to purchase additional Bitcoin.
+Added: This overall strategy also contemplates that we
+Added: may (i) periodically sell Bitcoin for general corporate purposes, including to generate cash for treasury management or in connection
+Added: with strategies that generate tax benefits in accordance with applicable law, (ii) enter into additional capital raising transactions
+Added: that are collateralized by our Bitcoin holdings, and (iii) consider pursuing additional strategies to create income streams or otherwise
+Added: generate funds using our Bitcoin holdings.
+Added: We believe that, due to its limited supply, Bitcoin
+Added: offers the opportunity for appreciation in value if its adoption increases and has the potential to serve as a hedge against inflation
+Added: in the long term.
+Added: The following table presents a roll-forward of
+Added: our Bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our Bitcoin purchases, fair value change in digital asset and number
+Added: of Bitcoin held during the year:
Digital asset
−Removed: asset gain/ (loss)
−Removed: at December 31, 2023
−Removed: Permissions and Developments
−Removed: counsel as to PRC law has advised us that the laws and regulations of the PRC do not currently have any material impact on our business,
−Removed: financial condition or results of operations.
−Removed: However, there is no assurance that there will not be any changes in the economic, political
−Removed: and legal environment in Hong Kong in the future.
−Removed: If there is a significant change to current political arrangements between mainland
−Removed: China and Hong Kong, companies operating in Hong Kong such as us may face similar regulatory risks as those operated in PRC, including
−Removed: their ability to offer securities to investors, list their securities on a U.S.
−Removed: or other foreign exchange, conduct their business or
−Removed: accept foreign investment.
−Removed: In light of China’s recent expansion of authority in Hong Kong, there are risks and uncertainties which
−Removed: we cannot foresee for the time being, and rules and regulations in China can change quickly with little or no advance notice.
−Removed: government may intervene or influence our current and future operations in Hong Kong at any time, or may exert more control over offerings
−Removed: conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in issuers likes ourselves.
−Removed: are aware that the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in certain
−Removed: areas in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision
−Removed: over China-based companies listed overseas using variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity
−Removed: reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement.
−Removed: example, on June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress enacted the PRC Data Security Law, which took
−Removed: effect on September 1, 2021.
−Removed: The law requires data collection to be conducted in a legitimate and proper manner, and stipulates that,
−Removed: for the purpose of data protection, data processing activities must be conducted based on data classification and hierarchical protection
−Removed: system for data security.
−Removed: July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly
−Removed: issued a document to crack down on certain activities in the securities markets and promote the high-quality development of the capital
−Removed: markets, which, among other things, requires the relevant governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law-enforcement
−Removed: and judicial cooperation, to enhance supervision over Chinese-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system
−Removed: of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities laws.
−Removed: August 20, 2021, the 30th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress voted and passed the “Personal
−Removed: Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China,” or “PRC Personal Information Protection Law,”
−Removed: which became effective on November 1, 2021.
−Removed: The PRC Personal Information Protection Law applies to the processing of personal information
−Removed: of natural persons within the territory of China that is carried out outside of China where (i) such processing is for the purpose of
−Removed: providing products or services for natural persons within China, (ii) such processing is to analyze or evaluate the behavior of natural
−Removed: persons within China, or (iii) there are any other circumstances stipulated by related laws and administrative regulations.
−Removed: December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) jointly with the relevant authorities formally published
−Removed: Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) which took effect on February 15, 2022, replacing the former Measures for Cybersecurity Review
−Removed: (2020) issued on July 10, 2021.
−Removed: Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) stipulates that operators of critical information infrastructure
−Removed: purchasing network products and services, and online platform operators (together with the operators of critical information infrastructure,
−Removed: the “Operators”) carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, shall conduct a cybersecurity
−Removed: review, and any online platform operator who controls more than one million users’ personal information must undergo a cybersecurity.
−Removed: February 17, 2023, with the approval of the State Council, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) promulgated
−Removed: the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Trial Measures, and five
−Removed: supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023.
−Removed: Pursuant to the Trial Measures, (i) domestic companies that seek to
−Removed: offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, shall complete filing procedures with the CSRC pursuant to the requirements
−Removed: of the Trial Measures within three working days following their submission of initial public offerings or listing applications.
−Removed: domestic company fails to complete the required filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its
−Removed: filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to
−Removed: administrative penalties, such as an order to rectify, warnings and fines,
−Removed: and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject
−Removed: to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines;
−Removed: (ii) if the issuer meets both of the following criteria, the overseas offering
−Removed: and listing conducted by such issuer shall be deemed an indirect overseas offering and listing by a PRC domestic company:
−Removed: more of any of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated
−Removed: financial statements for the most recent fiscal year were derived from PRC domestic companies;
−Removed: and (B) the majority of the issuer’s
−Removed: business activities are carried out in mainland China, or its main place(s) of business are located in mainland China, or the majority
−Removed: of its senior management team in charge of its business operations and management are PRC citizens or have their usual place(s) of residence
−Removed: located in mainland China.
−Removed: In such circumstances, where a PRC domestic company is seeking an indirect overseas offering and listing in
−Removed: an overseas market, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity responsible for all filing procedures with the CSRC,
−Removed: and where an issuer makes an application for an initial public offering or listing in an overseas market, the issuer shall submit filings
−Removed: with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted.
−Removed: February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration
−Removed: of China, revised the Provisions issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration
−Removed: of China in 2009.
−Removed: The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives
−Removed: Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies,” and became effective on March 31, 2023 together
−Removed: with the Trial Measures.
−Removed: One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect overseas
−Removed: offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures.
−Removed: The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic
−Removed: company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals
−Removed: or entities, including securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that
−Removed: contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to
−Removed: law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level;
−Removed: and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly
−Removed: or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities, including securities
−Removed: companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental
−Removed: to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations.
−Removed: of the date of this Report, the revised Provisions have come into effect.
−Removed: Any failure or perceived failure by our Company or our subsidiaries
−Removed: to comply with the above confidentiality and archives administration requirements under the revised Provisions and other PRC laws and
−Removed: regulations may result in the relevant entities being held legally liable by competent authorities, and referred to the judicial organ
−Removed: to be investigated for criminal liability if suspected of committing a crime.
−Removed: for the Basic Law, national laws of the PRC do not apply in Hong Kong unless they are listed in Annex III of the Basic Law and applied
−Removed: locally by promulgation or local legislation.
−Removed: National laws that may be listed in Annex III are currently limited under the Basic Law
−Removed: to those which fall within the scope of defense and foreign affairs as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of Hong
−Removed: National laws and regulations relating to data protection, cybersecurity and anti-monopoly have not been listed in Annex III and
−Removed: do not apply directly to Hong Kong and, as such, we are advised by our counsel as to PRC law that that the CAC and CSRC do not currently
−Removed: have jurisdiction over companies operating in Hong Kong.
−Removed: counsel as to PRC law has advised us that that we are not currently required to obtain any permission or approval from the CSRC, the
−Removed: CAC or any other regulatory authority in the PRC for our operations, the trading of our securities on the OTCQB and the offering of our
−Removed: securities to foreign investors.
−Removed: The business of our subsidiary is not subject to cybersecurity review with the CAC, given that PRC laws
−Removed: on data protection and cybersecurity do not currently apply to Hong Kong.
−Removed: To the extent that if we become subject to such PRC laws in
−Removed: the future, we do not believe we are required to conduct a cybersecurity review because (i) we do not possess a large amount of personal
−Removed: information in our business operations;
−Removed: and (ii) data processed in our business does not have a bearing on national security and thus
−Removed: may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities.
−Removed: In addition, we are not subject to merger control review by China’s
−Removed: anti-monopoly enforcement agency as such PRC enforcement agency does not currently have jurisdiction over our Hong Kong operating subsidiary.
−Removed: However, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to our
−Removed: business or industry, if we inadvertently conclude that such approvals are not required when they are, or applicable laws, regulations,
−Removed: or interpretations change and we are required to obtain approval in the future.
−Removed: We may be subject to penalties and sanctions imposed
−Removed: by the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CSRC, if we fail to comply with such rules and regulations, which could adversely affect
−Removed: the ability of the Company’s securities to continue to trade on the OTCQB, which may cause the value of our securities to significantly
−Removed: decline or become worthless.
−Removed: addition, in light of the recent statements and regulatory actions by the PRC government, such as those related to Hong Kong’s
−Removed: national security, the promulgation of regulations prohibiting foreign ownership of Chinese companies operating in certain industries,
−Removed: which are constantly evolving, and anti-monopoly concerns, we may be subject to the risks of uncertainty of any future actions of the
−Removed: PRC government in this regard including the risk that the PRC government could disallow our holding company structure, which may result
−Removed: in a material change in our operations, including our ability to continue our existing holding company structure, carry on our current
−Removed: business, accept foreign investments, and offer or continue to offer securities to our investors.
−Removed: These adverse actions could cause the
−Removed: value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
−Removed: may be prominent risks associated with our operations being in Hong Kong.
−Removed: For example, as a U.S.-listed public company operating primarily
−Removed: in Hong Kong, we may face heightened scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, which could result in a material change in our operations
−Removed: and the value of our common stock.
−Removed: Additionally, we are subject to certain legal and operational risks associated with our business operations
−Removed: in Hong Kong, which is subject to political and economic influence from China.
−Removed: PRC laws and regulations governing our current business
−Removed: operations are sometimes vague and uncertain, and we may face the risk that changes in the policies of the PRC government could have
−Removed: a significant impact upon the business we may be able to conduct in Hong Kong and the profitability of such business.
−Removed: Therefore, these
−Removed: risks associated with being based in or having the majority of our operations in Hong Kong could likely cause the value of our securities
−Removed: to significantly decline or be worthless.
−Removed: Furthermore, these risks would likely result in a material change in our business operations
−Removed: or a complete hinderance of our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors.
−Removed: Furthermore, changes in Chinese internal
−Removed: regulatory mandates, such as the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “M&A
−Removed: Rules”), the Anti-Monopoly Law, the Cybersecurity Law and the Data Security Law, may target the Company’s corporate structure
−Removed: and impact our ability to conduct business in Hong Kong, accept foreign investments, or list on an U.S.
+Added: original cost basis
+Added: Fair value change in digital asset
+Added: Digital asset
+Added: Balance on December 31, 2022
+Added: Digital asset purchase
+Added: Fair value gain on digital asset
+Added: Balance on December 31, 2023
+Added: Fair value gain on digital asset
+Added: Balance on December 31, 2024
+Added: Regulatory Permissions and Developments
+Added: Our counsel as to PRC law has advised us that
+Added: the laws and regulations of the PRC do not currently have any material impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
+Added: However, there is no assurance that there will not be any changes in the economic, political and legal environment in Hong Kong in the
+Added: If there is a significant change to current political arrangements between mainland China and Hong Kong, companies operating in
+Added: Hong Kong such as us may face similar regulatory risks as those operated in the PRC, including their ability to offer securities to investors,
+Added: list their securities on a U.S.
+Added: or other foreign exchange, conduct their business or accept foreign investment.
+Added: In light of China’s
+Added: recent expansion of authority in Hong Kong, there are risks and uncertainties which we cannot foresee for the time being, and rules and
+Added: regulations in China can change quickly with little or no advance notice.
+Added: The Chinese government may intervene or influence our current
+Added: and future operations in Hong Kong at any time, or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment
+Added: in issuers like ourselves.
+Added: We are aware that the PRC government initiated
+Added: a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in certain areas in China with little advance notice, including
+Added: cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using variable
+Added: interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly
+Added: For example, on June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee
+Added: of the National People’s Congress enacted the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect on September 1, 2021.
+Added: The law requires data
+Added: collection to be conducted in a legitimate and proper manner, and stipulates that, for the purpose of data protection, data processing
+Added: activities must be conducted based on data classification and a hierarchical protection system for data security.
+Added: On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Communist
+Added: Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued a document to crack down on certain activities
+Added: in the securities markets and promote the high-quality development of the capital markets, which, among other things, requires the relevant
+Added: governmental authorities to strengthen cross-border oversight of law-enforcement and judicial cooperation, to enhance supervision over
+Added: Chinese-based companies listed overseas, and to establish and improve the system of extraterritorial application of the PRC securities
+Added: On August 20, 2021, the 30th meeting of the Standing
+Added: Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress voted and passed the “Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s
+Added: Republic of China,” or “PRC Personal Information Protection Law,” which became effective on November 1, 2021.
+Added: Personal Information Protection Law applies to the processing of personal information of natural persons within the territory of China
+Added: that is carried out outside of China where (i) such processing is for the purpose of providing products or services for natural persons
+Added: within China, (ii) such processing is to analyze or evaluate the behavior of natural persons within China, or (iii) there are any other
+Added: circumstances stipulated by related laws and administrative regulations.
+Added: On December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration
+Added: of China (the “CAC”) jointly with the relevant authorities formally published Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) which
+Added: took effect on February 15, 2022, replacing the former Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2020) issued on July 10, 2021.
+Added: Cybersecurity Review (2021) stipulates that operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services,
+Added: and online platform operators (together with the operators of critical information infrastructure, the “Operators”) carrying
+Added: out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, shall conduct a cybersecurity review, and any online platform
+Added: operator who controls more than one million users’ personal information must undergo a cybersecurity review by the cybersecurity
+Added: review office if it seeks to be listed in a foreign country.
+Added: On February 17, 2023, with the approval of the
+Added: State Council, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas
+Added: Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Trial Measures, and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on
+Added: March 31, 2023.
+Added: Pursuant to the Trial Measures, (i) domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and
+Added: indirectly, shall complete filing procedures with the CSRC pursuant to the requirements of the Trial Measures within three working days
+Added: following their submission of initial public offerings or listing applications.
+Added: If a domestic company fails to complete the required filing
+Added: procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject
+Added: to administrative penalties, such as an order to rectify, warnings and fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the
+Added: person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines;
+Added: (ii) if the issuer meets both of the following criteria, the overseas offering and listing conducted by such issuer shall be deemed an
+Added: indirect overseas offering and listing by a PRC domestic company:
+Added: (A) 50% or more of any of the issuer’s operating revenue, total
+Added: profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent fiscal year were
+Added: derived from PRC domestic companies;
+Added: and (B) the majority of the issuer’s business activities are carried out in mainland China,
+Added: or its main place(s) of business are located in mainland China, or the majority of its senior management team in charge of its business
+Added: operations and management are PRC citizens or have their usual place(s) of residence located in mainland China.
+Added: In such circumstances,
+Added: where a PRC domestic company is seeking an indirect overseas offering and listing in an overseas market, the issuer shall designate a
+Added: major domestic operating entity responsible for all filing procedures with the CSRC, and where an issuer makes an application for an initial
+Added: public offering or listing in an overseas market, the issuer shall submit filings with the CSRC within three business days after such
+Added: application is submitted.
+Added: On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with
+Added: the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China, revised the Provisions issued
+Added: by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in 2009.
+Added: Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas
+Added: Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies,” and became effective on March 31, 2023 together with the Trial Measures.
+Added: One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is to expand their application to cover indirect overseas offering and listing, as
+Added: is consistent with the Trial Measures.
+Added: The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic company that plans to,
+Added: either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities, including
+Added: securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that contain state secrets or
+Added: working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy
+Added: administrative department at the same level;
+Added: and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas
+Added: listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities, including securities companies, securities service providers,
+Added: and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest,
+Added: shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations.
+Added: As of the date of this Report, the revised Provisions
+Added: have come into effect.
+Added: Any failure or perceived failure by our Company or our subsidiaries to comply with the above confidentiality and
+Added: archives administration requirements under the revised Provisions and other PRC laws and regulations may result in the relevant entities
+Added: being held legally liable by competent authorities, and referred to the judicial organ to be investigated for criminal liability if suspected
+Added: of committing a crime.
+Added: Except for the Basic Law, national laws
+Added: of the PRC do not apply in Hong Kong unless they are listed in Annex III of the Basic Law and applied locally by promulgation or local
+Added: National laws that may be listed in Annex III are currently limited under the Basic Law to those which fall within the scope
+Added: of defense and foreign affairs as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of Hong Kong.
+Added: National laws and regulations
+Added: relating to data protection, cybersecurity and anti-monopoly have not been listed in Annex III and do not apply directly to Hong Kong
+Added: and, as such, we are advised by our counsel as to PRC law that the CAC and CSRC do not currently have jurisdiction over companies operating
+Added: in Hong Kong.
+Added: Our counsel as to PRC law has advised us that
+Added: we are not currently required to obtain any permission or approval from the CSRC, the CAC or any other regulatory authority in the PRC
+Added: for our operations, the trading of our securities on the NASDAQ and the offering of our securities to foreign investors.
+Added: of our subsidiary is not subject to cybersecurity review with the CAC, given that PRC laws on data protection and cybersecurity do not
+Added: currently apply to Hong Kong.
+Added: To the extent that if we become subject to such PRC laws in the future, we do not believe we are required
+Added: to conduct a cybersecurity review because (i) we do not possess a large amount of personal information in our business operations;
+Added: (ii) data processed in our business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data
+Added: by the authorities.
+Added: In addition, we are not subject to merger control review by China’s anti-monopoly enforcement agency as such
+Added: PRC enforcement agency does not currently have jurisdiction over our Hong Kong operating subsidiary.
+Added: However, our operations could be
+Added: adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to our business or industry, if we inadvertently
+Added: conclude that such approvals are not required when they are, or applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required
+Added: to obtain approval in the future.
+Added: We may be subject to penalties and sanctions imposed by the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CSRC,
+Added: if we fail to comply with such rules and regulations, which could adversely affect the ability of the Company’s securities to continue
+Added: to trade on the NASDAQ, which may cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
+Added: In addition, in light of the recent statements
+Added: and regulatory actions by the PRC government, such as those related to Hong Kong’s national security, the promulgation of regulations
+Added: prohibiting foreign ownership of Chinese companies operating in certain industries, which are constantly evolving, and anti-monopoly concerns,
+Added: we may be subject to the risks of uncertainty of any future actions of the PRC government in this regard including the risk that the PRC
+Added: government could disallow our holding company structure, which may result in a material change in our operations, including our ability
+Added: to continue our existing holding company structure, carry on our current business, accept foreign investments, and offer or continue to
+Added: offer securities to our investors.
+Added: These adverse actions could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
+Added: There may be prominent risks associated with our
+Added: operations being in Hong Kong.
+Added: For example, as a U.S.-listed public company operating primarily in Hong Kong, we may face heightened scrutiny,
+Added: criticism and negative publicity, which could result in a material change in our operations and the value of our common stock.
+Added: Additionally,
+Added: we are subject to certain legal and operational risks associated with our business operations in Hong Kong, which is subject to political
+Added: and economic influence from China.
+Added: PRC laws and regulations governing our current business operations are sometimes vague and uncertain,
+Added: and we may face the risk that changes in the policies of the PRC government could have a significant impact upon the business we may be
+Added: able to conduct in Hong Kong and the profitability of such business.
+Added: Therefore, these risks associated with being based in or having the
+Added: majority of our operations in Hong Kong could likely cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
+Added: these risks would likely result in a material change in our business operations or a complete hinderance of our ability to offer or continue
+Added: to offer our securities to investors.
+Added: Furthermore, changes in Chinese internal regulatory mandates, such as the Regulations on Mergers
+Added: and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “M&A Rules”), the Anti-Monopoly Law, the Cybersecurity
+Added: Law and the Data Security Law, may target the Company’s corporate structure and impact our ability to conduct business in Hong Kong,
+Added: accept foreign investments, or list on a U.S.
or other foreign exchange.
−Removed: government, including the SEC, has recently made statements and taken certain actions that may lead to significant changes to U.S.
−Removed: and international relations, and will impact companies with connections to the United States or China (including Hong Kong).
−Removed: has issued statements primarily focused on companies with significant China-based operations.
−Removed: For example, on July 30, 2021, Gary Gensler,
−Removed: Chairman of the SEC, issued a Statement on Investor Protection Related to Recent Developments in China, pursuant to which Chairman Gensler
−Removed: stated that he has asked the SEC staff to engage in targeted additional reviews of filings for companies with significant China-based
−Removed: laws and regulations applicable to bitcoin and digital assets are evolving and subject to interpretation and change.
−Removed: around the world have reacted differently to digital assets;
−Removed: certain governments have deemed them illegal, and others have allowed their
−Removed: use and trade without restriction, while in some jurisdictions, such as the U.S., digital assets are subject to overlapping, uncertain
−Removed: and evolving regulatory requirements.
−Removed: digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, the U.S.
+Added: government, including the SEC, has recently
+Added: made statements and taken certain actions that may lead to significant changes to U.S.
+Added: and international relations, and will impact companies
+Added: with connections to the United States or China (including Hong Kong).
+Added: The SEC has issued statements primarily focused on companies with
+Added: significant China-based operations.
+Added: For example, on July 30, 2021, Gary Gensler, Chairman of the SEC, issued a Statement on Investor Protection
+Added: Related to Recent Developments in China, pursuant to which Chairman Gensler stated that he has asked the SEC staff to engage in targeted
+Added: additional reviews of filings for companies with significant China-based operations.
+Added: Government Regulation
+Added: The laws and regulations applicable to Bitcoin
+Added: and digital assets are evolving and subject to interpretation and change.
+Added: Governments around the world have reacted differently
+Added: to digital assets;
+Added: certain governments have deemed them illegal, and others have allowed their use and trade without restriction, while
+Added: in some jurisdictions, such as the U.S., digital assets are subject to overlapping, uncertain and evolving regulatory requirements.
+Added: As digital assets have grown in both popularity
+Added: and market size, the U.S.
Executive Branch, Congress and a number of U.S.
−Removed: federal and state
−Removed: agencies, including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), the SEC,
−Removed: the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland
−Removed: Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS and state financial regulators, have been examining the operations of digital
−Removed: asset networks, digital asset users and digital asset exchanges, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets can be used
−Removed: to violate state or federal laws, including to facilitate the laundering of proceeds of illegal activities or the funding of criminal
−Removed: or terrorist enterprises, and the safety and soundness and consumer-protective safeguards of exchanges or other service-providers that
−Removed: hold, transfer, trade or exchange digital assets for users.
−Removed: Many of these state and federal agencies have issued consumer advisories
−Removed: regarding the risks posed by digital assets to investors.
−Removed: In addition, federal and state agencies, and other countries have issued rules
−Removed: or guidance regarding the treatment of digital asset transactions and requirements for businesses engaged in activities related to digital
−Removed: on the regulatory characterization of bitcoin, the markets for bitcoin in general, and our activities in particular, our business and
−Removed: our bitcoin acquisition strategy may be subject to regulation by one or more regulators in the United States and globally.
−Removed: future regulatory actions may alter, to a materially adverse extent, the nature of digital assets markets, the participation of industry
−Removed: participants, including service providers and financial institutions in these markets, and our ability to pursue our bitcoin strategy.
+Added: federal and state agencies, including the Financial Crimes Enforcement
+Added: Network, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Consumer
+Added: Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the
+Added: IRS and state financial regulators, have been examining the operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and digital asset
+Added: exchanges, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets can be used to violate state or federal laws, including to facilitate
+Added: the laundering of proceeds of illegal activities or the funding of criminal or terrorist enterprises, and the safety and soundness and
+Added: consumer-protective safeguards of exchanges or other service-providers that hold, transfer, trade or exchange digital assets for users.
+Added: Many of these state and federal agencies have issued consumer advisories regarding the risks posed by digital assets to investors.
+Added: addition, federal and state agencies, and other countries have issued rules or guidance regarding the treatment of digital asset transactions
+Added: and requirements for businesses engaged in activities related to digital assets.
+Added: Depending on the regulatory characterization of
+Added: Bitcoin, the markets for Bitcoin in general, and our activities in particular, our business and our Bitcoin acquisition strategy may be
+Added: subject to regulation by one or more regulators in the United States and globally.
+Added: Ongoing and future regulatory actions may alter, to
+Added: a materially adverse extent, the nature of digital assets markets, the participation of industry participants, including service providers
+Added: and financial institutions in these markets, and our ability to pursue our Bitcoin strategy.
Additionally, U.S.
−Removed: state and federal and foreign regulators and legislatures have taken action against industry participants, including
−Removed: digital assets businesses, and enacted restrictive regimes in response to adverse publicity arising from hacks, consumer harm, or criminal
−Removed: activity stemming from digital assets activity.
−Removed: federal and state energy regulatory authorities are also monitoring the total electricity
−Removed: consumption of cryptocurrency mining, and the potential impacts of cryptocurrency mining to the supply and dispatch functionality of
−Removed: the wholesale grid and retail distribution systems.
−Removed: Many state legislative bodies have passed, or are actively considering, legislation
−Removed: to address the impact of cryptocurrency mining in their respective states.
−Removed: CFTC takes the position that some digital assets, including bitcoin, fall within the definition of a “commodity” under the
−Removed: Commodities Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the “CEA”).
−Removed: Under the CEA, the CFTC has broad enforcement authority to police
−Removed: market manipulation and fraud in spot digital assets markets in which we may transact.
−Removed: Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the
−Removed: CFTC generally does not oversee cash or spot market exchanges or transactions involving digital asset commodities that do not utilize
−Removed: margin, leverage, or financing.
−Removed: In addition, CFTC regulations and CFTC oversight and enforcement authority apply with respect to futures,
−Removed: swaps, other derivative products and certain retail leveraged commodity transactions involving digital asset commodities, including the
−Removed: markets on which these products trade.
−Removed: SEC and its staff have taken the position that certain other digital assets fall within the definition of a “security” under
+Added: state and federal and
+Added: foreign regulators and legislatures have taken action against industry participants, including digital assets businesses, and enacted
+Added: restrictive regimes in response to adverse publicity arising from hacks, consumer harm, or criminal activity stemming from digital assets
+Added: federal and state energy regulatory authorities are also monitoring the total electricity consumption of cryptocurrency
+Added: mining, and the potential impacts of cryptocurrency mining to the supply and dispatch functionality of the wholesale grid and retail distribution
+Added: Many state legislative bodies have passed, or are actively considering, legislation to address the impact of cryptocurrency mining
+Added: in their respective states.
+Added: The CFTC takes the position that some digital
+Added: assets, including Bitcoin, fall within the definition of a “commodity” under the Commodities Exchange Act of 1936, as amended
+Added: Under the CEA, the CFTC has broad enforcement authority to police market manipulation and fraud in spot digital
+Added: assets markets in which we may transact.
+Added: Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the CFTC generally does not oversee cash or spot market
+Added: exchanges or transactions involving digital asset commodities that do not utilize margin, leverage, or financing.
+Added: In addition, CFTC regulations
+Added: and CFTC oversight and enforcement authority apply with respect to futures, swaps, other derivative products and certain retail leveraged
+Added: commodity transactions involving digital asset commodities, including the markets on which these products trade.
+Added: The SEC and its staff have taken the position
+Added: that certain other digital assets fall within the definition of a “security” under the U.S.
federal securities laws.
−Removed: Public statements made by senior officials and senior members of the staff at the SEC indicate that
−Removed: the SEC does not consider bitcoin to be a security under the federal securities laws.
−Removed: However, such statements are not official policy
−Removed: statements by the SEC and reflect only the speakers’ views, which are not binding on the SEC or any other agency or court and cannot
−Removed: be generalized to any other digital assets.
−Removed: addition, since transactions in bitcoin provide a degree of anonymity, they are susceptible to misuse for criminal activities, such as
−Removed: money laundering.
−Removed: This misuse, or the perception of such misuse, could lead to greater regulatory oversight of bitcoin and Bitcoin platforms,
−Removed: and there is the possibility that law enforcement agencies could close bitcoin platforms or other bitcoin-related infrastructure with
−Removed: little or no notice and prevent users from accessing or retrieving bitcoin held via such
−Removed: or infrastructure.
−Removed: For example, in her January 2021 nomination hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Treasury Secretary Janet
−Removed: Yellen noted that cryptocurrencies have the potential to improve the efficiency of the financial system but that they can be used to
−Removed: finance terrorism, facilitate money laundering, and support activities that threaten U.S.
−Removed: national security interests and the integrity
+Added: statements made by senior officials and senior members of the staff at the SEC indicate that the SEC does not consider Bitcoin to be a
+Added: security under the federal securities laws.
+Added: However, such statements are not official policy statements by the SEC and reflect only the
+Added: speakers’ views, which are not binding on the SEC or any other agency or court and cannot be generalized to any other digital assets.
+Added: In addition, since transactions in Bitcoin provide
+Added: a degree of anonymity, they are susceptible to misuse for criminal activities, such as money laundering.
+Added: This misuse, or the perception
+Added: of such misuse, could lead to greater regulatory oversight of Bitcoin and Bitcoin platforms, and there is the possibility that law enforcement
+Added: agencies could close Bitcoin platforms or other Bitcoin-related infrastructure with little or no notice and prevent users from accessing
+Added: or retrieving Bitcoin held via such platforms or infrastructure.
+Added: For example, in her January 2021 nomination hearing before the Senate
+Added: Finance Committee, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted that cryptocurrencies have the potential to improve the efficiency of the financial
+Added: system but that they can be used to finance terrorism, facilitate money laundering, and support activities that threaten U.S.
+Added: security interests and the integrity of the U.S.
and international financial systems.
−Removed: Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued updated
−Removed: advisories regarding the use of virtual currencies, added a number of digital asset exchanges and service providers to the Specially
−Removed: Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list and engaged in several enforcement actions, including a series of enforcement actions that
−Removed: have either shut down or significantly curtailed the operations of several smaller digital asset exchanges associated with Russian and/or
−Removed: North Korean nationals.
−Removed: noted above, activities involving bitcoin and other digital assets may fall within the jurisdiction of more than one financial regulator
−Removed: and various courts and such laws and regulations are rapidly evolving and increasing in scope.
−Removed: On March 9, 2022, President Biden signed
−Removed: an executive order relating to cryptocurrencies.
−Removed: While the executive order did not mandate the adoption of any specific regulations,
−Removed: it instructed various federal agencies to consider potential regulatory measures, including the evaluation of the creation of a U.S.
−Removed: On September 16, 2022, the White House released a framework for digital asset development, based on reports from various government
−Removed: agencies, including the U.S.
−Removed: Department of Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Commerce.
−Removed: Among other things, the
−Removed: framework encourages regulators to pursue enforcement actions, issue guidance and rules to address current and emergent risks, support
−Removed: the development and use of innovative technologies by payment providers to increase access to instant payments, consider creating a federal
−Removed: framework to regulate nonbank payment providers, and evaluate whether to call upon Congress to amend the Bank Secrecy Act and laws against
−Removed: unlicensed money transmission to apply explicitly to digital asset service providers.
−Removed: There have also been several bills introduced in
−Removed: Congress that propose to establish additional regulation and oversight of the digital asset markets.
−Removed: of Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act
−Removed: March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements
−Removed: of the Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act, or the HFCAA.
−Removed: An identified issuer will be required to comply with these rules if the
−Removed: SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC.
−Removed: In June 2021,
−Removed: the Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if signed into law, would reduce the time period
−Removed: for the delisting of foreign companies under the HFCAA to two consecutive years instead of three years.
−Removed: If our auditor cannot be inspected
−Removed: by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, for two consecutive years, the trading of our securities on any U.S.
−Removed: national securities exchanges, as well as any over-the-counter trading in the U.S., will be prohibited.
−Removed: On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB
−Removed: adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under
−Removed: the HFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction
−Removed: because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction.
−Removed: On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize
−Removed: rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCAA.
−Removed: The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as
−Removed: having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction
−Removed: and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
−Removed: December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered
−Removed: public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions.
−Removed: On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it had signed a Statement of Protocol (the “Statement of Protocol”)
−Removed: with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Finance of China.
−Removed: The terms of the Statement of Protocol would grant
−Removed: the PCAOB complete access to audit work papers and other information so that it may inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered
−Removed: accounting firms headquartered in China and Hong Kong.
−Removed: According to the PCAOB, its December 2021 determinations under the HFCAA
−Removed: remain in effect.
−Removed: On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered
−Removed: public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong completely in 2022.
−Removed: The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determinations
−Removed: that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and
−Removed: Under the PCAOB’s rules, a reassessment of a determination under the HFCAA may result in the PCAOB reaffirming,
−Removed: modifying or vacating the determination.
−Removed: In the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate
−Removed: completely the Company’s auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign
−Removed: jurisdiction,
−Removed: then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the Company’s securities to be prohibited under the HFCAA ultimately result
−Removed: in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities.
−Removed: of Cash to and from Our Subsidiaries
+Added: Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign
+Added: Assets Control has issued updated advisories regarding the use of virtual currencies, added a number of digital asset exchanges and service
+Added: providers to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list and engaged in several enforcement actions, including a series
+Added: of enforcement actions that have either shut down or significantly curtailed the operations of several smaller digital asset exchanges
+Added: associated with Russian and/or North Korean nationals.
+Added: Our business operations are not currently impacted
+Added: by the cryptocurrency restrictions imposed by the Chinese government (collectively, the “PRC Crypto Restrictions”) in any
+Added: material respect, even though the Chinese government has adopted an increasingly stringent approach in recent years, as outlined and discussed
+Added: On December 3, 2013, the People’s Bank of
+Added: China, China’s central bank (“PBoC”), issued the Notice on Preventing Risks Associated with Bitcoin , emphasizing
+Added: that Bitcoin should be deemed as a virtual commodity rather than a fiat currency.
+Added: This notice prohibits financial and payment institutions
+Added: in China from providing Bitcoin-related services, highlighting the potential risks of money-laundering associated with Bitcoin.
+Added: Further tightening the regulatory environment,
+Added: on September 4, 2017, the PBoC issued the Announcement on Preventing Risks Associated with Financing Activities through ICOs , which
+Added: prohibits the initial coin offerings (ICOs) which was characterized as a potentially criminal activity, potentially involving suspected
+Added: illegal issuance and sales of tokens and notes, unauthorized public issuance of securities, illegal fundraising, financial fraud, and
+Added: Ponzi schemes.
+Added: The most recent regulatory measure came on September
+Added: 24, 2021, when the PBoC, along with nine other Chinese national government bodies, issued the Notice Regarding Further Prevention and
+Added: Management of Risks Associated with Cryptocurrency Trading Hype banning overseas cryptocurrency exchanges from providing services
+Added: to residents in mainland China.
+Added: This notice also prohibits individuals in mainland China from working for overseas exchanges, and restricts
+Added: companies and individuals from providing marketing, payment, settlement services or technical support to these exchanges.
+Added: A comprehensive
+Added: monitoring system was also established to oversee cryptocurrency activities of individuals and companies in mainland China, giving local
+Added: authorities extensive authority to monitor their regions and raise early warning flags.
+Added: We believe our business operations are not currently
+Added: subject to these PRC Crypto Restrictions.
+Added: We are not a PRC company, nor do we plan to open or retain any PRC subsidiaries.
+Added: a financial or payment institution operating within China either.
+Added: We closed our PRC subsidiaries in July 2024 and currently do not conduct
+Added: any business activities within China.
+Added: We do not engage in any exchange business between fiat currency and cryptocurrency or among cryptocurrencies.
+Added: We do not issue digital tokens through ICOs or otherwise, nor do we provide marketing, payment, settlement services or related technical
+Added: support for any cryptocurrency exchanges.
+Added: Our involvement with Bitcoin is limited to purchasing
+Added: and holding Bitcoins, which is not prohibited under the PRC Crypto Restrictions.
+Added: Furthermore, the holding of certain executive roles by
+Added: Chinese citizens in our company does not violate any PRC Crypto Restrictions.
+Added: While our current business operations are not
+Added: subject to the PRC Crypto Restrictions, future changes in our business strategies or operations could expose us to these restrictions.
+Added: In addition, the PRC Crypto Restrictions are continuously evolving and can be subject to significant changes.
+Added: There is a possibility that
+Added: the Chinese government may broaden its regulatory scope to include a wider range of cryptocurrency-related activities, potentially impacting
+Added: companies operating outside of China.
+Added: If new regulations are introduced or if our business evolves to include activities that fall under
+Added: the PRC jurisdiction, we could face increased regulatory scrutiny, compliance costs or operational restrictions, which, in turn, could
+Added: materially affect our current or anticipated business operations.
+Added: As noted above, activities involving Bitcoin and
+Added: other digital assets may fall within the jurisdiction of more than one financial regulator and various courts and such laws and regulations
+Added: are rapidly evolving and increasing in scope.
+Added: federal government, states, regulatory agencies, and foreign countries may also
+Added: enact new laws and regulations, or pursue regulatory, legislative, enforcement or judicial actions, that could materially impact the price
+Added: of Bitcoin or the ability of individuals or institutions such as us to own or transfer Bitcoin.
+Added: March 9, 2022, President Biden signed an executive order relating to cryptocurrencies.
+Added: While the executive order did not mandate the
+Added: adoption of any specific regulations, it instructed various federal agencies to consider potential regulatory measures, including the
+Added: evaluation of the creation of a U.S.
+Added: On September 16, 2022, the White House released a framework for digital asset development,
+Added: based on reports from various government agencies, including the U.S.
+Added: Department of Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the Department
+Added: Among other things, the framework encourages regulators to pursue enforcement actions, issue guidance and rules to address
+Added: current and emergent risks, support the development and use of innovative technologies by payment providers to increase access to instant
+Added: payments, consider creating a federal framework to regulate nonbank payment providers, and evaluate whether to call upon Congress to
+Added: amend the Bank Secrecy Act and laws against unlicensed money transmission to apply explicitly to digital asset service providers.
+Added: have also been several bills introduced in Congress that propose to establish additional regulation and oversight of the digital asset
+Added: April 4, 2022, SEC Chair Gary Gensler announced that he has asked SEC staff to work (i) to
+Added: register and regulate digital asset platforms like securities exchanges;
+Added: (ii) with the CFTC
+Added: on how to jointly address digital asset platforms that trade both securities and non-securities;
+Added: (iii) on segregating out digital asset platforms’ custody of customer assets, if appropriate;
+Added: and (iv) on segregating out the market making functions of digital asset platforms, if appropriate.
+Added: Similarly, foreign government authorities have recently expanded their efforts to restrict
+Added: certain activities related to Bitcoin and other digital assets.
+Added: September 8, 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued a report
+Added: in coordination with other federal agencies relating to the climate and energy implications
+Added: of digital assets, including Bitcoin, in the United States.
+Added: Among its finding are that digital
+Added: assets are energy intensive and drive significant environmental impacts, and the report recommends
+Added: further study of the environmental impact of digital assets and the development of environmental
+Added: performance regulations for digital asset miners, which may include limiting or eliminating
+Added: digital assets that use high energy intensity consensus mechanisms, including the proof-of-work
+Added: consensus mechanisms on which the Bitcoin blockchain is based.
+Added: March 1, 2023, the U.S.
+Added: Under Secretary for Domestic Finance provided an update on the development
+Added: CBDC, indicating that the U.S.
+Added: Department of Treasury would be providing an initial
+Added: set of findings and recommendations regarding the development and adoption of a U.S.
+Added: in the coming months.
+Added: April 14, 2023, the SEC reopened the comment period for its proposal to amend the definition
+Added: of “exchange” under Exchange Act Rule 3b-16 to encompass trading and communication
+Added: protocol systems for digital asset securities and trading systems that use distributed ledger
+Added: or blockchain technology, including both so-called “centralized” and “decentralized”
+Added: trading systems.
+Added: The comment period is now closed.
+Added: The SEC may determine whether to adopt
+Added: the revised definition after an evaluation of comments provided during the comment period.
+Added: If adopted in its proposed form, the new definition would have a sweeping impact on digital
+Added: asset trading venues and other digital asset industry participants.
+Added: European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (“MiCA”), a comprehensive
+Added: digital asset regulatory framework for the issuance and use of digital assets, like Bitcoin,
+Added: became effective in June 2023, with various requirements phasing into effect through 2024.
+Added: June 5, 2023, the SEC filed a complaint against Binance Holdings Ltd.
+Added: and other affiliated
+Added: entities in federal district court for the District of Columbia, alleging, among other claims
+Added: related to the operation of the affiliates and their platforms, that:
+Added: (i) the Binance entities
+Added: commingled and diverted customer assets;
+Added: (ii) various affiliates of Binance Holdings Ltd.
+Added: operated as exchanges, brokers, dealers and clearing agencies without registration under
+Added: the Exchange Act;
+Added: (iii) Binance Holdings Ltd.
+Added: engaged in the unregistered offer and sale
+Added: of securities;
+Added: (iv) affiliates of Binance Holdings Ltd.
+Added: operated in a manner to evade U.S.
+Added: federal securities laws, and (v) affiliates of Binance Holdings Ltd.
+Added: misled customers and
+Added: investors concerning the existence and adequacy of market surveillance and controls to detect
+Added: and prevent manipulative trading.
+Added: June 6, 2023, the SEC filed a complaint against Coinbase, Inc.
+Added: and other affiliated entities
+Added: in federal district court in the Southern District of New York, alleging, among other claims:
+Added: (i) that Coinbase, Inc.
+Added: violated the Exchange Act by failing to register with the SEC as
+Added: a national securities exchange, broker-dealer, and clearing agency, in connection with activities
+Added: involving certain identified digital assets that the SEC’s complaint alleges are securities,
+Added: (ii) that Coinbase, Inc.
+Added: violated the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
+Added: Act”) by failing to register with the SEC the offer and sale of securities in connection
+Added: with its staking program, and (iii) that Coinbase Global Inc.
+Added: is jointly and severally liable
+Added: as a control person under the Exchange Act for Coinbase Inc.’s violations of the Exchange
+Added: Act to the same extent as Coinbase Inc.
+Added: the United Kingdom, on June 29, 2023, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (“FSMA
+Added: 2023”) became law.
+Added: FSMA 2023 (i) clarifies that “cryptoassets” are subject
+Added: to the regulated activities and financial promotion orders and (ii) establishes that digital
+Added: assets firms, including exchanges and custodians, operating in or providing services to the
+Added: United Kingdom carrying out certain activities involving “cryptoassets” are performing
+Added: a regulated activity that needs to be authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority and may
+Added: also be subject to oversight from the Bank of England.
+Added: Several additional pieces of proposed
+Added: legislation in the United Kingdom, including The Public Offers and Admissions to Trading
+Added: Regulations 2023, may subject “cryptoassets” to further regulation.
+Added: gave the UK Treasury powers to create financial market infrastructure sandboxes.
+Added: The legislative
+Added: framework for the UK’s Digital Securities Sandbox will take effect in January 2024.
+Added: November 20, 2023, the SEC filed a complaint against Payward Inc.
+Added: and Payward Ventures Inc.,
+Added: together known as Kraken, alleging, among other claims, that Kraken’s crypto trading
+Added: platform was operating as an unregistered securities exchange, broker, dealer, and clearing
+Added: The SEC’s complaint also alleges that Kraken’s business practices, deficient
+Added: internal controls, and poor recordkeeping practices present a range of risks for its customers.
+Added: November 21, 2023, Binance Holdings Ltd.
+Added: and its then chief executive officer reached a settlement
+Added: with the U.S.
+Added: Department of Justice, CFTC, the U.S.
+Added: Department of Treasury’s Office
+Added: of Foreign Asset Control, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to resolve a multi-year
+Added: investigation by the agencies and a civil suit brought by the CFTC, pursuant to which Binance
+Added: Holdings Ltd.
+Added: agreed to, among other things, pay $4.3 billion in penalties across the four
+Added: agencies and to discontinue its operations in the United States.
+Added: Binance also acknowledged
+Added: that it willfully operated an unlicensed money-transmitting business, pleaded guilty to criminal
+Added: charges of not having adequate anti-money laundering protocols in place and committed violations
+Added: of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and its then chief executive officer
+Added: pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and resigned
+Added: as chief executive officer of Binance.
+Added: This settlement does not include any settlement of
+Added: the SEC’s complaint against Binance referenced above.
+Added: October 10, 2024, the SEC filed a complaint against Cumberland DRW LLC, alleging violations
+Added: of Section 15(a) of the Exchange Act (related to regulation of “brokers” and
+Added: “dealers”), including references to Cumberland’s activities regarding Bitcoin.
+Added: Implications of Holding Foreign Company Accountable
+Added: On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final
+Added: rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act,
+Added: or the HFCAA.
+Added: An identified issuer will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection”
+Added: year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC.
+Added: In June 2021, the Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies
+Added: Accountable Act, which, if signed into law, would reduce the time period for the delisting of foreign companies under the HFCAA to two
+Added: consecutive years instead of three years.
+Added: If our auditor cannot be inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the
+Added: PCAOB, for two consecutive years, the trading of our securities on any U.S.
+Added: national securities exchanges, as well as any over-the-counter
+Added: trading in the U.S., will be prohibited.
+Added: On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides
+Added: a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate
+Added: completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities
+Added: in that jurisdiction.
+Added: On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements
+Added: in the HFCAA.
+Added: The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a
+Added: registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely
+Added: because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.
+Added: On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report on its determinations
+Added: that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and in
+Added: Hong Kong, because of positions taken by PRC authorities in those jurisdictions.
+Added: On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB announced that
+Added: it had signed a Statement of Protocol (the “Statement of Protocol”) with the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the
+Added: Ministry of Finance of China.
+Added: The terms of the Statement of Protocol would grant the PCAOB complete access to audit work papers
+Added: and other information so that it may inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered accounting firms headquartered in China and Hong Kong.
+Added: According to the PCAOB, its December 2021 determinations under the HFCAA remain in effect.
+Added: On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced
+Added: that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland
+Added: China and Hong Kong completely in 2022.
+Added: The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determination that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or
+Added: investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong.
+Added: Under the PCAOB’s
+Added: rules, a reassessment of a determination under the HFCAA may result in the PCAOB reaffirming, modifying or vacating the determination.
+Added: the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely the Company’s auditor because of
+Added: a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the Company’s securities
+Added: to be prohibited under the HFCAA ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities.
+Added: Transfers of Cash to and from Our Subsidiaries
Next Technology Holding Inc.
−Removed: is a holding company with no operations of its own.
−Removed: We conduct our operations in Hong Kong and China primarily
−Removed: through our subsidiaries in both Hong Kong and China.
−Removed: We may rely on dividends to be paid by our Hong Kong and PRC subsidiaries to fund
−Removed: our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders,
−Removed: to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses.
−Removed: If our Hong Kong and PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf
−Removed: in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.
+Added: is a holding company.
+Added: We conduct our operations in Hong Kong primarily through our subsidiaries in both Hong Kong and BVI.
+Added: We may rely on dividends to be paid
+Added: by our Hong Kong and BVI subsidiaries to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and
+Added: other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses.
+Added: If our Hong Kong and
+Added: BVI subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends
+Added: or make other distributions to us.
Next Technology Holding Inc.
−Removed: is permitted under the Wyoming laws to provide funding to our subsidiaries in Singapore, Hong Kong and PRC through
−Removed: loans or capital contributions without restrictions on the amount of the funds, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration,
−Removed: approval and filing requirements.
−Removed: Next Technology is also permitted under the laws of Hong Kong to provide funding to Next Technology
−Removed: through dividend distribution without restrictions on the amount of the funds.
−Removed: As of the date of this annual report, there
−Removed: has been no distribution of dividends or assets among the holding company or the subsidiaries.
−Removed: We currently do not have any cash management
−Removed: policies in place.
−Removed: currently intend to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, for the operation and expansion of our business and do not
−Removed: anticipate declaring or paying any dividends in the foreseeable future.
−Removed: Any future determination related to our dividend policy will
−Removed: be made at the discretion of our board of directors after considering our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements,
−Removed: contractual requirements, business prospects and other factors the board of directors deems relevant, and subject to the restrictions
−Removed: contained in any future financing instruments.
−Removed: to the Wyoming Business Corporations Act and our bylaws, our board of directors may authorize and declare a dividend to shareholders
−Removed: at such time and of such an amount as they think fit if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that immediately following the dividend
−Removed: the value of our assets will exceed our liabilities and we will be able to pay our debts as they become due.
−Removed: There is no further Wyoming
−Removed: statutory restriction on the amount of funds which may be distributed by us by dividend.
−Removed: the current practice of the Inland Revenue Department of Hong Kong, no tax is payable in Hong Kong in respect of dividends
−Removed: The laws and regulations of the PRC do not currently have any material impact on transfer of cash from NEXT TECHNOLOGY HOLDING INC.
−Removed: to Hong Kong subsidiaries or from Hong Kong subsidiaries to NEXT TECHNOLOGY HOLDING INC.
−Removed: There are no restrictions or limitation under
−Removed: the laws of Hong Kong imposed on the conversion of HK dollar into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of Hong Kong
−Removed: or across borders and to U.S investors.
−Removed: PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to Next Technology only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined
−Removed: in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations.
−Removed: In addition, each of our subsidiaries in China is required to set aside
−Removed: at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered
−Removed: Each of such entity in China is also required to further set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund the employee welfare
−Removed: fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at the discretion of its board of directors.
−Removed: Although the statutory
−Removed: reserves can be used, among other ways, to increase the registered capital and eliminate future losses in excess of retained earnings
−Removed: of the respective companies, the reserve funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of liquidation.
−Removed: of Business and Industry
−Removed: provide AI-enabled software development services to our customers in USA, Hong Kong, China and Singapore, which included developing,
−Removed: designing and implementing various SAAS software solutions for business of all types, including industrials and other businesses.
−Removed: analytics market is highly competitive and subject to rapidly changing technology and market conditions.
−Removed: Our ability to compete successfully
−Removed: depends on a number of factors within and outside of our control.
+Added: is permitted under
+Added: the Wyoming laws to provide funding to our subsidiaries in Hong Kong and BVI through loans or capital contributions without restrictions
+Added: on the amount of the funds, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration, approval and filing requirements.
+Added: Next Technology
+Added: is also permitted under the laws of Hong Kong to provide funding to Next Technology Inc.
+Added: through dividend distribution without restrictions
+Added: on the amount of the funds.
+Added: As of the date of this annual report, there has been no distribution of dividends or assets among the
+Added: holding company or the subsidiaries.
+Added: We currently do not have any cash management policies in place.
+Added: We currently intend to retain all available funds
+Added: and future earnings, if any, for the operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any dividends in
+Added: the foreseeable future.
+Added: Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors
+Added: after considering our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, contractual requirements, business prospects and
+Added: other factors the board of directors deems relevant, and subject to the restrictions contained in any future financing instruments.
+Added: Subject to the Wyoming Business Corporations Act
+Added: and our bylaws, our board of directors may authorize and declare a dividend to shareholders at such time and of such an amount as they
+Added: think fit if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that immediately following the dividend the value of our assets will exceed our
+Added: liabilities and we will be able to pay our debts as they become due.
+Added: There is no further Wyoming statutory restriction on the amount of
+Added: funds which may be distributed by us by dividend.
+Added: Under the current practice of the Inland Revenue
+Added: Department of Hong Kong, no tax is payable in Hong Kong in respect of dividends paid by us.
+Added: The laws and regulations of the
+Added: PRC do not currently have any material impact on transfer of cash from Next Technology Holding Inc.
+Added: to Hong Kong subsidiaries or from
+Added: Hong Kong subsidiaries to Next Technology Holding Inc.
+Added: There are no restrictions or limitation under the laws of Hong Kong imposed on
+Added: the conversion of HK dollar into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of Hong Kong or across borders and to U.S investors.
+Added: Overview of Business and Industry
+Added: Software Development
+Added: We provide AI-enabled software development services
+Added: to our potential customers in USA, Hong Kong and Singapore, which included developing, designing and implementing various SAAS software
+Added: solutions for business of all types, including industrials and other businesses.
+Added: The analytics market is highly competitive and
+Added: subject to rapidly changing technology and market conditions.
+Added: Our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors within
+Added: and outside of our control.
Some of these factors include software quality, performance and reliability;
−Removed: the quality of our service and support teams;
+Added: the quality of our service and
+Added: support teams;
marketing and prospecting effectiveness;
+Added: the ability to incorporate artificial intelligence and other technically advanced
+Added: and our ability to differentiate our products.
+Added: Failure to perform in these or other areas may reduce the demand for our offerings
+Added: and materially adversely affect our revenue from both existing and prospective customers.
+Added: Bitcoin Holding
+Added: We hold substantially all of our Bitcoin in custody
+Added: accounts at Japanese based, institutional-grade custodians that have demonstrated records of regulatory compliance and information security.
+Added: Our Bitcoin acquisition strategy generally involves acquiring Bitcoin with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements,
+Added: and from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities or engaging in other capital raising transactions
+Added: with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase Bitcoin.
+Added: We view our Bitcoin holdings as held for trading
+Added: and expect to continue to accumulate Bitcoin.
+Added: We have not set any specific target for the amount of Bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will
+Added: continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional financing to purchase additional Bitcoin.
+Added: Bitcoin Industry and Market
+Added: Bitcoin is a digital asset that is issued by and
+Added: transmitted through an open-source protocol, known as the Bitcoin protocol, collectively maintained by a peer-to-peer network of decentralized
+Added: This network hosts a public transaction ledger, known as the Bitcoin blockchain, on which Bitcoin holdings and all validated
+Added: transactions that have ever taken place on the Bitcoin network are recorded.
+Added: Balances of Bitcoin are stored in individual “wallet”
+Added: functions, which associate network public addresses with one or more “private keys” that control the transfer of Bitcoin.
+Added: The Bitcoin blockchain can be updated without any single entity owning or operating the network.
+Added: Creation of New Bitcoin and Limits on Supply
+Added: New Bitcoin is created and allocated by the Bitcoin
+Added: protocol through a “mining” process that rewards users that validate transactions in the Bitcoin blockchain.
+Added: Validated transactions
+Added: are added in “blocks” approximately every 10 minutes.
+Added: The mining process serves to validate transactions and secure the Bitcoin
+Added: Mining is a competitive and costly operation that requires a large amount of computational power to solve complex mathematical
+Added: This expenditure of computing power is known as “proof of work.” To incentivize miners to incur the costs of mining
+Added: Bitcoin, the Bitcoin protocol rewards miners that successfully validate a block of transactions with newly generated Bitcoin.
+Added: The Bitcoin protocol limits the total number of
+Added: Bitcoin that can be generated over time to 21 million.
+Added: The current reward for miners that successfully validate a block of transactions
+Added: is 3.125 Bitcoin per mined block.
+Added: Based on current mining rates, we anticipate the reward will decrease by half to 1.5625 Bitcoin per
+Added: mined block sometime in 2028.
+Added: This decrease in mining reward is referred to as a Bitcoin halving, and it occurs after every 210,000 blocks
+Added: are mined, which has historically occurred approximately every four years.
+Added: Modifications to the Bitcoin Protocol
+Added: Bitcoin is an open-source network that has no
+Added: central authority, so no one person can unilaterally make changes to the software that runs the network.
+Added: However, there is a core group
+Added: of developers that maintain the code for the Bitcoin protocol, and they can propose changes to the source code and release periodic updates
+Added: and other changes.
+Added: Unlike most software that has a central entity that can push updates to users, Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer network in
+Added: which individual network participants, called nodes, decide whether to upgrade the software and accept the new changes.
+Added: As a practical
+Added: matter, a modification becomes part of the Bitcoin protocol only if the proposed changes are accepted by participants collectively having
+Added: the most processing power, known as hash rate, on the network.
+Added: If a certain percentage of the nodes reject the changes, then a “fork”
+Added: takes place and participants can choose the version of the software they want to run.
+Added: Bitcoin Industry Participants
+Added: The primary Bitcoin industry participants are
+Added: miners, investors and traders, digital asset exchanges and service providers, including custodians, brokers, payment processors, wallet
+Added: providers and financial institutions.
+Added: Miners range from Bitcoin enthusiasts
+Added: to professional mining operations that design and build dedicated mining machines and data centers, including mining pools, which are
+Added: groups of miners that act cohesively and combine their processing power to mine Bitcoin blocks.
+Added: Investors and Traders.
+Added: Bitcoin investors and traders
+Added: include individuals and institutional investors who, directly or indirectly, purchase, hold, and sell Bitcoin or Bitcoin-based derivatives.
+Added: On January 10, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued an order approving several applications for the
+Added: listing and trading of shares of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded products (“ETPs”) on U.S.
+Added: national securities exchanges.
+Added: the SEC had previously approved exchange-traded funds where the underlying assets were Bitcoin futures contracts, this order represents
+Added: the first time the SEC has approved the listing and trading of ETPs that acquire, hold and sell Bitcoin directly.
+Added: ETPs can be bought and
+Added: sold on a stock exchange like traditional stocks, and provide investors with another means of gaining economic exposure to Bitcoin through
+Added: traditional brokerage accounts.
+Added: Digital Asset Exchanges.
+Added: Digital asset exchanges
+Added: provide trading venues for purchases and sales of Bitcoin in exchange for fiat or other digital assets.
+Added: Bitcoin can be exchanged for fiat
+Added: currencies, such as the U.S.
+Added: dollar, at rates of exchange determined by market forces on Bitcoin trading platforms, which are not regulated
+Added: in the same manner as traditional securities exchanges.
+Added: In addition to these platforms, over-the-counter markets and derivatives markets
+Added: for Bitcoin also exist.
+Added: The value of Bitcoin within the market is determined, in part, by the supply of and demand for Bitcoin in the
+Added: global Bitcoin market, market expectations for the adoption of Bitcoin as a store of value, the number of merchants that accept Bitcoin
+Added: as a form of payment, and the volume of peer-to-peer transactions, among other factors.
+Added: For a discussion of risks associated with digital
+Added: asset exchanges, see “Item 1A.
+Added: Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Bitcoin Acquisition Strategy and Holdings—Due to the
+Added: unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of many Bitcoin trading venues, Bitcoin trading venues may experience
+Added: greater fraud, security failures or regulatory or operational problems than trading venues for more established asset classes, which may
+Added: result in a loss of confidence in Bitcoin trading venues and adversely affect the value of our Bitcoin.”
+Added: Service providers.
+Added: Service providers offer a multitude
+Added: of services to other participants in the Bitcoin industry, including custodial and trade execution services, commercial and retail payment
+Added: processing, loans secured by Bitcoin collateral, and financial advisory services.
+Added: If adoption of the Bitcoin network continues to materially
+Added: increase, we anticipate that service providers may expand the currently available range of services and that additional parties will enter
+Added: the service sector for the Bitcoin network.
+Added: Revenue Model
+Added: In the business of providing AI-enabled software
+Added: development services and solutions, we derive our revenue from AI-software development and technical supporting services.
+Added: The AI-enabled software development market is
+Added: highly competitive and subject to rapidly changing technology and market conditions.
+Added: Our ability to compete successfully depends on a
+Added: number of factors within and outside of our control.
+Added: Some of these factors include software quality, performance and reliability;
+Added: quality of our service and support teams;
+Added: marketing and prospecting effectiveness;
the ability to incorporate artificial intelligence
3 unchanged sentences
reduce the demand for our offerings and materially adversely affect our revenue from both existing and prospective customers.
−Removed: hold substantially all of our bitcoin in custody accounts at Japanese based, institutional-grade custodians that have demonstrated records
−Removed: of regulatory compliance and information security.
−Removed: Our bitcoin acquisition strategy generally involves acquiring bitcoin with our liquid
−Removed: assets that exceed working capital requirements, and from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities
−Removed: or engaging in other capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.
−Removed: view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings and expect to continue to accumulate bitcoin.
−Removed: We have not set any specific target for
−Removed: the amount of bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional
−Removed: financings to purchase additional bitcoin.
−Removed: Industry and Market
−Removed: is a digital asset that is issued by and transmitted through an open-source protocol, known as the Bitcoin protocol, collectively maintained
−Removed: by a peer-to-peer network of decentralized user nodes.
−Removed: This network hosts a public transaction ledger, known as the Bitcoin blockchain,
−Removed: on which bitcoin holdings and all validated transactions that have ever taken place on the Bitcoin network are recorded.
−Removed: bitcoin are stored in individual “wallet” functions, which associate network public addresses with one or more “private
−Removed: keys” that control the transfer of bitcoin.
−Removed: The Bitcoin blockchain can be updated without any single entity owning or operating
−Removed: of New Bitcoin and Limits on Supply
−Removed: bitcoin is created and allocated by the Bitcoin protocol through a “mining” process that rewards users that validate transactions
−Removed: in the Bitcoin blockchain.
−Removed: Validated transactions are added in “blocks” approximately every 10 minutes.
−Removed: The mining process
−Removed: serves to validate transactions and secure the Bitcoin network.
−Removed: Mining is a competitive and costly operation that requires a large amount
−Removed: of computational power to solve complex mathematical algorithms.
−Removed: This expenditure of computing power is known as “proof of work.”
−Removed: To incentivize miners to incur the costs of mining bitcoin, the Bitcoin protocol rewards miners that successfully validate a block of
−Removed: transactions with newly generated bitcoin.
−Removed: Bitcoin protocol limits the total number of bitcoin that can be generated over time to 21 million.
−Removed: The current reward for miners that
−Removed: successfully validate a block of transactions is 6.25 bitcoin per mined block.
−Removed: Based on current mining rates, we anticipate the reward
−Removed: will decrease by half to 3.125 bitcoin per mined block sometime in April 2024.
−Removed: This decrease in mining reward is referred to as a bitcoin
−Removed: halving, and it occurs after every 210,000 blocks are mined, which has historically occurred approximately every four years.
−Removed: Modifications
−Removed: to the Bitcoin Protocol
−Removed: is an open-source network that has no central authority, so no one person can unilaterally make changes to the software that runs the
−Removed: However, there is a core group of developers that maintain the code for the Bitcoin protocol, and they can propose changes to
−Removed: the source code and release periodic updates and other changes.
−Removed: Unlike most software that has a central entity that can push updates
−Removed: to users, bitcoin is a peer-to-peer network in which individual network participants, called nodes, decide whether to upgrade the software
−Removed: and accept the new changes.
−Removed: As a practical matter, a modification becomes part of the Bitcoin protocol only if the proposed changes are
−Removed: accepted by participants collectively having the most processing power, known as hash rate, on the network.
−Removed: If a certain percentage of
−Removed: the nodes reject the changes, then a “fork” takes place and participants can choose the version of the software they want
−Removed: Industry Participants
−Removed: primary Bitcoin industry participants are miners, investors and traders, digital asset exchanges and service providers, including custodians,
−Removed: brokers, payment processors, wallet providers and financial institutions.
−Removed: Miners range from bitcoin enthusiasts to professional mining operations that design and build dedicated mining machines and data centers,
−Removed: including mining pools, which are groups of miners that act cohesively and combine their processing power to mine bitcoin blocks.
−Removed: Bitcoin investors and traders include individuals and institutional investors who, directly or indirectly, purchase, hold,
−Removed: and sell bitcoin or bitcoin-based derivatives.
−Removed: On January 10, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued
−Removed: an order approving several applications for the listing and trading of shares of spot bitcoin exchange-traded products (“ETPs”)
−Removed: national securities exchanges.
−Removed: While the SEC had previously approved exchange-traded funds where the underlying assets were bitcoin
−Removed: futures contracts, this order represents the first time the SEC has approved the listing and trading of ETPs that acquire, hold and sell
−Removed: bitcoin directly.
−Removed: ETPs can be bought and sold on a stock exchange like traditional stocks, and provide investors with another means of
−Removed: gaining economic exposure to bitcoin through traditional brokerage accounts.
−Removed: Asset Exchanges.
−Removed: Digital asset exchanges provide trading venues for purchases and sales of bitcoin in exchange for fiat or other digital
−Removed: Bitcoin can be exchanged for fiat currencies, such as the U.S.
−Removed: dollar, at rates of exchange determined by market forces on bitcoin
−Removed: trading platforms, which are not regulated in the same manner as traditional securities exchanges.
−Removed: In addition to these platforms, over-the-counter
−Removed: markets and derivatives markets for bitcoin also exist.
−Removed: The value of bitcoin within the market is determined, in part, by the supply
−Removed: of and demand for bitcoin in the global bitcoin market, market expectations for the adoption of bitcoin as a store of value, the number
−Removed: of merchants that accept bitcoin as a form of payment, and the volume of peer-to-peer transactions, among other factors.
−Removed: For a discussion
−Removed: of risks associated with digital asset exchanges, see “Item 1A.
−Removed: Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Bitcoin Acquisition Strategy
−Removed: and Holdings—Due to the unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of many bitcoin trading venues,
−Removed: bitcoin trading venues may experience greater fraud, security failures or regulatory or operational problems than trading venues for
−Removed: more established asset classes, which may result in a loss of confidence in bitcoin trading venues and adversely affect the value of
−Removed: our bitcoin.”
−Removed: Service providers offer a multitude of services to other participants in the Bitcoin industry, including custodial and trade
−Removed: execution services, commercial and retail payment processing, loans secured by bitcoin collateral, and financial advisory services.
−Removed: adoption of the Bitcoin network continues to materially increase, we anticipate that service providers may expand the currently available
−Removed: range of services and that additional parties will enter the service sector for the Bitcoin network.
−Removed: the business of providing AI-enable software development services and solutions, we derive our revenue from AI-software development and
−Removed: technical supporting services.
−Removed: AI-enable software development market is highly competitive and subject to rapidly changing technology and market conditions.
−Removed: to compete successfully depends on a number of factors within and outside of our control.
−Removed: Some of these factors include software quality,
−Removed: performance and reliability;
−Removed: the quality of our service and support teams;
−Removed: marketing and prospecting effectiveness;
−Removed: the ability to incorporate
−Removed: artificial intelligence and other technically advanced features;
−Removed: and our ability to differentiate our products.
−Removed: Failure to perform in
−Removed: these or other areas may reduce the demand for our offerings and materially adversely affect our revenue from both existing and prospective
−Removed: have the right to use the following domain registration issued in the USA:
+Added: We have the right to use the following domain
+Added: registration issued:
Expiration Date
Registration Agency
−Removed: wetradegroup.technology
−Removed: of the date hereof and in the fiscal year 2023, we have, 8 full-time employees.
−Removed: The following table sets forth the number of our employees
−Removed: Administrative
−Removed: provide employee benefits for each employee in accordance with Hong Kong law.
−Removed: These include pension, medical, unemployment, work
−Removed: injury and maternity insurance, and a housing provident fund.
−Removed: employees have not formed any employee union or association.
−Removed: We believe we maintain a good working relationship with our employees and
−Removed: have not experienced any difficulty in recruiting staff for our operations.
−Removed: maintain certain insurance policies to safeguard us against risks and unexpected events.
−Removed: For example, we provide social security insurance
−Removed: including pension insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance and medical insurance for our employees in compliance
−Removed: with applicable Hong Kong and PRC laws.
−Removed: We do not maintain business interruption insurance or product liability insurance, which are
−Removed: not mandatory under Hong Kong and PRC laws.
−Removed: We do not maintain key man insurance, insurance policies covering damages to our network
−Removed: infrastructures or information technology systems nor any insurance policies for our properties.
−Removed: During the fiscal years 2023 and 2022,
−Removed: we did not make any material insurance claims in relation to our business.
−Removed: mid-September 2023, Mr.
+Added: Alibaba Cloud Computing Ltd.
+Added: Our Employees
+Added: As of the date hereof and in the fiscal year 2024,
+Added: we have 6 full-time employees.
+Added: The following table sets forth the number of our employees by function:
+Added: Functional Area
+Added: Number of Employees
+Added: General and Administrative
+Added: Financial Department
+Added: We provide employee benefits to each employee
+Added: in compliance with the legal requirements of their jurisdiction of residence, including statutory pension, medical insurance, unemployment
+Added: insurance, work injury coverage, maternity protection, and a housing provident fund.
+Added: Our employees have not formed any employee union
+Added: or association.
+Added: We believe we maintain a good working relationship with our employees and have not experienced any difficulty in recruiting
+Added: staff for our operations.
+Added: We maintain certain insurance policies to safeguard
+Added: us against risks and unexpected events.
+Added: We do not maintain business interruption insurance or product liability insurance, which are not
+Added: mandatory under Hong Kong and PRC laws.
+Added: We do not maintain key man insurance, insurance policies covering damages to our network infrastructures
+Added: or information technology systems nor any insurance policies for our properties.
+Added: During the fiscal years 2024 and 2023, we did not make
+Added: any material insurance claims in relation to our business.
+Added: Legal Proceedings
+Added: Since mid-September 2023, Mr.
Zheng Dai, Mr.
−Removed: Pijun Liu, and certain individuals under their control (the “Unauthorized Persons”)
−Removed: had been falsely and repeatedly holding themselves out as representing and/or authorized to represent the Company.
−Removed: For example, the Unauthorized
−Removed: Persons caused to be filed certain current reports on Forms 8-K dated September 28, 2023 and October 10, 2023, in which they purported
−Removed: to appoint new officers and directors.
−Removed: These filings were false and should be disregarded.
−Removed: On September 28, 2023, a derivative lawsuit was filed
−Removed: by certain purported shareholders affiliated with the Unauthorized Persons in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
−Removed: against certain officers and directors of the Company, seeking control of the Company.
−Removed: This case was dismissed without prejudice on
−Removed: October 18, 2023.
−Removed: October 18, 2023, the same individuals who filed the above-described derivative suit filed a direct action against the Company in the
−Removed: Chancery Court of the State of Wyoming (the “Chancery Court”), again seeking control of the Company.
−Removed: The Company responded
−Removed: to the lawsuit, sought a temporary restraining order restraining the plaintiff-shareholders and their affiliates (including the Unauthorized
−Removed: Persons) from claiming be in control of the Company.
−Removed: November 7, 2023, the Chancery Court issued a temporary restraining order substantially restraining the plaintiff-shareholders and their
−Removed: affiliates from claiming to act on behalf of the Company.
−Removed: The lawsuit remains pending as at reporting date.
−Removed: On November 30, 2023, the Company
−Removed: responded to plaintiffs’ arguments that they controlled the Company, pointing out that plaintiffs’ case (Mr.
−Removed: Dai Zheng and
−Removed: his affiliates) was largely built upon forged signatures and other fabricated materials.
−Removed: In response, the plaintiffs withdrew their opposition
−Removed: to the Company’s request for an injunction.
−Removed: On January 5, 2024, the Chancery
−Removed: Court entered a preliminary injunction order (attached hereto).
−Removed: Specifically, the order restrained Mr.
−Removed: Dai Zheng and his affiliates
−Removed: from the following conduct:
−Removed: (i) acting as or holding themselves
−Removed: out as majority shareholders, directors, executives, or employees of the Company and its affiliates;
−Removed: (ii) making any attempts to
−Removed: contact the SEC, Nasdaq, government authorities, or make any filing or press release on behalf of the Company;
−Removed: (iii) making any attempts to
−Removed: change the board composition and executive team;
−Removed: (iv) disseminating false statements
−Removed: regarding the Company and its leadership;
−Removed: (v) making any attempts to contact
−Removed: the Company’s service providers, including auditors, stock transfer agents, and filing agents;
−Removed: (vi) making any attempts to
−Removed: issue the Company’s shares.
−Removed: section sets forth a summary of the principal PRC laws and regulations relevant to our business and operations in China.
−Removed: on Overseas Listings
−Removed: February 17, 2023, CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises
−Removed: (the “Trial Measures”), which became effective on March 31, 2023.
−Removed: On the same date, the CSRC circulated Supporting Guidance
+Added: Liu, and certain individuals under their control (the “Unauthorized Persons”) had been falsely and repeatedly holding themselves
+Added: out as representing and/or authorized to represent the Company.
+Added: For example, the Unauthorized Persons caused to be filed certain current
+Added: reports on Forms 8-K dated September 28, 2023 and October 10, 2023, in which they purported to appoint new officers and directors.
+Added: filings were false and should be disregarded.
+Added: On September 28, 2023, a derivative lawsuit was
+Added: filed by certain purported shareholders affiliated with the Unauthorized Persons in the United States District Court for the District
+Added: of Wyoming against certain officers and directors of the Company, seeking control of the Company.
+Added: This case was dismissed without prejudice
+Added: on October 18, 2023.
+Added: On October 18, 2023, the same individuals who
+Added: previously filed the above-described derivative suit initiated a direct action against the Company in the Chancery Court of the State
+Added: of Wyoming (the “Chancery Court”), once again seeking control of the Company.
+Added: In response, the Company contested to the lawsuit
+Added: and sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the plaintiff-shareholders and their affiliates (including the Unauthorized Persons)
+Added: from asserting control over the Company.
+Added: On November 7, 2023, the Chancery Court granted
+Added: a temporary restraining order substantially restraining Mr.
+Added: Zheng Dai and his affiliates from claiming to act on behalf of the Company.
+Added: On November 30, 2023, the Company responded to
+Added: plaintiffs’ allegations, demonstrating that their claims—brought by Mr.
+Added: Zheng Dai and his affiliates—were largely based
+Added: upon forged signatures and other fabricated materials.
+Added: In response, the plaintiffs withdrew their opposition to the Company’s request
+Added: for an injunction.
+Added: On January 5, 2024, the Chancery Court issued
+Added: a preliminary injunction order (attached hereto), which specifically restrained Mr.
+Added: Zheng Dai and his affiliates from the following conduct:
+Added: as or holding themselves out as majority shareholders, directors, executives, or employees of the Company and its affiliates;
+Added: any attempts to contact the SEC, Nasdaq, government authorities, or make any filing or press release on behalf of the Company;
+Added: any attempts to change the board composition and executive team;
+Added: (iv) disseminating
+Added: false statements regarding the Company and its leadership;
+Added: any attempts to contact the Company’s service providers, including auditors, stock transfer agents, and filing agents;
+Added: any attempts to issue the Company’s shares.
+Added: The Company remains under the control of its current
+Added: board of directors, which, as of the reporting date, consists of the following personnel:
+Added: Lichen Dong (Chairman of the Board), Tian Yang,
+Added: Mahesh Thapaliya, and Jianbo Sun.
+Added: On April 8,2024, the Chancery Court dismissed the plaintiffs’
+Added: case with prejudice , allowing the Company to reserve its right to seek fees.
+Added: The Company’s counterclaims against plaintiffs
+Added: were later dismissed without prejudice upon stipulation on June 11, 2024.
+Added: On September 6, 2024, the same individuals initiated a new lawsuit
+Added: against the Company in the Wyoming State District Court, with a sole cause of action seeking inspection of certain corporate records.
+Added: On October 30, 2024, the Company responded the complaint, denying plaintiffs’
+Added: allegations and arguing that plaintiffs had failed to satisfy the statutory requirements necessary for corporate records inspection.
+Added: On December 9, 2024, one of the plaintiffs, Wenwen Yu, filed a motion
+Added: for preliminary injunction to enjoin future share issuances by the Company.
+Added: On December 27, 2024, the Company opposed Yu’s motion, asserting
+Added: that it was entirely without merit.
+Added: The motion is currently set for a hearing on April 9, 2025.
+Added: Separately, on May 15, 2024, another lawsuit was filed against the
+Added: Company in the New York County Supreme Court (the “NY Court”), seeking repayment of certain loans allegedly guaranteed by
+Added: On September 9, 2024, the Company moved to dismiss the case on the
+Added: grounds of forum non conveniens and lack of personal jurisdiction, given that the alleged guarantees—signed by Zheng Dai
+Added: and Pijun Liu—were unauthorized and, therefore, null and void.
+Added: As of the reporting date, the Company’s motion remains pending
+Added: before the NY Court.
+Added: This section sets forth a summary of the principal
+Added: PRC laws and regulations relevant to our business and operations in China.
+Added: Regulations on Overseas Listings
+Added: On February 17, 2023, CSRC promulgated the Trial
+Added: Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Trial Measures”), which
+Added: became effective on March 31, 2023.
+Added: On the same date, the CSRC circulated Supporting Guidance Rules No.
1 through No.
−Removed: 5, Notes on the Trial Measures, Notice on Administration Arrangements for the Filing of Overseas Listings by
−Removed: Domestic Enterprises and relevant CSRC Answers to Reporter Questions (collectively, the “Guidance Rules and Notice”) on the
−Removed: CSRC’s official website.
−Removed: Pursuant to the Trial Measures, PRC domestic enterprises that have submitted valid applications for overseas
−Removed: offerings and listing but have not obtained the approval from the relevant overseas regulatory authority or overseas stock exchanges
−Removed: shall complete filings with the CSRC prior to their overseas offerings and listings.
−Removed: to the Notice on the Administrative Arrangements for the Filing of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies
−Removed: from the CSRC, or “the CSRC Notice”, the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas before the effective date
−Removed: of the Trial Measures (namely, March 31, 2023) shall be deemed as existing issuers (the “Existing Issuers”).
−Removed: Existing Issuers
−Removed: are not required to complete the filing procedures immediately, and they shall be required to file with the CSRC for any subsequent offerings.
−Removed: February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration
−Removed: of China, revised the Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration for Overseas Securities Offering and Listing,
−Removed: which were issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in
−Removed: 2009, or the “Provisions.” The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality
−Removed: and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies”, and came into effect on March 31,
−Removed: 2023 together with the Trial Measures.
−Removed: One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect
−Removed: overseas offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures.
−Removed: The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a)
−Removed: a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant
−Removed: individuals or entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any documents and materials
−Removed: that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according
−Removed: to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level;
−Removed: and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly
−Removed: or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities including securities
−Removed: companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental
−Removed: to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations.
−Removed: August 2006, six PRC regulatory authorities, including the CSRC, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of
−Removed: Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, amended in June 2009.
−Removed: The M&A Rules, among other things, require
−Removed: that if an overseas company established or controlled by PRC companies or individuals, or PRC Citizens, intends to acquire equity interests
−Removed: or assets of any other PRC domestic company affiliated with the PRC Citizens, such acquisition must be submitted to the MOFCOM for approval.
−Removed: The M&A Rules also require that an Overseas SPV formed for overseas listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by the
−Removed: PRC Citizens shall obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to overseas listing and trading of such Overseas SPV’s securities on an
−Removed: overseas stock exchange.
−Removed: PRC legal counsel, Beijing DOCVIT Law Firm, has advised us that, based on its understanding of the current PRC laws and regulations,
−Removed: our corporate structure and arrangements are not subject to the M&A Rules.
−Removed: However, our PRC legal counsel has further advised us
−Removed: that there are substantial uncertainties as to how the M&A Rules will be interpreted or implemented in the context of an overseas
−Removed: offering, and its opinions summarized above are subject to any new laws, rules and regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations
−Removed: in any form relating to the M&A Rules.
−Removed: on Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection
−Removed: November 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC, promulgated the Cyber Security Law
−Removed: of the PRC , or the Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017.
−Removed: The Cyber Security Law requires that a network operator,
−Removed: which includes, among others, internet information services providers, take technical measures and other necessary measures in accordance
−Removed: with applicable laws and regulations and the compulsory requirements of the national and industrial standards to safeguard the safe and
−Removed: stable operation of its networks.
−Removed: We are subject to such requirements as we are operating website and mobile application and providing
−Removed: certain internet services mainly through our mobile application.
−Removed: The Cyber Security Law further requires internet information service
−Removed: providers to formulate contingency plans for network security incidents, report to the competent departments immediately upon the occurrence
−Removed: of any incident endangering cyber security and take corresponding remedial measures.
−Removed: information service providers are also required to maintain the integrity, confidentiality and availability of network data.
−Removed: Security Law reaffirms the basic principles and requirements specified in other existing laws and regulations on personal data protection,
−Removed: such as the requirements on the collection, use, processing, storage and disclosure of personal data, and internet information service
−Removed: providers being required to take technical and other necessary measures to ensure the security of the personal information they have
−Removed: collected and prevent the personal information from being divulged, damaged or lost.
−Removed: Any violation of the Cyber Security Law may subject
−Removed: the internet information service provider to warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses, cancellation of
−Removed: filings, shutdown of websites or criminal liabilities.
−Removed: of the date hereof, the Company is in compliance with the Cyber Security Law.
−Removed: Laws and Regulations on Foreign Investment
−Removed: in the PRC by foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises shall comply with the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment
−Removed: Industries (2020 Revision) (the “Catalogue”), which was last amended and issued by MOFCOM and National Development and Reform
−Removed: Commission (NDRC) on December 27, 2020 and became effective since January 27, 2021, and the Special Management Measures for Foreign Investment
−Removed: Access (2019 version), or the Negative List, which came into effect on July 30, 2019.
−Removed: The Catalogue and the Negative List contains specific
−Removed: provisions guiding market access for foreign capital and stipulates in detail the industry sectors grouped under the categories of encouraged
−Removed: industries, restricted industries and prohibited industries.
−Removed: Any industry not listed on the Negative List is a permitted industry unless
−Removed: otherwise prohibited or restricted by other PRC laws or regulations.
−Removed: March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, or the Foreign Investment Law, which
−Removed: came into effect on January 1, 2020, repealing simultaneously the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Equity Joint Ventures, the Law of the
−Removed: PRC on Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises and the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures.
−Removed: The Foreign Investment Law
−Removed: adopts the management system of pre-establishment national treatment and negative list for foreign investment.
−Removed: Policies in support of
−Removed: enterprises shall apply equally to foreign-funded enterprises according to laws and regulations.
−Removed: Foreign investment enterprises shall
−Removed: be guaranteed that they could equally participate in the setting of standards, and the compulsory standards formulated by the State shall
−Removed: be equally applied.
−Removed: Fair competition for foreign investment enterprises to participate in government procurement activities shall be
−Removed: The Foreign Investment Law also stipulates the protection on intellectual property rights and trade secrets.
−Removed: The State also
−Removed: establishes information reporting system and national security review system according to the Foreign Investment Law.
−Removed: Laws and Regulations on Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises
−Removed: establishment, operation and management of corporate entities in China are governed by the PRC Company Law, which was promulgated by
−Removed: the SCNPC on December 29, 1993 and became effective on July 1, 1994.
−Removed: It was last amended on October 26, 2018 and the amendments became
−Removed: effective on October 26, 2018.
−Removed: Under the PRC Company Law, companies are generally classified into two categories, namely, limited liability
−Removed: companies and joint stock limited companies.
−Removed: The PRC Company Law
−Removed: also applies to limited liability companies and joint stock limited
−Removed: companies with foreign investors.
−Removed: Where there are otherwise different provisions in any law on foreign investment, such provisions shall
−Removed: Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprises was promulgated and became effective on April 12, 1986, and was last amended and
−Removed: became effective on October 1, 2016.
−Removed: The Implementing Regulations of the PRC Law on Foreign-invested Enterprises were promulgated by
−Removed: the State Council on October 28, 1990.
−Removed: They were last amended on February 19, 2014 and the amendments became effective on March 1, 2014.
−Removed: The Provisional Measures on Administration of Filing for Establishment and Change of Foreign Investment Enterprises were promulgated
−Removed: by MOFCOM and became effective on October 8, 2016, and were last amended on July 20, 2017 with immediate effect.
−Removed: The above-mentioned
−Removed: laws form the legal framework for the PRC Government to regulate Foreign-invested Enterprises.
−Removed: These laws and regulations govern the
−Removed: establishment, modification, including changes to registered capital, shareholders, corporate form, merger and split, dissolution and
−Removed: termination of Foreign-invested Enterprises.
−Removed: to the above regulations, a Foreign-invested Enterprise should get approval by MOFCOM before its establishment and operation.
−Removed: Laws and Regulations on Foreign Exchange
−Removed: of Foreign Investment Enterprises
−Removed: to the Notice of State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Promulgation of the Provisions on Foreign Exchange Control on Direct Investments
−Removed: in China by Foreign Investors promulgated by the SAFE, or the Notice, upon establishment of a foreign investment enterprise pursuant
−Removed: to the law, registration formalities shall be completed with the foreign exchange bureau.
−Removed: Upon completion of registration formalities
−Removed: by the entities involved in direct investments in China, the entities may open accounts for direct investments in China such as preliminary
−Removed: expense account, capital fund account and asset realization account, etc.
+Added: 5, Notes on the
+Added: Trial Measures, Notice on Administration Arrangements for the Filing of Overseas Listings by Domestic Enterprises and relevant CSRC Answers
+Added: to Reporter Questions (collectively, the “Guidance Rules and Notice”) on the CSRC’s official website.
+Added: Pursuant to the
+Added: Trial Measures, PRC domestic enterprises that have submitted valid applications for overseas offerings and listing but have not obtained
+Added: the approval from the relevant overseas regulatory authority or overseas stock exchanges shall complete filings with the CSRC prior to
+Added: their overseas offerings and listings.
+Added: According to the Notice on the Administrative
+Added: Arrangements for the Filing of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies from the CSRC, or “the CSRC Notice”,
+Added: the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas before the effective date of the Trial Measures (namely, March 31, 2023)
+Added: shall be deemed as existing issuers (the “Existing Issuers”).
+Added: Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filing procedures
+Added: immediately, and they shall be required to file with the CSRC for any subsequent offerings.
+Added: On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with
+Added: the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China, revised the Provisions on
+Added: Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration for Overseas Securities Offering and Listing, which were issued by the CSRC
+Added: and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in 2009, or the “Provisions.”
+Added: The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration
+Added: of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies”, and came into effect on March 31, 2023 together with the Trial
+Added: One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect overseas offering and
+Added: listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures.
+Added: The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic company that
+Added: plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities
+Added: including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that contain state secrets
+Added: or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the
+Added: secrecy administrative department at the same level;
+Added: and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its
+Added: overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities including securities companies, securities service
+Added: providers and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public
+Added: interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations.
+Added: In August 2006, six PRC regulatory authorities,
+Added: including the CSRC, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or
+Added: the M&A Rules, amended in June 2009.
+Added: The M&A Rules, among other things, require that if an overseas company established or controlled
+Added: by PRC companies or individuals, or PRC Citizens, intends to acquire equity interests or assets of any other PRC domestic company affiliated
+Added: with the PRC Citizens, such acquisition must be submitted to the MOFCOM for approval.
+Added: The M&A Rules also require that an Overseas
+Added: SPV formed for overseas listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by the PRC Citizens shall obtain the approval of the CSRC
+Added: prior to overseas listing and trading of such Overseas SPV’s securities on an overseas stock exchange.
+Added: Regulations on Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection
+Added: In November 2016, the Standing Committee of the
+Added: National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC, promulgated the Cyber Security Law of the PRC , or the Cyber Security Law,
+Added: which became effective on June 1, 2017.
+Added: The Cyber Security Law requires that a network operator, which includes, among others, internet
+Added: information services providers, take technical measures and other necessary measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations
+Added: and the compulsory requirements of the national and industrial standards to safeguard the safe and stable operation of its networks.
+Added: are subject to such requirements as we are operating website and mobile application and providing certain internet services mainly through
+Added: our mobile application.
+Added: The Cyber Security Law further requires internet information service providers to formulate contingency plans
+Added: for network security incidents, report to the competent departments immediately upon the occurrence of any incident endangering cyber
+Added: security and take corresponding remedial measures.
+Added: Internet information service providers are also
+Added: required to maintain the integrity, confidentiality and availability of network data.
+Added: The Cyber Security Law reaffirms the basic principles
+Added: and requirements specified in other existing laws and regulations on personal data protection, such as the requirements on the collection,
+Added: use, processing, storage and disclosure of personal data, and internet information service providers being required to take technical
+Added: and other necessary measures to ensure the security of the personal information they have collected and prevent the personal information
+Added: from being divulged, damaged or lost.
+Added: Any violation of the Cyber Security Law may subject the internet information service provider to
+Added: warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses, cancellation of filings, shutdown of websites or criminal liabilities.
+Added: As of the date hereof, the Company is in compliance
+Added: with the Cyber Security Law.
+Added: PRC Laws and Regulations on Foreign Investment
+Added: Investment in the PRC by foreign investors and
+Added: foreign-invested enterprises shall comply with the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries (2020 Revision) (the “Catalogue”),
+Added: which was last amended and issued by MOFCOM and National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on December 27, 2020 and became effective
+Added: since January 27, 2021, and the Special Management Measures for Foreign Investment Access (2019 version), or the Negative List, which
+Added: came into effect on July 30, 2019.
+Added: The Catalogue and the Negative List contains specific provisions guiding market access for foreign
+Added: capital and stipulates in detail the industry sectors grouped under the categories of encouraged industries, restricted industries and
+Added: prohibited industries.
+Added: Any industry not listed on the Negative List is a permitted industry unless otherwise prohibited or restricted
+Added: by other PRC laws or regulations.
+Added: On March 15, 2019, the National People’s
+Added: Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, or the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020, repealing
+Added: simultaneously the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Equity Joint Ventures, the Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises and the
+Added: Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures.
+Added: The Foreign Investment Law adopts the management system of pre-establishment
+Added: national treatment and negative list for foreign investment.
+Added: Policies in support of enterprises shall apply equally to foreign-funded
+Added: enterprises according to laws and regulations.
+Added: Foreign investment enterprises shall be guaranteed that they could equally participate
+Added: in the setting of standards, and the compulsory standards formulated by the State shall be equally applied.
+Added: Fair competition for foreign
+Added: investment enterprises to participate in government procurement activities shall be protected.
+Added: The Foreign Investment Law also stipulates
+Added: the protection on intellectual property rights and trade secrets.
+Added: The State also establishes information reporting system and national
+Added: security review system according to the Foreign Investment Law.
+Added: PRC Laws and Regulations on Wholly Foreign-Owned
+Added: The establishment, operation and management of
+Added: corporate entities in China are governed by the PRC Company Law, which was promulgated by the SCNPC on December 29, 1993 and became effective
+Added: on July 1, 1994.
+Added: It was last amended on October 26, 2018 and the amendments became effective on October 26, 2018.
+Added: Under the PRC Company
+Added: Law, companies are generally classified into two categories, namely, limited liability companies and joint stock limited companies.
+Added: PRC Company Law also applies to limited liability companies and joint stock limited companies with foreign investors.
+Added: Where there are
+Added: otherwise different provisions in any law on foreign investment, such provisions shall prevail.
+Added: The Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-invested
+Added: Enterprises was promulgated and became effective on April 12, 1986, and was last amended and became effective on October 1, 2016.
+Added: Implementing Regulations of the PRC Law on Foreign-invested Enterprises were promulgated by the State Council on October 28, 1990.
+Added: were last amended on February 19, 2014 and the amendments became effective on March 1, 2014.
+Added: The Provisional Measures on Administration
+Added: of Filing for Establishment and Change of Foreign Investment Enterprises were promulgated by MOFCOM and became effective on October 8,
+Added: 2016, and were last amended on July 20, 2017 with immediate effect.
+Added: The above-mentioned laws form the legal framework for the PRC Government
+Added: to regulate Foreign-invested Enterprises.
+Added: These laws and regulations govern the establishment, modification, including changes to registered
+Added: capital, shareholders, corporate form, merger and split, dissolution and termination of Foreign-invested Enterprises.
+Added: According to the above regulations, a Foreign-invested
+Added: Enterprise should get approval by MOFCOM before its establishment and operation.
+Added: PRC Laws and Regulations on Foreign Exchange
+Added: Registration of Foreign Investment Enterprises
+Added: Pursuant to the Notice of State Administration
+Added: of Foreign Exchange on Promulgation of the Provisions on Foreign Exchange Control on Direct Investments in China by Foreign Investors
+Added: promulgated by the SAFE, or the Notice, upon establishment of a foreign investment enterprise pursuant to the law, registration formalities
+Added: shall be completed with the foreign exchange bureau.
+Added: Upon completion of registration formalities by the entities involved in direct investments
+Added: in China, the entities may open accounts for direct investments in China such as preliminary expense account, capital fund account and
+Added: asset realization account, etc.
with the bank based on the actual needs.
−Removed: Upon completion of
−Removed: such registration formalities, foreign investment enterprises could also conduct settlement when contributing foreign exchange funds,
−Removed: and remit funds overseas in the event of capital reduction, liquidation, advance recovery of investment, profit distribution, etc.
−Removed: Laws and Regulations on Dividend Distribution
−Removed: principal regulations governing distribution of dividends of foreign-invested enterprises include the Foreign-Invested Enterprise Law,
−Removed: that became effective on January 1, 2020, and its implementation rules.
−Removed: Under these laws and regulations, wholly foreign-owned enterprises
−Removed: in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated after-tax profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards
−Removed: and regulations.
−Removed: In addition, when a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China distributes its after-tax profits of a fiscal year, it
−Removed: shall allocate 10% of the profits to the company’s statutory common reserve fund.
−Removed: If the accumulated amount of the company’s
−Removed: statutory reserve fund is more than 50% of the company’s registered capital, the company is no longer required to allocate more
−Removed: funds to the reserve.
−Removed: Wholly foreign-owned companies may, at their discretion, allocate a portion of their after-tax profits based on
−Removed: PRC accounting standards to staff welfare and bonus funds.
−Removed: These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends.
−Removed: Laws and Regulations on Taxation
−Removed: Enterprise Income Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China (the “EIT Law”) was promulgated by the Standing Committee
−Removed: of the National People’s Congress on March 16, 2007 and became effective on January 1, 2008, and was later amended on February
−Removed: 24, 2017 and on December 29, 2018 separately.
−Removed: The Implementation Rules of the EIT Law (the “Implementation Rules”) were promulgated
−Removed: by the State Council on December 6, 2007 and became effective on January 1, 2008.
−Removed: According to the EIT Law and the Implementation Rules,
−Removed: enterprises are divided into resident enterprises and non-resident enterprises.
−Removed: Resident enterprises shall pay enterprise income tax
−Removed: on their incomes obtained in and outside the PRC at the rate of 25%.
−Removed: Non-resident enterprises setting up institutions in the PRC shall
−Removed: pay enterprise income tax on the incomes obtained by such institutions in and outside the PRC at the rate of 25%.
−Removed: Non-resident enterprises
−Removed: with no institutions in the PRC, and non-resident enterprises whose incomes having no substantial connection with their institutions
−Removed: in the PRC, shall pay enterprise income tax on their incomes obtained in the PRC at a reduced rate of 10%.
−Removed: Arrangement between the PRC and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation the Prevention of Fiscal
−Removed: Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income (the “Arrangement”) was promulgated by the State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”)
−Removed: on August 21, 2006 and came into effect on December 8, 2006.
−Removed: According to the Arrangement, a company incorporated in Hong Kong will be
−Removed: subject to withholding tax at the lower rate of 5% on dividends it receives from a company incorporated in the PRC if it holds a 25%
−Removed: interest or more in the PRC company.
−Removed: The Notice on the Understanding and Identification of the Beneficial Owners in the Tax Treaty (the
−Removed: “Notice”) was promulgated by SAT and became effective on October 27, 2009.
−Removed: According to the Notice, a beneficial ownership
−Removed: analysis will be used based on a substance-over-form principle to determine whether or not to grant tax treaty benefits.
−Removed: to the Provisional Regulations on Value-added Tax of the PRC, or the VAT Regulations, which were promulgated by the State Council on
−Removed: December 13, 1993, took effect on January 1, 1994, and were amended on November 10, 2008, February 6, 2016, and November 19, 2017, respectively,
−Removed: and the Rules for the Implementation of the Provisional Regulations on Value-added Tax of the PRC, which were promulgated by the MOF
−Removed: on December 25, 1993, and were amended on December 15, 2008, and October 28, 2011, respectively, entities and individuals that sell goods
−Removed: or labor services of processing, repair or replacement, sell services, intangible assets, or immovables, or import goods within the territory
−Removed: of the People’s Republic of China are taxpayers of value-added tax.
−Removed: The VAT rate is 17% for taxpayers selling goods, labor services,
−Removed: or tangible movable property leasing services or importing goods, except otherwise specified;
−Removed: 11% for taxpayers selling services of transportation,
−Removed: postal, basic telecommunications, construction and lease of immovable, selling immovable, transferring land use rights, selling and importing
−Removed: other specified goods including fertilizers;
+Added: Upon completion of such registration formalities, foreign investment
+Added: enterprises could also conduct settlement when contributing foreign exchange funds, and remit funds overseas in the event of capital reduction,
+Added: liquidation, advance recovery of investment, profit distribution, etc.
+Added: PRC Laws and Regulations on Dividend Distribution
+Added: The principal regulations governing distribution
+Added: of dividends of foreign-invested enterprises include the Foreign-Invested Enterprise Law, that became effective on January 1, 2020, and
+Added: its implementation rules.
+Added: Under these laws and regulations, wholly foreign-owned enterprises in China may pay dividends only out of their
+Added: accumulated after-tax profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations.
+Added: In addition, when a wholly
+Added: foreign-owned enterprise in China distributes its after-tax profits of a fiscal year, it shall allocate 10% of the profits to the company’s
+Added: statutory common reserve fund.
+Added: If the accumulated amount of the company’s statutory reserve fund is more than 50% of the company’s
+Added: registered capital, the company is no longer required to allocate more funds to the reserve.
+Added: Wholly foreign-owned companies may, at their
+Added: discretion, allocate a portion of their after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to staff welfare and bonus funds.
+Added: These reserves
+Added: are not distributable as cash dividends.
+Added: PRC Laws and Regulations on Taxation
+Added: Enterprise Income Tax
+Added: The Enterprise Income Tax Law of the People’s
+Added: Republic of China (the “EIT Law”) was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on March
+Added: 16, 2007 and became effective on January 1, 2008, and was later amended on February 24, 2017 and on December 29, 2018 separately.
+Added: Implementation Rules of the EIT Law (the “Implementation Rules”) were promulgated by the State Council on December 6, 2007
+Added: and became effective on January 1, 2008.
+Added: According to the EIT Law and the Implementation Rules, enterprises are divided into resident
+Added: enterprises and non-resident enterprises.
+Added: Resident enterprises shall pay enterprise income tax on their incomes obtained in and outside
+Added: the PRC at the rate of 25%.
+Added: Non-resident enterprises setting up institutions in the PRC shall pay enterprise income tax on the incomes
+Added: obtained by such institutions in and outside the PRC at the rate of 25%.
+Added: Non-resident enterprises with no institutions in the PRC, and
+Added: non-resident enterprises whose incomes having no substantial connection with their institutions in the PRC, shall pay enterprise income
+Added: tax on their incomes obtained in the PRC at a reduced rate of 10%.
+Added: The Arrangement between the PRC and Hong Kong
+Added: Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income (the
+Added: “Arrangement”) was promulgated by the State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”) on August 21, 2006 and came into
+Added: effect on December 8, 2006.
+Added: According to the Arrangement, a company incorporated in Hong Kong will be subject to withholding tax at the
+Added: lower rate of 5% on dividends it receives from a company incorporated in the PRC if it holds a 25% interest or more in the PRC company.
+Added: The Notice on the Understanding and Identification of the Beneficial Owners in the Tax Treaty (the “Notice”) was promulgated
+Added: by SAT and became effective on October 27, 2009.
+Added: According to the Notice, a beneficial ownership analysis will be used based on a substance-over-form
+Added: principle to determine whether or not to grant tax treaty benefits.
+Added: Value-added Tax
+Added: Pursuant to the Provisional Regulations on Value-added
+Added: Tax of the PRC, or the VAT Regulations, which were promulgated by the State Council on December 13, 1993, took effect on January 1, 1994,
+Added: and were amended on November 10, 2008, February 6, 2016, and November 19, 2017, respectively, and the Rules for the Implementation of
+Added: the Provisional Regulations on Value-added Tax of the PRC, which were promulgated by the MOF on December 25, 1993, and were amended on
+Added: December 15, 2008, and October 28, 2011, respectively, entities and individuals that sell goods or labor services of processing, repair
+Added: or replacement, sell services, intangible assets, or immovables, or import goods within the territory of the People’s Republic of
+Added: China are taxpayers of value-added tax.
+Added: The VAT rate is 17% for taxpayers selling goods, labor services, or tangible movable property
+Added: leasing services or importing goods, except otherwise specified;
+Added: 11% for taxpayers selling services of transportation, postal, basic telecommunications,
+Added: construction and lease of immovable, selling immovable, transferring land use rights, selling and importing other specified goods including
6% for taxpayers selling services or intangible assets.
−Removed: to the Notice on the Adjustment to the Value-added Tax Rates issued by the SAT and the MOF on April 4, 2018, where taxpayers make VAT
−Removed: taxable sales or import goods, the applicable tax rates shall be adjusted from 17% to 16% and from 11% to 10%, respectively.
−Removed: Subsequently,
−Removed: the Notice on Policies for Deepening Reform of Value-added Tax was issued by the SAT, the MOF and the General Administration of Customs
−Removed: on March 30, 2019 and took effective on April 1, 2019, which further adjusted the applicable tax rate for taxpayers making VAT taxable
−Removed: sales or importing goods.
−Removed: The applicable tax rates shall be adjusted from 16% to 13% and from 10% to 9%, respectively.
−Removed: The VAT rate applicable
−Removed: to the company is currently 6%;
−Removed: the income tax rate applicable to the company is 25%.
−Removed: We are also eligible for receiving tax refund according
−Removed: to certain favorable government policies starting from 2021.
−Removed: Withholding Tax
−Removed: Enterprise Income Tax Law states that since January 1, 2008, an income tax rate of 10% will normally be applicable to dividends declared
−Removed: to non-PRC resident investors that do not have an establishment or place of business in the PRC, or that have such establishment or place
−Removed: of business but the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends
−Removed: are derived from sources within the PRC.
−Removed: to an Arrangement Between the Mainland of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
−Removed: and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Incomes (“Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement”) and other applicable
−Removed: PRC laws, if a Hong Kong resident enterprise is determined by the competent PRC tax authority to have satisfied the relevant conditions
−Removed: and requirements under such Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement and other applicable laws, the 10% withholding tax on the dividends the
−Removed: Hong Kong resident enterprise receives from a PRC resident enterprise may be reduced to 5%.
−Removed: However, based on the Circular on Certain
−Removed: Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend Provisions in Tax Treaties (the “SAT Circular 81”) issued on February
−Removed: 20, 2009 by SAT, if the relevant PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretion, that a company benefits from such reduced income
−Removed: tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, such PRC tax authorities may adjust the preferential tax treatment.
−Removed: According to the Circular on Several Questions regarding the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties, which was issued on February
−Removed: 3, 2018 by the SAT and took effect on April 1, 2018, when determining the applicant’s status of the “beneficial owner”
−Removed: regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends, interests or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including without
−Removed: limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more than 50% of his or her income in twelve months to residents in third country
−Removed: or region, whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country
−Removed: or region to the tax treaties does not levy any tax or grant tax exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate,
−Removed: will be taken into account, and it will be analyzed according to the actual circumstances of the specific cases.
−Removed: This circular further
−Removed: provides that applicants who intend to prove his or her status of the “beneficial owner” shall submit the relevant documents
−Removed: to the relevant tax bureau according to the Announcement on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Non-Resident Taxpayers’
−Removed: Enjoyment of the Treatment under Tax Agreements.
−Removed: have not commenced the application process for a Hong Kong tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority, and there
−Removed: is no assurance that we will be granted such a Hong Kong tax resident certificate.
−Removed: We have not filed required forms or materials with
−Removed: the relevant PRC tax authorities to prove that we should enjoy the 5% PRC withholding tax rate.
−Removed: Laws and Regulations on Employment and Social Welfare
−Removed: Law of the PRC
−Removed: to the Labor Law of the PRC, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the NPC on July 5, 1994 with an effective date of January
−Removed: 1, 1995 and was last amended on August 27, 2009 and the Labor Contract Law of the PRC, which was promulgated on June 29, 2007, became
−Removed: effective on January 1, 2008 and was last amended on December 28, 2012, with the amendments coming into effect on July 1, 2013, enterprises
−Removed: and institutions shall ensure the safety and hygiene of a workplace, strictly comply with applicable rules and standards on workplace
−Removed: safety and hygiene in China, and educate employees on such rules and standards.
−Removed: Furthermore, employers and employees shall enter into
−Removed: written employment contracts to establish their employment relationships.
−Removed: Employers are required to inform their employees about their
−Removed: job responsibilities, working conditions, occupational hazards, remuneration and other matters with which the employees may be concerned.
−Removed: Employers shall pay remuneration to employees on time and in full accordance with the commitments set forth in their employment contracts
−Removed: and with the relevant PRC laws and regulations.
−Removed: We have entered into written employment contracts with all the employees and performed
−Removed: their obligations under the relevant PRC laws and regulations.
−Removed: Insurance and Housing Fund
−Removed: to the Social Insurance Law of the PRC, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the NPC on October 28, 2010 and became effective
−Removed: on July 1, 2011, employers in the PRC shall provide their employees with welfare schemes covering basic pension insurance, basic medical
−Removed: insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, and occupational injury insurance.
−Removed: We have been complying with local regulations
−Removed: regarding social security and employee insurance.
−Removed: to the Interim Regulations on the Collection and Payment of Social Insurance Premiums, the Regulations on Work Injury Insurance, the
−Removed: Regulations on Unemployment Insurance and the Trial Measures on Employee Maternity Insurance of Enterprises, enterprises in the PRC shall
−Removed: provide benefit plans for their employees, which include basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work injury
−Removed: insurance and basic medical insurance.
−Removed: An enterprise must provide social insurance by processing social insurance registration with local
−Removed: social insurance agencies, and shall pay or withhold relevant social insurance premiums for or on behalf of employees.
−Removed: The Law on Social
−Removed: Insurance of the PRC, which was promulgated by the SCNPC on October 28, 2010, became effective on July 1, 2011, and was most recently
−Removed: updated on December 29, 2018, has consolidated pertinent provisions for basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance,
−Removed: work injury insurance and basic medical insurance, and has elaborated in detail the legal obligations and liabilities of employers who
−Removed: do not comply with relevant laws and regulations on social insurance.
−Removed: Without force majeure reasons, employers must not suspend or reduce
−Removed: their payment of social insurance for employees, otherwise, competent governmental authorities will have the power to enforce employers
−Removed: to pay up social insurance within a prescribed time limit, and a fine of 0.05% of the unpaid social insurance can be charged on the part
−Removed: of the employers per day commencing from the first day of default.
−Removed: Provided that the employers still fail to make the payment within
−Removed: the prescribed time limit, a fine of over one time and up to three times of the unpaid sum of social insurance can be charged.
−Removed: to the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Fund, which was promulgated by the State Counsel and became effective on
−Removed: April 3, 1999, and was amended on March 24, 2002 and was partially revised on March 24, 2019 by Decision of the State Council on Revising
−Removed: Some Administrative Regulations (Decree No.
−Removed: 710 of the State Council), housing provident fund contributions by an individual employee
−Removed: and housing provident fund contributions by his or her employer shall belong to the individual employee.
−Removed: Registration by PRC companies
−Removed: at the applicable housing provident fund management center is compulsory and a special housing provident fund account for each of the
−Removed: employees shall be opened at an entrusted bank.
−Removed: employer shall timely pay up and deposit housing provident fund contributions in full amount and late or insufficient payments shall
−Removed: be prohibited.
−Removed: The employer shall process housing provident fund payment and deposit registrations with the housing provident fund administration
−Removed: Under the circumstances where financial difficulties do exist due to which an employer is unable to pay or pay up housing provident
−Removed: funds, permission of labor union of the employer and approval of the local housing provident funds commission must first be obtained
−Removed: before the employer can suspend or reduce their payment of housing provident funds.
−Removed: With respect to companies who violate the above regulations
−Removed: and fail to process housing provident fund payment and deposit registrations or open housing provident fund accounts for their employees,
−Removed: such companies shall be ordered by the housing provident fund administration center to complete such procedures within a designated period.
−Removed: Those who fail to process their registrations within the designated period shall be subject to a fine ranging from RMB10,000 to RMB50,000.
−Removed: When companies breach these regulations and fail to pay up housing provident fund contributions in full amount as due, the housing provident
−Removed: fund administration center shall order such companies to pay up within a designated period, and may further apply to the People's Court
−Removed: for mandatory enforcement against those who still fail to comply after the expiry of such period.
−Removed: PRC subsidiary is in compliance with PRC’s social insurance and housing fund regulations.
−Removed: Related to our Business Operations in Hong Kong
−Removed: registration requirement
−Removed: Business Registration Ordinance (Chapter 310 of the Laws of Hong Kong) requires every person carrying on any business to make an application
−Removed: to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue in the prescribed manner for the registration of that business.
−Removed: The Commissioner of Inland Revenue
−Removed: must register each business for which a business registration application is made and as soon as practicable after the prescribed business
−Removed: registration fee and levy are paid and issue a business registration certificate or branch registration certificate for the relevant
−Removed: business or the relevant branch, as the case may be.
−Removed: The Company has applied and received business registration certificate in HK and
−Removed: is in compliance with such regulations.
−Removed: related to Hong Kong Taxation
−Removed: Revenue Ordinance (Chapter 112 of the Laws of Hong Kong)
−Removed: the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Chapter 112 of the Laws of Hong Kong), where an employer commences to employ in Hong Kong an individual
−Removed: who is or is likely to be chargeable to tax, or any married person, the employer shall give a written notice to the Commissioner of Inland
−Removed: Revenue not later than three months after the date of commencement of such employment.
−Removed: Where an employer ceases or is about to cease
−Removed: to employ in Hong Kong an individual who is or is likely to be chargeable to tax, or any married person, the employer shall give a written
−Removed: notice to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue not later than one month before such individual ceases to be employed in Hong Kong.
−Removed: tax is imposed in Hong Kong in respect of capital gains from the sale of shares.
−Removed: gains from the sale of shares by persons carrying on a trade, profession or business in Hong Kong, where such gains are derived from
−Removed: or arise in Hong Kong, will be subject to Hong Kong profits tax which is imposed at the rates of 8.25% on assessable profits up to HKD
−Removed: 2,000,000 and 16.5% on any part of assessable profits over HKD 2,000,000 on corporations from the year of assessment commencing on or
−Removed: after 1 April 2018.
−Removed: Certain categories of taxpayers (for example, financial institutions, insurance companies and securities dealers)
−Removed: are likely to be regarded as deriving trading gains rather than capital gains unless these taxpayers can prove that the investment securities
−Removed: are held for long-term investment purposes.
−Removed: Duty Ordinance (Chapter 117 of the Laws of Hong Kong)
−Removed: the Stamp Duty Ordinance (Chapter 117 of the Laws of Hong Kong), the Hong Kong stamp duty currently charged at the ad valorem rate of
−Removed: 0.1% on the higher of the consideration for or the market value of the shares, will be payable by the purchaser on every purchase and
−Removed: by the seller on every sale of Hong Kong shares (in other words, a total of 0.2% is currently payable on a typical sale and purchase
−Removed: transaction of Hong Kong shares).
−Removed: In addition, a fixed duty of HKD 5 is currently payable on any instrument of transfer of Hong Kong
−Removed: Where one of the parties is a resident outside Hong Kong and does not pay the ad valorem duty due by it, the duty not paid will
−Removed: be assessed on the instrument of transfer (if any) and will be payable by the transferee.
−Removed: If no stamp duty is paid on or before the due
−Removed: date, a penalty of up to ten times the duty payable may be imposed.
−Removed: of the date hereof, the Company is in compliance with the regulations regarding Hong Kong taxation.
−Removed: applicable as we are a smaller reporting company.
−Removed: UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
+Added: According to the Notice on the Adjustment to the
+Added: Value-added Tax Rates issued by the SAT and the MOF on April 4, 2018, where taxpayers make VAT taxable sales or import goods, the applicable
+Added: tax rates shall be adjusted from 17% to 16% and from 11% to 10%, respectively.
+Added: Subsequently, the Notice on Policies for Deepening Reform
+Added: of Value-added Tax was issued by the SAT, the MOF and the General Administration of Customs on March 30, 2019 and took effective on April
+Added: 1, 2019, which further adjusted the applicable tax rate for taxpayers making VAT taxable sales or importing goods.
+Added: The applicable tax
+Added: rates shall be adjusted from 16% to 13% and from 10% to 9%, respectively.
+Added: The VAT rate applicable to the company is currently 6%;
+Added: income tax rate applicable to the company is 25%.
+Added: We are also eligible for receiving tax refund according to certain favorable government
+Added: policies starting from 2021.
+Added: Dividend Withholding Tax
+Added: The Enterprise Income Tax Law states that since
+Added: January 1, 2008, an income tax rate of 10% will normally be applicable to dividends declared to non-PRC resident investors that do not
+Added: have an establishment or place of business in the PRC, or that have such establishment or place of business but the relevant income is
+Added: not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends are derived from sources within the
+Added: Pursuant to an Arrangement Between the Mainland
+Added: of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with
+Added: Respect to Taxes on Incomes (“Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement”) and other applicable PRC laws, if a Hong Kong resident enterprise
+Added: is determined by the competent PRC tax authority to have satisfied the relevant conditions and requirements under such Double Tax Avoidance
+Added: Arrangement and other applicable laws, the 10% withholding tax on the dividends the Hong Kong resident enterprise receives from a PRC
+Added: resident enterprise may be reduced to 5%.
+Added: However, based on the Circular on Certain Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend
+Added: Provisions in Tax Treaties (the “SAT Circular 81”) issued on February 20, 2009 by SAT, if the relevant PRC tax authorities
+Added: determine, in their discretion, that a company benefits from such reduced income tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily
+Added: tax-driven, such PRC tax authorities may adjust the preferential tax treatment.
+Added: According to the Circular on Several Questions regarding
+Added: the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties, which was issued on February 3, 2018 by the SAT and took effect on April 1, 2018,
+Added: when determining the applicant’s status of the “beneficial owner” regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends,
+Added: interests or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including without limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more
+Added: than 50% of his or her income in twelve months to residents in third country or region, whether the business operated by the applicant
+Added: constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country or region to the tax treaties does not levy any tax or
+Added: grant tax exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate, will be taken into account, and it will be analyzed according
+Added: to the actual circumstances of the specific cases.
+Added: This circular further provides that applicants who intend to prove his or her status
+Added: of the “beneficial owner” shall submit the relevant documents to the relevant tax bureau according to the Announcement on
+Added: Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Non-Resident Taxpayers’ Enjoyment of the Treatment under Tax Agreements.
+Added: We have not commenced the application process
+Added: for a Hong Kong tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority, and there is no assurance that we will be granted
+Added: such a Hong Kong tax resident certificate.
+Added: We have not filed required forms or materials with the relevant PRC tax authorities to prove
+Added: that we should enjoy the 5% PRC withholding tax rate.
+Added: PRC Laws and Regulations on Employment
+Added: and Social Welfare
+Added: Labor Law of the PRC
+Added: Pursuant to the Labor Law of the PRC, which was
+Added: promulgated by the Standing Committee of the NPC on July 5, 1994 with an effective date of January 1, 1995 and was last amended on August
+Added: 27, 2009 and the Labor Contract Law of the PRC, which was promulgated on June 29, 2007, became effective on January 1, 2008 and was last
+Added: amended on December 28, 2012, with the amendments coming into effect on July 1, 2013, enterprises and institutions shall ensure the safety
+Added: and hygiene of a workplace, strictly comply with applicable rules and standards on workplace safety and hygiene in China, and educate
+Added: employees on such rules and standards.
+Added: Furthermore, employers and employees shall enter into written employment contracts to establish
+Added: their employment relationships.
+Added: Employers are required to inform their employees about their job responsibilities, working conditions,
+Added: occupational hazards, remuneration and other matters with which the employees may be concerned.
+Added: Employers shall pay remuneration to employees
+Added: on time and in full accordance with the commitments set forth in their employment contracts and with the relevant PRC laws and regulations.
+Added: We have entered into written employment contracts with all the employees and performed their obligations under the relevant PRC laws and
+Added: Social Insurance and Housing Fund
+Added: Pursuant to the Social Insurance Law of the PRC,
+Added: which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the NPC on October 28, 2010 and became effective on July 1, 2011, employers in the
+Added: PRC shall provide their employees with welfare schemes covering basic pension insurance, basic medical insurance, unemployment insurance,
+Added: maternity insurance, and occupational injury insurance.
+Added: We have been complying with local regulations regarding social security and employee
+Added: According to the Interim Regulations on the Collection
+Added: and Payment of Social Insurance Premiums, the Regulations on Work Injury Insurance, the Regulations on Unemployment Insurance and the
+Added: Trial Measures on Employee Maternity Insurance of Enterprises, enterprises in the PRC shall provide benefit plans for their employees,
+Added: which include basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work injury insurance and basic medical insurance.
+Added: An enterprise must provide social insurance by processing social insurance registration with local social insurance agencies, and shall
+Added: pay or withhold relevant social insurance premiums for or on behalf of employees.
+Added: The Law on Social Insurance of the PRC, which was promulgated
+Added: by the SCNPC on October 28, 2010, became effective on July 1, 2011, and was most recently updated on December 29, 2018, has consolidated
+Added: pertinent provisions for basic pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work injury insurance and basic medical
+Added: insurance, and has elaborated in detail the legal obligations and liabilities of employers who do not comply with relevant laws and regulations
+Added: on social insurance.
+Added: Without force majeure reasons, employers must not suspend or reduce their payment of social insurance for employees,
+Added: otherwise, competent governmental authorities will have the power to enforce employers to pay up social insurance within a prescribed
+Added: time limit, and a fine of 0.05% of the unpaid social insurance can be charged on the part of the employers per day commencing from the
+Added: first day of default.
+Added: Provided that the employers still fail to make the payment within the prescribed time limit, a fine of over one
+Added: time and up to three times of the unpaid sum of social insurance can be charged.
+Added: According to the Regulations on the Administration
+Added: of Housing Provident Fund, which was promulgated by the State Counsel and became effective on April 3, 1999, and was amended on March
+Added: 24, 2002 and was partially revised on March 24, 2019 by Decision of the State Council on Revising Some Administrative Regulations (Decree
+Added: 710 of the State Council), housing provident fund contributions by an individual employee and housing provident fund contributions
+Added: by his or her employer shall belong to the individual employee.
+Added: Registration by PRC companies at the applicable housing provident fund
+Added: management center is compulsory and a special housing provident fund account for each of the employees shall be opened at an entrusted
+Added: The employer shall timely pay up and deposit housing
+Added: provident fund contributions in full amount and late or insufficient payments shall be prohibited.
+Added: The employer shall process housing
+Added: provident fund payment and deposit registrations with the housing provident fund administration center.
+Added: Under the circumstances where
+Added: financial difficulties do exist due to which an employer is unable to pay or pay up housing provident funds, permission of labor union
+Added: of the employer and approval of the local housing provident funds commission must first be obtained before the employer can suspend or
+Added: reduce their payment of housing provident funds.
+Added: With respect to companies who violate the above regulations and fail to process housing
+Added: provident fund payment and deposit registrations or open housing provident fund accounts for their employees, such companies shall be
+Added: ordered by the housing provident fund administration center to complete such procedures within a designated period.
+Added: Those who fail to
+Added: process their registrations within the designated period shall be subject to a fine ranging from RMB10,000 to RMB50,000.
+Added: When companies
+Added: breach these regulations and fail to pay up housing provident fund contributions in full amount as due, the housing provident fund administration
+Added: center shall order such companies to pay up within a designated period, and may further apply to the People’s Court for mandatory
+Added: enforcement against those who still fail to comply after the expiry of such period.
+Added: Regulations Related to our Business Operations
+Added: Business registration requirement
+Added: The Business Registration Ordinance (Chapter 310
+Added: of the Laws of Hong Kong) requires every person carrying on any business to make an application to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue
+Added: in the prescribed manner for the registration of that business.
+Added: The Commissioner of Inland Revenue must register each business for which
+Added: a business registration application is made and as soon as practicable after the prescribed business registration fee and levy are paid
+Added: and issue a business registration certificate or branch registration certificate for the relevant business or the relevant branch, as
+Added: the case may be.
+Added: The Company has applied and received business registration certificate in HK and is in compliance with such regulations.
+Added: Regulations related to Hong Kong Taxation
+Added: Inland Revenue Ordinance (Chapter 112 of the
+Added: Laws of Hong Kong)
+Added: Under the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Chapter 112
+Added: of the Laws of Hong Kong), where an employer commences to employ in Hong Kong an individual who is or is likely to be chargeable to tax,
+Added: or any married person, the employer shall give a written notice to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue not later than three months after
+Added: the date of commencement of such employment.
+Added: Where an employer ceases or is about to cease to employ in Hong Kong an individual who is
+Added: or is likely to be chargeable to tax, or any married person, the employer shall give a written notice to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue
+Added: not later than one month before such individual ceases to be employed in Hong Kong.
+Added: Capital gains tax
+Added: No tax is imposed in Hong Kong in respect of capital
+Added: gains from the sale of shares.
+Added: Trading gains from the sale of shares by persons
+Added: carrying on a trade, profession or business in Hong Kong, where such gains are derived from or arise in Hong Kong, will be subject to
+Added: Hong Kong profits tax which is imposed at the rates of 8.25% on assessable profits up to HKD 2,000,000 and 16.5% on any part of assessable
+Added: profits over HKD 2,000,000 on corporations from the year of assessment commencing on or after 1 April 2018.
+Added: Certain categories of taxpayers
+Added: (for example, financial institutions, insurance companies and securities dealers) are likely to be regarded as deriving trading gains
+Added: rather than capital gains unless these taxpayers can prove that the investment securities are held for long-term investment purposes.
+Added: Stamp Duty Ordinance (Chapter 117 of the Laws
+Added: of Hong Kong)
+Added: Under the Stamp Duty Ordinance (Chapter 117 of
+Added: the Laws of Hong Kong), the Hong Kong stamp duty currently charged at the ad valorem rate of 0.1% on the higher of the consideration for
+Added: or the market value of the shares, will be payable by the purchaser on every purchase and by the seller on every sale of Hong Kong shares
+Added: (in other words, a total of 0.2% is currently payable on a typical sale and purchase transaction of Hong Kong shares).
+Added: In addition, a
+Added: fixed duty of HKD 5 is currently payable on any instrument of transfer of Hong Kong shares.
+Added: Where one of the parties is a resident outside
+Added: Hong Kong and does not pay the ad valorem duty due by it, the duty not paid will be assessed on the instrument of transfer (if any) and
+Added: will be payable by the transferee.
+Added: If no stamp duty is paid on or before the due date, a penalty of up to ten times the duty payable may
+Added: As of the date hereof, the Company is in compliance
+Added: with the regulations regarding Hong Kong taxation.
+Added: Not applicable as we are a smaller reporting company.
Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.