8-K
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 30, 2021 (August 27, 2021)

 

 

CIPHER MINING INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-39625   85-1614529
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 

(Commission

File Number)

  (IRS Employer
Identification Number)

222 Purchase Street, Suite #290

Rye, New York 10580

(Address of principal executive offices)

(914) 370-8006

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Good Works Acquisition Corp.

4265 San Felipe, Suite 603

Houston, Texas 77027

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

Title of each class

  

Trading

Symbol(s)

  

Name of each exchange on
which registered

Common Stock, par value $.001 per share    CIFR    The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per whole share    CIFRW    The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

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

Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  

 

 

 


INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Merger Transaction

As previously announced, Good Works Acquisition Corp. (“Good Works” or “GWAC” and, after the Business Combination as defined below, “Cipher Mining”), a Delaware corporation, previously entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 4, 2021 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Good Works, Currency Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of Good Works (“Merger Sub”) and Cipher Mining Technologies Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Old Cipher”).

As previously reported on the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on August 25, 2021, Good Works held a special meeting, at which its shareholders voted to approve the proposals outlined in the final prospectus and definitive proxy statement dated August 2, 2021 and filed with the SEC (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”), including, among other things, the adoption of the Merger Agreement. On August 27, 2021, as contemplated by the Merger Agreement and described in the section titled “Proposal No. 1 - The Business Combination Proposal” beginning on page 112 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, Merger Sub merged with and into Old Cipher, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub ceasing and Old Cipher being the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Cipher Mining (the “Merger” and, together with the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Business Combination”). In connection with the Business Combination, Good Works filed a second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and changed its name to “Cipher Mining Inc.”

As a result of and upon the consummation of the Business Combination (the “Closing”), among other things: (i) each issued and outstanding ordinary share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Good Works (the “GWAC Common Stock”) was converted, on a one-for-one basis, into a duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of Cipher Mining common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Cipher Mining Common Stock”); (ii) each issued and outstanding whole warrant to purchase ordinary shares of Good Works (the “GWAC Warrant”) automatically converted into a warrant to acquire one share of Cipher Mining Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and conditions set forth in the GWAC Warrant Agreement (as defined in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus); and (iii) each issued and outstanding share of common stock of Old Cipher, par value $0.001 per share (“Old Cipher Common Stock”) was converted into 400,000 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock.

The foregoing description of the Business Combination does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Merger Agreement, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 2.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Redemptions, PIPE Investment and the Bitfury Private Placement

As previously reported on the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 5, 2021, concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Good Works entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with:

 

   

certain investors (collectively, the “PIPE Investors”), pursuant to which the PIPE Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and Good Works agreed to issue and sell to such PIPE Investors, immediately following the Closing, an aggregate of 37,500,000 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock for a purchase price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $375,000,000 (the “PIPE Financing”);and

 

   

Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V. (“Bitfury Top HoldCo”), pursuant to which Bitfury Top HoldCo agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and Good Works agreed to issue and sell to Bitfury Top HoldCo (or an affiliate of Bitfury Top HoldCo), an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock at a purchase price of $10.00 per share for an aggregate of cash and/or forgiveness of outstanding indebtedness owed by Old Cipher to Bitfury Top HoldCo (or an affiliate of Bitfury Top HoldCo) of $50,000,000.

On August 27, 2021, Good Works and Bitfury Top HoldCo amended the Bitfury Subscription Agreement (the “Amended and Restated Bitfury Subscription Agreement”). Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Bitfury Subscription Agreement, Bitfury Top HoldCo agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and Good Works agreed to issue and sell to Bitfury Top HoldCo (or an affiliate of Bitfury

 

2


Top HoldCo) an additional 1,000,000 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock at a purchase price of $10.00 per share (the “Additional Shares”) for an aggregate purchase price for the Additional Shares of $10,000,000 (the “Additional Purchase Price”), so that Bitfury Top HoldCo’s aggregate subscription under the private placement is 6,000,000 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock, for an aggregate of $60,000,000 (the “Bitfury Private Placement”).

Under the Amended and Restated Bitfury Subscription Agreement, the Additional Purchase Price is due fourteen (14) days after the Closing. Upon delivery of the Additional Purchase Price, Cipher Mining shall issue and sell to Bitfury Top HoldCo (or an affiliate of Bitfury Top HoldCo) the Additional Shares. The Additional Shares are not subject to any lock-up restrictions.

The PIPE Financing and the Bitfury Private Placement were consummated substantially concurrently with the Closing, except for the issuance and sale of the Additional Shares, which is expected within fourteen (14) days after the Closing.

In connection with the Business Combination, holders of 12,654,381 shares of GWAC Common Stock exercised their right to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of approximately $10.00 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of $126,543,810.

After accounting for the redemptions by holders of GWAC Common Stock, the PIPE Financing and the Bitfury Private Placement, the Minimum Cash Condition, as set out in the Merger Agreement, could not be satisfied. Old Cipher agreed to waive the Minimum Cash Condition under the Merger Agreement so that the Minimum Cash Condition would be deemed satisfied so long as the Closing Acquiror Cash (as defined in the Merger Agreement) equals to, or is in excess of, $391 million.

Immediately after giving effect to the redemption of 12,654,381 shares of GWAC Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination, the PIPE Investment and the Bitfury Private Placement, there were 8,823,619 shares of GWAC Common Stock (consisting of GWAC public shares, GWAC founder shares and GWAC private placement shares) and 8,614,000 GWAC Warrants outstanding. Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, GWAC Common Stock and GWAC Warrants ceased trading on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange (the “NASDAQ”), and Cipher Mining Common Stock and Cipher Mining Warrants began trading on August 30, 2021 on the NASDAQ under the symbols “CIFR” and “CIFRW,” respectively.

After giving effect to the redemption of 12,654,381 shares of GWAC Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination, the Business Combination, the PIPE Investment and the Bitfury Private Placement (including the issuance and sale of the Additional Shares), there are 247,058,619 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock and 8,614,000 GWAC Warrants outstanding.

After giving effect to the redemption of 12,654,381 shares of GWAC Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination, the Business Combination, the PIPE Investment and the Bitfury Private Placement (including the issuance and sale of the Additional Shares): (i) Bitfury Top HoldCo, including through the Bitfury Private Placement, owns, collectively, approximately 83.4% of the outstanding Cipher Mining Common Stock; (ii) GWAC’s public stockholders (other than the PIPE Investors) own approximately 1.8% of the outstanding Cipher Mining Common Stock; (iii) the PIPE Investors (for the avoidance of doubt, excluding Bitfury Top HoldCo) own approximately 13.0% of the outstanding Cipher Mining Common Stock; (iv) I-B Goodworks LLC (the “Sponsor”) (and its affiliates) owns approximately 1.7% of the outstanding Cipher Mining Common Stock, and (v) the Private Placement Shareholders own approximately 0.1% of the outstanding Cipher Mining Common Stock, in each case, excluding the impact of the shares of GWAC Warrants.

Terms used but not defined herein, or for which definitions are not otherwise incorporated by reference herein, shall have the meaning given to such terms in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and such definitions are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 1.01.

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

Master Services and Supply Agreement

On August 26, 2021, in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination and as contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Cipher Mining and Bitfury Top HoldCo entered into the Master Services and Supply Agreement (the “MSSA”). The material terms of the MSSA are described in the section of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus beginning on page 188 titled “Material Agreements—Master Services and Supply Agreement.” Such description is qualified in its entirety by the text of the MSSA, which is included as Exhibit 10.1 to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

3


Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement

On August 26, 2021, in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination and as contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Good Works, the Sponsor, Good Works’ directors, Bitfury Top HoldCo and the Private Placement Shareholders, entered into the Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”). The material terms of the Registration Rights Agreement are described in the section of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus beginning on page 123 titled “Related Agreements—Registration Rights Agreement.” Such description is qualified in its entirety by the text of the Registration Rights Agreement, which is included as Exhibit 10.2 to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

Lock-up Agreements

On August 26, 2021, in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination and as contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Good Works and Bitfury Top HoldCo entered into the Company Lock-Up Agreement (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and Good Works and each of the Sponsor and each Private Placement Shareholder entered into the Sponsor Lock-Up Agreement (as defined in the Merger Agreement) (together with the Company Lock-Up Agreement, the “Lock-Up Agreements”). The material terms of the Lock-Up Agreements are described in the section of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus beginning on page 125 titled “Related Agreements—Company Lock-Up Agreement” and “Related Agreements—Sponsor Lock-Up Agreement.” Such description is qualified in its entirety by the text of the Company Lock-Up Agreement and the Sponsor Lock-Up Agreement, which are included as Exhibits 10.3 and 10.4, respectively, to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

Indemnification Agreements

On August 27, 2021, Cipher Mining entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and executive officers, which provide for indemnification and advancements by Cipher Mining of certain expenses and costs under certain circumstances. The material terms of the indemnification agreements are described in the section of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus beginning on page 226 titled “Description of Securities—Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors.” Such description is incorporated by reference in this Report and is qualified in its entirety by the text of the form of indemnification agreement, which is included as Exhibit 10.5 to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

On August 26, 2021, Old Cipher entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and executive officers, which provide for indemnification and advancements by Old Cipher of certain expenses and costs under certain circumstances. The material terms of the indemnification agreements are described in the section of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus beginning on page 226 titled “Description of Securities—Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors.” Such description is incorporated by reference in this Report and is qualified in its entirety by the text of the form of indemnification agreement, which is included as Exhibit 10.6 to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

Amended and Restated Bitfury Subscription Agreement

On August 27, 2021, Good Works and Bitfury Top HoldCo entered into the Amended and Restated Bitfury Subscription Agreement, pursuant to which Bitfury Top HoldCo agreed to subscribe for 1,000,000 Additional Shares, such that Bitfury Top HoldCo’s aggregate subscription under the Bitfury Private Placement is for 6,000,000 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock for an aggregate of cash and/or forgiveness of outstanding indebtedness owed by Old Cipher to Bitfury Top HoldCo (or an affiliate of Bitfury Top HoldCo) of $60,000,000. The Additional Shares are not subject to any lock-up restrictions. Such description is qualified in its entirety by the text of the Amended and Restated Bitfury Subscription Agreement, which is included as Exhibit 10.7 to this Report and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 2.01

Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

The disclosure set forth in the “Introductory Note” above is incorporated into this Item 2.01 by reference. On August 25, 2021, Good Works held a special meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”), at which the shareholders of Good Works considered and adopted, among other matters, a proposal to approve the Business Combination. The Business Combination was completed on August 27, 2021.

 

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FORM 10 INFORMATION

Item 2.01(f) of Form 8-K provides that if the predecessor registrant was a “shell company” (as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), as Good Works was immediately before the Business Combination, then the registrant must disclose the information that would be required if the registrant were filing a general form for registration of securities on Form 10. As a result of the consummation of the Business Combination, and as discussed below in Item 5.06 of this Report, Cipher Mining has ceased to be a shell company. Accordingly, Cipher Mining is providing the information below that would be included in a Form 10 if it were to file a Form 10. Please note that the information provided below relates to the combined company after the consummation of the Business Combination, unless otherwise specifically indicated or the context otherwise requires.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Report contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes statements that express Cipher Mining’s opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results and therefore are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “seeks,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “might,” “possible,” “potential,” “predicts,” “may,” “could,” “will” or “should” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this Report and include statements regarding Cipher Mining’s intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the markets in which Cipher Mining operates. Such forward-looking statements are based on available current market material and management’s expectations, beliefs and forecasts concerning future events impacting Cipher Mining. Forward-looking statements in this Report and in any document incorporated by reference in this Report may include, for example, statements about:

 

   

the ability to maintain the listing of Cipher Mining Common Stock and Cipher Mining Warrants on NASDAQ following the Business Combination;

 

   

Cipher Mining’s public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

   

the ability to raise financing in the future;

 

   

Cipher Mining’s success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, officers, key employees or directors;

 

   

factors relating to the business, operations and financial performance of Cipher Mining, including:

 

   

expected operational rollout in the initial buildout phase and the second phase, in particular the ability to obtain the necessary hardware and build out the necessary initial sites in Texas and Ohio;

 

   

commercial partnerships and supply agreements;

 

   

the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to Cipher Mining;

 

   

the effects of competition and regulation on Cipher Mining’s future business;

 

   

the effects of price fluctuations in the wholesale and retail power markets;

 

   

the effects of global economic, business or political conditions, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption caused by various countermeasures to reduce its spread;

 

   

the value and volatility of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies; and

 

   

other factors detailed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 49 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which are incorporated herein by reference.

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the other documents filed by Cipher Mining from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this Report and in any document incorporated by reference are based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on Cipher Mining. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting Cipher Mining will be those that Cipher Mining has anticipated. Cipher Mining undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Business

Cipher Mining’s business is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Information About Cipher” beginning on page 179, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

5


Risk Factors

The risks associated with Cipher’s business are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 49 and are incorporated herein by reference. A summary of the risks associated with Cipher’s business is also included on pages 38-39 of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus under the heading “Risk Factors” and are incorporated herein by reference.

Financial Information

The financial information of Old Cipher as of January 31, 2021 and for the period from January 7, 2021 (inception) through January 31, 2021 and as of and for the three months ended April 30, 2021 is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the sections titled “Cipher’s Summary Historical Financial Information” and “Cipher’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” beginning on pages 43 and 198 thereof, respectively, and is incorporated herein by reference.

The financial information of Good Works as of December 31, 2020 and for the period from July 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2021 is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the sections titled “GWAC’s Summary Historical Financial Information” and “GWAC’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” beginning on pages 40 and 179 thereof, respectively, and is incorporated herein by reference.

The financial information of Good Works as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2021 is described in Good Works’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2021 (the “Good Works Q2 10-Q”) and filed with the SEC on August 10, 2021, and is incorporated herein by reference.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of Good Works and Old Cipher as of June 30, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the six months ended June 30, 2021 is set forth in Exhibit 99.2 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

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

Reference is made to the disclosure contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus beginning on page 198 in the section titled “Cipher’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

Properties

Cipher Mining’s facilities are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Information Cipher” beginning on page 179 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The following table sets forth information known to Cipher Mining regarding the beneficial ownership of Cipher Mining Common Stock immediately following consummation of the Business Combination by:

 

   

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

 

   

each of Cipher Mining’s named executive officers and directors; and

 

   

all of Cipher Mining’s executive officers and directors as a group.

Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, which generally provide that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power over that security, including options and warrants that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days. Except as described in the footnotes below and subject to applicable community property laws and similar laws, Cipher Mining believes that each person listed below has sole voting and investment power with respect to such shares.

The beneficial ownership of Cipher Mining Common Stock is based on 247,058,619 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately following consummation of the Business Combination, including the redemption of the public shares as described above, the consummation of the PIPE Investment and the Bitfury Private Placement (including the issuance and sale of the Additional Shares). References to “common stock” in the table below and its related footnotes are to the Cipher Mining Common Stock.

 

6


Beneficial Ownership Table

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)

   Number of
Shares of Common Stock
Beneficially Owned
     Percentage of
Outstanding
Common Stock
 

Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V.(2)

     206,000,000        83.4

GW Sponsor 2, LLC(3)

     562,500        2.3

Directors and Executive Officers

     

Tyler Page

     —          —    

Edward Farrell

     —          —    

Patrick Kelly

     —          —    

William Iwaschuk

     —          —    

Cary Grossman

     195,000        0.7

Caitlin Long

     —          —    

James Newsome

     —          —    

Wesley (Bo) Williams

     —          —    

Holly Morrow Evans

     —          —    

Robert Dykes

     —          —    

All directors and executive officers as a group (10 individuals)

     195,000        0.7

 

(1)

Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of those listed in the table above is c/o Cipher Mining Inc., 222 Purchase Street, Suite #290, Rye, NY 10580.

(2)

Includes 6,000,000 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock held by Bitfury Holding B.V., a subsidiary of Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V., under the Bitfury Private Placement (including the Additional Shares). Bitfury Top HoldCo is indirectly controlled by Valerijs Vavilovs. The business address of Bitfury Top HoldCo is Strawinskylaan 3051, 1077ZX Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and the business address of Valerijs Vavilovs is Serenia Residences, North A-502, Crescent Road East, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE.

(3)

GW Sponsor 2, LLC is controlled by Cary Grossman. Mr. Grossman has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to the securities disclosed above. The business address of the Sponsor and for Cary Grossman is 4265 San Felipe, Suite 603, Houston, TX 77027.

Directors and Executive Officers

Cipher Mining’s directors and executive officers upon the Closing are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Management of New Cipher Following the Business Combination” beginning on page 204 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

Directors

The following persons constitute Cipher Mining’s Board effective upon the Closing: Tyler Page, Cary Grossman, Caitlin Long, James Newsome, Wesley (Bo) Williams, Holly Morrow Evans and Robert Dykes.

Caitlin Long and Robert Dykes were appointed to serve as Class I directors, with terms expiring at Cipher Mining’s first annual meeting of stockholders following the Closing; Holly Morrow Evans, James Newsome and Wesley Williams were appointed to serve as Class II directors, with terms expiring at Cipher Mining’s second annual meeting of stockholders following the Closing; and Tyler Page and Cary Grossman were appointed to serve as Class III directors, with terms expiring at Cipher Mining’s third annual meeting of stockholders following the Closing. Biographical information for these individuals is set forth in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Management of New Cipher Following the Business Combination” beginning on page 204, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Committees of the Board of Directors

The standing committees of Cipher Mining’s Board consist of an audit committee (the “Audit Committee”), a compensation committee (the “Compensation Committee”) and a nominating and corporate governance committee (the “Nominating Committee”). Each of the committees reports to the Board.

 

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The Board appointed Cary Grossman, Wesley Williams and Robert Dykes to serve on the Audit Committee, with Robert Dykes serving as the chair. The Board appointed Holly Morrow Evans, Wesley Williams and Cary Grossman to serve on the Compensation Committee, with Cary Grossman serving as the chair. The Board appointed Caitlin Long, Holly Morrow Evans and Robert Dykes to serve on the Nominating Committee.

Executive Officers

Effective as of the Closing, Cipher Mining’s executive officers are:

 

Name

  Age  

Position

Tyler Page   45   Chief Executive Officer
Edward Farrell   61   Chief Financial Officer
Patrick Kelly   42   Chief Operating Officer
William Iwaschuk   46   Chief Legal Officer

Biographical information for these individuals is set forth in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Management of New Cipher Following the Business Combination” beginning on page 204, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Executive Compensation

Executive Compensation

The executive compensation of Cipher Mining’s named executive officers and directors is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Post-Closing Executive Officer and Director Compensation” on page 211, thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of Cipher Mining’s executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on Cipher Mining’s Board.

Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions, and Director Independence

Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions

Certain relationships and related person transactions are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions” beginning on page 247 thereof and are incorporated herein by reference.

Directors Independence

Under NASDAQ rules, independent directors must comprise a majority of a listed company’s board of directors. In addition, the rules of NASDAQ require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation, and nominating and governance committees be independent. Under the rules of NASDAQ, a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of that company’s board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Board has determined that each of the directors on the Board, except for Tyler Page, qualify as independent directors as defined under the applicable NASDAQ and SEC rules.

Legal Proceedings

Reference is made to the disclosure regarding legal proceedings in the section of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus titled “Information About Cipher—Legal Proceedings” beginning on page 197, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

8


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

Market Information and Dividends

On August 30, 2021, the Cipher Mining Common Stock and Cipher Mining Warrants began trading on NASDAQ under the new trading symbols of “CIFR” and “CIFRW”, respectively, in lieu of the shares and warrants of Good Works. Cipher Mining has never declared or paid any cash dividends and does not presently plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Holders of Record

Following the completion of the Business Combination, including the redemption of public shares as described above, the consummation of the PIPE Investment and the Bitfury Private Placement, Cipher Mining has 247,058,619 shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock outstanding that were held of record by approximately 12 holders, 8,599 non-objecting beneficial holders, and no shares of preferred stock outstanding.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Incentive Award Plan

Reference is made to the disclosure described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Proposal No. 3—The Incentive Plan Proposal” beginning on page 142 thereof, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Incentive Award Plan and the material terms thereunder, including the authorization of the initial share reserve thereunder, were approved by the stockholders of Good Works at the Special Meeting.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Reference is made to the disclosure set forth under Item 3.02 of this Report, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Description of Registrant’s Securities to be Registered

The Cipher Mining Common Stock and the Cipher Mining Warrants are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Description of Securities” beginning on page 222 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

Reference is made to the disclosure set forth in Item 3.03 of this Report relating to Cipher Mining’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

The indemnification of Cipher Mining’s directors and officers is described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section titled “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions—Cipher’s Related Party Transactions—Director and Officer Indemnification” beginning on page 247 thereof and that information is incorporated herein by reference.

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

The information set forth under Item 9.01 of this Report is incorporated herein by reference.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

Not applicable.

Financial Statements and Exhibits

The information set forth under Item 9.01 of this Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

9


Item 3.02.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

The disclosure set forth in the “Introductory Note” above is incorporated herein by reference. The shares of Cipher Mining Common Stock issued in connection with the PIPE Investment and the Bitfury Private Placement were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Each of the PIPE Investors, Bitfury Top HoldCo and Bitfury Holding B.V. represented that it was a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined Rule 144A under the Securities Act or an institutional “accredited investor” within the mean of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and that it was not acquiring such shares with a view to, or for offer or sale in connection with, any distribution thereof in violation of the Securities Act, and appropriate legends were affixed to the certificates representing such shares (or reflected in restricted book entry with Cipher Mining’s transfer agent).

 

Item 3.03.

Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders

On the Closing Date, Good Works filed its amended certificate of incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, changed its name to “Cipher Mining Inc.” and adopted its restated bylaws (the “Bylaws”).

Copies of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws are included as Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2, respectively, to this Report and are incorporated herein by reference.

The material terms of each of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws and the general effect upon the rights of Cipher Mining’s shareholders are included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus under the sections titled “Proposal No. 2 - The Charter Proposal” and “The Advisory Charter Amendment Proposals” beginning on pages 137 and 139, respectively, of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.01.

Changes in Control of the Registrant.

The information set forth above under “Introductory Note” and Item 2.01 of this Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.02.

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

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

Further, in connection with the Merger, effective as of the Closing, Fred Zeidman resigned from his position as Good Works’ Co-Chairman, Douglas Wurth resigned from his position as Good Works’ Co-Chairman and Cary Grossman resigned from his position as Good Works’ President, and each of Fred Zeidman, Douglas Wurth, Cary Grossman, David Pauker, John J. Lendrum, III, Paul Fratamico and Tahira Rehmatulla resigned from their positions as directors of Good Works.

In addition, the Incentive Award Plan became effective upon the Closing. The material terms of the Incentive Award Plan are described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the sections entitled “Proposal No. 3 - The Incentive Plan Proposal” beginning on page 142 thereof, which are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.03.

Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws.

The disclosure set forth in Item 3.03 of this Report is incorporated herein by reference.

 

10


Item 5.06

Change in Shell Company Status

As a result of the Business Combination, Cipher Mining ceased to be a shell company. Reference is made to the disclosure in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the sections entitled “Proposal No. 1 - The Business Combination Proposal” beginning on page 112 thereof, which is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 8.01.

Other Events.

On August 24, 2021, Old Cipher amended its loan agreement with Bitfury Holding B.V. to: (i) amend the original loan facility amount of $100,000 to the actual disbursement under the loan of $7,038,038 (the “Actual Disbursement”) and (ii) amend the interest to 2.5% per annum.

On August 30, 2021, Cipher Mining issued a press release announcing the completion of the Business Combination, a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statement and Exhibits.

(a) Financial statements of businesses acquired.

The audited financial statements of Old Cipher as of January 31, 2021 and for the period from January 7, 2021 (inception) through January 31, 2021 are set forth in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus on page F-63, and are incorporated herein by reference.

The unaudited financial statements of Old Cipher as of April 30, 2021 and for the three months ended April 30, 2021 are set forth in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus on page F-49, and are incorporated herein by reference.

(b) Pro forma financial information.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of Good Works and Old Cipher as of June 30, 2021 and for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2020 is filed as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated herein by reference.

(d) Exhibits.

 

          Incorporated by Reference  
Exhibit
Number
   Description    Form      Exhibit      Filing Date  
  2.1*    Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 4, 2021, by and among Good Works Acquisition Corp., Currency Merger Sub, Inc. and Cipher Mining Technologies Inc.      8-K        2.1        3/5/2021  
  3.1    Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Cipher Mining Inc.         
  3.2    Amended and Restated Bylaws of Cipher Mining Inc.         
  4.1    Specimen Warrant Certificate of Good Works Acquisition Corp.      8-K        4.1        10/28/2021  
  4.2    Warrant Agreement, dated as of October 19, 2020, by and between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and Good Works Acquisition Corp.      8-K        4.1        10/28/2021  
10.1    Master Services and Supply Agreement by and among Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V. and Cipher Mining Technologies Inc. dated August 26, 2021         
10.2    Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement among Good Works Acquisition Corp., Good Works Acquisition Corp.’ directors, Bitfury Top HoldCo and others, dated August 26, 2021         

 

11


10.3   Company Lock-Up Agreement by and among Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V. and Good Works Acquisition Corp.         
10.4   Sponsor Lock-Up Agreement by and among I-B Goodworks LLC and Good Works Acquisition Corp.         
10.5   Form of Indemnification Agreement for Cipher Mining Inc.      S-4/A        10.16        6/14/2021  
10.6   Form of Indemnification Agreement for Cipher Mining Technologies Inc.      S-4/A        10.17        6/14/2021  
10.7   Amended and Restated Bitfury Subscription Agreement         
10.8+   Cipher Mining Incentive Award Plan         
10.8(a)+   Form of Cipher Mining Inc. Restricted Stock Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Agreement under Incentive Award Plan         
10.8(b)+   Form of Cipher Mining Inc. Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under Incentive Award Plan         
10.8(c)+   Form of Cipher Mining Inc. Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Agreement under Incentive Award Plan         
99.1   Press Release dated August 27, 2021         
99.2   Unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information of Good Works and Old Cipher as of June 30, 2021 and for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2020         
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)         

 

*

Schedules and exhibits to this Exhibit omitted pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(2). Cipher Mining agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the SEC upon request.

+

Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan.

 

12


SIGNATURE

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

 

    Cipher Mining Inc.
Date: August 30, 2021     By:  

/s/ Tyler Page

    Name:  

Tyler Page

    Title:  

Chief Executive Officer

 

13

EX-3.1

Exhibit 3.1

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

GOOD WORKS ACQUISITION CORP.

August 27, 2021

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

1.    The name of the Corporation is “Good Works Acquisition Corp.” The original certificate of incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June 24, 2020 (the “Original Certificate”).

2.    The Original Certificate was amended and restated by an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate”), filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on October 12, 2020.

3.    This Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Second Amended and Restated Certificate”), which both restates and amends the provisions of the Amended and Restated Certificate, has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) in accordance with Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time (the “DGCL”) and has been adopted by the written consent of the stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL.

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

5.    The text of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, as heretofore amended, is hereby amended and restated by this Second and Amended Restated Certificate to read in its entirety as set forth in EXHIBIT A attached hereto.

 

Good Works Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation
By:  

/s/ Cary Grossman

Name: Cary Grossman
Title: President


EXHIBIT A

ARTICLE I.

NAME

The name of the corporation is Cipher Mining Inc. (the “Corporation”).

ARTICLE II.

REGISTERED AGENT

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 251 Little Falls Drive, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, State of Delaware, 19808, and the name of the Corporation’s registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

ARTICLE III.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL. In addition to the powers and privileges conferred upon the Corporation by law and those incidental thereto, the Corporation shall possess and may exercise all the powers and privileges that are necessary or convenient to the conduct, promotion or attainment of the business or purposes of the Corporation.

ARTICLE IV.

CAPITALIZATION

Section 4.1    Authorized Capital Stock. The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock, each with a par value of $0.001 per share, which the Corporation is authorized to issue is 510,000,000 shares, consisting of (a) 500,000,000 shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”), and (b) 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock (the “Preferred Stock”).

Section 4.2    The designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation are as follows:

(a)    COMMON STOCK.

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

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


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

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

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

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

(b)    PREFERRED STOCK

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

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

 

3


Stock to the extent permitted by law and this Second and Amended Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation). Except as otherwise required by law, holders of any series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled only to such voting rights, if any, as shall expressly be granted thereto by this Second and Amended Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation).

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

ARTICLE V.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 5.1    Board Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by, or under the direction of, the Board of Directors. In addition to the powers and authority expressly conferred upon the Board of Directors by statute, this Second Amended and Restated Certificate or the Bylaws of the Corporation (“Bylaws”), the Board of Directors is hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation, subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the DGCL, this Second Amended and Restated Certificate and any Bylaws adopted by the stockholders; provided, however, that no Bylaws hereafter adopted by the stockholders shall invalidate any prior act of the Board of Directors that would have been valid if such Bylaws had not been adopted.

Section 5.2    Number, Election and Term. For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation it is further provided that:

(a)    Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the directors of the Corporation shall be classified with respect to the time for which they severally hold office into three classes, designated as Class I, Class II and Class III. The initial Class I directors shall serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of the stockholders following the date of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate; the initial Class II directors shall serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of the stockholders following the date of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate; and the initial Class III directors shall serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting following the date of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate. At each annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation beginning with the first annual meeting of the stockholders following the date of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate, subject to any special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the successors of the class of directors whose term expires at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. Each director shall hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board of Directors already in office to Class I, Class II and Class III.

 

4


(b)    Except as otherwise expressly provided by the DGCL or this Second and Amended Restated Certificate, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be fixed exclusively by one or more resolutions adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 5.3    Removal. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the Board of Directors or any individual director may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (66 and 2/3%) of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at an election of directors.

Section 5.4    Newly Created Directorships and Vacancies. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, except as otherwise provided by law, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, retirement, removal or other causes and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors shall be filled exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director (other than any directors elected by the separate vote of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock), and shall not be filled by the stockholders. Any director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the class to which such director shall have been appointed or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, or removal.

Section 5.5    Preferred Stock – Directors. Whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Second Amended and Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article V, the number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to paragraph B of this Article V, and the total number of directors constituting the whole Board of Directors shall be automatically adjusted accordingly. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Designation(s) in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such Certificate of Designation(s), the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate (in which case each such director thereupon shall cease to be qualified as, and shall cease to be, a director) and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be reduced accordingly.

Section 5.6    Quorum. A quorum for the transaction of business by the directors shall be set forth in the Bylaws.

 

5


ARTICLE VI.

BYLAWS

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal Bylaws of the Corporation. In addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by applicable law or by this Second Amended and Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock) or the Bylaws of the Corporation, the adoption, amendment or repeal of the Bylaws of the Corporation by the stockholders of the Corporation shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in an election of directors. The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws so provide.

ARTICLE VII.

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS; ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT

Section 7.1    Meetings. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, and shall not be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, to the extent expressly so provided by the applicable Certificate of Designation relating to such series of Preferred Stock, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant series of Preferred Stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called, for any purpose or purposes, at any time only by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or President, and shall not be called by any other person or persons.

Section 7.2    Advance Notice. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of other business proposed to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VIII.

LIMITED LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION

Section 8.1    Director Liability. No director of the Corporation shall have any personal liability to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or hereafter may be amended. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VIII, or the adoption of any provision of the Restated Certificate inconsistent with this Article VIII, shall not adversely affect any right or protection of

 

6


a director of the Corporation with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, repeal, modification or adoption. If the DGCL is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article VIII to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended.

Section 8.2    Indemnification and Expenses. The Corporation shall have the power to provide rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses to its current and former officers, directors, employees and agents and to any person who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.

ARTICLE IX.

EXCLUSIVE FORUM FOR CERTAIN LAWSUITS

Section 9.1    Forum. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, (a) the Court of Chancery (the “Chancery Court”) of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director or officer of the Corporation to the Corporation or to the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action, suit or proceeding arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the bylawss of the Corporation or this Second and Amended Restated Certificate (as either may be amended from time to time) or (iv) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine; and (b) subject to the preceding provisions of this Article IX, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence is filed in a court other than the courts in the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the provisions of clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence and (y) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.

Section 9.2    Consent to Jurisdiction. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article IX. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Article IX shall not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any other claim for which the federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction.

Section 9.3    Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Article IX shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever, (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article IX (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Article IX containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

7


Section 9.4    Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Article IX shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article IX (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Article IX containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article IX.

ARTICLE X.

AMENDMENT OF SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Second and Amended Restated Certificate to the contrary, in addition to any vote required by applicable law, the following provisions in this Second and Amended Restated Certificate may be amended, altered, repealed or rescinded, in whole or in part, or any provision inconsistent therewith or herewith may be adopted, only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class: Section 4.2(b), Article V, Article VI, Article VII, Article VIII, Article IX and this Article X.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

8


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Good Works Acquisition Corp. has caused this Second Amended and Restated Certificate to be duly executed and acknowledged in its name and on its behalf by an authorized officer as of the date first set forth above.

Good Works Acquisition Corp.

 

By:  

/s/ Cary Grossman

Name: Cary Grossman
Title:   President

 

 

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

EX-3.2

Exhibit 3.2

Amended and Restated Bylaws of

Cipher Mining Inc.

(a Delaware corporation)


Table of Contents

 

         Page  
Article I - Corporate Offices      1

1.1

 

Registered Office

     1

1.2

 

Other Offices

     1
Article II - Meetings of Stockholders      1

2.1

 

Place of Meetings

     1

2.2

 

Annual Meeting

     1

2.3

 

Special Meeting

     1

2.4

 

Notice of Business to be Brought before a Meeting.

     2

2.5

 

Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board.

     5

2.6

 

Notice of Stockholders’ Meetings

     8

2.7

 

Quorum

     8

2.8

 

Adjourned Meeting; Notice

     9

2.9

 

Conduct of Business

     9

2.10

 

Voting

     10

2.11

 

Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes

     10

2.12

 

Proxies

     10

2.13

 

List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote

     11

2.14

 

Inspectors of Election

     11

2.15

 

Delivery to the Corporation.

     12
Article III - Directors      12

3.1

 

Powers

     12

3.2

 

Number of Directors

     12

3.3

 

Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors

     12

3.4

 

Resignation and Vacancies

     13

3.5

 

Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone

     13

3.6

 

Regular Meetings

     13

3.7

 

Special Meetings; Notice

     13

3.8

 

Quorum

     14

3.9

 

Board Action without a Meeting

     14

3.10

 

Fees and Compensation of Directors

     14
Article IV - Committees      14

4.1

 

Committees of Directors

     14

4.2

 

Committee Minutes

     15

4.3

 

Meetings and Actions of Committees

     15

4.4

 

Subcommittees

     15
Article V - Officers      16

5.1

 

Officers

     16

5.2

 

Appointment of Officers

     16

5.3

 

Subordinate Officers

     16

5.4

 

Removal and Resignation of Officers

     16

 

i


Table of Contents

(continued)

 

         Page  

5.5

 

Vacancies in Offices

     16

5.6

 

Representation of Shares of Other Corporations

     16

5.7

 

Authority and Duties of Officers

     17

5.8

 

Compensation.

     17
Article VI - Records      17
Article VII - General Matters      17

7.1

 

Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments

     17

7.2

 

Stock Certificates

     17

7.3

 

Special Designation of Certificates

     18

7.4

 

Lost Certificates

     18

7.5

 

Shares Without Certificates

     18

7.6

 

Construction; Definitions

     19

7.7

 

Dividends

     19

7.8

 

Fiscal Year

     19

7.9

 

Seal

     19

7.10

 

Transfer of Stock

     19

7.11

 

Stock Transfer Agreements

     19

7.12

 

Registered Stockholders

     20

7.13

 

Waiver of Notice

     20
Article VIII - Notice      20

8.1

 

Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission

     20
Article IX - Indemnification      21

9.1

 

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

     21

9.2

 

Indemnification of Others

     21

9.3

 

Prepayment of Expenses

     22

9.4

 

Determination; Claim

     22

9.5

 

Non-Exclusivity of Rights

     22

9.6

 

Insurance

     22

9.7

 

Other Indemnification

     22

9.8

 

Continuation of Indemnification

     22

9.9

 

Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation

     23
Article X - Amendments      23
Article XI - Forum Selection      24
Article XII - Definitions      25

 

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Amended and Restated Bylaws of

Cipher Mining Inc.

 

 

Article I - Corporate Offices

1.1    Registered Office.

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

1.2    Other Offices.

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

Article II - Meetings of Stockholders

2.1    Place of Meetings.

Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place, within or outside the State of Delaware, designated by the Board. The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office.

2.2    Annual Meeting.

The Board shall designate the date and time of the annual meeting. At the annual meeting, directors shall be elected and other proper business properly brought before the meeting in accordance with Section 2.4 of these bylaws may be transacted. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled annual meeting of stockholders.

2.3    Special Meeting.

Special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by such persons and only in such manner as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation.

No business may be transacted at any special meeting of stockholders other than the business specified in the notice of such meeting. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders.


2.4    Notice of Business to be Brought before a Meeting.

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

(b)    Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.4. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if no annual meeting was held in the preceding year, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Corporation; provided, further, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Corporation (such notice within such time periods, “Timely Notice”). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of Timely Notice as described above.

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

2.5    Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board.

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

(e)    In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.5 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations.

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

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

 

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

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

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

2.6    Notice of Stockholders Meetings.

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

2.7    Quorum.

Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the stockholders. A quorum, once established at a meeting, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. If, however, a quorum is not present or represented at

 

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any meeting of the stockholders, then either (i) the person presiding over the meeting or (ii) a majority in voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall have power to recess the meeting or adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 2.8 of these bylaws until a quorum is present or represented. At any recessed or adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed.

2.8    Adjourned Meeting; Notice.

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

2.9    Conduct of Business.

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

 

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2.10    Voting.

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

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

2.11    Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes.

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

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

2.12    Proxies.

Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy authorized by an instrument in writing or by a transmission permitted by

 

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law filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212 of the DGCL. A proxy may be in the form of an electronic transmission which sets forth or is submitted with information from which it can be determined that the transmission was authorized by the stockholder.

2.13    List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote.

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

2.14    Inspectors of Election.

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

Such inspectors shall:

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

(ii)    count all votes or ballots;

(iii)    count and tabulate all votes;

 

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

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

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

2.15    Delivery to the Corporation.

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

Article III - Directors

3.1    Powers.

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

3.2    Number of Directors.

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

3.3    Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors.

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

 

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3.4    Resignation and Vacancies.

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

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

3.5    Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone.

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

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

3.6    Regular Meetings.

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

3.7    Special Meetings; Notice.

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

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

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

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

(iii)    sent by facsimile or electronic mail; or

(iv)    sent by other means of electronic transmission,

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

 

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

3.8    Quorum.

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

3.9    Board Action without a Meeting.

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

3.10    Fees and Compensation of Directors.

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

Article IV - Committees

4.1    Committees of Directors.

The Board may designate one (1) or more committees, each committee to consist, of one (1) or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board or in these bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business

 

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and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority to (i) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (ii) adopt, amend or repeal any bylaw of the Corporation.

4.2    Committee Minutes.

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

4.3    Meetings and Actions of Committees.

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

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

(ii)    Section 3.6 (regular meetings);

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

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

(v)    Section 7.13 (waiver of notice),

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

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

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

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

4.4    Subcommittees.

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

 

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Article V - Officers

5.1    Officers.

The officers of the Corporation shall include a Chief Executive Officer, a Chief Financial Officer, a Chief Operating Officer and a Chief Legal Officer. The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board, a Chairperson of the Board, a Vice Chairperson of the Board, a Secretary, a Treasurer, one (1) or more Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Treasurers, one (1) or more Assistant Secretaries, and any such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. No officer need be a stockholder or director of the Corporation.

5.2    Appointment of Officers.

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

5.3    Subordinate Officers.

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

5.4    Removal and Resignation of Officers.

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

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of resignation, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.

5.5    Vacancies in Offices.

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

5.6    Representation of Shares of Other Corporations.

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

 

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5.7    Authority and Duties of Officers.

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

5.8    Compensation.

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

Article VI - Records

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

Article VII - General Matters

7.1    Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments.

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

7.2    Stock Certificates.

The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates or shall be uncertificated. Certificates for the shares of stock, if any, shall be in such form as is consistent with the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law. Every holder of stock represented by a certificate shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, any two officers authorized to sign stock certificates representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. The Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Board, the Chief

 

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Executive Officer, the President, the Chief Legal Officer, Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation shall be specifically authorized to sign stock certificates. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

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

7.3    Special Designation of Certificates.

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

7.4    Lost Certificates.

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

7.5    Shares Without Certificates

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

 

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7.6    Construction; Definitions.

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

7.7    Dividends.

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

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

7.8    Fiscal Year.

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

7.9    Seal.

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

7.10    Transfer of Stock.

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

7.11    Stock Transfer Agreements.

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

 

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7.12    Registered Stockholders.

The Corporation:

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

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

7.13    Waiver of Notice.

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

Article VIII - Notice

8.1    Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission.

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Article IX - Indemnification

9.1    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any director or officer of the Corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”) by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership (a “covered person”), joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 9.4, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such person only if the Proceeding was authorized in the specific case by the Board.

9.2    Indemnification of Others.

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

 

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9.3    Prepayment of Expenses.

The Corporation shall to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law pay the expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) incurred by any covered person, and may also pay the expenses incurred by any employee or agent of the Corporation, in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article IX- or otherwise.

9.4    Determination; Claim.

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

9.5    Non-Exclusivity of Rights.

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

9.6    Insurance.

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

9.7    Other Indemnification.

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

9.8    Continuation of Indemnification.

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

 

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9.9    Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation.

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

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

Article X - Amendments

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

 

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Article XI - Forum Selection

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

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article XI-. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Article XI- shall not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any other claim for which the federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction.

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

 

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Article XII - Definitions

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Cipher Mining, Inc.

Certificate of Amendment and Restatement of Bylaws

 

 

The undersigned hereby certifies that he is the duly elected, qualified, and acting Secretary of Cipher Mining Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), and that the foregoing bylaws were approved on August 25, 2021, effective as of August 27, 2021, by the Corporation’s board of directors.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand this 27th day of August, 2021.

 

 

/s/ Cary Grossman

  Cary Grossman
  President
EX-10.1

Exhibit 10.1

Execution Version

MASTER SERVICES AND SUPPLY AGREEMENT

BY AND BETWEEN:

BITFURY TOP HOLDCO B.V.

And

CIPHER MINING TECHNOLOGIES INC.

Dated August 26, 2021

 

 

1


MASTER SERVICES AND SUPPLY AGREEMENT

This Master Services and Supply Agreement (the “Agreement”) dated August 26, 2021 (“Effective Date”) is concluded between Cipher Mining Technologies Inc., a corporation incorporated and registered under the laws of Delaware, with its principal place of business at 1013 Centre RD STE 403-b Wilmington, DE 198058 USA (“Customer”) and Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V., a Netherlands company with its address at Strawinskylaan 3051, 1077ZX Amsterdam, the Netherlands (“Provider”).

In this Agreement, Provider and Customer are referred to individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”.

RECITALS:

 

A.

Customer is in the business of Bitcoin/cryptocurrency mining and is seeking to establish and operate an approximately 800MW datacenter mining sites at various locations within the United States (“BTC Mining Operations”).

 

B.

Provider has expertise in Bitcoin/cryptocurrency mining and the design, construction and maintenance of datacenters and is a supplier of mining equipment and ancillary assets.

 

C.

Customer wishes to purchase certain equipment and ancillary assets from Provider from time to time, and obtain certain services, assistance and support from Provider in connection with the design, construction and maintenance of its BTC Mining Operations, in each case subject to and in accordance with this Agreement.

In consideration of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement (the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged) the Parties hereby agree as follows:

Section 1         Definitions and Interpretation

Affiliate” means, a Person which is an affiliate of another Person or group of Persons if one of them is Controlled, directly or indirectly, by the other or another Person or group of Persons Controlled, directly or indirectly, by the other, or if each of them is directly or indirectly under Control of the same Person or group of Persons. In this Agreement, a Person (the first Person) is considered to control another Person (second Person) if the first Person, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns or exercises control or direction over securities of the second Person carrying votes which, if exercised, would entitle the first Person to elect a majority of the directors of the second Person.

Assets” means assets located and to be located at the Physical Locations including Equipment, switches, LAN/VLAN systems, cooling systems, CCTV, generators and other equipment, systems, diagnostics or infrastructure necessary for the operation of BTC Mining Operations at a Physical Location.

 

2


BBAC” means a modular data center with the Servers and electricity wiring installed within the marine container with the specifications to be agreed between the Parties.

BTC” means Bitcoin.

Business Day” means a day when the banks are open in Delaware, United States and Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan” has the meaning given in Section 19(1).

Chip” means an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mining chip for SHA256 algorithm.

Closing” has the meaning given in the Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among Cipher Mining Technologies Inc., Good Works Acquisition Corp., Good Works Merger Sub Inc. and Provider.

Control” means in relation to a Person, the power of another Person to secure that the affairs of such Person are conducted in accordance with the wishes of that other Person: (a) by means of the holding of shares or other equity, or the possession of voting power, in or in relation to that Person or any other Person; or (b) by virtue of any powers conferred by the constitutional or corporate documents, or any other document, regulating that Person or any other Person.

Confidential Information” has the meaning given in Section 11(1).

Customer Materials” means any software, equipment and materials, which may or may not include Proprietary Materials, provided by or on behalf of Customer to Provider pursuant to this Agreement.

Data Protection Laws” means: (a) Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Directive 95/46/EC, Directive 2002/58/EC and Directive 2009/136/EC, together with any national implementing laws in any member state of the European Union; (b) the UK Data Protection Act 2018 (“DPA”), the UK General Data Protection Regulation as defined by the DPA and amended by the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003; (c) California Civil Code Sec. 1798.100 et seq. (also known as the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018); and (d) any equivalent legislation, or legislation dealing with the same subject matter, anywhere in the world; each as applicable to either Party time to time.

Disclosing Party” has the meaning given in Section 11(1).

Equipment” means mining equipment manufactured, assembled, or otherwise procured by or on behalf of Provider such as BBACs, Servers and Chips to be deployed at a Physical Location for the operation of BTC Mining Operations at a Physical Location.

 

3


Equipment Purchase Agreement” means the agreement in the form provided in Schedule 4 hereto to be entered into between the Parties for each Physical Location regarding purchases of Equipment by Customer.

Equipment Suspension” has the meaning given in Section 6(8).

Failure to Perform” has the meaning given in paragraph 3 of Schedule 3.

Force Majeure” has the meaning given in Section 21(4).

ICC” has the meaning given in Section 18(2).

Improvements” means any improvements to the Services, Provider Materials, service levels, business processes or other operations, or any other aspect of Provider’s operations relating to the Services, that will, in the reasonable opinion of Provider, enable Customer and its Affiliates to maintain or enhance the running of diverse cryptographic hash functions in connection with the mining of cryptocurrency.

Indemnitee” has the meaning given in Section 13(1) or Section 13(2) (as applicable).

Intellectual Property Rights” means all rights in patents, utility models, trade marks, service marks, logos, getup, trade names, internet domain names, copyright (including rights in computer software), design rights, moral rights, database rights, topography rights, confidential information and knowledge (including know how, inventions, secret formulae and processes, market information, and lists of customers and suppliers), and rights protecting goodwill and reputation, in all cases whether registered or unregistered, all other forms of protection having a similar nature or effect anywhere in the world to any of the foregoing and all applications for or registrations of any of the foregoing rights.

Initial Physical Locations” means the initial locations where Customer will establish and operate Restricted Business at: (i) Coshocton, Conesville and Waverly and certain other locations in Ohio, United States; and (ii) Odessa, Randall and certain other locations in Texas, United States.

Initial Term” has the meaning given in Section 3.

Key Personnel” has the meaning given in Section 20.

Laws” means all applicable legislation, statutes, directives, regulations, judgments, decisions, decrees, orders, instruments, by-laws, and other legislative measures or decisions having the force of law, treaties, conventions and other agreements between states, or between states and the European Union or other supranational bodies, rules of common law, customary law and equity and all civil or other codes and all other laws of, or having effect in, any jurisdiction from time to time and including the Data Protection Laws.

Losses” has the meaning given in Section 13(1).

 

4


Manufacturer’s Warranty” has the meaning given in Section 10(1).

MW” means Mega Watts.

Output” means BTC and any similar commercially measurable reward, and other output generated through the running of diverse cryptographic hash functions using the Equipment.

Personal Data” has the meaning given to it (or any equivalent term) by applicable Data Protection Laws.

Person” means a natural person, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, corporation, limited liability company, unlimited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity.

Personnel” has the meaning given in Section 13(1)(a).

Physical Location” has the meaning given in Section 5(1).

Power Agreement” has the meaning given in Section 5(2).

Price Protection” has the meaning given in Section 17(1).

Project Manager” has the meaning given in Section 10.

Proprietary Materials” means all inventions, Improvements, discoveries and ideas (whether patentable or copyrightable or not), and all works and materials, including but not limited to, products, tools, devices, computer programs, source codes, processes, procedures, texts, designs, drawings, documentation, engineering materials, specifications, data or other information, in preliminary or final form, and on any media whatsoever, owned or controlled (by license or otherwise) by a Party.

Provider Materials” has the meaning given in Section 4.

Receiving Party” has the meaning given in Section 11(1).

Records” has the meaning given in Section 12(3).

Renewal Term” has the meaning given in Section 3.

Restricted Business” has the meaning given in Section 17(3).

Sales Taxes” means any and all sales, retail, use, goods and services, harmonized sales, value added, excise and similar taxes.

Server” means a mining server incorporating the Chips with certain hashing power and electricity consumption capacity to be agreed between the Parties.

 

5


Service(s)” means:

(a) the services listed in Schedule 1, to the extent included in a Statement of Work;

(b) such additional services, functions or responsibilities not specifically described in this Agreement to the extent they can reasonably be considered an inherent part of the services described in (a), or that are required for the proper performance and provision of the services described in (a); and

(c) materials, fabrications, assemblies, equipment, supplies, spare parts and components incorporated or to be incorporated into Mining Operations,

in each case as supplemented, enhanced, modified or replaced, as mutually agreed to by the Parties from time to time in writing.

Service Fee” has the meaning given in Section 6(1).

Service Level” has the meaning given in Section 2(3).

Statement of Work” has the meaning given in Section 2(2).

Subcontractors” has the meaning given in Section 2(4).

Term” has the meaning given in Section 3.

United States” means United States of America.

USD” means Untied States dollars.

 

(1)

Interpretation. In this Agreement, unless the context requires otherwise:

 

  a.

every reference to a particular Law shall be construed also as a reference to all other Laws made under the Law referred to and to all such Laws as amended, re-enacted, consolidated or replaced or as their application or interpretation is affected by other Laws from time to time and whether before or after the Effective Date;

 

  b.

references to Sections and Schedules are references to sections of and schedules to this Agreement, and each of the Schedules shall form part of this Agreement;

 

  c.

references to the singular shall include the plural and vice versa and references to one gender include any other gender;

 

  d.

references to times of the day are to local time in the relevant Physical Location unless otherwise stated;

 

  e.

references to writing shall include any modes of reproducing words in a legible and non-transitory form;

 

  f.

references to any New York legal term for any action, remedy, method of judicial proceeding, legal document, legal status, court official or any other legal concept or thing shall in respect of any jurisdiction other than New York be deemed to include what most nearly approximates in that jurisdiction to the New York legal term;

 

6


  g.

words introduced by the word “other” shall not be given a restrictive meaning because they are preceded by words referring to a particular class of acts, matters or things;

 

  h.

general words shall not be given a restrictive meaning because they are followed by words which are particular examples of the acts, matters or things covered by the general words and the words “includes” and “including” shall be construed without limitation;

 

  i.

headings and sub-headings are inserted for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of this Agreement;

 

  j.

references to this Agreement include this Agreement as amended or varied in accordance with its terms.

Section 2         Services

 

(1)

Service Description.

 

  a.

Provider and/or its Affiliates shall provide and/or procure the provision of the Services to Customer and/or its Affiliates (in each case subject to Section 2(5)) at Physical Locations in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

  b.

With the exception of any functions specifically stated to be retained by the Customer, Provider will be responsible for obtaining all third party and regulatory approvals, licenses, consents and rights necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(2)

Statements of Work. The Services will be ordered on a case by case basis in respect of each applicable Physical Location through the issuance of statements of work which will be agreed and duly executed by an authorized representative of each Party (each, a “Statement of Work”). The procedure for agreement of, and form of template, Statement of Work is attached hereto as Schedule 2, provided that Customer and its Affiliates shall have the right to order any of the services listed in Schedule 1 under a Statement of Work in respect of any Physical Location (and Provider and its Affiliates shall not refuse to provide such services at or to the relevant Physical Location(s)) subject to and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Provider shall not be obliged to perform any services that are not the subject of a Statement of Work duly issued in accordance with this Section. Each Statement of Work will detail the applicable term of the Statement of Work (including any renewal terms), physical location(s) for the performance of the Services, the fees to be paid therefor, and such other relevant terms as the parties thereto may agree. Statements of Work may be changed only upon the express written agreement of both parties thereto. Unless expressly provided otherwise in the relevant Statement of Work, in the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms contained in any agreed Statement of Work, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.

 

7


(3)

Service Levels. Provider will adhere to the highest ethical and business standards in sourcing, procuring and supplying the Services and will perform all Services in a timely, professional and workmanlike manner in accordance with best practice and industry standards applicable in the data center construction and maintenance sector in the United States. Without prejudice to the aforementioned, Provider shall provide the Services in with a manner that meets or exceeds the service level specifications attached hereto at Schedule 3 (the “Service Levels”).

 

(4)

Suppliers and Subcontractors. Customer acknowledges and agrees that Provider may procure products and services from, and subcontract the provision of the Services to, appropriate third party providers (“Subcontractors”) as permitted under this Section 2(4). Notwithstanding the aforementioned, Provider shall at all times remain primarily liable to Customer for the acts or omissions of any Subcontractors as if it were providing the Services to Customer directly itself, subject to (i) any limitations of liability set out in this Agreement, and (ii) the terms of any written agreements entered into by Customer directly with Subcontractors in connection with such Services. Provider shall ensure that its contract with each Subcontractor, as a minimum, imposes confidentiality restrictions in all material respects equivalent to those set out in Section 11 and audit rights sufficient to enable audits to be carried out as set out in Section 12. As of the Effective Date, the Subcontractors listed in Schedule 5 shall be deemed to be approved by Customer. Provider shall not engage any further Subcontractors in the performance of the Services without obtaining the prior written approval of Customer (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), save that approval shall not be required for any Subcontractors performing Services that: (i) are not dedicated to Customer, (ii) do not form a material part of the Services; and (iii) do not involve the personnel of such Subcontractors having access to Confidential Information. Provider acknowledges that the Customer uses (or will use in the future) third party suppliers to provide products and services ancillary to the Services. Accordingly, Provider will, where reasonably practicable and at no material cost, seek to integrate its performance of the Services with the services performed by such third party suppliers so that the Customer and its Affiliates receive the Services seamlessly and without disruption.

 

(5)

Affiliates. Any of Customer’s controlled Affiliates may purchase Services under this Agreement and any of Provider’s Affiliates may provide Services under this Agreement in each case by entering into a Statement of Work in accordance with Section 2(2), provided that each of Customer and Provider shall remain wholly liable for the acts or omissions of its Affiliates and compliance of such Affiliates with the terms of this Agreement, subject to any (i) limitations of liability (and any exclusions therefrom), or (ii) rights of assignment, in each case as set out in this Agreement. For the purposes of a Statement of Work duly executed by an Affiliate of Customer, references to “Customer” in this Agreement and the Statement of Work shall be deemed to be and include references to the Affiliate executing the Statement of Work and for the purposes of a Statement of Work executed by an Affiliate of Provider, references to “Provider” in this Agreement and the Statement of Work shall be deemed to be and include references to the Affiliate executing the Statement of Work.

 

8


(6)

Supply of Equipment. The Parties shall agree and enter in an Equipment Purchase Agreement in respect of each Physical Location. Where Customer (or an Affiliate) requires Equipment to be provided to any Physical Location, Customer shall notify Provider and Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to manufacture (or procure the manufacture by its suppliers and/or subcontractors) and supply to Customer the quantity, specification and type of Equipment requested on terms reasonably acceptable to Customer (or its Affiliate). The relevant parties shall document the same in purchase order(s) to be entered into in accordance with each respective Equipment Purchase Agreement. If Customer (acting reasonably) determines that Provider is not able to meet the request, Customer (or its Affiliate) may instead procure the relevant equipment from any other party. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms contained in any Equipment Purchase Agreement or the purchase orders thereunder, the relevant Equipment Purchase Agreement and the purchase orders thereunder shall prevail. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Agreement shall prevent Customer or its Affiliates from selling or otherwise transferring any Equipment purchased in connection with this Agreement, to any third party.

 

(7)

Right of First Refusal: Customer’s Rights of Information and First Refusal. In addition to Customer’s rights pursuant to Section 2(6), upon request by Customer (such requests not to be made more frequently than every three (3) months), Provider shall notify Customer of its total forecasted output of Chips and Servers, identified by specification and type, in respect of the following three (3) month period. Without prejudice to the foregoing or Section 17, Provider shall notify Customer in advance of contracting to supply more than 10 MW worth of Chips to any individual third party customer (provided that, in doing so, Provider shall not be required to disclose the identity or location of the relevant customer, or otherwise breach any duty of confidentiality owed to such customer or any third party). In the event that Customer, within seven (7) days of receipt of Provider’s notification, confirms to Provider in writing that it wishes to purchase such Chips, in whole or in part, the Parties shall contract for the same under a Statement of Work in accordance with Section 2(2) and Schedule 2. In the event that Customer fails to respond to such notification within seven (7) days of receipt, or to the extent it declines to purchase such Chips, Provider shall be entitled to conclude the relevant customer contract.

Section 3         Term

The initial term of this Agreement shall begin on the Effective Date and, unless terminated earlier as permitted herein, shall expire on the date falling eighty-four (84) months thereafter (the “Initial Term”). Thereafter the term of this Agreement shall renew automatically for consecutive renewal terms of twelve (12) months each (each, a “Renewal Term”, and together with the Initial Term, the “Term”). Either Party may terminate this Agreement at the end of the Initial Term or the

 

9


relevant Renewal Term by delivering written notice of termination to the other Party not later than (i) 12 (twelve) months prior to the end of the Initial Term or, (ii) in the case of any Renewal Term, 6 (six) months prior to the end of such term, as applicable. Certain Services may be provided on a monthly, weekly, daily or hourly basis, as more fully described in the applicable Statement of Work. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the term of any Statement of Work extends beyond the Term, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall continue to apply to such Statement of Work until the expiry, full performance or termination of such Statement of Work.

Section 4         Provider Materials

Provider shall be solely responsible for providing of all software, other equipment and materials which may or may not include Proprietary Materials that are required for the performance of the Services (the “Provider Materials”).

Section 5         Physical Locations

 

(1)

Physical Location. Each Asset will be delivered to and located solely at the physical location specified in detail in the applicable duly issued Statement of Work and/or Equipment Purchase Agreement, which shall include, as at the Commencement Date, the Initial Physical Locations (each such location, and any further location(s) agreed between the Parties, being a “Physical Location”). Provider will further provide the Services or deliver the Provider Materials only to or in a Physical Location. Provider shall be entitled to refuse provision of Services at its sole discretion in any location which is not a Physical Location. The Parties may (without prejudice to Section 17) agree to add and include additional locations as Physical Locations from time to time in writing, subject to agreement in writing by both Parties regarding appropriate amendments to pricing, service levels, non-performance compensation, delivery dates or other commercial terms associated with the provision of the Services at such additional location.

 

(2)

Power. Customer agrees and acknowledges that (i) Provider is not responsible for the supply of electricity or other utilities to or at any Physical Location, and (ii) Customer has itself entered (or will enter into) appropriate electricity supply agreements with respect to each Physical Location for supply and delivery, for the duration of the Initial Term (and, if extended, any Renewal Term), of sufficient power with regard the Services and Assets provided and to be maintained at such location (each a “Power Agreement”). Customer shall pay and be liable for all power and/or utility costs at each Physical Location during the Term and, for the avoidance of doubt, power and utility costs shall not be included or assumed by Provider as part of the Service Fees. Customer shall provide Provider with adequate advanced written notice of any specific circumstances or conditions at any Physical Location regarding power supply or delivery as may reasonably affect or require consideration in connection with any Services delivery or provision.

 

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Section 6         Fees

 

(1)

Fees. The fees to be paid by the Customer to Provider or its Affiliate(s) for the Services shall be as agreed and set out in the applicable Statement of Work or Equipment Purchase Agreement and, unless otherwise specified therein, shall be a fee calculated per MW of the applicable Equipment and billed on a monthly basis including applicable Sales Taxes subject to any modifications on a pro rata basis according to the actual MW of Equipment covered by the Services from time to time (the “Service Fees”). The Parties agree that the Service Fees are the only amounts payable by the Customer to Provider in connection with this Agreement and that no other charges, expenses, costs or other amounts incurred by Provider in performing the Services and its other obligations pursuant to this Agreement will be additionally chargeable to the Customer.

 

(2)

Payment by Bitcoin. Customer may, but shall not be obliged to, pay any portion of the Service Fee in Bitcoin. For each payment of the Service Fee made in Bitcoin, the value of Bitcoin in United States dollars will be determined using the seven-day trailing average of the close price of BTC to USD exchange rate then in effect at the date of payment as published at www.coinmarketcap.com, or such other exchange rate source as mutually agreed to by the Parties.

 

(3)

Withholding. If Customer is required by Law to make any deduction or withholding in respect of any Service Fee, it shall: (a) ensure that the deduction or withholding does not exceed the minimum amount legally required; (b) pay to the relevant taxation or other authorities, as appropriate, the full amount of the deduction or withholding; (c) pay to Provider the Service Fee net of such deduction or withholding; and (d) furnish to Provider, within the period for payment permitted by the relevant Law, either an official receipt of the relevant taxation authorities concerned on payment to them of amounts so deducted or withheld or if such receipts are not issued by the taxation authorities concerned, a certificate of deduction or equivalent evidence of the relevant deduction or withholding in form reasonably acceptable to Provider.

 

(4)

Improvements. If at any time during the Term (where no notice of termination shall have been effected under Section 3) Provider or any of its controlled Affiliates has implemented or is implementing an Improvement for another customer or itself, Provider will identify the Improvement in writing to Customer and offer to implement such Improvement at all relevant Physical Locations. Any offer of any Improvements to Customer will be accompanied by a schedule which lists the proposed Provider fees for implementation of the subject Improvements. If agreed between the Parties, the Improvements may be added to existing or future Statements of Work subject to the additional Service Fees applicable.

 

(5)

Currency. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all references to monetary amounts contained in this Agreement, including any Statement of Work, or any reports, invoices, or other documents issued pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or a Statement of Work, shall be deemed to be references to United States dollars.

 

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(6)

Invoicing. Unless specified otherwise in the relevant Statement of Work:

 

  (a)

invoices will be raised on a monthly basis to the Customer. Each Invoice will be sent by Provider so that it is received by the Customer on or before the 25th day of the month. Each Invoice will:

 

  (i)

consist of:

 

  (A)

an electronic version in the format specified by the Customer, which is compatible with the Customer’s billing system (as the same may change over the Term); and

 

  (B)

tax invoices (if required by any relevant tax authority) in the format required by the tax authority;

 

  (ii)

include the details set out in the relevant Statement of Work, and any other information reasonably required by the Customer from time to time;

 

  (b)

at the Customer’s request from time to time, Provider will provide the Customer with other documentation and information with respect to an invoice to:

 

  (i)

verify the accuracy of the invoice and its compliance with this Agreement; and

 

  (ii)

satisfy the Customer’s internal accounting requirements;

 

  (c)

Provider will maintain complete and accurate records of, and supporting documentation for, the amounts invoiced to and payments made by the Customer hereunder in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis;

 

  (d)

the Customer will pay undisputed Charges to Provider within seven (7) days of receipt of a valid invoice;

 

  (e)

if any submitted invoice does not comply with the requirements of this Agreement (including any associated supporting data not being provided) then the invoice will not become payable until seven (7) days after the invoice and all supporting information is received by the Customer in the agreed format; and

 

  (f)

the Customer may withhold payment of Service Fees that the Customer disputes in good faith (or, if the disputed charges have already been paid, then the Customer may withhold an equal amount from a later payment), including disputes in respect of an error in an invoice or an amount paid. If the Customer withholds any such amount:

 

  (i)

the Customer, will promptly notify Provider, in writing, that it is disputing such Service Fees (and in the case of withheld payments, prior to the due date of payment); and

 

12


  (ii)

the Parties will promptly address such dispute in accordance with Section 18.

 

(7)

Deposit. Within one (1) Business Day following the effective date of the first Statement of Work, Customer shall provide to Provider a cash deposit satisfactory to Provider to a bank account notified to Customer in the amount reasonably agreed between the Parties but not exceeding one (1) month’s Service Fees (the “Deposit”). In the event of Customer’s failure to pay the Service Fees, Provider shall be entitled to draw down the Deposit without further notice to the Customer and the Deposit shall be paid to Provider and credited against the outstanding Service Fees. Customer shall true up and post additional funds for the Deposit within five (5) Business Days of when Provider notifies the Customer in written form that all or part of the Deposit has been set off against outstanding Service Fees. Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, the Deposit shall be terminated and the outstanding Deposit shall be returned to the Customer.

 

(8)

Equipment Suspension. In the event relevant Equipment is not operational for not less than forty-eight (48) consecutive hours at the election of Customer solely in circumstances where the gross revenues attributable to the relevant Equipment are less than the aggregate of the attributable Service Fee, electricity costs and any other relevant overheads (respectively “Revenue Shortfall” and “Equipment Suspension”) and the Customer notifies the Provider in written form with adequate documentary evidence thereof, the Provider shall, at the request of Customer, suspend the Services that relate to such Equipment within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of Customer’s written notice. In such case, Provider will use commercially reasonable efforts to reduce its costs and outgoings in relation to the affected Services and shall pass any reductions achieved on to Customer in the form of a reduction to the Service Fees for the period of suspension. Any suspension of the Services pursuant to this Section 6(8) shall be limited to a maximum thirty (30) day period, after which (unless agreed otherwise in writing between the Parties) the Service Fees shall again become payable in full. Customer may not suspend the Services pursuant to this Section 6(8) more than two (2) times in any calendar year. In the event that either Party considers, acting reasonably, that the underlying economic conditions giving rise to any suspension pursuant to this Section 6(8) are likely to remain in effect for more than two (2) months, it may notify the other Party and the Parties shall then discuss and agree, in good faith, any reasonable and proportionate adjustments to the Services (including the Service Levels) for the remainder of the Term. For the avoidance of doubt, the Provider shall be entitled to charge Service Fees for arranging and handling switch-on and switch-off procedure for the relevant Equipment. Customer undertakes that immediately upon cessation of Revenue Shortfall conditions, it shall send a written notice to the Provider and request renewal of the Services whereupon Provider shall renew the Services as soon as practicable and, in any event, not later than fifteen (15) days following Customer’s notice. For the avoidance of doubt, the Provider shall not be liable for any failure to perform in accordance with the Service Levels (and shall not be required to pay any service credits) to the extent resulting from any suspension of the Services pursuant to this Section 6(8).

Section 7         Safety and Insurance

 

(1)

Provider is solely responsible for the conduct, safety and health of its employees, agents, subcontractors and the public in supply of the Services under this Agreement at the

 

13


  Physical Locations and shall comply with all health and safety and other applicable policies notified to it in respect of each Physical Location. In the event Provider fails to comply with such policies or applicable Laws related to Provider’s obligations set forth in this Section, Customer (without limitation to other remedies; including indemnification set forth in Section 13), may terminate the impacted Statement of Work if Provider is unable to remedy such breach in accordance with Section 15 and such failure would be reasonably likely to result in a material adverse effect on the ability of Customer to operate its business at any relevant Physical Location.

 

(2)

Provider and its Affiliates shall maintain or cause to be maintained appropriate levels of workers’ compensation, employer’s liability, professional indemnity, product liability and cyber insurance with recognized and duly regulated insurance companies. Such insurance shall cover Provider and its Affiliates against their potential liabilities under or in connection with this Agreement, to an extent and to limits that would be reasonably expected in accordance with best practice and industry standards applicable in the data center construction and maintenance sector in the United States and as prescribed by applicable Laws of the country in which the Services will be performed and the states and/or countries of residence of expatriate employees (whichever standard is higher). The requirements stated in this Section shall not be construed in any way as a limit of Provider’s or any of its Affiliates’ liability under this Agreement, or as constituting any waiver by the Customer or any of its Affiliates of any of their rights or remedies under this Agreement. The insurances costs shall be recharged to the Customer together with the Service Fee.

Section 8         Intellectual Property Rights

 

(1)

Provider Intellectual Property. Customer acknowledges that Provider has developed and uses valuable technical and non-technical information, trade secrets, know-how and the like in the Provider Materials and the provision of the Services. Customer agrees that, except for the rights specifically and expressly granted to Customer and its Affiliates under this Agreement or as otherwise agreed in writing, Intellectual Property Rights in and to the Services and the Provider Materials are and shall remain the property of Provider.

 

(2)

THE PARTIES HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT SUBJECT TO Section 8(3) BUT NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS AGREEMENT, PROVIDER IS NOT TRANSFERRING OR GRANTING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN OR TO (OR GRANTING ANY LICENSE IN OR TO) ANY PROPRIETARY MATERIALS CREATED BY PROVIDER OR DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY PROVIDED TO CUSTOMER BY PROVIDER OR ITS AFFILIATES, NOR TRANSFERRING OR GRANTING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN OR TO (OR GRANTING ANY LICENSE IN OR TO) ANY OF PROVIDER’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS WHENEVER ACQUIRED, AND GRANTS CUSTOMER NO RIGHTS IN OR TO, NO LICENSE TO, AND NO PERMISSIONS REGARDING ANY SUCH PROPRIETARY MATERIALS OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.

 

14


(3)

The sole exception to the foregoing reservation of rights is that Provider hereby grants Customer a limited, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive, non-transferable license (that shall automatically terminate upon the termination of this Agreement), with rights to sub-license to its Affiliates and third party suppliers, to use, reproduce, display, perform and distribute the Proprietary Materials provided by Provider solely as is reasonably required in order for the Customer enjoy the full benefit of its rights, and to perform its obligations, under this Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

(4)

Customer will hold all Provider’s Proprietary Materials in trust for Provider and will deliver them to Provider upon request and in any event upon the expiration or termination of this Agreement or an individual Statement of Work.

 

(5)

Customer Intellectual Property. THE PARTIES HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT SUBJECT TO Section 8(6) BUT NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION IN THIS AGREEMENT, CUSTOMER IS NOT TRANSFERRING OR GRANTING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN OR TO (OR GRANTING ANY LICENSE IN OR TO) ANY PROPRIETARY MATERIALS CREATED BY CUSTOMER OR DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY PROVIDED TO PROVIDER BY CUSTOMER OR BY ITS AFFILIATES OR THIRD PARTY SUPPLIERS, NOR TRANSFERRING OR GRANTING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, OR INTEREST IN OR TO (OR GRANTING ANY LICENSE IN OR TO) ANY OF CUSTOMER’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS WHENEVER ACQUIRED, AND GRANTS PROVIDER NO RIGHTS IN OR TO, NO LICENSE TO, AND NO PERMISSIONS REGARDING ANY SUCH PROPRIETARY MATERIALS OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.

 

(6)

The sole exception to the foregoing reservation of rights is that Customer hereby grants Provider a limited, nonexclusive, non-transferable license (that shall automatically terminate upon the termination of this Agreement), with rights to sub-license to its Affiliates and permitted subcontractors, to use, reproduce, display, perform and distribute the Proprietary Materials provided by Customer solely as is necessary for Provider to perform its obligations under this Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In no way expanding the foregoing license, said license in no manner permits Provider to make commercial use of Proprietary Materials provided by Customer or Customer Intellectual Property Rights for the benefit of any third party.

 

(7)

Trademarks. Each Party recognizes and acknowledges the great value of the goodwill associated with the name and trademarks of the other Party and its Affiliates, and the identification of the proprietary Party’s (and its Affiliates’) products and services therewith. Each Party agrees that it obtains no rights, title or interest in or to any of the trademarks, trade names, logos, service marks or other markings belonging to the other Party or its Affiliates. Each Party agrees not to attack the validity of any of the other Party’s

 

15


  (or its Affiliates’) trademarks, or other Intellectual Property Rights or (save as required by Law or process of Law) to assist any other Person in so doing, during the Term or at any time thereafter.

Section 9         Data and Output

 

(1)

Ownership. As between the Parties, all data supplied by Customer or its Affiliates and all data and other Output generated through Customer’s or its Affiliates’ use of the Services shall be and remain the property of Customer and/or its Affiliates. During the Term, Customer grants to Provider the non-exclusive right and license to receive, retrieve, process, hold, transmit, copy, back-up and store any Output solely as necessary in connection with the performance of the Services.

 

(2)

No Processing of Personal Data. The Parties acknowledge that as at the Effective Date, neither Party acts as a processor of Personal Data on behalf of the other. If at any point during the term, either Party considers that one Party is acting as processor of Personal Data on behalf of the other, then the Parties will negotiate in good faith a separate data processing agreement to cover the matters required by the Data Protection Laws. Without prejudice to the foregoing, the Parties shall, at all times during the Term, comply with their obligations under the Data Protection Laws.

Section 10         Representations, Warranties and Covenants

 

(1)

Asset Warranty. In relation to each Asset, Provider shall (or shall procure that its Affiliates or Subcontractors shall, as applicable) pass to Customer and its Affiliates the benefit of the warranty provided by the relevant manufacturer in the relevant purchase agreement for such Asset (or where Provider or one of its Affiliates is the manufacturer, the warranty in the Provider or its Affiliate’s standard terms) (the “Manufacturers Warranty”). Customer shall, upon reasonable notice by Provider, effect any actions required under any such Manufacturer’s Warranty in order to activate or maintain the same. To the extent the Manufacturer’s Warranty period has lapsed, no warranty shall cover the Assets. For the avoidance of doubt and except as set out above in this Section 10(1), Provider shall not provide or be deemed to provide Customer with any express or implied warranty regarding Assets or be otherwise liable for any lack of recourse of Customer under any Manufacturer’s Warranty. Warranties to be provided by Provider to Customer in respect of any item of Equipment are limited solely to those expressly set forth in a relevant Equipment Purchase Agreement.

 

(2)

Mutual Representations and Warranties. Each Party represents and warrants to the other Party (and acknowledges that the other Party is relying on such representations and warranties in connection with entering into this Agreement) that:

 

  (a)

such Party is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and is qualified to do business in all jurisdictions in which qualification is necessary in order to transact its business and perform its obligations set out in this Agreement;

 

16


  (b)

such Party has all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as now being conducted by it;

 

  (c)

the person executing this Agreement and each Statement of Work on its behalf has express authority to do so and to bind the Party;

 

  (d)

it has obtained all necessary approvals, consents and authorizations to enter into, and to perform its obligations under, this Agreement and each Statement of Work;

 

  (e)

it is not under any current obligation or restriction, nor will it knowingly assume any such obligation or restriction, that does or could interfere with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement in any material respect;

 

  (f)

the execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement or any Statement of Work does not violate in any material respect any provision of any bylaw, charter, regulation, or any other governing authority of the Party, or any other agreement to which it is a party, and its obligations under this Agreement, including each Statement of Work, are valid and binding obligations; and

 

  (g)

it is not insolvent or the subject of any insolvency, winding up or similar proceedings in its country of incorporation.

 

(3)

Additional Provider Representations, Warranties and Covenants. As of the Closing, Provider further represents, warrants and covenants to Customer (and acknowledges that Customer is relying on such representations, warranties and covenants in connection with entering into this Agreement) that:

 

  (a)

it and its personnel possess the necessary technology, skills and experience to perform Provider’s obligations under this Agreement and each Statement of Work;

 

  (b)

this Agreement and each Statement of Work, when executed, are and shall be legal, valid and binding obligations of Provider (or its Affiliates, as applicable);

 

  (c)

Provider’s (and its Affiliates’) provision and Customer’s (and its Affiliates’) use of the Services and the Provider Materials, does not and will not infringe or misappropriate the Intellectual Property Rights of any Person. Provider is and will be the legal and beneficial owner or authorized licensee of all Intellectual Property Rights in and to the Services and the Provider Materials and has the full power and authority to grant the rights in and to Services and the Provider Materials and to provide the Services and the Provider Materials as contemplated in this

 

17


  Agreement without the consent of any Person. Provider is not aware of any infringement or misappropriation claims by any third party in relation to the Services or the Provider Materials;

 

  (d)

Provider has sufficient capacity, and Provider has no knowledge of facts or circumstances that would limit Provider’s ability, to: (i) perform the Services and (ii) manufacture (or procure the manufacture of) the Equipment in all material respects as contemplated by this Agreement;

 

  (e)

no portion of the Services or the Provider Materials contains or will contain any virus, Trojan horse, worm, logic bomb, drop-dead device, backdoor, shutdown mechanism, expiry code or similar software, or combination of any of the foregoing that is intended or designed to, is operable to, is likely to or has the effect of disabling, deleting, erasing, denying authorized access to, permitting unauthorized access to, repossessing, damaging, destroying, corrupting or otherwise affecting or interfering with the Services, the Assets or any data or files on or used in conjunction with any of them; and

 

  (f)

there are no material outstanding litigation, arbitration or other disputed matters to which Provider is a Party which may have a material adverse effect upon the supply or operation of the Services, the Provider Materials or the fulfilment of Provider’s responsibilities and obligations pursuant to this Agreement or any Statement of Work. Provider will inform Customer in the event that any material litigation, arbitration or other disputed matter occurs, or is reasonably likely to occur, which will have a material adverse effect upon the provision of the Services, the Provider Materials or the ability of Provider to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(4)

Additional Customer Representations, Warranties and Covenants. As at Closing, Customer further represents, warrants and covenants to Provider (and acknowledges that Provider is relying on such representations, warranties and covenants in connection with entering into this Agreement) that:

 

  (a)

it has (or will have) a valid and enforceable right of access to and use of land at each Physical Location by legally binding lease, hosting or agreement with similar effect and is in good standing under such agreement(s) with the respective Physical Location provider(s) and it will not do or cause to be done, or omit to do, anything that would constitute a material breach of such agreement(s);

 

  (b)

it has entered into and maintains legally binding energy supply agreements with appropriate providers under which MW are deliverable and accessible at each Physical Location in sufficient amounts for any Statement of Work issued under this Agreement;

 

18


  (c)

this Agreement and each Statement of Work, when executed, are legal, valid and binding obligations of Customer (or its Affiliates, as applicable); and

 

  (d)

there are no material outstanding litigation, arbitration or other disputed matters to which Customer is a Party which may have a material adverse effect upon the payment for the Services, the Provider Materials or the fulfilment of Customer’s responsibilities and obligations pursuant to this Agreement or any Statement of Work. Customer will inform Provider in the event that any material litigation, arbitration or other disputed matter occurs, or is reasonably likely to occur, which will have a material adverse effect upon the payment for the Services, the Provider Materials or the ability of the Customer to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.

Section 11         Confidential Information

 

(1)

Confidential Information. Each Party (the “Receiving Party”) agrees that all non-public information furnished to it by the other Party or its Affiliates (the “Disclosing Party”), including software, pricing, financial information, business strategies, design information, methodologies, specifications, and other commercial and technical information to which it has access under this Agreement, are deemed confidential and proprietary information or trade secrets (collectively, “Confidential Information”) of the Disclosing Party and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the Disclosing Party. The Receiving Party shall treat the Confidential Information in a confidential manner using the same degree of care as it uses to protect its own confidential information of a like nature, but no less than a reasonable degree of care given the sensitivity of the information and the circumstances of its disclosure. Subject to Section 11(2) and Section 11(3), the Receiving Party may use and copy the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information only in direct furtherance of the purposes of this Agreement. Except to the extent necessary in connection with the exercise of its rights or the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or as otherwise permitted under Section 11(2) or Section 11(3), neither Party may directly or indirectly disclose the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information other than to its employees, advisors, lenders and investors on a “need to know” basis, but only after they have been advised of the information’s confidential and proprietary nature, and have agreed to protect same on terms no less onerous than the terms of this Section 11.

 

(2)

Exceptions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Receiving Party has no obligation to preserve the confidentiality of any information that is:

 

  (a)

previously known, or received rightfully by the Receiving Party without any obligation to keep it confidential;

 

  (b)

distributed to third parties by the Disclosing Party without restriction;

 

19


  (c)

publicly available other than by unauthorized disclosure by the Receiving Party; or

 

  (d)

independently developed by the Receiving Party as evidenced by its records.

 

(3)

Required Disclosure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, each Party may, in its capacity as a Receiving Party, disclose Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party:

 

  (a)

if and to the extent required by a governmental or regulatory authority or pursuant to the rules of a recognized stock exchange, on condition that, to the extent permitted by Law, before disclosing such Confidential Information, the Receiving Party uses commercially reasonable efforts to promptly notify the Disclosing Party of the required disclosure and, at the Disclosing Party’s cost and expense, cooperates with the Disclosing Party to take such steps as it desires to challenge or contest such disclosure or seek a protective order; or

 

  (b)

if the Receiving Party is required by a governmental or regulatory authority or pursuant to the rules of a recognized stock exchange to disclose Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party (including this Agreement) pursuant to applicable securities Laws, the Receiving Party will promptly notify the Disclosing Party and will fully cooperate and work in good faith with the Disclosing Party to determine appropriate redactions from the Confidential Information.

 

(4)

Securities Law Matters. Each Receiving Party acknowledges that access to the Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party may provide the Receiving Party with material information concerning the Disclosing Party which has not been publicly disclosed. Accordingly, the Receiving Party may be subject to applicable securities Laws that may restrict its ability to disclose such information to others or to purchase or sell securities. Each Party as a Receiving Party acknowledges and agrees that it shall fully comply with such Laws.

Section 12         Audit Rights

 

(1)

Audits. Customer and its Controlled Affiliates (where they have purchased or requested Services) and each of their respective authorized representatives, shall have the right to documentary audit (including Records) regarding Provider’s provision of the Services and Equipment and compliance with its other obligations under this Agreement where Customer is compelled by, or in connection with a formal request from, a United States regulator or governmental authority. Provider shall procure that Customer is provided with such assistance as it reasonably requires for such audits. Customer shall cover Provider’s reasonable, evidenced costs incurred in connection with any audit.

 

(2)

Regulatory compliance. Provider shall at all times cooperate with any regulator in connection with the Services and shall provide all such reasonable assistance as Customer may require in dealing with regulators as is relevant to the Services from time to time.

 

20


(3)

Books and Records. Provider shall maintain complete and accurate records of its activities related to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement (“Records”) and shall retain such records for a minimum period of six (6) years after the end of the Term, or such longer period as may be required by applicable Law.

 

(4)

Inspection of the Costs. Without prejudice to Section 12(1), upon no less than fourteen (14) days’ written notice of the Customer, the Provider shall grant access or provide to the Customer to all Records (or copies thereof) pertaining to the calculation of the Service Fees (as defined in Section 6(1)).

 

(5)

Confidentiality. All Records will be “Confidential Information” for the purposes of this Agreement.

Section 13         Indemnification; Right of Set-Off

 

(1)

Subject always to Section 14 below, Provider agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Customer and its Controlled Affiliates, and their respective directors, officers and employees (each, an “Indemnitee”) from and against all suits at law or in equity and from all liabilities, damages, costs, losses, claims and expenses (including legal and other professional fees) (collectively, “Losses”) incurred by an Indemnitee resulting from:

 

  (a)

any material breach by Provider or its Affiliates, including their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and subcontractors (collectively, “Personnel”), of its obligations under this Agreement;

 

  (b)

any gross negligence, criminal act, fraudulent act, fraudulent omission or willful misconduct by Provider, its Affiliates or any Personnel;

 

  (c)

any damage, loss or destruction of any tangible, real or personal property while in the possession or control of Provider, its Affiliates or any Personnel, or otherwise to the extent caused by any act, omission or willful misconduct of Provider, its Affiliates or any Personnel;

 

  (d)

Provider or its Affiliates (i) having made inaccurate warranties or representations, or (ii) otherwise acting beyond the scope of its authority, in each case as expressly set out in this Agreement;

 

  (e)

Personnel’s grossly negligent acts, or omissions (including claims for death, personal injury, or damage to property);

 

  (f)

infringement of a third party’s Intellectual Property Rights, excluding Losses resulting from (i) a use of the Provider Material in a manner not contemplated by the user manuals provided by Provider, (ii) Customer’s gross negligence, (iii) Provider’s compliance with or use of designs, requirements, specifications, instructions or alterations supplied or developed by the Customer or its Affiliates; and

 

21


  (g)

the employment or termination of employment of any Provider Personnel (including notice pay, redundancy or severance costs) whom the Customer, its Affiliates or any successor supplier does not wish to employ (in circumstances where, on termination or expiry of this Agreement or any Statement of Work, the Customer, its Affiliate or such successor supplier is required or deemed by operation of Law to assume the obligations of employer to such Personnel).

 

(2)

Subject always to Section 14 below, Customer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Provider and its Affiliates, successors, and assigns, and their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents (each and “Indemnitee”) from and against all suits at law or in equity and from all Losses incurred by an Indemnitee resulting from the Customer Materials infringing or misappropriating any Intellectual Property Rights of any third party, excluding Losses resulting from (i) the use of the Customer Materials in a manner not permitted by this Agreement, (ii) Indemnitees’ negligence, or (iii) compliance with or use of designs, requirements, specifications, instructions or alterations supplied or developed by the Provider or its Affiliates.

 

(3)

Upon a third party threatening or bringing a claim in respect of which either Party has given an indemnity pursuant to this Agreement (the “Indemnitor”), the Indemnitee shall notify the Indemnitor as soon as reasonably practicable upon becoming aware of the claim and:

 

  (a)

the Indemnitor shall, at its own expense, defend the claim and have sole control of the conduct of the defense and settlement of the claim, provided that the Indemnitee shall have the right to:

 

  (i)

where appropriate, participate in any defense and settlement, such participation to be at its own cost where it is not pursuant to a request for participation from the Indemnitor and in any event the Indemnitor shall remain in control of the conduct of the defense;

 

  (ii)

review the terms of any settlement and approve any wording which relates to an admission of liability on the part of the Indemnitee or which the Indemnitee reasonably believes shall impact the Indemnitee’s reputation (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld) and reasonably veto any proposed admission of liability by the Indemnitor in respect of the Indemnitee and any such settlement or admission (including its terms) shall be the Confidential Information of both Parties; and

 

  (iii)

join the Indemnitor as a defendant in legal proceedings arising out of the claim;

 

  (b)

the Indemnitee shall:

 

22


  (i)

not make any admissions (except under compulsion of applicable Law), agree to any settlement or otherwise compromise the defense or settlement of the claim without the prior written approval of the Indemnitor; and

 

  (ii)

give, at the Indemnitor’s request and cost, all reasonable assistance in connection with the defense and settlement of the claim; and

 

  (c)

if the Indemnitor does not elect to defend the claim or does not, following such election, actively defend the claim, then:

 

  (i)

the Indemnitee shall have the right to defend or settle the claim in the manner it considers appropriate, at the cost of the Indemnitor (including in respect of any Losses for which the Indemnitor is liable pursuant to the indemnity and legal costs on an attorney-client basis); and

 

  (ii)

the Indemnitor shall give, at Indemnitee’s request, all reasonable assistance in connection with the conduct of the defense and settlement of the claim at the cost of the Indemnitor.

 

(4)

Right of Set-Off. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Parties shall have the right to set off amounts due and payable to the other Party against any Losses owing by that other Party (and/or its Affiliates) to the relevant Party pursuant to this Agreement.

Section 14         Limitation of Liability

 

(1)

Exclusion of Damages. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SECTION 14(3), NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING IN ANY STATEMENT OF WORK, IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY OR ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR AGGRAVATED DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING INDIRECT LOSSES OF: (i) SAVINGS, (ii) BUSINESS, (iii) PROFIT, (iv) DATA, (v) USE, OR (vi) GOODWILL), EVEN IF NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE OF SUCH POSSIBILITY ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED TO THIS AGREEMENT HOWSOEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF CAUSE OR ACTION OR THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE.

 

(2)

Limitation on Liability. Except as provided in Section 14(3), in no event shall the aggregate liability of either Party, its Affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents, for Losses arising under or in connection with this Agreement, including any Statement of Work, exceed the total amount of Service Fees paid by Customer to Provider under this Agreement (and all Statements of Work) during the twelve (12) month period preceding the first claim made under this Agreement (or if Services have not been performed throughout the preceding twelve (12) month period, a prorated amount determined by taking the fees paid or payable for Services under this Agreement (and all Statements of Work) divided by each full month in which such Services were rendered and multiplying that amount by 12).

 

23


(3)

Exceptions. The exclusions and limitations set forth in this Section 14 shall not apply to:

 

  (a)

Losses suffered or incurred by the Customer or its Affiliates as a result of any deliberate and sustained cessation of any portion of the Services provided under a Statement of Work by Provider or its Affiliates without a bona fide attempt to resume such portion of the Services or to remedy the cause of such cessation;

 

  (b)

the indemnities under Section 13(1)(b), Section 13(1)(e), Section 13(1)(f) and Section 13(1)(g);

 

  (c)

(i) gross negligence or intentional misconduct of a Party, its Affiliates or any Personnel, or (ii) personal injury or death, fraud or other criminal activity of a Party, its Affiliates or any Personnel;

 

  (d)

any Losses relating to deliberate misappropriation by Provider or its Affiliates of any cryptocurrency generated from mining activities of the Equipment (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include Losses relating to the fluctuation in market price of such cryptocurrencies);

 

  (e)

any failure to pay Service Fees by the Customer or its Affiliates; or

 

  (f)

the extent that any liability cannot be excluded or limited under applicable Law.

 

(4)

Power Agreements. For the avoidance of doubt, Provider shall have no liability to Customer under or pursuant to this Agreement, whether for Losses or otherwise, to the extent such losses arise directly or indirectly due to the failure of any energy provider to supply energy, or Customer to receive supply of energy, for any reason whatsoever under any Power Agreement.

 

(5)

Reasonableness. The Parties agree that these limitations are fundamental conditions of contract, are reasonable under the circumstances, and that the Parties would not have entered into the Agreement or any Statement of Work but for the inclusion of these limitations on its liability.

Section 15         Termination.

 

(1)

Right of Termination. In addition to the Parties’ respective termination rights under Section 3, Section 7(1) and Section 21(4), this Agreement or any Statement of Work may be terminated immediately by either Party upon written notice to the other Party if:

 

  (a)

the other Party or any of its Affiliates commits a material breach of this Agreement which (in the case of a breach capable of being remedied) is not remedied or compensated to the reasonable satisfaction of the non-breaching Party within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of a written request to do so by the non-breaching Party (it being acknowledged and agreed that a failure to pay undisputed Service Fees by Customer in accordance with Section 6 shall constitute a material breach and shall be subject to the foregoing thirty (30) day cure period); or

 

24


  (b)

either Party: (i) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; (ii) files an application for a bankruptcy order, or an application for a bankruptcy order is made in respect of such party; (iii) applies for or acquiesces in the appointment of any receiver, trustee or similar officer to liquidate or conserve its business or any substantial part of its assets; or (iv) commences under the Laws of any jurisdiction any proceeding for relief under the relevant bankruptcy or insolvency Laws or successor legislation, or corresponding legislation in applicable foreign jurisdictions, involving its insolvency, reorganization, adjustment of debt, dissolution, liquidation or other similar proceedings for the release of financially distressed debtors.

 

(2)

Unless expressly provided otherwise in any Statement of Work, this Section 15 sets out the only grounds on which this Agreement or any Statement of Work may be terminated.

Section 16         Effect of Termination or Expiry.

 

(1)

General. Upon the termination or expiry of this Agreement or a Statement of Work for any reason, all outstanding and undisputed amounts owing pursuant to a terminated Statement of Work will become due and payable. The terms and conditions of this Agreement will apply to any Services delivered by Provider after the termination the relevant Statement of Work, although the delivery of the Services will not in any way be construed as an agreement by either Party to renew this Agreement or the Statement of Work for a further term. The termination of a Statement of Work will be without prejudice to the accrued rights and liabilities of either Party and shall not automatically terminate any other Statements of Work in effect under this Agreement.

 

(2)

Termination Assistance. Upon the expiry or termination of this Agreement or any Statement of Work, however and whenever occurring, at Customer’s request, Provider (or its applicable Affiliate) shall provide all reasonable termination assistance to Customer (or its applicable Affiliate) at no cost to Customer of its Affiliates. As part of its termination assistance, Provider shall perform such tasks as reasonably requested by Customer to assist in an expeditious and orderly transition of the Services to Customer or a successor supplier (including providing access to and use of the applicable Physical Location(s)). This Section 16(2) shall not apply in the event of termination for material breach of this Agreement by Customer under Section 15(1) above.

 

(3)

Survival. All provisions which are expressly stated to survive or which by their nature should reasonably survive the termination or expiry of the Agreement or a Statement of Work for any reason, shall so survive, including Section 7, Section 8, Section 9, Section 11, Section 12, Section 13, Section 14, Section 16, Section 18, Section 21(1), Section 21(2), Section 21(5), Section 21(7), Section 21(9), Section 21(12), Section 21(14), and Section 21(16).

 

25


Section 17         Most Favored Customer and Non-Compete

 

(1)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, all of the prices, benefits, and terms granted by Provider to Customer pursuant to this Agreement are hereby warranted by Provider to be no less favorable to Customer than the prices, benefits and terms that are being offered by Provider to any of its other customers for:

 

  (a)

in respect of the Services, similar services in the territory of the United States; and

 

  (b)

in respect of the Assets and Equipment, similar assets and equipment (as applicable), whether in the territory of the United States or elsewhere.

 

(2)

If at any time during the Term Provider reduces the sales price referred to in Section 17(1)(a) or Section 17(1)(b) (as applicable) below that paid by Customer, then Customer will be entitled to the benefit of such price reduction for the same with effect from such date of third party reduction (and not retrospectively) (the “Price Protection”). Where Price Protection shall arise and apply, Provider shall inform Customer as soon as reasonably practicable and apply the applicable discounted price to the next following invoice or Statement of Work.

 

(3)

During the Term of this Agreement Provider undertakes to Customer that:

 

  (a)

subject to Section 17(3)(b), below, it will not engage in, establish, hold a position as shareholder, partner or investor, or otherwise participate, directly or indirectly, in any entity or person that is engaged exclusively or primarily in the business of maintaining and running a digital asset infrastructure in any state or states in the United States for the purposes of production of computational power compliant with SHA256 or other cryptographic algorithms which assume digital assets as rewards as a result of monetization of that computational power (“Restricted Business”).

 

  (b)

This Section 17(3) shall not apply to any ownership interest Provider may have or hold, directly or indirectly, in securities of an entity or person conducting Restricted Business where (i) gross revenues of such business constitute less than twenty (20) percent of overall gross revenues of such entity or person, or (ii) such securities constitute or relate to less than ten (10) percent of the fully diluted share capital of such entity or person.

Section 18         Dispute Resolution

 

(1)

General. The Parties will act reasonably in interpreting and enforcing this Agreement and each Statement of Work. Any issue concerning this Agreement or a Statement of Work will initially be addressed by each Party’s Project Managers and, in the event that resolution cannot be achieved within a reasonable timeframe, either Party may escalate the issue to the Parties’ respective CEOs for resolution. If the Parties are not successful in

 

26


  resolving an issue pursuant to such process, or if the issue is material and either Party believes the Parties will not be successful resolving such issue or dispute pursuant to such process, then either Party may issue a formal written notice (a “Dispute Notice”) that a dispute (“Dispute”) has arisen and Section 18(2) will apply. For the avoidance of doubt, a Dispute may include any claim, difference or controversy arising out of, relating to or in connection with the Agreement, including disputes as to its existence, validity, interpretation, performance, breach, termination, or the consequences of its nullity, and disputes in relation to non-contractual obligations arising in connection with the Agreement or its purpose.

 

(2)

Escalation of Disputes to Arbitration. Except for Disputes involving Confidential Information or the infringement or misappropriation of Intellectual Property Rights (in which case either Party will be free to seek available remedies in the courts of New York) and as provided in Section 18(3) if the Dispute is unresolved by each Party’s representatives within seven (7) days after the issuance of the Dispute Notice (or such other period of time agreed to in writing by the Parties) then such Dispute shall be resolved as follows:

 

  (a)

a Party shall commence arbitration in respect of a Dispute by delivering to the other Party and to the International Chamber of Commerce (the “ICC”) a written notice of arbitration. The Dispute will be arbitrated and resolved under the Rules of the ICC. The ICC Rules are incorporated by reference into this Section;

 

  (b)

the claimant and the respondent shall each nominate on arbitrator for appointment and confirmation by the ICC court. The ICC court shall appoint the chairman;

 

  (c)

the seat of the arbitration will be the city of New York, New York, United States, the language of the arbitration will be English. If the Dispute requires parties to rely upon documents in any other language then the said documents shall be accompanied by an English translation (in whole, or in relevant part, as appropriate);

 

  (d)

there will be three (3) arbitrators. The claimant and the respondent shall each nominate on arbitrator for appointment and confirmation by the ICC court. The ICC court shall appoint the chairman;

 

  (e)

the arbitration will be kept confidential and the existence of the proceeding and any element of it (including any pleadings, briefs or other documents submitted or exchanged, any testimony or other oral submissions and any awards) will not be disclosed beyond the arbitrators, the Parties, their counsel and any person necessary to the conduct of the proceeding, except as may lawfully be required in judicial proceedings relating to the arbitration or otherwise or as may be required by applicable Law;

 

27


  (f)

this arbitration provision will be governed by and interpreted and enforced in accordance with the laws of the state of New York; and

 

  (g)

judgment upon any award(s) rendered by the arbitral tribunal may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

 

(3)

Equitable Relief. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, a Party shall have the right to apply to the courts of New York to seek injunctive or other equitable relief, on either an interim or permanent basis, for any claim arising under or in connection with this Agreement.

 

(4)

Continued Performance. Each Party agrees to continue performing its obligations under this Agreement while any Dispute is being resolved and without limiting either Party’s rights to terminate this Agreement as provided in Section 15.

Section 19         Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning

 

(1)

The Parties acknowledge that within three (3) months from the effective date of the first Statement of Work, Provider shall provide the Customer with a formal written business continuity and disaster recovery plan, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Customer (the “Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan”). From and after the date of delivery of the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan until the expiry or termination of this Agreement or the last Statement of Work, Provider shall comply with the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan.

 

(2)

During the Term, Provider will immediately report to Customer: (i) any significant changes to the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan; and (ii) any event that could materially affect the delivery of the Services or result in Losses to Customer or its Affiliates.

 

(3)

Provider agrees that, upon request by Customer, Provider will provide to Customer a summary of any business continuity and disaster recovery test results relating to any of the Services.

Section 20         Governance of Relationship during Term

Within ten (10) days from the effective date of the first Statement of Work, Provider and Customer will each designate an employee as its project manager (the “Project Manager”) who will act as the primary contact for each Party with respect to all matters relating to this Agreement and the Statements of Work, along with such other employees to fulfill functions agreed by the Parties as useful in order to effectively manage the Services. The Project Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the ongoing tasks and activities involved in the performance of the Services. Provider shall also identify the designated personnel of Provider (or its Affiliates) (together with the Project Manager, the “Key Personnel”) who will be assigned to perform

 

28


Provider’s obligations under this Agreement and the Statements of Work. Provider will not permit any Key Personnel to cease to perform those obligations that he or she has been assigned to perform, except for reasons of illness, resignation, termination for cause or other causes outside the reasonable control of Provider, or, at Customer’s request. If Provider removes any Key Personnel, Provider promptly will propose for approval by Customer (not to be unreasonably refused) a replacement employee who has the qualifications, expertise and knowledge required to carry out the obligations under this Agreement and the Statements of Work. Provider will be responsible for costs and expenses for the period required to equip such replacement personnel with knowledge necessary to perform at the same level as the replaced personnel. The Project Manager will meet regularly with Customer to report on progress to Customer and compliance with this Agreement and the Statement of Work (including compliance with service levels and uptime requirements), and to identify and resolve issues. Provider shall provide such information relating to the Services and this Agreement, and attend such governance and relationship meetings, as Customer may reasonably request from time to time.

Section 21         Miscellaneous Provisions

 

(1)

Governing Law. This Agreement, including each Statement of Work, and any non-contractual rights or obligations arising out of or in connection with them, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the laws of state of New York and the federal laws of United States applicable therein, but without regard to conflict of laws provisions. To the extent to which it would otherwise apply, the Parties hereby expressly exclude the application of the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods to this Agreement.

 

(2)

Compliance with Laws. At all times during the Term and in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, each Party will comply with, and cause its personnel and subcontractors involved in the provision or receipt of the Services to comply with, all applicable Laws.

 

(3)

Assignment. Each Party agrees that it may not assign this Agreement or any Statement of Work or any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or a Statement of Work, in the absence of the other Party’s prior written consent. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, Provider shall have the right to assign this Agreement, and all rights and obligations hereunder, to any Affiliate of the Provider subject to prior written notice to Customer; provided, that such assignee shall remain an Affiliate of Provider, failing which Provider shall re-assign this Agreement to another Affiliate of Provider.

 

(4)

Force Majeure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Provider shall not in any circumstances be in breach of this Agreement nor liable for delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of its obligations under this Agreement if such delay or failure results from events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control, including strikes, lock-outs or other industrial disputes (with the exception of the workforce of Provider), failure of a utility service (including planned or unplanned power outages or

 

29


  breakdowns in power transmission) or transport, telecommunications or internet network, equipment failure, system failure, act of God or nature, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack, war (whether declared or not) or threat or preparation for war, riot, civil commotion, pandemic, malicious damage, changes to any Law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, fire, explosion, rain, flood, storm, lightning or other extreme weather conditions, earthquake, subsidence, epidemic or other natural disaster, or involuntary power curtailment, maintenance and repair downtime (“Force Majeure”). Upon claiming the occurrence of a Force Majeure event, the party claiming Force Majeure will promptly provide the other Party with written notice of the event and the estimated period of delay. If a Force Majeure event results in a delay of more than forty-five (45) days, the Party not claiming Force Majeure may, at its option, elect to terminate the affected Statement of Work by giving notice to the other Party in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Party affected by an event of Force Majeure shall not be relieved of its obligations hereunder unless it has used commercially reasonable efforts to (and shall continue to use for the duration of such Force Majeure event to): (i) recommence performance of the obligations that it has failed to perform as a result of such Force Majeure event without delay, (ii) in the case of Provider, to the extent it cannot recommence performance, mitigate the impact of such Force Majeure event on the provision of the Services. If a Force Majeure event causes Provider to allocate limited resources between or among Provider’s customers, Customer and its Affiliates shall not be placed in a lower priority to any other similarly affected customers of Provider. Where the provision of the Services or part thereof is prevented or affected by a Force Majeure event, the Customer’s obligation to pay the Services Fees shall be reduced commensurate with the Services that are not performed or part performed until Provider resumes full performance of that part of the Service in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. This Section shall not limit Provider’s business continuity and disaster recovery obligations pursuant to Section 19, except to the extent that such obligations are themselves prevented by the relevant event.

 

(5)

Non-Solicitation. During the Term and ending one year following the termination of this Agreement, each Party undertakes to the other that it shall not, without the other Party’s prior written consent, directly or indirectly; (i) solicit or encourage any person to leave the employment or other service of the other Party or its Affiliates; or (ii) hire, on behalf of tit or its Affiliates or any other person or entity, any person who has left the employment within the one year period following the termination of that person’s employment with the other Party or its Affiliates, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to any general, non-targeted recruitment campaign by either Party or its Affiliates. During the period commencing on the date hereof through and ending one year following the termination of this Agreement, each Party will not, whether for its own account or for the account of any other Person, intentionally interfere with the relationship of the other Party or its Affiliates with, or endeavor to entice away from the other Party or its Affiliates, any person who during the term of the Agreement is, or during the preceding one-year period, was a tenant, co-investor, co-developer, joint venturer or other customer of the other Party or its Affiliates.

 

30


(6)

Amendments. Neither this Agreement nor an individual Statement of Work may be amended or modified except in writing signed by the authorized representatives of both Parties (or in the case of a Statement of Work, by authorized representatives of both parties to such Statement of Work). No course of dealing or usage of trade by or between the Parties shall be deemed to affect any such amendment or modification.

 

(7)

Publicity. Subject to Section 11(3), neither Party will independently issue a press release or make any other disclosure regarding this Agreement or any Statement of Work, or about the other Party or the other Party’s business generally, without the other’s prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

 

(8)

Relationship. The Parties are independent contractors, and nothing in the Agreement will be construed as to be inconsistent with that relationship. Under no circumstances will any of a Party’s personnel be considered employees or agents of the other Party. Nothing in this Agreement grants either Party the right or authority to make commitments of any kind for the other, implied or otherwise, without the other Party’s prior written agreement. Neither this Agreement nor any Statement of Work constitutes or creates, in any manner, a joint venture, agency, partnership, or formal business organization of any kind.

 

(9)

Severability. If one or more provisions of this Agreement is held to be unenforceable under applicable Law: (i) the unenforceable portion will not affect any other provision of this Agreement; (ii) the Agreement will be construed as if the unenforceable provision was not present; and (iii) the Parties will negotiate in good faith to replace the unenforceable provision with an enforceable provision with effect nearest to that of the provision being replaced.

 

(10)

No Waiver. Failure by either Party to insist upon the performance of any term, covenant, or condition in this Agreement, or to exercise any rights under this Agreement, will not be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of the future performance of any such term, covenant, or condition, or the future exercise of any such right, and the obligation of each Party with respect to such future performance will continue in full force and effect.

 

(11)

Cumulative Remedies. The rights and remedies of each Party under or this Agreement and each Statement of Work are cumulative, may be exercised as often as such Party (in its absolute discretion) considers appropriate and are in addition to its rights and remedies under applicable Law.

 

(12)

Notices. Any notice required to be sent or given to Provider or Customer will be sent by personal delivery, confirmed facsimile or email, or reputable international courier service,

 

31


  return receipt requested, addressed to the Party at the address set out at the head of this Agreement, or such other address as a Party may notify the other from time to time in accordance with this Section. Notice will be deemed to have been received upon physical receipt by the recipient, as evidenced by the fax confirmation or return receipt. Notices received after 5:00 p.m. local time, or on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in the place of receipt will be deemed to have been received at 9:00 a.m. on the next business day.

 

(13)

Further Assurances. In furtherance of the provisions hereof, the Parties agree to take or cause to be taken such further actions and to execute, deliver and file, or cause to be executed, delivered and filed, such further documents and instruments as may be required or reasonably necessary in order to fully effectuate the purposes, terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

(14)

Representation by Counsel; Fair Negotiation. Each Party agrees that it has read and understands this Agreement, and that it has had the opportunity to be represented by independent counsel of its choice in the negotiation of this Agreement. This Agreement will therefore be deemed to have been negotiated and prepared at the joint request, direction, and construction of the Parties, at arms’ length and with the advice and participation of counsel, and will be interpreted in accordance with its terms without favor to either Party.

 

(15)

Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including its schedules and all agreed Statements of Work, is the entire agreement and understanding between the Parties with respect to the Services, and supersedes all prior communications, representations and agreements between the Parties, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of a Statement of Work. The Parties acknowledge that no reliance is placed on any communication, representation or agreement made but not embodied in this Agreement and waive any right either Party may have in respect of any misrepresentation not contained in this Agreement, unless such misrepresentation was made fraudulently.

 

(16)

Signed Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, which may include counterparts executed and delivered by emailed scan or facsimile, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which when read together shall constitute one and the same document.

 

(17)

Rights of Third Parties. A person who is not a party to this Agreement shall have no rights to enforce any of its terms. Each Party represents to the other that their respective rights to terminate, rescind or agree any amendment, variation, waiver or settlement under this Agreement are not subject to the consent of any person that is not a party to this Agreement.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank. Signature page follows.]

 

32


IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of August 26, 2021.

 

CIPHER MINING TECHNOLOGIES INC.

    BITFURY TOP HOLDCO B.V.
By:  

/s/ Tyler Page

    By:  

/s/ Oleg Blinkovs

Name:   Tyler Page     Name:   Oleg Blinkovs
Title:   Chief Executive Officer     Title:   Managing Director

[Signature Page to Master Services and Supply Agreement]


SCHEDULE 1

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

A. DESIGN, PROCUREMENT AND DEPLOYMENT

 

1.

Overall project management, including:

 

  a.

Project management and quality control

 

  b.

Process quality control and execution management

 

  c.

Timing and budget management

 

  d.

Risk management

 

2.

Site selection for future data centers, including:

 

  a.

Consultations on site selection

 

  b.

Technical due diligence

 

  c.

Commercial negotiations with power producers, transmission providers and market operators

 

3.

Basic and detailed engineering, with IFB, IFCR, IFC packages:

 

  a.

Civil:

 

  i.

Overall site layout

 

  ii.

Site grading layout, site grading Clauses

 

  iii.

Foundation layout, foundation plans and Clauses

 

  iv.

Pile schedule, fencing and gates

 

  v.

Offices layout, IT-trailer, workshop, warehouse and auxiliary buildings

 

  vi.

Utilities communications (water, sewage, heating, etc)

 

  b.

Electrical communication design:

 

  i.

Power system study reports

 

  ii.

Single line diagram: site overall

 

  iii.

Transformer skids and switchgear single-line and specifications

 

  iv.

Single line diagram IT Office/Office/Workshop and auxiliary buildings

 

  v.

Cable routing and cable trays details, cables schedule

 

  vi.

Lightning protection report and Lightning protection layout

 

  vii.

Site grounding study and layout

 

  viii.

BBAC electrical layout and communication plan

 

  c.

SCADA and network layout:

 

  i.

Communication strategy

 

  ii.

Overall site SCADA design

 

  iii.

BlockBox SCADA design

 

1


4.

Procurement:

 

  a.

Energy equipment:

 

  i.

High voltage equipment (transformers, breakers, switches, etc)

 

  ii.

Medium and Low voltage equipment, such as switchgears, transformer with skids, electrical panels, etc

 

  iii.

Cables and accessories

 

  b.

Construction services

 

  c.

Offices trailers, warehouses, workshops

 

  d.

Spare parts stock

 

  e.

Logistics

 

  f.

Other equipment, services and materials, required for project completion.

 

5.

Construction, including:

 

  a.

Ground works:

 

  i.

Ground levelling

 

  ii.

Fencing and gates

 

  iii.

Grounding

 

  iv.

Foundations installation for BBACs, switchgears, offices etc

 

  v.

Cable routes preparations (cable trays or in trenches)

 

  vi.

Site backfilling with gravel/road slabs

 

  vii.

Security system implementing

 

  viii.

Other measures, required by project and/or local authorities, incl. environmental measures

 

  ix.

BBAC unloading, installation and deployment

 

  x.

Setting up the offices and auxiliary buildings (warehouse, workshop etc)

 

  b.

Electrical works:

 

  i.

Unloading energy equipment

 

  ii.

Interconnection with the local utility

 

  iii.

Cables assembly and terminations

 

  iv.

Equipment interconnection and testing

 

  v.

Auxiliary power supply panel and UPS installation and setting up

 

  vi.

Diesel generator installation and tie-in

 

  c.

SCADA:

 

  i.

Fiber connection installation and welding

 

  ii.

Weather station assembly and setting up

 

  iii.

Operator room installation and setting up

 

6.

Commissioning:

 

  a.

Factory acceptance tests for BBAC and major energy equipment

 

  b.

Site acceptance testing upon receiving equipment on-site (energy equipment, BBACs, diesel generators etc)

 

2


  c.

PLC programming, deployment, HMI/Historian development and programming, feeder protection relay configuration and programming, Ethernet network device configuration

 

  d.

Equipment energization and launch

 

7.

As-built documentation

 

8.

Personnel training:

 

  a.

Operator training for PLC/SCADA/HMI systems

 

  b.

Instruction package for operational personal

 

  c.

Major components O&M manuals

 

  d.

Safety policy and procedures development

 

9.

Maintenance schedule preparation and operational support.

B. OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

 

1.

24x7 DC monitoring services, including:

 

  a.

Overall DC performance monitoring

 

  b.

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system centralized monitoring

 

  c.

Power Infrastructure performance, transformers temperature and load monitoring

 

  d.

Each BBAC Hashrate, electrical load, humidity and temperature monitoring

 

  e.

IT trailer inside temperature monitoring

 

  f.

CCTV system monitoring

 

  g.

Physical security monitoring

 

  h.

UPS monitoring

 

  i.

Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) system of miner monitoring and remote control

 

2.

Miners maintenance, including:

 

  a.

PSU change

 

  b.

Hashboard change

 

  c.

Motherboard replacements

 

  d.

Fan control board replacements

 

  e.

Busbar board replacements

 

  f.

Software and Firmware updates

 

  g.

OrangePi microcomputer replacements

 

  h.

Data communication cables replacement

 

3


  i.

SD cards cloning and change

 

  j.

Fans replacements

 

  k.

Servers general cleaning

 

3.

BBAC container maintenance, including:

 

  a.

PLC (Programmable logic controller) parameters set, maintenance and

 

  b.

replacement

 

  c.

Air filters maintenance and change

 

  d.

Temperature and humidity sensors maintenance

 

  e.

Electrical cabinet & power lines maintenance

 

  f.

Emergency stop system maintenance

 

  g.

Network switches and power splitters maintenance and replacement

 

  h.

Mini-PC data logger maintenance and replacement

 

  i.

UPS maintenance and replacement

 

  j.

Automatic louvres control system maintenance and replacement

 

  k.

Receptacles and fuses maintenance and replacement

 

  l.

BBAC clearing

 

4.

IT core network and management servers’ maintenance, including:

 

  a.

Wi-Fi access control system management and maintenance

 

  b.

On-site LAN maintenance

 

  c.

Telemetry system VLAN configuration and maintenance

 

  d.

Redundant and secure internet access and performance monitoring

 

  e.

General IT system access monitoring and reporting

 

  f.

Pool server monitoring and redundancy

 

  g.

Voice services (mobile phones and control)

 

  h.

Mobile data services

 

  i.

Management server’s data backup system maintenance

 

  j.

Disaster recovery services

 

  k.

Secure VPN remote access services

 

  l.

IT 24x7 emergency support services

 

  m.

UPS and Diesel generator power for IT network and equipment

 

5.

Software parameters configuration, including:

 

  a.

Miners software and firmware optimal parameters and configuration sets

 

  b.

Voltage and OSC parameters and ASIC maximum performance configuration

 

  c.

sets

 

  d.

Pool, difficulty, worker etc. mining parameters set

 

  e.

Fan speed control

 

6.

Electricity infrastructure maintenance, including:

 

  a.

Mid voltage (25KV) electricity supply from substation, cables and infrastructure

 

4


  b.

25KV cubical switches (on/off device) maintenance

 

  c.

25KV splitters maintenance

 

  d.

25KV to 0.4KV 2500Kva oil transformer monitoring and maintenance

 

  e.

0.4KV electricity distribution system maintenance

 

  f.

Diesel generator (for office, workshop and IT network UPS) maintenance (oil change, filters, battery, diesel fuel check, etc.)

 

  g.

UPS for critical infrastructure maintenance

 

  h.

Grounding and lightning strike protection system maintenance

 

  i.

PLC and SCADA system for monitoring and reporting maintenance

 

  j.

Territory lights

 

7.

Miners performance management system support, including:

 

  a.

Security configuration and environment updates

 

  b.

Hashrate reporting

 

  c.

Miners performance reporting

 

  d.

Tools for software and firmware updates

 

8.

Ventilation and air conditioning system maintenance, including:

 

  a.

On-site office and workshop facilities ventilation system maintenance

 

  b.

On-site office and workshop facilities air conditioning system maintenance

 

  c.

On-site office and workshop facilities heating system maintenance

 

  d.

IT trailer air conditioning, heating, and ventilation system maintenance

 

  e.

IT trailer temperature monitoring system maintenance

 

  f.

Electronics repair trailer special ventilation system

 

9.

General facility and territory maintenance, including:

 

  a.

Office, workshops and BBAC cleaning

 

  b.

Territory cleaning

 

  c.

Snow removal

 

  d.

General facility maintenance and repairs

 

  e.

On-site water closet maintenance

 
  f.

Kitchen services (team, coffee, fridge, microwave, etc.)

 

  g.

Catering services

 

  h.

On-site service vehicles maintenance

 

  i.

Security guards trailer maintenance

 

10.

Water supply, including:

 

  a.

On-site office needs water supply

 

  b.

Drinking water supply

 

  c.

Wastewater utilization

 

  d.

On-site office needs water system maintenance

 

5


  e.

On-site office water heating / cooling system maintenance

 

11.

BBAC water walls maintenance (optional, for extra hot weather only)

 

  a.

Water walls cleaning

 

  b.

Water walls replacement

 

12.

Electronics diagnostics and repairs, including:

 

  a.

PSU repairs

 

  b.

Hash boards repairs, ASIC and Powerchips replacement

 

  c.

Motherboards repairs

 

  d.

Fan control boards repairs

 

  e.

Busbar boar repairs

 

  f.

OrangePi repairs

 

  g.

Diagnostics of overall system components

 

13.

Software and Firmware updates and development services, including:

 

  a.

Software improvements and bug fixes

 

  b.

Firmware improvements and bug fixes

 

  c.

New functionality implementations

 

  d.

Optimal performance improvements

 

  e.

R&D team 24x7 emergency support

 

14.

Security systems maintenance, including:

 

  a.

Facility CCTV services and system maintenance

 

  b.

Access control services and system maintenance

 

  c.

Security guards 24x7 services

 

  d.

Fire alarm services and system maintenance

 

  e.

Storage facilities alarm services and system maintenance

 

  f.

Territory fence maintenance

 

15.

Warehouse and logistics, including:

 

  a.

Repair parts sourcing and delivery

 

  b.

Facility maintenance materials sourcing and delivery

 

  c.

Electricity infrastructure replacement parts sourcing and delivery

 

  d.

Cooling systems repair and maintenance parts sourcing and delivery

 

  e.

Global ad-hoc logistics and supply management services

 

  f.

Cargo unload, load, and secure transport packing

 

  g.

Export and import services

 

  h.

Storage and warehouse management

 

6


16.

Environment, health, and safety, including:

 

  a.

Electrical safety trainings and certification

 

  b.

Emergency first response trainings and certification

 

  c.

Work safety procedures, monitoring and auditing

 

  d.

Hazards awareness

 

  e.

Safety audit and improvement program

 

17.

Project management and quality control, including:

 

  a.

Projects management and execution control

 

  b.

Process quality control

 

  c.

Documentation, procedures, and policies

 

7


SCHEDULE 2

PROCEDURE & FORM OF STATEMENT OF WORK

Ordering Process. Customer will place written orders for Services under the terms of this Agreement, by issuing to Provider a Statement of Work, as appropriate. Unless otherwise agreed upon, Customer will submit Statement of Work to Provider via electronic method (e.g. facsimile, email, etc.). Provider will not consider verbal orders for Services to be valid until confirmed by Provider’s receipt of an approved Statement of Work from Customer.

Each Statement of Work will include the following information:

 

1.

Date Issued;

 

2.

Parties;

 

3.

Physical Location;

 

4.

Assets;

 

5.

Description of Services (to include one or more from Schedule 1, e.g. “B.2.a. (PSU change)”);

 

6.

Additional Services (optional);

 

7.

Improvements (optional);

 

8.

Term:

Service Commencement Date;

Service End Date;

Renewal Term (optional);

 

9.

Fees and Payment:

Service Fee;

Additional Expenses (optional);

Early Termination Fee (optional).

The Parties have caused this Statement of Work to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the dates set out below, but with the intention that it be effective as of the Service Commencement Date.

 

8


Acceptance of Statement of Work. Provider will use best efforts to accept Statement of Work by providing Customer a written acknowledgment of such Statement of Work within twenty four (24) hours of receipt, with said acceptance of Statement of Work not to exceed forty-eight (48) hours.

Change Order. Customer may issue a Change Order in order to (i) implement any change or modification as required by or permitted by this Agreement; or (ii) correct typographical or clerical errors.

At any time prior to Provider’s delivery of the Service, or any component thereof, to the common carrier, Customer may issue a Change Order to: (i) change a Physical Location; (ii) modify the quantity; (iii) modify the commencement and end dates; (iv) order Services(s) which are of a superior quality, Improvements to, new release of or new option(s) of the Services, (consistent with the respective Description of Services in Schedule 1), set forth in the Statement of Work; or (v) any other reason contemplated by this Agreement. Any such Change Orders are to be reviewed with Provider to determine what (if any) further price / scheduling adjustments are necessary based on the changes submitted by Customer.

Cancellation. Customer may cancel all or any portion of the Statement of Work only within twenty-four (24) hours of its execution.

STATEMENT OF WORK FORM

The Services provided under this Statement of Work are subject to the terms and conditions of the Master Services Agreement dated             2021 and the Services Schedule 1 concluded between Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V., (hereinafter referred to as “Provider”) and Cipher Mining Technologies Inc.., on behalf of itself and its Affiliates, (“Customer”) (“Agreement”).

 

Service Order Date:

  

Statement of Work Number:

 

 

Description of Services:

 

All Services in Schedule 1

 

   Y/N

Item Number from Schedule 1

 

    

Additional Service not in Schedule 1

 

    

Additional Information / Comments on Services:

 

 

9


Please indicate any particular requirement with respect to Services

 

 

Physical Location(s):

 

Physical Location:

 

    
Temporary Relocation   

Y/N

 

Please confirm whether you require Services outside Physical Location and if yes, please indicate such location

 

Duration at Temporary Relocation   

Please indicate the period during which the Services will be provided in the Temporary Location

 

Equipment:   

List the equipment currently available at a Physical Location and covered by this Statement of Work

 

 

Bill of Materials:

 

Description:

 

   Quantity:    Price:
           
           
           

 

Term:

 

Recurring Service

 

   Y/N

Commencement Date & Time

 

   Day/Month/Year/Hour

End Date

 

   Day/Month/Year/Hour

 

10


Renewal

 

   Day/Month/Year/Hour

Additional Information / Comments on Services:

 

Please indicate any particular requirement with respect to Services

 

 

Pricing and Payment:

 

Service Fee

 

    

Cost of Materials (if any)

 

    

Other Fees and Expenses (if any)

 

    
Invoicing Date   

If left blank, the general provisions of the Agreement will apply

 

Payment Term   

If left blank, the general provisions of the Agreement will apply

 

Applicable Sales Tax to Service Fee

 

    

Applicable Sales Tax to Materials

 

    

Total Service Fee

 

    

Total Cost of Materials

 

    

 

Deviations:

 

In this Section the Parties may restate a particular Section of the Agreement which, in the restated form, will apply only with respect to the Services under this Statement of Work. If you would like the provision not to apply to the Statement of Work, please indicate “Deleted”

Section #

 

   [Title]

[Restated Provision]

 

Section #

 

   [Title]

 

11


[Deleted]

 

Section #

 

   [Title]

[Restated Provision]

 

 

Schedules & Attachments

 

[Title]

 

   [Description]

 

[Insert name of Customer or its applicable Affiliate]      [Insert name of Provider or its applicable Affiliate]
Per:   

 

     Per:   

 

   Authorized Signatory         Authorized Signatory                                                             
Date:      Date:

 

12


SCHEDULE 3

SERVICE LEVELS

 

1.

Technical Support and Problem Resolution:

1.1    Technical Support. Provider will provide Customer with Technical Support around the clock every calendar day (365x24). To facilitate such support, Provider will provide Customer with e-mail and telephone number (including online chat with support personnel) for submission of all Support Requests to on-call support technicians.

All requests for technical support will be logged using the Provider’s centralized ticketing system to enable us to appropriately assign and track the progress requests. Staff will coordinate with requestors to complete all tasks. Customer will be informed by e-mail from the ticketing system when requests have been assigned or status updated, or completed.

Root cause analysis will be performed, to understand why the problem happened and what actions shall be performed, if possible, to prevent such from happening (or lower the probability) in the future.

For the purposes of this Schedule 3, “System” shall mean the Equipment, Provider Materials and the Services.

1.2    Problem Classification. The following Problem Classification Table definitions are used for classifying performance issues.

 

Severity Level

  

Criteria

Severity 1 (Critical)   

The whole System or significant part is non-operative or significantly impaired and cannot be conducted without significant delay, if at all. No known work around is

currently available.

Severity 2

(Degraded)

   The System does not function as designed.

Severity 3

(Minimal)

  

This group includes problems that have little or no impact

on daily business process.

1.3    Response Expectations. Immediately upon Provider’s knowledge that the System failed to operate in conformance with the Services Description and other specifications, Customer will classify the problem according to the Problem Classification Table, above, and Provider will assign engineers to resolve the problem as required in the Response Expectation Table, below.


1.4    Response Expectation Table. The following Response Expectation Table specifies the required response for problems based upon the Severity Level assigned by Customer. The table specifies the maximum amount of time permitted to respond.

 

Severity Level

  

Criteria

  

Response Time

Severity 1 (Critical)    The whole System or significant part is non-operative or significantly impaired and cannot be conducted without significant delay, if at all. No known work around is currently available.    30 minutes
Severity 2 (Degraded)    The System does not function as designed.    1 hour between 9 am and 5 pm on Business Days; 2 hours otherwise
Severity 3 (Minimal)    This group includes problems that have little or no impact on daily business process *    1 business day

 

*

The Parties agree that some Severity Level 3 problems lack commercial justification on which to expend resources and, therefore, may never be resolved.

1.5    Escalation Process. All problems with a Severity Level of 1 or 2 will be escalated if a solution or plan of resolution cannot be achieved. Provider management will be made aware of issues according to the following timeframes. Escalations will occur in accordance with the following schedule:

Severity Level 1 and 2 Problem Escalation.

Hours 0 to 6: Provider’s onsite support and shift lead, site operations management and engineering personnel are notified and actively working the event.

Hour 7: Provider’s Global Director of Equipment Operations and HQ engineering team are notified and involved in the problem resolution.

Hour 12: Provider’s executive management team including the CEO are notified and involved in the problem resolution.


2.

Scheduled Maintenance:

Provider will notify about both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Services may not be available during the maintenance periods. Planned Preventive Maintenance (PM) is taking precautionary and proactive steps against unscheduled equipment downtime and other avoidable failures. The purpose of the PM is to institute scheduled maintenance and inspections so that defects can be spotted before they evolve into something more severe. Regular preventive maintenance is critical to maintaining the reliability of the System performance and infrastructure. Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) will be used for maintenance tasks planning and tracking.

Outside vendors scheduled maintenance plans that may affect System performance, will be included in Provider’s maintenance schedule, and communicated. Provider shall be entitled to perform scheduled maintenance on the System, provided such maintenance will (i) be performed in a planned manner and consolidated maintenance works at the same time, as few as possible times per calendar month (estimated not more often than once per week), (ii) not exceed eight (8) hours in total per maintenance execution day and (iii) where possible, be conducted at times likely to cause the least amount of disruption to the operation of the System.

Provider shall be entitled to perform System shutdowns due to power price increase or participation in power saving programs, if that makes financial sense and savings. Such System planned outages will not be considered.    

 

3.

Reporting and Failures to Perform:

Promptly following the end of each month during the Term, Provider shall provide a report containing details of any Failures to Perform (as defined below) over the preceding month, including a summary of any remedial actions taken in respect of the same as required below. The information contained within the reports shall be classified as Records, and Provider shall provide access to the same upon request by Customer at any time during the Term.

In the event that (i) Provider fails to respond to any Severity 1 Problem within the response time indicated in paragraph 1.4 above, (ii) in any calendar month, Provider fails to respond to any three or more Severity 2 or 3 Problems within the response times indicated in paragraph 1.4 above, (iii) Provider fails to escalate any Severity 1 or 2 Problem in accordance with the escalation timescales set out in paragraph 1.5 above, and/or (iv) in any calendar month, Customer experiences downtime of the technical support described in this Schedule 3 of 400 minutes or (excluding downtime in connection with scheduled maintenance that has been agreed in advance by Customer) (each, a “Failure to Perform”), Provider shall:

 

   

promptly (and in any event within fourteen (14) days) investigate, and report on the causes of, the underlying issues which led to the Failure to Perform, including performing an appropriate root cause analysis (and provide Customer with a copy of the output of the same);


   

provide regular updates to Customer regarding the status of remedial efforts being undertaken with respect to such underlying issues; and

 

   

(following the investigation and report detailed above) take appropriate preventive measures so that the underlying issues and Failures to Perform do not recur (and provide details of the same to Customer, upon request).

In the event that either Provider fails to take the above remedial actions in respect of any Failure to Perform or the same Failure to Perform is repeated despite such actions having been taken, Provider shall (at Customer’s request):

 

   

make available senior Provider representatives to meet Customer representatives, to review and discuss the on-going performance of the Services; and

 

   

put in place a focused recovery programme, to be agreed with Customer, setting out (further) remedial action to be taken by Provider in respect of the Failures to Perform. Provider will ensure that senior representatives will be responsible for leading and monitoring the progress of the steps undertaken pursuant to such recovery programme.

 

4.

Service Level Credits:

Starting on the Commencement Date and every six (6) months thereafter, the Parties shall agree on the target hashrate to be generated by the Equipment at each Physical Location in respect of the following six (6) month period, taking into account expected diminution in hashrate, including diminution resulting from environmental factors and normal wear and tear (the “Performance Commitment”). On a quarterly basis during the Term, Provider shall report on the actual hashrate generated by the Equipment at each Physical Location during the previous quarter. If the Performance Commitment is not met in respect of a particular Physical Location across any quarter as a whole during the Term, and the relevant diagnostic reporting demonstrates that such failure resulted from a failure by Provider to perform the Services in accordance with the standards set out in this Schedule 3, Customer will be eligible to receive a service credit in respect of each such Physical Location, as outlined in the below table:

 

Monthly Actual Hashrate

  

Rating

  

Service Credit

95% of the Performance Commitment or above    Meets or exceeds target    None
Below 95% but above 90% of the Performance Commitment    Below target    1.25% of Service Fee in respect of the relevant Physical Location
At or below 90% of the Performance Commitment    Significantly below target    2.5% of Service Fee in respect of the relevant Physical Location


If Customer brings an action based on the same circumstances that gave rise to the payment of a service credit, any future award of damages arising as a result of that action shall, to the extent that the award does not take such service credit into account, be reduced by the amount of such service credit.


SCHEDULE 4

EQUIPMENT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

1.

INTERPRETATION

1.1.    The definitions and rules of interpretation in this clause apply in these Conditions.

Acceptance: Bitfury’s acceptance of the Customer’s Order by countersigning the Order.

Affiliate(s): means, a Person which is an affiliate of another Person or group of Persons if one of them is Controlled, directly or indirectly, by the other or another Person or group of Persons Controlled, directly or indirectly, by the other, or if each of them is directly or indirectly under Control of the same Person or group of Persons. In this Contract, a Person (the first Person) is considered to control another Person (second Person) if the first Person, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns or exercises control or direction over securities of the second Person carrying votes which, if exercised, would entitle the first Person to elect a majority of the directors of the second Person. “Person” means a natural person, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, corporation, limited liability corporation, unlimited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity. “Control” means in relation to a Person, the power of another Person to secure that the affairs of such Person are conducted in accordance with the wishes of that other Person: (a) by means of the holding of shares or other equity, or the possession of voting power, in or in relation

to that Person or any other Person; or (b) by virtue of any powers conferred by the constitutional or corporate documents, or any other document, regulating that Person or any other Person.

Bitfury: to be confirmed in the Order.

Bitfury Materials: all software, other equipment and materials which may or may not include Proprietary Materials.

Conditions: the terms and conditions set out in this document (as amended and varied from time to time).

Confidential Information, Disclosing Party and Receiving Party: as defined in Condition 15.

Contract: the contract between Bitfury and the Customer for the sale and purchase of the Equipment in accordance with these Conditions and each Order.

Customer: the person, firm or company who purchases Equipment from Bitfury.

Effective Date: the effective date of the first Order.

Equipment: the equipment as set out in each Order.

Improvements: any improvements to the Equipment, Bitfury Materials, service levels, business processes or other operations, or any other aspect of Bitfury’s operations relating to this Contract (including any upgrades, improvements or modifications or

 


other operations to the Equipment), that will, in the reasonable opinion of Bitfury, enable Customer and its Affiliates to maintain or enhance the running of diverse cryptographic hash functions in connection with the mining of cryptocurrency.

Intellectual Property Rights: all rights in patents, utility models, trade marks, service marks, logos, getup, trade names, internet domain names, copyright (including rights in computer software), design rights, moral rights, database rights, topography rights, confidential information and knowledge (including know how, inventions, secret formulae and processes, market information, and lists of customers and suppliers), and rights protecting goodwill and reputation, in all cases whether registered or unregistered, all other forms of protection having a similar nature or effect anywhere in the world to any of the foregoing and all applications for or registrations of any of the foregoing rights.

Laws: all applicable legislation, statutes, directives, regulations, judgments, decisions, decrees, orders, instruments, by-laws, and other legislative measures or decisions having the force of law, treaties, conventions and other agreements between states, or between states and the European Union or other supranational bodies, rules of common law, customary law and equity and all civil or other codes and all other laws of, or having effect in, any jurisdiction from time to time.

Order: a signed purchase order from Customer to Bitfury for Bitfury to supply the Equipment to Customer in accordance with these Conditions in the form provided in Exhibit A hereto.

Proprietary Materials: all inventions, Improvements, discoveries and ideas (whether patentable or copyrightable or not), and all works and materials, including but not limited to, products, tools, devices, computer programs, source codes, processes, procedures, texts, designs, drawings, documentation, engineering materials, specifications, data or other information, in preliminary or final form, and on any media whatsoever, owned or controlled (by license or otherwise) by a Party.

Sales Taxes: as defined in Condition 4.1.

1.2.     every reference to a particular Law shall be construed also as a reference to all other Laws made under the Law referred to and to all such Laws as amended, re-enacted, consolidated or replaced or as their application or interpretation is affected by other Laws from time to time and whether before or after the Effective Date;

1.3.    references to Exhibits and Schedules are references to sections of and exhibits to this Contract, and each of the Exhibits shall form part of this Contract;

1.4.    references to the singular shall include the plural and vice versa and references to one gender include any other gender;

1.5.    references to times of the day are to local time in the relevant location unless otherwise stated;

1.6.    references to writing shall include any modes of reproducing words in a legible and non-transitory form;

1.7.    references to any New York legal term for any action, remedy, method of judicial proceeding, legal document, legal

 


status, court official or any other legal concept or thing shall in respect of any jurisdiction other than New York be deemed to include what most nearly approximates in that jurisdiction to the New York legal term;

1.8.    words introduced by the word “other” shall not be given a restrictive meaning because they are preceded by words referring to a particular class of acts, matters or things;

1.9.    general words shall not be given a restrictive meaning because they are followed by words which are particular examples of the acts, matters or things covered by the general words and the words “includes” and “including” shall be construed without limitation;

1.10.    headings and sub-headings are inserted for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of this Agreement;

1.11.    references to this Contract include this Contract as amended or varied in accordance with its terms.

1.12.    

 

2.

BASIS OF CONTRACT

2.1.    Each Order constitutes an offer by the Customer to purchase the Equipment in accordance with these Conditions.

2.2.    A Contract shall come into existence upon Acceptance of an Order.

2.3.    To the extent that the terms of an Order expressly contradict these Conditions, the terms of the Order shall control.

2.4.    Without prejudice to the terms and conditions of the Master Services Agreement dated              2021 concluded between Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V. and Cipher Mining

Technologies Inc. (the “Agreement”), these Conditions apply to the Contract to the exclusion of any other terms that the Customer seeks to impose or incorporate, or which are implied by trade, custom, practice or course of dealing. The Customer specifically acknowledges that any samples, drawings, descriptive matter, or advertising produced by Bitfury and any descriptions or illustrations contained in Bitfury’s catalogues or brochures are produced for the sole purpose of giving an approximate idea of the Equipment described in them. They shall not form part of the Contract or have any contractual force.

 

3.

QUANTITY AND DESCRIPTION

3.1.    The quantity and description of the Equipment shall be as set out in each Order.

3.2.    Any typographical, clerical or other error or omission in any sales literature, quotation, price list, acceptance of offer, invoice or other document or information issued by Bitfury shall be subject to correction without any liability on the part of Bitfury.

3.3.    Bitfury reserves the right (but does not assume the obligation) to make any changes in the specifications of the Equipment which are required to conform with any applicable Laws or regulations or which do not materially affect their quality or performance.

3.4.    Bitfury’s employees, contractors and agents are not authorised to make any representations or contractually binding statements concerning the Equipment.

 


4.

PRICES

4.1.    All prices shall be as stated in each Order. Unless otherwise provided in the Order, all prices are exclusive of Taxes. Customer shall be responsible for the payment of all sales, retail, use, goods and services, harmonized sales, value added, excise and similar taxes (collectively, “Sales Taxes”) imposed by any governmental or regulatory authority in connection with Customer’s purchase and receipt of the Equipment. To the extent permitted by Law, if Customer has provided Bitfury with a certificate of exemption with respect to any Sales Taxes otherwise payable hereunder by Customer, Customer shall not be required to pay such Sales Taxes. Customer shall not be subject to any taxes arising from the Order other than Sales Taxes including any indirect taxes and any other taxes, duties, royalties, or levies, all of which will be borne by Bitfury.

4.2.    Unless otherwise provided in the Order, all prices are exclusive of delivery, packaging, packing, shipping, carriage, insurance and other charges and duties and importation costs. The Customer is responsible for all such costs.

 

5.

PAYMENT

5.1.    The Customer shall pay the invoiced price specified for the Equipment in cleared funds (or in another manner mutually agreed in writing between the parties) at the time of payment as stated in each Order. Payment shall be made according to the instructions supplied in writing by Bitfury or as stated in each Order.

 

5.2.    Unless otherwise provided in the Order, Bitfury may also invoice the Customer for (a) the Sales Taxes, (b) costs of delivery for the Equipment; (c) costs of insuring the Equipment during delivery; and (d) any other costs associated with delivering the Equipment. The Customer shall pay such invoice(s) in full in cleared funds within seven calendar days of the invoice date.

5.3.    If the Customer fails to make payment in full on the due date, the whole of the balance of the price of the Equipment then outstanding shall become immediately due and payable and, without prejudice to any other right or remedy available to Bitfury, Bitfury shall be entitled to: (a) terminate the Contract or suspend the delivery of Equipment to the Customer; (b) charge interest on the amount outstanding from the due date to the date of receipt by Bitfury (whether before or after any judgment), at the rate of the lesser of 10% per annum or, if applicable, the maximum permitted under New York law, accruing on a daily basis and being compounded quarterly; (c) suspend all further manufacture, delivery, installation or warranty service until payment has been made in full; and (d) make a storage charge for any undelivered Equipment at its current rates from time to time.

5.4.    All sums payable to Bitfury under the Contract shall become due immediately on its termination, notwithstanding any other provision of the Contract. This Condition is without prejudice to any right to claim for interest under applicable Law, or any right under the Contract.

 


5.5.    The Parties shall have the right to set off amounts due and payable to the other Party against any amounts owing by that other Party (and/or its Affiliates) to the relevant Party pursuant to this Contract.

 

6.

ACCEPTANCE AND DELIVERY OF EQUIPMENT

6.1.    Without prejudice to Bitfury’s obligations with respect to the supply of Equipment under the Agreement, Bitfury shall not be under any obligation to supply all or any of the Equipment ordered by the Customer, until Acceptance. Bitfury shall promptly but not later than forty-eight (48) hours after receipt of an Order from Customer, notify the Customer in writing as to whether Bitfury accepts or does not accept the Order. Upon Acceptance of the Order, the Customer and Bitfury shall be bound by the terms thereof.

6.2.    Bitfury shall deliver the Equipment on the date(s) and location(s) specified in the Order(s).

6.3.    The Customer shall be responsible (at the Customer’s cost) for preparing the delivery location for the delivery of the Equipment and for the provision of all necessary access and facilities reasonably required to deliver and install the Equipment. If Bitfury is prevented from carrying out delivery or installation on the specified date because no such preparation has been carried out, Bitfury may levy additional charges to recover its loss arising from this event.

6.4.    The Customer shall be deemed to have accepted the Equipment when the

Customer has had seven (7) days to inspect it after delivery.

6.5.    Bitfury may take out insurance for the delivery of the Equipment, the cost to be borne by the Customer.

 

7.

RISK AND PROPERTY

7.1.    The Equipment shall be at the risk of Bitfury until delivery to the Customer at the place of delivery specified in the Order. Bitfury shall off-load the Equipment at the Customer’s risk.

7.2.    Unless otherwise provided in the Order, ownership of the Equipment shall pass to the Customer on the completion of delivery (including off-loading).

 

8.

INSPECTION AND TESTING OF EQUIPMENT

8.1.    Bitfury shall: (a) test and inspect the Equipment on delivery to ensure that it complies with the requirements of the Contract; and (b) if so requested by the Customer, give the Customer reasonable advance notice of such tests (which the Customer shall be entitled to attend).

 

9.

COMPLIANCE WITH LAW

9.1.    The Customer shall be responsible for complying with any applicable Laws and regulations in relation to receipt and use of the Equipment, including those governing: (a) the importation of the Equipment into the country of destination; and (b) the export and re-export of the Equipment, and shall be responsible for the payment of any duties on it.

 


9.2.    The Customer warrants, represents and covenants to Bitfury that it: (a) shall not import, distribute, deploy and use the Equipment in any non-member state of the United Nations or any country subject to any sanctions program of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury; (b) shall import, distribute, deploy and use the Equipment solely in compliance with all applicable Laws and regulations; (c) shall use the Equipment only for generating SHA-256 computing power; and (d) shall not (and shall not permit any person to) modify the Equipment, or reverse assemble, reverse compile or reverse engineer the Equipment, or otherwise attempt to discover any underlying proprietary information.

 

10.

MUTUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

10.1.    Each Party represents and warrants that: (i) it is a corporate entity in good standing in its jurisdiction of incorporation; (ii) it has obtained all necessary approvals, rights, licenses, consents and authorizations (collectively, the “Consents”) to enter into, and to perform its obligations under, this Contract and each Order and copies of all such Consents have been provided to the other Party; (iii) the Person executing this Contract and each Order on its behalf has and will have express authority to do so and to bind the Party; (iv) it is not under any current obligation or restriction, nor will it assume any such obligation or restriction, that does or could materially interfere with the performance of its obligations under this Contract; (v) the execution, delivery, and performance of this Contract or any Order

does not violate any provision of any by applicable Law, charter, regulation, or any other governing authority of the Party, or any other agreement to which it is a party, in such a manner as to impede, materially delay, or prevent the performance of its obligations under this Contract or any Order, and its obligations under this Contract, and each Order, are valid and binding obligations of that Party; (vi) no filing with or notice to any relevant governmental entity is required on the part of such Party as a condition to the lawful completion of the transactions contemplated by this Contract; (vii) it has complied in all material respects with all applicable Laws, orders, judgments and decrees other than any act of non-compliance which, individually or in the aggregate, is not material; (viii) there is no claim, action, proceeding or investigation pending or in progress or, to the knowledge of such Party, threatened against or relating to such Party affecting any of its properties or assets before any governmental entity, which could impede, materially delay, or prevent the performance of its obligations under this Contract or any Order; and (ix) it is not insolvent within the meaning of applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or fraudulent conveyance Laws and no act or proceeding has been taken by or against such Party in connection with the dissolution, liquidation, winding up, bankruptcy or reorganization of such Party nor, to the knowledge of such Party is any such act or proceeding threatened.

 


11.

EQUIPMENT WARRANTY

11.1.    Bitfury warrants to the Customer that the Equipment, other than any power supply unit, is free from defects of workmanship and materials, and that under normal use and conditions, it will operate substantially in accordance with, and perform, the material functions and features as set out in the product description in the Order for a period of 90 days following delivery. Bitfury undertakes (subject to the remainder of this Condition 11), at its option, to repair or replace Equipment (including with refurbished parts or refurbished Equipment) which is found to be defective as a result of faulty materials or workmanship within 90 days of delivery. Any repaired or replacement Equipment shall be under warranty for the unexpired portion of the 90-day period.

11.2.    In cases where the Equipment is not located at Bitfury’s facilities, Bitfury shall not in any circumstances be liable for a breach of the warranty or undertake any warranty service contained in Condition 11.1 unless: (a) the Customer gives written notice of the defect to Bitfury within seven (7) days of the time when the Customer discovers or ought to have discovered the defect; and (b) after receiving the notice, Bitfury is given a reasonable opportunity to examine such Equipment for the defect or malfunction at its current location or, if asked to do so by Bitfury, the Customer returns such Equipment to Bitfury’s premises (or those of Bitfury’s agent or sub-contractor) or a repair facility specified by Bitfury at Bitfury’s cost. Bitfury shall be responsible for delivering up the Equipment after any warranty service. Bitfury shall not in any circumstances be liable for a breach of the warranty in

Condition 11.1 if the Customer makes any use of Equipment in respect of which it has given written notice under Condition 11.2(a).

11.3.    The warranty does not apply to (a) normal wear and tear; and (b) damage to or loss of the Equipment caused by Force Majeure Events. In addition, in cases where the Equipment is not located at Bitfury’s facilities, the warranty does not apply to: (i) damage resulting from accident, abuse, misuse, neglect, improper handling or improper installation (except for when these actions were taken by Bitfury or its Bitfury’s Affiliate(s)); (ii) damage caused by operator error, or non-compliance with manufacturer’s instructions as to the storage, installation, commissioning, electric powering, internet connectivity, use or maintenance of the Equipment or (if there are none) good trade practice (except for when such or non-compliance is attributable to Bitfury’s or its Affiliate(s)); (iii) alterations or repairs to the Equipment without the written consent of the manufacturer; (iv) damage or loss of functionality due to interoperability with the Customer’s software and/or hardware; and (v) burnt hashboards or chips resulting from improper use of the Equipment or use outside its normal application.

 

12.

REMEDIES

12.1.    Any liability of Bitfury for non-delivery of the Equipment shall in all circumstances be limited to the amount paid by Customer for the Equipment.

12.2.    If any claim by the Customer under Condition 11 is subsequently found by Bitfury to be outside the scope or duration of

 


the warranty in Condition 11, the costs of transportation of the Equipment, investigation and repair shall be borne by the Customer.

 

13.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

13.1.    The following provisions set out the entire financial liability of Bitfury (including any liability for the acts or omissions of its employees, agents and sub-contractors) to the Customer in respect of: (a) any breach of the Contract howsoever arising; and (b) any representation, misrepresentation (whether innocent or negligent), statement or tortious act or omission (including negligence) arising out of or in connection with the Contract.

13.2.    All warranties, conditions and other terms implied by statute or common law, including any warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, good title, satisfactory quality and noninfringement are specifically disclaimed by Bitfury and excluded from the Contract to the fullest extent permitted by Law.

13.3.    Nothing in these Conditions excludes or limits the liability of Bitfury for: (a) death or personal injury caused by Bitfury’s negligence; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any other liability that cannot by Law be excluded or limited.

13.4.    Subject to Condition 13.3:

(a)    Bitfury shall not in any circumstances be liable under the Contract, whether in tort (including for negligence or breach of statutory duty howsoever arising), contract, misrepresentation (whether innocent or

negligent) or otherwise for: loss or profits, loss of business, depletion of goodwill or similar losses, loss of anticipated savings, loss of goods, loss of contract, loss of use, loss or corruption of data or information, or any special, indirect, consequential or pure economic loss, costs, damages, charges or expenses.

(b)    Bitfury’s total liability in contract, tort (including negligence and breach of statutory duty howsoever arising), misrepresentation (whether innocent or negligent), restitution or otherwise, arising in connection with the performance or contemplated performance of the Contract shall be limited to the amount paid by the Customer for the Equipment.

 

14.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

14.1.    The Customer acknowledges that all Intellectual Property Rights used by or subsisting in the Equipment are and shall remain the sole property of Bitfury or its Affiliate(s) or (as the case may be) a third party.

14.2.    Bitfury or its Affiliate(s) shall retain the property and copyright in all documents supplied to the Customer in connection with the Contract and it shall be a condition of such supply that the contents of such documents shall not be communicated either directly or indirectly to any other person, firm or company without the prior written consent of Bitfury.

14.3.    Bitfury’s Intellectual Property Rights in and relating to the Equipment and to any documents supplied in connection therewith

 


shall remain the exclusive property of Bitfury or its Affiliate(s), and the Customer shall not at any time make any unauthorised use of such Intellectual Property Rights, nor authorise or permit any of its agents or contractors or any other person to do so.

 

15.

CONFIDENTIALITY

15.1.    The Customer shall keep in strict confidence all technical or commercial know-how, specifications, inventions, processes or initiatives which are of a confidential nature and have been disclosed to the Customer by Bitfury or its agents, and any other confidential information concerning Bitfury’s business, the Equipment or any other Bitfury products which the Customer may obtain in connection with this Contract.

15.2.    Each Party (the “Receiving Party”) agrees that all non-public information furnished to it by the other Party or its Affiliates (the “Disclosing Party”), including software, pricing, financial information, business strategies, design information, methodologies, specifications, and other commercial and technical information to which it has access under this Contract, are deemed confidential and proprietary information or trade secrets (collectively, “Confidential Information”) of the Disclosing Party and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the Disclosing Party. The Receiving Party shall treat the Confidential Information in a confidential manner using the same degree of care as it uses to protect its own confidential information of a like nature, but no less than a reasonable degree of care given the

sensitivity of the information and the circumstances of its disclosure. Subject to Conditions 15.3 and 15.4, the Receiving Party may use and copy the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information only in direct furtherance of the purposes of this Contract. Except to the extent necessary in connection with the exercise of its rights or the performance of its obligations under this Contract or as otherwise permitted under Condition 15.3 or 15.4, neither Party may directly or indirectly disclose the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information other than to its employees, advisors, lenders and investors on a “need to know” basis, but only after they have been advised of the information’s confidential and proprietary nature, and have agreed to protect same on terms no less onerous than the terms of this Condition 15.

15.3.    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Receiving Party has no obligation to preserve the confidentiality of any information that is:

15.3.1. previously known, or received rightfully by the Receiving Party without any obligation to keep it confidential;

15.3.2. distributed to third parties by the Disclosing Party without restriction;

15.3.3. publicly available other than by unauthorized disclosure by the Receiving Party; or

 


15.3.4. independently developed by the Receiving Party as evidenced by its records.

15.4.    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, each Party may, in its capacity as a Receiving Party, disclose Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party:

15.4.1. if and to the extent required by a governmental or regulatory authority or pursuant to the rules of a recognized stock exchange, on condition that, to the extent permitted by Law, before disclosing such Confidential Information, the Receiving Party uses commercially reasonable efforts to promptly notify the Disclosing Party of the required disclosure and, at the Disclosing Party’s cost and expense, cooperates with the Disclosing Party to take such steps as it desires to challenge or contest such disclosure or seek a protective order; or

15.4.2. if the Receiving Party is required by a governmental or regulatory authority or pursuant to the rules of a recognized stock exchange to disclose Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party (including this Contract) pursuant to applicable securities Laws, the Receiving Party will promptly notify the Disclosing Party and will fully

 

cooperate and work in good faith with the Disclosing Party to determine appropriate redactions from the Confidential Information.

 

16.

RESTRICTIONS

16.1.    The Customer represents and warrants that it is not nor is any director, officer, agent, employee or Affiliate of the Customer currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC; any EU sanctions administered, inter alia, by European External Action Service (the “EEAS”); or any UK sanctions administered by Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (the “OFSI”). The Customer will not directly or indirectly use the Equipment or any proceeds therefrom, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available the Equipment or such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S, UK or EU sanctions. The Customer will not resell the Equipment to any individual or corporate subject to sanctions under any of the OFAC; EEAS; or OFSI rules.

 

17.

TERMINATION

17.1.    Either Party may terminate the Contract and the Order if: (a) the other Party or any of its Affiliates commits a material breach of any term of the Contract or any Order which (in the case of a breach capable of being remedied) is not remedied within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of a written request to do so by the non-

 


breaching Party (it being acknowledged and agreed that a failure to pay purchase price by Customer in accordance with Condition 5 shall constitute a material breach and shall be subject to the foregoing thirty (30) day cure period); or (b) either Party: (i) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; (ii) files an application for a bankruptcy order, or an application for a bankruptcy order is made in respect of such party; (iii) applies for or acquiesces in the appointment of any receiver, trustee or similar officer to liquidate or conserve its business or any substantial part of its assets; or (iv) commences under the Laws of any jurisdiction any proceeding for relief under the relevant bankruptcy or insolvency Laws or successor legislation, or corresponding legislation in applicable foreign jurisdictions, involving its insolvency, reorganization, adjustment of debt, dissolution, liquidation or other similar proceedings for the release of financially distressed debtors.

17.2.    Conditions 5.5, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 21 and any other provision of this Contract that expressly or by implication is intended to come into or continue in force on or after termination or expiry of this Contract, shall survive termination of the Contract, however arising, and remain in full force and effect.

17.3.    Termination or expiry of this Contract shall not affect any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities of the parties that have accrued up to the date of termination or expiry, including the right to claim damages in respect of any breach of the

Contract which existed at or before the date of termination or expiry.

 

18.

FORCE MAJEURE

18.1.    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Bitfury shall not in any circumstances be in breach of this Contract nor liable for delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of its obligations under this Contract if such delay or failure results from events, circumstances or causes beyond its reasonable control, including strikes, lock-outs or other industrial disputes (with the exception of the workforce of Bitfury), failure of a utility service (including planned or unplanned power outages or breakdowns in power transmission) or transport, telecommunications or internet network, equipment failure, system failure, act of God or nature, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack, war (whether declared or not) or threat or preparation for war, riot, civil commotion, pandemic, malicious damage, changes to any Law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, fire, explosion, rain, flood, storm, lightening or other extreme weather conditions, earthquake, subsidence, epidemic or other natural disaster, or voluntary and involuntary power curtailment, maintenance and repair downtime (“Force Majeure”). For the avoidance of doubt, Bitfury shall not be responsible for any loss of or damage (whether direct or indirect) caused to Customer’s Equipment or business by Force Majeure. Upon claiming the occurrence of a Force Majeure event, the party claiming Force Majeure will promptly provide the other Party with written notice of the event

 


and the estimated period of delay. If a Force Majeure event results in a delay of more than forty-five (45) days, the Party not claiming Force Majeure may, at its option, elect to terminate the affected Order by giving notice to the other Party in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Party affected by an event of Force Majeure shall not be relieved of its obligations hereunder unless it has used commercially reasonable efforts to (and shall continue to use for the duration of such Force Majeure event to): (i) recommence performance of the obligations that it has failed to perform as a result of such Force Majeure event without delay, (ii) in the case of Bitfury, to the extent it cannot recommence performance, mitigate the impact of such Force Majeure event on the supply of Equipment. If a Force Majeure event causes Provider to allocate limited Equipment between or among Provider’s customers, Customer and its Affiliates shall not be placed in a lower priority to any other similarly affected customers of Provider.

 

19.

INDEMNIFICATION

19.1.    Subject always to Condition 13, Provider agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Customer and its Affiliates, and its and their successors, and assigns and respective directors, officers, employees, and agents (each, “Indemnitees”) from and against all suits at law or in equity and from all liabilities, damages, costs, losses, claims and expenses (including legal and other professional fees) (collectively, “Losses”) incurred by an Indemnitee resulting from:

(a)    any material breach by Provider or its Affiliates, including their respective

directors, officers, employees, agents and subcontractors (collectively, “Personnel”), of its obligations under this Contract;

(b)    any gross negligence, criminal act, fraudulent act, fraudulent omission or willful misconduct by Provider, its Affiliates or any Personnel;

(c)    any damage, loss or destruction of any tangible, real or personal property while in the possession or control of Provider, its Affiliates or any Personnel, or otherwise to the extent caused by any act, omission or willful misconduct of Provider, its Affiliates or any Personnel;

(d)    Provider or its Affiliates having made inaccurate or unauthorized warranties, representations or statements, or otherwise acting beyond the scope of its authority as set out in this Contract;

(e)    Personnel’s negligent acts, or omissions (including claims for death, personal injury, or damage to property); or

(f)    infringement a third party’s Intellectual Property Rights, excluding Losses resulting from (i) a use of the Bitfury Materials in a manner not contemplated by the user manuals provided by Bitfury, (ii) Customer’s negligence, (iii) compliance with or use of designs, requirements, specifications, instructions or alterations supplied or developed by Customer or its Affiliates;

19.2.    Subject always to Condition 13, Customer agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Provider and its Affiliates and its and their successors and assigns and

 


respective directors, officers, employees, and agents (each, “Indemnitees”) from and against all Losses incurred by an Indemnitee resulting from the use of the Bitfury Materials, or any component thereof, in combination with another product or products provided by Customer that have not been approved by Bitfury.

 

20.

    TERM

20.1.    The initial term of this Contract shall commence on the Effective Date and, unless terminated earlier as permitted herein, shall expire on the date falling sixty (60) months thereafter (the “Initial Term”). Thereafter the term of this Contract shall renew automatically for consecutive renewal terms of twelve (12) months each (each, a “Renewal Term”, and together with the Initial Term, the “Term”). Either Party may terminate this Contract at the end of the Initial Term or the relevant Renewal Term by delivering written notice of termination to the other Party not later than (i) 12 (twelve) months prior to the end of the Initial Term or, (ii) in the case of any Renewal Term, 6 (six) months prior to the end of such term, as applicable.

 

21.

    MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

21.1.    Governing Law. This Contract and any Order hereunder, and any non-contractual rights or obligations arising out of or in connection with them, shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the laws of state of New York and the federal laws of United States applicable therein, but without regard to conflict of laws provisions. To the extent to which it

would otherwise apply, the Parties hereby expressly exclude the application of the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods to this Contract.

21.2.    Assignment. Each Party agrees that it may not assign this Contract or any Order or any of its rights or obligations under this Contract or an Order, in the absence of the other Party’s prior written consent.

21.3.    Non-Disparagement. Each Party agrees to take no action which is intended, or would reasonably be expected, to harm the other Party or its reputation or which would reasonably be expected to lead to unwanted or unfavourable publicity to such Party. Such actions shall include disparaging remarks, comments or statements that impugn the character, honesty, integrity, morality or business acumen or abilities in connection with any aspect of the operation of the other Party’s business.

21.4.    Non-Solicitation. During the Term and ending one year following the termination of the relevant Order, each Party undertakes to the other that it shall not, without the other Party’s prior written consent, directly or indirectly; (i) solicit or encourage any person to leave the employment or other service of the other Party or its Affiliates; or (ii) hire, on behalf of the it or its Affiliates or any other person or entity, any person who has left the employment within the one year period following the termination of that person’s employment with the other Party or its Affiliates, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to any general, non-targeted recruitment campaign by either Party or its Affiliates. During the period commencing on

 


the date hereof through and ending one year following the termination of this Contract, each Party will not, whether for its own account or for the account of any other Person, intentionally interfere with the relationship of the other Party or its Affiliates with, or endeavor to entice away from the other Party or its Affiliates, any person who during the term of the relevant Order is, or during the preceding one-year period, was a tenant, co-investor, co-developer, joint venturer or other customer of the other Party or its Affiliates.

21.5.    Non-Compete. During the term of this Contract Bitfury undertakes to Customer that it will not engage in, establish, participate in, hold a position as shareholder, partner or investor, or otherwise participate in any business entity that is engaged exclusively or primarily in activities in any State of the United States which are competitive with the business of maintaining and running a digital asset infrastructure for the purposes of production of computational power compliant with SHA256 or other cryptographic algorithms which assume digital assets as rewards as a result of monetization of that computational power (“Restricted Business”). This restriction shall not apply to any ownership interest Provider may have or hold, directly or indirectly, in securities of an entity or person conducting Restricted Business were (i) gross revenues of such business constitute less than twenty (20) percent of overall gross revenues of such entity or person, or (ii) such securities constitute or relate to less than ten (10) percent of the fully diluted share capital of such entity or person.

21.6.    Amendments. Neither this Contract nor an individual Order may be amended or modified except in writing signed by the authorized representatives of both Parties (or in the case of an Order, by authorized representatives of both parties to such Order). No course of dealing or usage of trade by or between the Parties shall be deemed to affect any such amendment or modification.

21.7.    Publicity. Neither Party will independently issue a press release or make any other disclosure regarding this Contract or any Order, or about the other Party or the other Party’s business generally, without the other’s prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

21.8.    Relationship. The Parties are independent contractors, and nothing in the Contract will be construed as to be inconsistent with that relationship. Under no circumstances will any of a Party’s personnel be considered employees or agents of the other Party. Nothing in this Contract grants either Party the right or authority to make commitments of any kind for the other, implied or otherwise, without the other Party’s prior written agreement. Neither this Contract nor any Order constitutes or creates, in any manner, a joint venture, agency, partnership, or formal business organization of any kind.

21.9.    Severability. If one or more provisions of this Contract is held to be unenforceable under applicable Law: (i) the unenforceable portion will not affect any other provision of this Contract; (ii) the Contract will be construed as if the

 


unenforceable provision was not present; and (iii) the Parties will negotiate in good faith to replace the unenforceable provision with an enforceable provision with effect nearest to that of the provision being replaced.

21.10.    No Waiver. Failure by either Party to insist upon the performance of any term, covenant, or condition in this Contract, or to exercise any rights under this Contract, will not be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of the future performance of any such term, covenant, or condition, or the future exercise of any such right, and the obligation of each Party with respect to such future performance will continue in full force and effect.

21.11.    Cumulative Remedies. The rights and remedies of each Party under this Contract and each Order are cumulative, may be exercised as often as such Party (in its absolute discretion) considers appropriate and are in addition to its rights and remedies under applicable Law.

21.12.    Notices. Any notice required to be sent or given to Bitfury or Customer will be sent by personal delivery, confirmed facsimile or email, or reputable international courier service, return receipt requested, addressed to the Party at the address set out at the head of this Contract, or such other address as a Party may notify the other from time to time in accordance with this Clause. Notice will be deemed to have been received upon physical receipt by the recipient, as evidenced by the fax confirmation or return receipt. Notices received after 5:00 p.m. local time, or on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in the place of receipt will be deemed

to have been received at 9:00 a.m. on the next business day.

21.13.    Further Assurances. In furtherance of the provisions hereof, the Parties agree to take or cause to be taken such further actions and to execute, deliver and file, or cause to be executed, delivered and filed, such further documents and instruments as may be required or reasonably necessary in order to fully effectuate the purposes, terms and conditions of this Contract.

21.14.    Representation by Counsel; Fair Negotiation. Each Party agrees that it has read and understands this Contract, and that it has had the opportunity to be represented by independent counsel of its choice in the negotiation of this Contract. This Contract will therefore be deemed to have been negotiated and prepared at the joint request, direction, and construction of the Parties, at arms’ length and with the advice and participation of counsel and will be interpreted in accordance with its terms without favor to either Party.

21.15.    Entire Agreement. Without prejudice to Condition 2.4, this Contract, including its Exhibits and all agreed Orders, is the entire agreement and understanding between the Parties with respect to the Equipment, and supersedes all prior communications, representations and agreements between the Parties, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter of an Order. The Parties acknowledge that no reliance is placed on any communication, representation or agreement made but not embodied in this Contract and waive any right either Party may have in respect of any misrepresentation not contained in this Contract, unless such misrepresentation was made fraudulently.

 


21.16.    Signed Counterparts. This Contract may be executed in any number of counterparts, which may include counterparts executed and delivered by emailed scan or facsimile, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which when read together shall constitute one and the same document.

By:                                                                                     
  [BITFURY]
  Title:
By:                                                                                     
  [CUSTOMER]
  Title:
 


EXHIBIT A

TO EQUIPMENT PURCHASE AGREEMENT

FORM OF PURCHASE ORDER

PURCHASE AND SERVICE ORDER No [*]

DATED [DAY] [MONTH] [YEAR]

 

Parties:   

This Purchase Order (the “Order”) is entered as of [DAY] [MONTH] [YEAR] (the “Effective Date”) by and between the following parties:

 

[NAME] whose registered office is located at [ADDRESS] (“Bitfury”); and

 

[CUSTOMER] whose registered office is located at [ADDRESS] (the “Customer”)

 

(together – the “Parties”).

 

Product Description:

 

    

Purchase Quantity:

 

  

[*] unit of Product (the “Equipment”).

Purchase Price:   

The total price of the Equipment shall be [*] excluding VAT or any other taxes (the “Purchase Price”).

Payment Terms:   

100% of the Purchase Price, i.e. [*] shall be paid within 5 (five) business days from the date of execution of this Purchase Order.

 

Bitfury shall be entitled to refuse shipment of the Equipment if the Customer fails to pay the Purchase Price in advance. The Purchase Price is non-refundable.

 

Delivery Terms:   

The Equipment shall be delivered [TITLE], Incoterms 2010, at [ADDRESS] according to the following schedule:

 

[SCHEDULE]

 


    

[Customer shall notably be responsible for customs clearance of the Equipment, taxes, deployment, infrastructure and maintenance of the Equipment at its own expense.]

 

Insurance:

 

    

Deployment:

 

    
Breach:   

Without prejudice and in addition to Bitfury’s other remedies prescribed under this Purchase Order, Terms and Conditions or the applicable Law, if the Customer breaches (whether in whole or in part) to timely fulfil its obligations under Clause “Payment Terms” Bitfury shall be entitled at its sole discretion to:

 

•  Adjust the Purchase Order and deliver only part of the Equipment equivalent to the amount paid (if any) by the Customer in accordance with the Payment Terms; or

 

•  Deliver the Equipment in full to the Customer and request payment of the full Purchase Price and for this purpose exercise any injunctive relief, specific performance or any other claim or remedy available under applicable Laws; or

 

•  Terminate this Purchase Order without any liability or obligation to deliver the Equipment. In such case, the Purchase Price (or part thereof) which has already been paid to Bitfury shall be non-refundable to the Customer.

 

In the event of Customer’s breach (whether in whole or in part) to timely fulfil its obligations under Clause “Payment Terms”, the Customer shall immediately pay to Bitfury, as penalty of 0.5% of the delayed payment for each day of delay.

 

Warranty:

 

    
Expiry of Offer:   

This Purchase Order shall remain valid for a period of three days from the date of issuance and all Terms and Conditions shall expire unless this Purchase Order are fully executed by both parties before three days have passed since the date of issuance.

 


[Insert name of Customer or its applicable Affiliate]     [Insert name of Bitfury or its applicable Affiliate]
Per:  

 

    Per:  

 

    Authorized Signatory           Authorized Signatory
Date:     Date:


SCHEDULE 5

APPROVED SUBCONTRACTORS

 

Nr

   Vendor    Site    NDA
BBAC

1

   Intermountain Electronics    Coshocton    YES

2

   PCTX (Paradigm Control Texas US)    Alborz, Bear, Chief    YES

3

   Redguard    TBD    YES

4

   Sonic    TBD    YES
Engineering

5

   MSBenbow    Vistra    YES

6

   Jacobs    Considered for new projects    YES

7

   Shermco    Considered for new projects    YES

8

   Atwell    Considered for new projects    YES
Construction

9

   Morteson    Vistra    YES

10

   Mccarthy    Vistra    YES

11

   Burns & McDonnell    Vistra    YES

12

   IEA    Vistra    YES
Energy equipment supply

13

   Maddox transformers    Vistra    Yes

14

   Galco    Vistra    Yes

15

   Belyea Company    Vistra    YES

16

   Sunbelt    Vistra    YES

17

   Niagara Tramsformer    Vistra    No

18

   Keasler (SPX transformer)    Vistra    No

19

   WEG    Vistra    No

20

   REV    Vistra    Yes

21

   Each Affiliate of Provider from time to time    All    N/A
EX-10.2

Exhibit 10.2

Execution Version

AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of August 26, 2021, is made and entered into by and among GOOD WORKS ACQUISITION CORP., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), I-B GOOD WORKS, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), GW SPONSOR 2, LLC, and the parties listed on Schedule A hereto (each such party, together with any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2 of this Agreement, a “Holder” and collectively, the “Holders”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, on October 19, 2020, the Company, the Sponsor, GW Sponsor 2, LLC, and the other holders party thereto (each such party, together with the Sponsor and GW Sponsor 2, LLC, the “Existing Holders”) entered into that certain Registration Rights Agreement (the “Existing Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company granted to the Existing Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company held by the Existing Holders;

WHEREAS, the Company, the Initial Stockholders (as defined below), and the Sponsor have entered into securities subscription agreements pursuant to which such parties purchased an aggregate of 4,312,500 shares of Common Stock (the “Founder Shares”);

WHEREAS, on August 21, 2020, the Company entered into securities subscription agreements (the “Anchor Subscription Agreements”) with certain funds and accounts managed by Magnetar Financial LLC, Mint Tower Capital Management B.V., Periscope Capital, Inc., and Polar Asset Management Partners Inc., (collectively, the “Anchor Investors”), pursuant to which the Anchor Investors agreed to purchase from the Company an aggregate of 1,355,000 Founder Shares for an aggregate purchase price of $7,855 or approximately $0.006 per share;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Anchor Subscription Agreements, the Anchor Investors agreed to purchase an aggregate of 228,000 private placement units at a price of $10.00 per unit (the “Private Placement Units”), each Private Placement Unit consisting of one share of Common Stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant (the “Private Placement Warrants,” together with the Private Placement Units, the “Private Placement Securities”), in private placement transactions occurring simultaneously with the closing of the Company’s initial public offering;

WHEREAS, on October 6, 2020, the Company entered into a subscription agreement with GW Sponsor 2, LLC, pursuant to which GW Sponsor 2, LLC agreed to purchase from the Company an aggregate of 562,500 Founder Shares for an aggregate purchase price of $163,125 or $0.29 per share;

WHEREAS, in order to finance the Company’s transaction costs in connection with the Merger, the Sponsor or an affiliate of the Sponsor or certain shareholders, officers and directors of the Company may loan to the Company funds as the Company may require, of which up to $1,500,000 of such loans may be convertible into private placement-equivalent units (“Working Capital Units”) at a price of $10.00 per unit at the option of the lender;

WHEREAS, the Company, Cipher Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”) and Cipher Mining Technologies Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Target”) have entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 4, 2021 (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Sub will merge with and into Target, with Target being the surviving corporation (the “Merger”);

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V. (“Parent”) will receive two hundred million (200,000,000) shares (the “Parent Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”);


WHEREAS, the Company has entered into a subscription agreement with Parent, pursuant to which Parent will receive five million (5,000,000) shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Parent PIPE Shares”) through a private placement transaction to be consummated immediately prior to the date hereof;

WHEREAS, on or about the date hereof, the Sponsor, Parent and each of the Anchor Investors are entering into lock-up agreements with the Company (each a “Lock-Up Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Sponsor, Parent and each of the Anchor Investors agree not to transfer shares of Common Stock (including shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise or conversion of the Private Placement Warrants, if applicable) for a certain period of time following the Closing, subject to certain exceptions specified therein;

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, the Holders hold the shares of Common Stock and the Private Placement Warrants set forth in Schedule A to this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Company and the Existing Holders desire to amend and restate the Existing Registration Rights Agreement and enter into this Agreement concurrently with, and contingent upon, the Closing, in order to provide the Holders certain registration rights with respect to the Registrable Securities (as defined below) on the terms set forth herein.

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

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

1.1    Definitions. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Article I or elsewhere in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Merger Agreement.

Adverse Disclosure” shall mean any public disclosure of material non-public information, which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer or principal financial officer of the Company, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (i) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein (in the case of any prospectus and any preliminary prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (ii) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, and (iii) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.

Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Anchor Investor” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Anchor Subscription Agreements” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

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

Closing” shall mean the closing of the Merger in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement.

Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

2


Demand Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

Demanding New Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

Demanding Original Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

Effective Date” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

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

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

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

Form S-1” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

Form S-3” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.

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

Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Initial Stockholders” shall mean Cary Grossman, Douglas Wurth, David Pauker, John J. Lendrum III, Paul Fratamico and Tahira Rehmatullah.

Lock-Up Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Maximum Number of Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.4.

Merger” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Merger Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Merger Sub” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

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

New Holders” shall mean Parent and any Permitted Transferee to which Parent transfers any Registrable Securities.

Original Holders” shall mean, collectively, the Initial Stockholders, the Sponsor, GW Sponsor 2, LLC, the Anchor Investors and any Permitted Transferee to which Sponsor, GW Sponsor 2, LLC or any Anchor Investor transfers any Registrable Securities.

Parent” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Permitted Transferees” shall mean any person or entity to whom a Holder of Registrable Securities is permitted to transfer such Registrable Securities prior to the expiration of the lock-up period in the applicable Lock-Up Agreement and any other applicable agreement between such Holder and the Company, and to any transferee thereafter.

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

Piggyback Registration Rights Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1.

 

3


PIPE Subscription Agreements” means those certain subscription agreements, each dated March 4, 2021, entered into by and among the Company and the persons identified therein as “Subscribers”.

Private Placement Securities” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Private Placement Units” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

Private Placement Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

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

Registrable Security” shall mean (a) the shares of Common Stock set forth on Schedule A (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall include the Founder Shares, the Parent Shares and the Parent PIPE Shares), (b) the Private Placement Securities and the shares of Common Stock and Private Placement Warrants included therein, including the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants underlying the Private Placement Securities, (c) any outstanding share of Common Stock or any other equity security (including the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security) of the Company held by a Holder as of the date of this Agreement, (d) any equity securities (including the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any such equity security) of the Company issuable upon conversion of any working capital loans in an amount up to $1,500,000 made to the Company by a Holder (including the Working Capital Units, which include any shares of Common Stock included in such Working Capital Units, any warrants included in such Working Capital Units and any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of the warrants included in such Working Capital Units), and (e) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to any such share of Common Stock by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or reorganization; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (A) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (B) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for such securities not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (C) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; (D) such securities may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission) (but with no volume or other restrictions or limitations); or (E) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.

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

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

(a)    all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) and any securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed;

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

 

4


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

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

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

(f)    reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration to be registered for offer and sale in the applicable Registration.

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

Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

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

Sponsor” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

Target” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

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

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

Working Capital Units” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

ARTICLE II

REGISTRATIONS

2.1    Demand Registration.

2.1.1    Request for Registration. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Section 2.4 hereof, at any time and from time to time on or after the date hereof, (a) New Holders holding at least a majority in interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by all New Holders (the “Demanding New Holders”) or (b) Original Holders holding at least a majority in interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by all Original Holders (the “Demanding Original Holders” and, together with the Demanding New Holders, the “Demanding Holders”) may make a written demand for Registration of all or part of their Registrable Securities, which written demand shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such Registration and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof (such written demand a “Demand Registration”). The Company shall, within twenty (20) days of the Company’s receipt of the Demand Registration, notify, in writing, all other Holders of Registrable Securities of such demand, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration (each such Holder that includes all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Registration, a “Requesting Holder”) shall so notify the Company, in writing, within five (5) business days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. Upon receipt by the Company of any such written notification from a Requesting Holder(s) to the Company, such Requesting Holder(s) shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration and the Company shall file, as soon thereafter as practicable, but not more than thirty (30) days immediately after the

 

5


Company’s receipt of the Demand Registration, the Registration of all Registrable Securities requested by the Demanding Holders and Requesting Holders pursuant to such Demand Registration. Under no circumstances shall the Company be obligated to effect more than an aggregate of three (3) Demand Registrations under this subsection 2.1.1 with respect to any or all of the Registrable Securities; provided, however, that in no event shall the Original Holders be entitled to less than one (1) Demand Registration; provided, further that a Registration shall not be counted for such purposes unless a Form S-1 or any similar long-form registration statement that may be available at such time (“Form S-1”) has become effective and all of the Registrable Securities requested by the Requesting Holders to be registered on behalf of the Requesting Holders in such Form S-1 Registration have been sold, in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the provisions set forth herein, the right to a Demand Registration set forth under this Section 2.1.1 with respect to the Registrable Securities held by the Sponsor shall terminate on the fifth anniversary of the effective date of Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-248333) (the “Effective Date”).

2.1.2    Effective Registration. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2.1.1 above or any other part of this Agreement, a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration shall not count as a Registration unless and until (i) the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration has been declared effective by the Commission and (ii) the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, further, that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, an offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration is subsequently interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission, federal or state court or any other governmental agency the Registration Statement with respect to such Registration shall be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii) a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating such Demand Registration thereafter affirmatively elect to continue with such Registration and accordingly notify the Company in writing, but in no event later than five (5) days after such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, of such election; and provided, further, that the Company shall not be obligated or required to file another Registration Statement until the Registration Statement that has been previously filed with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration becomes effective or is subsequently terminated.

2.1.3    Underwritten Offering. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.1.4 and Section 2.4 hereof, if a majority-in-interest of the Demanding New Holders or a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Original Holders (as applicable) so advise the Company as part of their Demand Registration that the offering of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering, then the right of such Demanding Holder or Requesting Holder (if any) to include its Registrable Securities in such Registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Underwritten Offering and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering to the extent provided herein. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.1.3 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding New Holders or Demanding Original Holders (as applicable) initiating the Demand Registration.

2.1.4    Reduction of Underwritten Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell and shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which a Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other stockholders who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in the Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number

 

6


of Securities”), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering, as follows: (i) first, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) (pro rata based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Demanding Holder and Requesting Holder (if any) has requested be included in such Underwritten Registration and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and Requesting Holders have requested be included in such Underwritten Registration) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register in a Registration pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register in a Registration pursuant to Section 2.2 and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.

2.1.5    Demand Registration Withdrawal. A majority-in-interest of the Demanding New Holders or a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Original Holders (as applicable) initiating a Demand Registration or a majority-in-interest of the Requesting Holders (if any), pursuant to a Registration under subsection 2.1.1 shall have the right to withdraw from a Registration pursuant to such Demand Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Registration at least three (3) business days prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to the Registration of their Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration (or in the case of an Underwritten Registration pursuant to Rule 415, at least five (5) business days prior to the time of pricing of the applicable offering).

2.2    Piggyback Registration.

2.2.1    Piggyback Rights. If, at any time on or after the date hereof, the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into equity securities, for its own account or for the account of persons other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, other than a Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing stockholders, (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company, (iv) for a registered offering not involving a “road show” or other substantial marketing efforts or a widespread distribution of securities, such as a “registered direct” offering (whether or not underwritten), (v) for an “at the market” or similar registered offering through a broker, sales agent or distribution agent, whether as agent or principal, or (vi) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as reasonably practicable but not less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement, which notice shall (A) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, and (B) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within five (5) business days after receipt of such written notice (such Registration a “Piggyback Registration”, and each such Holder that includes all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Piggyback Registration, the “Piggyback Registration Rights Holders”). The Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback Registration and, if applicable, shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.2.1 to be included in a Piggyback Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company

 

7


included in such Registration and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All such Piggyback Registration Rights Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.2.1 shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any Registration Statement initiated by it under this Section 2.2.1 before the effect date of such Registration, whether or not any Piggyback Registration rights Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in such Registration. Notwithstanding the provisions set forth herein, the right to a Piggyback Registration set forth under this Section 2.2.1 with respect to the Registrable Securities held by the Sponsor shall terminate on the seventh anniversary of the Effective Date.

2.2.2    Reduction of Piggyback Registration. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Registration that is to be a Piggyback Registration, in good faith, advises the Company and the Piggyback Registration Rights Holders participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Common Stock that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (i) the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Piggyback Registration Rights Holders hereunder (ii) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof, and (iii) the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:

(a)    If the Registration is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Registration (A) first, the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Piggyback Registration Rights Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 hereof, pro rata, based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Piggyback Registration Rights Holder has so requested exercising its rights to register its Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;

(b)    If the Registration is pursuant to a request by persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Registration (A) first, the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, of such requesting persons or entities, other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1, pro rata based on the number of Registrable Securities that each Holder has requested be included in such Underwritten Registration and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Holders have requested to be included in such Underwritten Registration, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities for the account of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.

 

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2.2.3    Piggyback Registration Withdrawal. Any Piggyback Registration Rights Holder shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggyback Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Piggyback Registration (or in the case of an Underwritten Registration pursuant to Rule 415, at least five (5) business days prior to the time of pricing of the applicable offering). The Company (whether on its own good faith determination or as the result of a request for withdrawal by persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.3.

2.2.4    Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights. For purposes of clarity, any Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof shall not be counted as a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration effected under Section 2.1 hereof.

2.3    Registrations on Form S-3. Any Holder of Registrable Securities may at any time, and from time to time, request in writing that the Company, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission), register the resale of any or all of their Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or any similar short form registration statement that may be available at such time (“Form S-3”); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to effect such request through an Underwritten Offering. Within five (5) business days of the Company’s receipt of a written request from a Holder or Holders of Registrable Securities for a Registration on Form S-3, the Company shall, as promptly as is reasonably practicable, give written notice of the proposed Registration on Form S-3 to all other Holders of Registrable Securities, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Registration on Form S-3 shall so notify the Company, in writing, within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. As soon as reasonably practicable thereafter, but not more than twelve (12) days after the Company’s initial receipt of such written request for a Registration on Form S-3, the Company shall register all or such portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities as are specified in such written request, together with all or such portion of Registrable Securities of any other Holder or Holders joining in such request as are specified in the written notification given by such Holder or Holders; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to effect any such Registration pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof if (i) a Form S-3 is not available for such offering; or (ii) the Holders of Registrable Securities, together with the Holders of any other equity securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such Registration, propose to sell the Registrable Securities and such other equity securities (if any) at any aggregate price to the public of less than $10,000,000.

2.4    Restrictions on Registration Rights. If (A) during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days prior to the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of the filing of, and ending on a date one hundred and twenty (120) days after the effective date of, a Company initiated Registration and provided that the Company has delivered written notice to the Holders prior to receipt of a Demand Registration pursuant to subsection 2.1.1 and it continues to actively employ, in good faith, all reasonable efforts to cause the applicable Registration Statement to become effective; (B) the Holders have requested an Underwritten Registration and the Company and the Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of underwriters to firmly underwrite the offer; or (C) in the good faith judgment of the Board such Registration would be seriously detrimental to the Company and the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement at such time, then in each case the Company shall furnish to such Holders a certificate signed by the Chairman of the Board stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board it would be seriously detrimental to the Company for such Registration Statement to be filed in the near future and that it is therefore essential to defer the filing of such Registration Statement. In such event, the Company shall have the right to defer such filing for a period of not more than thirty (30) days; provided, however, that the Company shall not defer its obligation in this manner more than once in any 12-month period.

 

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2.5    Waiver and Extensions. Any party to this Agreement may waive any right, breach or default which such party has the right to waive, provided that such waiver will not be effective against the waiving party unless it is in writing, is signed by such party, and specifically refers to this Agreement. Waivers may be made in advance or after the right waived has arisen or the breach or default waived has occurred. Any waiver may be conditional. No waiver of any breach of any agreement or provision herein contained shall be deemed a waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach thereof nor of any other agreement or provision herein contained. No waiver or extension of time for performance of any obligations or acts shall be deemed a waiver or extension of the time for performance of any other obligations or acts.

ARTICLE III

COMPANY PROCEDURES

3.1    General Procedures. If at any time on or after the date the date hereof the Company is required to effect the Registration of Registrable Securities, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:

3.1.1    prepare and file with the Commission as soon as reasonably practicable a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective for a period of up to one hundred eighty (180) days or, if earlier, until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold;

3.1.2    prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be reasonably requested by the majority in interest of the Holders with Registrable Securities registered on such Registration Statement or any Underwriter of Registrable Securities or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;

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

3.1.4    prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request (or provide evidence satisfactory to such Holders that the Registrable Securities are exempt from such registration or qualification) and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate

 

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the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;

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

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

3.1.7    advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;

3.1.8    at least five (5) days prior to the filing of any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document that is to be incorporated by reference into such Registration Statement or Prospectus, furnish a copy thereof to each seller of such Registrable Securities or its counsel;

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

3.1.10    permit a representative of the Holders (such representative to be selected by a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders), the Underwriters, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriters to participate, at each such person’s own expense, in the preparation of the Registration Statement, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided, however, that such representative or Underwriters enter into a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information and provided further, the Company may not include the name of any Holder or Underwriter or any information regarding any Holder or Underwriter in any Registration Statement or Prospectus, any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus, any document that is to be incorporated by reference into such Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any response to any comment letter, without the prior written consent of such Holder or Underwriter and providing each such Holder or Underwriter a reasonable amount of time to review and comment on such applicable document, which comments the Company shall include unless contrary to applicable law;

3.1.11    obtain a “cold comfort” letter from the Company’s independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Registration which the participating Holders may rely on, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “cold comfort” letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders;

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

 

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

3.1.14    make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission);

3.1.15    if the Registration involves the Registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $50,000,000, use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any Underwritten Offering; and

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

3.2    Registration Expenses. The Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay for more than one (1) registration proceeding begun pursuant to Section 2.1 by the Demanding New Holders and one (1) registration proceeding begun pursuant to Section 2.1 by the Demanding Original Holders, in each case if the registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Demanding Holders. Any Registration Expenses of Registrations not borne by the Company pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence shall be borne by the Demanding Holders pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities that were to be included in the withdrawn registration. It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees, Underwriter marketing costs and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders.

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

3.4    Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure. Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as reasonably practicable after the time of such notice), or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed. If the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay the filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement for the shortest period of time determined in good faith by the Company to be necessary for such purpose. In the event the Company exercises its rights under the preceding sentence, the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of the Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 3.4.

 

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3.5    Reporting Obligations. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company, at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and to promptly furnish the Holders with true and complete copies of all such filings. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell shares of Common Stock held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission, to the extent such rule or such successor rule is available to the Company), including providing any customary legal opinions. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements.

ARTICLE IV

INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION

4.1    Indemnification.

4.1.1    In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, the Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers and directors and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein. The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 4.1.1 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed.

4.1.2    In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information and affidavits as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus and, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify the Company, its directors and officers and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) and any other Holder of Registrable Securities participating in the Registration, against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue statement of material fact contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by such Holder expressly for use therein; The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to indemnify under this Section 4.1.2 shall be several, not joint and several, among the Holders of Registrable Securities, and the total indemnification liability of a Holder under this Section 4.1.2 shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement.

 

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

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

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

 

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ARTICLE V

MISCELLANEOUS

5.1    Notices. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be in writing and given by (i) deposit in the United States mail, addressed to the party to be notified, postage prepaid and registered or certified with return receipt requested, (ii) delivery in person or by courier service providing evidence of delivery, or (iii) transmission by hand delivery, facsimile or electronic mail. Each notice or communication that is mailed, delivered, or transmitted in the manner described above shall be deemed sufficiently given, served, sent, and received, in the case of mailed notices, on the third business day following the date on which it is mailed and, in the case of notices delivered by courier service, hand delivery, facsimile or electronic mail, at such time as it is delivered to the addressee (with the delivery receipt or the affidavit of messenger) or at such time as delivery is refused by the addressee upon presentation. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be addressed, if to the Company, to: Cipher Mining Inc., 222 Purchase Street, Suite #290, Rye, NY 10580, and, if to any Holder, at such Holder’s address or contact information as set forth in the Company’s books and records. Any party may change its address for notice at any time and from time to time by written notice to the other parties hereto, and such change of address shall become effective thirty (30) days after delivery of such notice as provided in this Section 5.1.

5.2    Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries.

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

5.2.2    Prior to the expiration of the lock-up period in the applicable Lock-Up Agreement, no Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, except in connection with a transfer of Registrable Securities by such Holder to a Permitted Transferee but only if such Permitted Transferee assumes such Holder’s rights and obligations under this Agreement upon its, his or her execution and delivery of a joinder agreement, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Company agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement as if such person were a Holder party hereto; whereupon such person will be treated for all purposes of this Agreement, with the same rights, benefits and obligations hereunder as such Holder with respect to the transferred Registrable Securities.

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

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

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

5.3    Severability. This Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible that is valid and enforceable.

 

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

5.5    5.6 Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law, provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the law of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware. Each party hereto (a) irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process in any action or proceeding relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, for and on behalf of itself or any of its properties or assets, in accordance with this Section 5.6 or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable law, that such process may be served in the manner of giving notices in Section 5.1 and that nothing in this Section 5.6 shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by applicable law, (b) irrevocably and unconditionally consents and submits itself and its properties and assets in any action or proceeding to the exclusive general jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the “Chancery Court”) and any state appellate court therefrom located within the State of Delaware (or, only if the Chancery Court declines to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware) in the event any dispute or controversy arises out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, or for recognition and enforcement of any order in respect thereof, (c) agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court, (d) agrees that any actions or proceedings arising in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be brought, tried and determined only in the Chancery Court and any state appellate court therefrom located within the State of Delaware (or, only if the Chancery Court declines to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware), (e) waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same, and (f) agrees that it will not bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in any court other than the aforesaid courts. Each party hereto agrees that a final order in any action or proceeding in such courts as provided above shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the order or in any other manner provided by applicable law.

5.7    Waiver of Trial by Jury. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, COUNTERCLAIM OR OTHER PROCEEDING (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF, CONNECTED WITH OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, OR THE ACTIONS OF THE HOLDER IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF.

5.8    Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including all agreements entered into pursuant hereto and all certificates and instruments delivered pursuant hereto and thereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations, understandings, negotiations and discussions between the parties, whether oral or written. This Agreement will amend and restate the Existing Registration Rights Agreement to read as set forth herein, when it has been duly executed by parties having the right to so amend and restate the Existing Registration Rights Agreement.

5.9    Amendments and Modifications. Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities at the time in question, compliance

 

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with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects one Holder, solely in its capacity as a holder of the shares of Common Stock, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of the Holder so affected; provided, further, that no consent of any Piggyback Registration Rights Holder shall be required with respect to any such waiver, amendment or modification, except with respect to any waiver, amendment or modification that adversely affects such Piggyback Registration Rights Holder, solely in its capacity as a holder of Registrable Securities, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity). No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party. Any amendment, termination, or waiver effected in accordance with this Section 5.8 shall be binding on each party hereto and all of such party’s successors and permitted assigns, regardless of whether or not any such party, successor or assignee entered into or approved such amendment, termination, or waiver.

5.10    Other Registration Rights. The Company represents and warrants that no person, other than (i) a Holder of Registrable Securities and (ii) a holder of securities of the Company that are registrable pursuant to the PIPE Subscription Agreements, has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other person. Further, the Company represents and warrants that, except with respect to the PIPE Subscription Agreements, this Agreement supersedes any other registration rights agreement or agreement with similar terms and conditions and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and the Holders hereby acknowledge that the Company has granted resale registration rights to certain holders of Company securities in the PIPE Subscription Agreements, and that nothing herein shall restrict the ability of the Company to fulfil its resale registration obligations under the PIPE Subscription Agreements.

5.11    Term. This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sixth anniversary of the date of this Agreement or (ii) the date as of which (A) all of the Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to a Registration Statement (but in no event prior to the applicable period referred to in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act and Rule 174 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission)) or (B) the Holders of all Registrable Securities are permitted to sell the Registrable Securities without registration pursuant to Rule 144 (or any similar provision) under the Securities Act without limitation on the amount of securities sold or the manner of sale and without compliance with the current public reporting requirements set forth under Rule 144(i)(2). The provisions of Section 3.5 and Article IV shall survive any termination.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

17


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

 

GOOD WORKS ACQUISITION CORP.
By:  

/s/ Cary Grossman

  Name: Cary Grossman
  Title: President
I-B GOOD WORKS, LLC
By:  

/s/ Shelley Leonad

  Name: Shelley Leonard
  Title: President & CFO
GW SPONSOR 2, LLC
By:  

/s/ Cary Grossman

  Name: Cary Grossman
 

Title: Manager of Good Works, Management, LLC

Manager of GW Sponsor 2, LLC

MAGNETAR FINANCIAL LLC
By:  

/s/ Mike Turro

  Name: Mike Turro
  Title: Chief Compliance Officer
MINT TOWER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT B.V.
By:  

/s/ Joris Hoedemaekers

 

Name: Joris Hoedemaekers

 

Title: Director

PERIDIAN FUND, L.P., by its investment advisor PERISCOPE CAPITAL, INC.
By:  

/s/ Lisa Shostack

  Name: Lisa Shostack
  Title: General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


POLAR MULTI-STRATEGY MASTER FUND, by its investment advisor POLAR ASSET MANAGEMENT PARTNERS INC.
By:  

/s/ Aatifa Ibrahim

  Name: Aatifa Ibrahim
  Title: Legal Counsel
By:  

/a/ Andrew Ma

  Name: Andrew Ma
  Title: Chief Compliance Officer
By:  

/s/ Fred Zeidman

  Fred Zeidman
By:  

/s/ Cary Grossman

  Cary Grossman
By:  

/s/ Douglas Wurth

  Douglas Wurth
By:  

/s/ David Pauker

  David Pauker
By:  

/s/ John J. Lendrum III

  John J. Lendrum III
By:  

/s/ Paul Fratamico

  Paul Fratamico
By:  

/s/ Tahira Rehmatullah

  Tahira Rehmatullah

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

 


HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT FOUNDATION
By:  

/s/ Jeffrey W. Baker

  Name: Jeffrey W. Baker
  Title: Executive Director
MEMORIAL HERMANN FOUNDATION
By:  

/s/ Anne E. Neeson

  Name: Anne E. Neeson
  Title: EVP/CEO
AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR SHAARE ZEDEK HOSPITAL IN JERUSALEM, INc.
By:  

/s/ Rachel Wolf

  Name: Rachel Wolf
  Title: CEO
UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS
By:  

/s/ Spencer Conroy

  Name: Spencer Conroy
  Title: VP of Finance and Business Affairs
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOUNDATION, INC. FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER-HOUSTON
By:  

/s/ Sheri DeSpain

  Name: Sheri DeSpain
  Title: Executive Director
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
By:  

/s/ Amy B Kweskin

  Name: Amy B Kweskin
  Title: Vice Chancellor for Finance and Chief Financial Officer
THE NATIONAL WORLD WAR II MUSEUM, INC.
By:  

/s/ Cathy Green

  Name: Cathy Green
  Title: VP and CFO

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

 


SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY INTERNATIONAL
By:  

/s/ John Georgantas

  Name: John Georgantas
THE CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY
By:  

/s/ Phoebe C. Boyer

  Name: Phoebe C. Boyer
  Title: President and CEO
BALLET THEATRE FOUNDATION, INC.
By:  

/S/ Shawn Davidson

  Name: Shawn Davidson
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
NADIA’S INITIATIVE INC.
By:  

/s/ Alison Anderson

  Name: Alison Anderson
  Title: /s/ Head of Finance and Operations

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

 


BITFURY TOP HOLDCO B.V.
By:  

/s/ Oleg Blinkovs

  Name: Oleg Blinkovs
  Title: Managing Director

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

 


SCHEDULE A

 

Holder   Address  

Number of

shares of

Common Stock

 

Number of

Private

Placement

Warrants

Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V.  

Strawinskylaan 3051

1077ZX Amsterdam

The Netherlands

  205,000,000   0
I-B Good Works, LLC  

1208 Shady Lane N

Keller, TX 76248

  757,500   0
GW Sponsor 2, LLC  

1536 Whispering Pines Dr.

Houston, TX 77055

  562,500   0
Magnetar Financial LLC  

500 Park Ave Fl 5

New York, New York

United States of America

  395,750   28,500
Mint Tower Capital Management B.V.  

Beursplein 5

1012 JW Amsterdam

The Netherlands

  395,750   28,500
Periscope Capital, Inc.  

333 Bay Street

Suite 1240

Toronto, ON M5H 2R2, CA

  395,750   28,500
Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.  

401 Bay Street, Suite 1900, PO Box 19

Toronto, ON M5H 2Y4, Canada

  395,750   28,500
Fred Zeidman  

4265 San Felipe, Suite 603

Houston, TX 77056

  195,000   0
Cary Grossman  

1536 Whispering Pines Dr

Houston, TX 77055

  195,000   0
Douglas Wurth  

93 Louises Lane

New Canaan, CT

06840

  195,000   0
David Pauker  

333 Central Park West

Apt. 96

New York, NY 10025

  47,500   0
John J. Lendrum III  

10819 Roaring Brook Lane

Houston, Texas 77024

  47,500   0


Paul Fratamico  

6001 SW 70th Street

Unit 131

South Miami, FL 3314

  47,500   0
Tahira Rehmatullah  

300 Mercer St, Apt 6O

New York, NY 10003

  47,500   0
Harris County Hospital District Foundation  

2525 Holly Hall

Suite 292

Houston, TX 77057

  2,500   0
Memorial Hermann Foundation  

929 Gessner

Suite 2650

Houston, TX 77024

  47,500   0
American Committee for Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, Inc.  

55 West 39 Street

FL 4

New York, NY 10018

  2,500   0
University of St. Thomas  

3800 Montrose Blvd.

Houston, TX 77006

  10,000   0
University of Texas Foundation, Inc. for the benefit of The University of Texas Health Science Center- Houston  

9011 Mountain Ridge Drive

Suite 150

Austin, TX 78759

  175,000   0
Washington University  

One Brookings Drive

MSC 1193

St. Louis, MO 63130-4899

  10,000   0
The National World War II Museum, Inc.  

945 Magazine Street

New Orleans, LA 70130

  2,500   0

Social Accountability

International

 

9 East 37th Street

10th Floor

New York, NY 10016

  125,000   0
The Children’s Aid Society  

117 West 124th Street

New York, NY 10027

  125,000   0
Ballet Theatre Foundation, Inc.  

890 Broadway

3rd Floor

New York, NY 10003

  250,000   0
Nadia’s Initiative Inc.  

P.O. Box 9449

Washington, DC 20016

  50,000   0
EX-10.3

Exhibit 10.3

Execution Version

LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

THIS LOCK-UP AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of August 26, 2021 between Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V., a private company with limited liability (besloten vennootschap) incorporated under the laws of The Netherlands (the “Stockholder”) and Good Works Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Acquiror”). The Stockholder and the Acquiror are sometimes referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Merger Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, Acquiror, Cipher Mining Technologies Inc., a Delaware corporation and Currency Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation, entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 4, 2021 (as it may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with its terms, the “Merger Agreement”);

WHEREAS, the Merger Agreement contemplates that the Stockholder will receive two hundred million (200,000,000) shares of Acquiror Common Stock at Closing (the “Shares”);

WHEREAS, the Stockholder has entered into a subscription agreement with Acquiror, pursuant to which the Stockholder will receive five million (5,000,000) shares of the Acquiror Common Stock (the “Parent PIPE Shares”) through a private placement transaction to be consummated immediately prior to Closing; and

WHEREAS, the Merger Agreement contemplates that the Parties will enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Acquiror Common Stock held by the Stockholder immediately after the Effective Time (together with any securities paid as dividends or distributions with respect to such securities or into which such securities are exchanged or converted) shall become subject to limitations on disposition as set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises set forth above, which are incorporated in this Agreement as if fully set forth below, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

1.    For purposes of this Agreement:

(a)    the term “First Lock-Up Period” means the period beginning on the date that is six (6) months after the Closing Date and ending on the date that is one (1) year after the Closing Date;

(b)    the term “Lock-up Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the date that is two (2) years after the Closing Date; provided, that the Parties may mutually agree to shorten the duration of or otherwise waive the Lock-up Period;

(c)    the term “Lock-up Shares” means the shares of Acquiror Common Stock held by the Stockholder immediately following the Closing (for the avoidance of doubt, (x) including the Shares, and (y) excluding (1) shares of Acquiror Common Stock acquired in the public market, (2) shares of Acquiror Common Stock acquired pursuant to a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act, (3) shares of Acquiror Common Stock acquired pursuant to a subscription agreement where the issuance of Acquiror Common Stock occurs on or after the Closing and (4) the Parent PIPE Shares), together with any securities paid as dividends or distributions with respect to such securities or into which such securities are exchanged or converted;

(d)    the term “Permitted Transferees” means any Person to whom the Stockholder is permitted to transfer Lock-up Shares prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period pursuant to Section 2(a);

(e)    the term “Prospectus” means the final prospectus of Acquiror, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (File No. 333-248333) on October 9, 2020;

(f)    the term “Second Lock-Up Period” means the period beginning on the date that is one (1) year after the Closing Date and ending on the date that is eighteen (18) months after the Closing Date; and


(g)    the term “Transfer” means the (A) sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, with respect to, any security, (B) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (C) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (A) or (B).

2.    Lock-Up Provisions.

(a)    Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 2(b), the Stockholder or its Permitted Transferees may Transfer the Lock-up Shares during the Lock-up Period to (i) to Acquiror’s officers or directors, (ii) to any Affiliates of the Stockholder; (iii) in respect of (i) or (ii), in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of such individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such individual’s immediate family, an Affiliate of such individual or to a charitable organization; (iv) in respect of (i), (ii) or (iii), in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of such individual; or (v) by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware or the Stockholder limited partnership agreement upon dissolution of the Stockholder.

(b)    The Stockholder hereby agrees that it shall not, and shall cause any of its Permitted Transferees not to, Transfer any Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period (the “Transfer Restriction”), except in accordance with the following:

 

  (i)

during the First Lock-Up Period, the Transfer Restriction shall expire with respect to ten million (10,000,000) Lock-Up Shares (the “First Tranche”), upon the earlier to occur of (i) the date on which the last reported sale price of the Acquiror Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share for any twenty (20) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period that commences at least 90 days after the Closing Date or (ii) one year after the Closing Date (for the avoidance of doubt no Transfer Restrictions shall apply to the First Tranche after the expiration of the First Lock-Up Period);

 

  (ii)

during the Second Lock-Up Period, the Transfer Restriction shall expire with respect to an additional twenty million (20,000,000) Lock-Up Shares (the “Second Tranche”), upon the earlier to occur of (i) the date on which the last reported sale price of the Acquiror Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share for any twenty (20) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period that commences at least 330 days after the Closing Date or (ii) eighteen months after the Closing Date (for the avoidance of doubt no Transfer Restriction shall apply to the Second Tranche after the expiration of the Second Lock-Up Period);

 

  (iii)

on the date on which post-merger Acquiror completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of post-merger Acquiror’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property, the Transfer Restriction will terminate with respect to all Lock-Up Shares; and

 

  (iv)

eighteen (18) months after the Closing Date, the Transfer Restriction shall expire with respect to any Lock-Up Shares held by or subsequently acquired by the Stockholder that exceeds a total share ownership in post-merger Acquiror of 50.1% on a fully-diluted basis.

(c)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time the sale price of the Acquiror Common Stock equals or exceeds $20.00 per share for any twenty (20) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period that commences at least 90 days after the Closing Date, then the date of commencement as well as the end date, where applicable, of each period set forth in Sections 2(b)(i), 2(b)(ii), 2(b)(iii) and 2(b)(iv) shall be accelerated by three (3) months;

(d)    The per share stock prices referenced in this Agreement will be equitably adjusted on account of any changes in the equity securities of Acquiror by way of stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification, or through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or business combination, or by any other means.

 

2


(e)    If any Transfer is made or attempted contrary to the provisions of this Agreement, such Transfer shall be null and void ab initio, and Acquiror shall refuse to recognize any such transferee of the Lock-Up Shares as one of its equity holders for any purpose. In order to enforce this Section 1, Acquiror may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Lock-Up Shares (and any permitted transferees and assigns thereof) until the end of the First Lock-Up Period, the Second Lock-Up Period and the Lock-Up Period, as applicable.

(f)    During the applicable Lock-Up Period, each certificate (if any are issued) evidencing any Lock-Up Shares shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form, in addition to any other applicable legends:

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER SET FORTH IN A LOCK-UP AGREEMENT, DATED AS OF AUGUST 26, 2021, BY AND AMONG THE ISSUER OF SUCH SECURITIES (THE “ISSUER”) AND THE ISSUER’S SECURITY HOLDER NAMED THEREIN, AS AMENDED. A COPY OF SUCH LOCK-UP AGREEMENT WILL BE FURNISHED WITHOUT CHARGE BY THE ISSUER TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON WRITTEN REQUEST.”

(g)    For the avoidance of any doubt, the Stockholder shall retain all of its rights as a shareholder of Acquiror with respect to the Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period, including the right to vote any Lock-Up Shares.

3.    Miscellaneous.

(a)    Effective Date. Section 1 of this Agreement shall become effective at the Effective Time.

(b)    Termination of the Merger Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, in the event that the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the Effective Time, this Agreement and all rights and obligations of the Parties hereunder shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect.

(c)    Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement and all of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, this Agreement and all obligations of the Parties are personal to the Parties and may not be transferred or delegated by the Parties at any time.

(d)    Third Parties. Nothing contained in this Agreement or in any instrument or document executed by any party in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby shall create any rights in, or be deemed to have been executed for the benefit of, any person or entity that is not a Party hereto or thereto or a successor or permitted assign of such a Party.

(e)    Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of Law or conflict of Law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the law of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware. Each Party (a) irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process in any action or proceeding relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, for and on behalf of itself or any of its properties or assets, in accordance with this Section 3(e) or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Law, that such process may be served in the manner of giving notices in Section 3(h) and that nothing in this Section 3(e) shall affect the right of any Party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by applicable Law, (b) irrevocably and unconditionally consents and submits itself and its properties and assets in any action or proceeding to the exclusive general jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the “Chancery Court”) and any state appellate court therefrom located within the State of Delaware (or, only if the Chancery Court declines to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware) in the event any dispute or controversy arises out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, or for recognition and enforcement of any Order in respect thereof, (c) agrees that

 

3


it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court, (d) agrees that any actions or proceedings arising in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be brought, tried and determined only in the Chancery Court and any state appellate court therefrom located within the State of Delaware (or, only if the Chancery Court declines to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware), (e) waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same, and (f) agrees that it will not bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in any court other than the aforesaid courts. Each Party agrees that a final Order in any action or proceeding in such courts as provided above shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the Order or in any other manner provided by applicable Law.

(f)    WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. EACH PARTY HERETO (i) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THAT FOREGOING WAIVER AND (ii) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 3(f).

(g)    Interpretation. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement. In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires: (i) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (ii) “including” (and with correlative meaning “include”) means including without limiting the generality of any description preceding or succeeding such term and shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (iii) the words “herein,” “hereto,” and “hereby” and other words of similar import in this Agreement shall be deemed in each case to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section or other subdivision of this Agreement; and (iv) the term “or” means “and/or”. The Parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. Consequently, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the Parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement.

(h)    Notices. All notices, consents, waivers and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered (i) in person, (ii) by e-mail (having obtained electronic delivery confirmation thereof), (iii) one (1) Business Day after being sent, if sent by reputable, nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) three (3) Business Days after being mailed, if sent by registered or certified mail, pre-paid and return receipt requested, provided, however, that notice given pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) above shall not be effective unless a duplicate copy of such notice is also given in person or by e-mail (having obtained electronic delivery confirmation thereof), in each case to the applicable Party at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified by like notice):

 

 

If to Acquiror, to:

 

Good Works Acquisition Corp.

4265 San Felipe

Suite 603

Houston, 77027

Attn:    Cary Grossman, President

E-mail:    cgrossman@shorelinecapitaladvisors.com

  

 

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Schiff Hardin LLP

901 K Street NW

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20001

Attn:    Ralph V. De Martino

E-mail:    RDeMartino@schiffhardin.com

 

4


 

If to the Stockholder, to:

 

Bitfury Top HoldCo B.V.

Strawinskylaan 3051

1077ZX Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Attn:    Oleg Blinkov

E-mail:    oleg.blinkov@bitfury.com

chris.allen@bitfury.com

legal@bitfury.com

  

 

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Latham & Watkins (London) LLP

99 Bishopsgate

London, EC2M 3XF

United Kingdom

Attn:        J. David Stewart

Ryan Maierson

 

E-mail:    j.david.stewart@lw.com

ryan.maierson@lw.com

(i)    Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of Acquiror and the Stockholder. No failure or delay by a Party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.

(j)    Severability. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in a jurisdiction, such provision shall be modified or deleted, as to the jurisdiction involved, only to the extent necessary to render the same valid, legal and enforceable, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby nor shall the validity, legality or enforceability of such provision be affected thereby in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the Parties will substitute for any invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision a suitable and equitable provision that carries out, so far as may be valid, legal and enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision.

(k)    Specific Performance. The Stockholder acknowledges that its obligations under this Agreement are unique, recognizes and affirms that in the event of a breach of this Agreement by the Stockholder, money damages will be inadequate and Acquiror will have no adequate remedy at law, and agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed by the Stockholder in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. Accordingly, Acquiror shall be entitled to an injunction or restraining order to prevent breaches of this Agreement by the Stockholder and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, without the requirement to post any bond or other security or to prove that money damages would be inadequate, this being in addition to any other right or remedy to which such Party may be entitled under this Agreement, at law or in equity.

(l)    Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and any other written or oral agreement relating to the subject matter hereof existing between the Parties is expressly canceled; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall not affect the rights and obligations of the Parties under the Merger Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement shall limit any of the rights or remedies of Acquiror or any of the obligations of the Stockholder under any other agreement between the Stockholder and Acquiror, or any certificate or instrument executed by the Stockholder in favor of Acquiror, and nothing in any other agreement, certificate or instrument shall limit any of the rights or remedies of Acquiror or any of the obligations of the Stockholder under this Agreement.

(m)    Further Assurances. From time to time, at another Party’s request and without further consideration (but at the requesting Party’s reasonable cost and expense), each Party shall execute and deliver such additional documents and take all such further action as may be reasonably necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(n)    Counterparts; Facsimile. This Agreement may also be executed and delivered by facsimile signature or by email in portable document format in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank; Signature Pages Follow]

 

5


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

STOCKHOLDER:
BITFURY TOP HOLDCO B.V.
By:  

/s/ Oleg Blinkovs

Name: Oleg Blinkovs
Title: Managing Director
ACQUIROR:
GOOD WORKS ACQUISITION CORP.

By:

 

/s/ Cary Grossman

Name: Cary Grossman
Title: President

 

[Signature Page to Lock-Up Agreement (Stockholder)]

EX-10.4

Exhibit 10.4

Execution Version

LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

THIS LOCK-UP AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of August 26, 2021 between I-B Goodworks, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”) and Good Works Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Acquiror”). The Sponsor and the Acquiror are sometimes referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Merger Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, Sponsor holds (i) 757,500 shares of Acquiror Common Stock issued to the initial shareholders of Acquiror for nominal consideration and referred to as “founder shares” in the Prospectus (the “Founder Common Stock”) and (ii) 0 private placement units (“Private Placement Units”), each of which Private Placement Units consists of one share of Common Stock and one-half of one Acquiror Warrant and was purchased at a price of $10.00 per Private Placement Unit;

WHEREAS, Acquiror, Cipher Mining Technologies Inc., a Delaware corporation and Currency Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation, entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 4, 2021 (as it may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with its terms, the “Merger Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, the Merger Agreement contemplates that the Parties will enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Acquiror Common Stock held by the Sponsor immediately after the Effective Time (together with any securities paid as dividends or distributions with respect to such securities or into which such securities are exchanged or converted) shall become subject to limitations on disposition as set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises set forth above, which are incorporated in this Agreement as if fully set forth below, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

1.    For purposes of this Agreement:

(a)    the term “First Lock-Up Period” means the period beginning on the date that is six (6) months after the Closing Date and ending on the date that is one (1) year after the Closing Date;

(b)    the term “Lock-up Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the date that is two (2) years after the Closing Date; provided, that the Parties may mutually agree to shorten the duration of or otherwise waive the Lock-up Period;

(c)    the term “Lock-up Shares” means the shares of Acquiror Common Stock held by the Sponsor immediately following the Closing (for the avoidance of doubt, (x) including the Founder Common Stock, and (y) excluding the (i) Private Placement Units, and (ii) shares of Acquiror Common Stock acquired in the public market or pursuant to a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act, pursuant to a subscription agreement where the issuance of Acquiror Common Stock occurs on or after the Closing), together with any securities paid as dividends or distributions with respect to such securities or into which such securities are exchanged or converted;

(d)    the term “Permitted Transferees” means any Person to whom the Sponsor is permitted to transfer Lock-up Shares prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period pursuant to Section 2(a);

(e)    the term “Prospectus” means the final prospectus of Acquiror, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (File No. 333-248333) on October 9, 2020;

(f)    the term “Second Lock-Up Period” means the period beginning on the date that is one (1) year after the Closing Date and ending on the date that is eighteen (18) months after the Closing Date; and


(g)    the term “Transfer” means the (A) sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, with respect to, any security, (B) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (C) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (A) or (B).

2.    Lock-Up Provisions.

(a)    Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 2(b), the Sponsor or its Permitted Transferees may Transfer the Lock-up Shares during the Lock-up Period to (i) to Acquiror’s officers or directors, (ii) to any Affiliates of the Sponsor; (iii) in respect of (i) or (ii), in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of such individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such individual’s immediate family, an Affiliate of such individual or to a charitable organization; (iv) in respect of (i), (ii) or (iii), in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of such individual; or (v) by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware or the Sponsor limited partnership agreement upon dissolution of the Sponsor.

(b)    The Sponsor hereby agrees that it shall not, and shall cause any of its Permitted Transferees not to, Transfer any Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period (the “Transfer Restriction”), except in accordance with the following:

 

  (i)

during the First Lock-Up Period, the Transfer Restriction shall expire with respect to 189,375 Lock-Up Shares (the “First Tranche”), upon the earlier to occur of (i) the date on which the last reported sale price of the Acquiror Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share for any twenty (20) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period that commences at least 90 days after the Closing Date or (ii) one year after the Closing Date (for the avoidance of doubt no Transfer Restrictions shall apply to the First Tranche after the expiration of the First Lock-Up Period);

 

  (ii)

during the Second Lock-Up Period, the Transfer Restriction shall expire with respect to an additional 378,750 Lock-Up Shares (the “Second Tranche”), upon the earlier to occur of (i) the date on which the last reported sale price of the Acquiror Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.50 per share for any twenty (20) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period that commences at least 330 days after the Closing Date or (ii) eighteen months after the Closing Date (for the avoidance of doubt no Transfer Restriction shall apply to the Second Tranche after the expiration of the Second Lock-Up Period); and

 

  (iii)

on the date on which post-merger Acquiror completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of post-merger Acquiror’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares for cash, securities or other property, the Transfer Restriction will terminate with respect to all Lock-Up Shares.

(c)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time the sale price of the Acquiror Common Stock equals or exceeds $20.00 per share for any twenty (20) trading days within any thirty (30) trading day period that commences at least 90 days after the Closing Date, then the date of commencement as well as the end date, where applicable, of each period set forth in Sections 2(b)(i), 2(b)(ii) and 2(b)(iii) shall be accelerated by three (3) months;

(d)    The per share stock prices referenced in this Agreement will be equitably adjusted on account of any changes in the equity securities of Acquiror by way of stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification, or through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization or business combination, or by any other means.

(e)    If any Transfer is made or attempted contrary to the provisions of this Agreement, such Transfer shall be null and void ab initio, and Acquiror shall refuse to recognize any such transferee of the Lock-Up

 

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Shares as one of its equity holders for any purpose. In order to enforce this Section 1, Acquiror may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Lock-Up Shares (and any permitted transferees and assigns thereof) until the end of the First Lock-Up Period, the Second Lock-Up Period and the Lock-Up Period, as applicable.

(f)    During the applicable Lock-Up Period, each certificate (if any are issued) evidencing any Lock-Up Shares shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form, in addition to any other applicable legends:

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER SET FORTH IN A LOCK-UP AGREEMENT, DATED AS OF AUGUST 26, 2021, BY AND AMONG THE ISSUER OF SUCH SECURITIES (THE “ISSUER”) AND THE ISSUER’S SECURITY HOLDER NAMED THEREIN, AS AMENDED. A COPY OF SUCH LOCK-UP AGREEMENT WILL BE FURNISHED WITHOUT CHARGE BY THE ISSUER TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON WRITTEN REQUEST.”

(g)    For the avoidance of any doubt, the Sponsor shall retain all of its rights as a shareholder of Acquiror with respect to the Lock-Up Shares during the Lock-Up Period, including the right to vote any Lock-Up Shares.

3.    Miscellaneous.

(a)    Effective Date. Section 1 of this Agreement shall become effective at the Effective Time.

(b)    Termination of the Merger Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, in the event that the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the Effective Time, this Agreement and all rights and obligations of the Parties hereunder shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect.

(c)    Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement and all of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, this Agreement and all obligations of the Parties are personal to the Parties and may not be transferred or delegated by the Parties at any time.

(d)    Third Parties. Nothing contained in this Agreement or in any instrument or document executed by any party in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby shall create any rights in, or be deemed to have been executed for the benefit of, any person or entity that is not a Party hereto or thereto or a successor or permitted assign of such a Party.

(e)    Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of Law or conflict of Law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the law of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware. Each Party (a) irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process in any action or proceeding relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, for and on behalf of itself or any of its properties or assets, in accordance with this Section 3(e) or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Law, that such process may be served in the manner of giving notices in Section 3(h) and that nothing in this Section 3(e) shall affect the right of any Party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by applicable Law, (b) irrevocably and unconditionally consents and submits itself and its properties and assets in any action or proceeding to the exclusive general jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the “Chancery Court”) and any state appellate court therefrom located within the State of Delaware (or, only if the Chancery Court declines to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware) in the event any dispute or controversy arises out of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, or for recognition and enforcement of any Order in respect thereof, (c) agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court, (d) agrees that any actions or proceedings arising in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be brought, tried and determined only in the Chancery Court and any state appellate court therefrom located within the State of Delaware (or, only if the Chancery Court declines to accept jurisdiction over a

 

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particular matter, any state or federal court within the State of Delaware), (e) waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same, and (f) agrees that it will not bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in any court other than the aforesaid courts. Each Party agrees that a final Order in any action or proceeding in such courts as provided above shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the Order or in any other manner provided by applicable Law.

(f)    WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. EACH PARTY HERETO (i) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THAT FOREGOING WAIVER AND (ii) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 3(f).

(g)    Interpretation. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement. In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires: (i) any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa; (ii) “including” (and with correlative meaning “include”) means including without limiting the generality of any description preceding or succeeding such term and shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (iii) the words “herein,” “hereto,” and “hereby” and other words of similar import in this Agreement shall be deemed in each case to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section or other subdivision of this Agreement; and (iv) the term “or” means “and/or”. The Parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. Consequently, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the Parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement.

(h)    Notices. All notices, consents, waivers and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered (i) in person, (ii) by e-mail (having obtained electronic delivery confirmation thereof), (iii) one (1) Business Day after being sent, if sent by reputable, nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) three (3) Business Days after being mailed, if sent by registered or certified mail, pre-paid and return receipt requested, provided, however, that notice given pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) above shall not be effective unless a duplicate copy of such notice is also given in person or by e-mail (having obtained electronic delivery confirmation thereof), in each case to the applicable Party at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified by like notice):

 

 

If to Acquiror, to:

 

Good Works Acquisition Corp.

4265 San Felipe

Suite 603

Houston, 77027

Attn:         Cary Grossman, President

E-mail:      cgrossman@shorelinecapitaladvisors.com

  

 

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Schiff Hardin LLP

901 K Street NW

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20001

Attn:        Ralph V. De Martino

E-mail:    RDeMartino@schiffhardin.com

 

If to the Sponsor, to:    With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

I-B Good Works, LLC

1208 Shady Lane N

Keller, TX 76248

Attn: Shelley Leonard

  

Attn:

Email:

 

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(i)    Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of Acquiror and the Sponsor. No failure or delay by a Party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.

(j)    Severability. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in a jurisdiction, such provision shall be modified or deleted, as to the jurisdiction involved, only to the extent necessary to render the same valid, legal and enforceable, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby nor shall the validity, legality or enforceability of such provision be affected thereby in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the Parties will substitute for any invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision a suitable and equitable provision that carries out, so far as may be valid, legal and enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision.

(k)    Specific Performance. The Sponsor acknowledges that its obligations under this Agreement are unique, recognizes and affirms that in the event of a breach of this Agreement by the Sponsor, money damages will be inadequate and Acquiror will have no adequate remedy at law, and agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed by the Sponsor in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. Accordingly, Acquiror shall be entitled to an injunction or restraining order to prevent breaches of this Agreement by the Sponsor and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, without the requirement to post any bond or other security or to prove that money damages would be inadequate, this being in addition to any other right or remedy to which such Party may be entitled under this Agreement, at law or in equity.

(l)    Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and any other written or oral agreement relating to the subject matter hereof existing between the Parties is expressly canceled; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall not affect the rights and obligations of the Parties under the Merger Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement shall limit any of the rights or remedies of Acquiror or any of the obligations of the Sponsor under any other agreement between the Sponsor and Acquiror, or any certificate or instrument executed by the Sponsor in favor of Acquiror, and nothing in any other agreement, certificate or instrument shall limit any of the rights or remedies of Acquiror or any of the obligations of the Sponsor under this Agreement.

(m)    Further Assurances. From time to time, at another Party’s request and without further consideration (but at the requesting Party’s reasonable cost and expense), each Party shall execute and deliver such additional documents and take all such further action as may be reasonably necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(n)    Counterparts; Facsimile. This Agreement may also be executed and delivered by facsimile signature or by email in portable document format in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank; Signature Pages Follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

SPONSOR:
I-B GOOD WORKS, LLC
By:  

/s/ Shelley Leonard

Name: Shelley Leonard

Title: President & CFO

ACQUIROR:
GOOD WORKS ACQUISITION CORP.
By:  

/s/ Cary Grossman

Name: Cary Grossman

Title: President

 

[Signature Page to Lock-Up Agreement (Sponsor)]

EX-10.7

Exhibit 10.7

Execution Version

AMENDED AND RESTATED

SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT

This SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT (this “Subscription Agreement”) is entered into this 27th day of August, 2021, by and among Good Works Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Issuer”), and the undersigned, Bitfury Top Holdco B.V. (“Subscriber” or “Bitfury”). Defined terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Merger Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, the Issuer, Cipher Mining Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the other parties named therein have entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 4, 2021 (as amended, amended and restated, modified, supplemented, or waived from time to time in accordance with its terms, the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which the Issuer, its merger subsidiary and the Company shall enter into a business combination transaction, with the Company surviving as the surviving entity, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein (together with the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Transactions”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with the Transactions, on March 4, 2021, Subscriber entered into a subscription agreement (the “March Subscription Agreement”) pursuant to which it subscribed for and sought to purchase from the Issuer five million (5,000,000) shares of the common stock of the Issuer (the “Common Stock”), par value $0.001 per share (the “Original Shares”) for a purchase price of $10.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $50,000,000 (the “Original Purchase Price”), payable by means of Bitfury causing Bitfury Holding B.V. (“BHBV”) to make a benefit-in-kind commitment to the Company pursuant to a certain master services and supply agreement (the “MSA”) to be executed by the Company and BHBV prior to the closing thereof; and

WHEREAS, the March Subscription Agreement was subsequently amended and restated on July 8, 2021 (the “July Subscription Agreement”) by Subscriber and the Issuer to reflect a revision to the MSA pursuant to which, inter alia the benefit-in-kind commitment was removed, and the Issuer and the Subscriber agreed to amend and restate the March Subscription Agreement to modify the consideration payable such that Bitfury would remit the Purchase Price in cash and/or forgiveness of outstanding indebtedness owed by the Company to the Subscriber or an Affiliate of Subscriber (as defined below); and

WHEREAS, the Subscriber now wishes to subscribe for, and the Issuer wishes to issue, an additional one million (1,000,000) shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Additional Shares”, and together with the Original Shares, the “Shares”) for a purchase price of $10.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price for the Additional Shares of $10,000,000 (the “Additional Purchase Price”, and together with the Original Purchase Price, the “Purchase Price”). This Amended and Restated Subscription Agreement is executed for that purpose; and

WHEREAS, certain other “qualified institutional buyers” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)) or institutional “accredited investors” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act) (each, an “Other Subscriber”) have, severally and not jointly, entered into separate subscription agreements with the Issuer (the “Other Subscription Agreements”), pursuant to which such Other Subscribers have agreed to purchase Common Stock on the Closing Date at the same per share purchase price as the Subscriber, and the aggregate amount of securities to be sold by the Issuer pursuant to this Subscription Agreement and the Other Subscription Agreements equals, as of the date hereof, 42,500,000 shares of Common Stock and the aggregate value of the consideration received by the Issuer in connection with the purchase and sale of the Shares equals $425,000,000.


NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual representations, warranties, and covenants, and subject to the conditions, herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto hereby agree that the July Subscription Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

1.    Subscription. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, at the Closing, Subscriber hereby agrees to subscribe for and purchase, and the Issuer hereby agrees to issue and sell to Subscriber, upon the payment of the Purchase Price, the Shares (such subscription and issuance, the “Subscription”).

2.    Representations, Warranties, and Agreements.

2.1    Subscribers Representations, Warranties, and Agreements. To induce the Issuer to issue the Shares to Subscriber, Subscriber hereby represents and warrants to the Issuer and acknowledges and agrees with the Issuer as follows:

2.1.1    Subscriber has been duly formed or incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or formation, with power and authority to enter into, deliver, and perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement.

2.1.2    This Subscription Agreement has been duly authorized, validly executed and delivered by Subscriber. Assuming that this Subscription Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Issuer, this Subscription Agreement is the valid and binding obligation of Subscriber and is enforceable against Subscriber in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium, or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally and (ii) principles of equity, whether considered at law or equity (including concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, and fair dealing with respect to those jurisdictions that recognize such concepts).

2.1.3    The execution, delivery and performance by Subscriber of this Subscription Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein do not and will not (i) result in any violation of the provisions of the organizational documents of Subscriber, or (ii) result in any violation of any law, statute or any judgment, order, rule, regulation or other legally enforceable requirement of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over Subscriber that would reasonably be expected to have an adverse effect on the ability of Subscriber to enter into and timely perform its obligations under, this Subscription Agreement (a “Subscriber Material Adverse Effect”).

2.1.4    Subscriber is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority, self-regulatory organization or other person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Subscription Agreement.

2.1.5    Subscriber is (i) a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) or an institutional “accredited investor” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act) satisfying the applicable requirements set forth on Schedule I attached hereto, (ii) an institutional account as defined in FINRA Rule 4512(c), (iii) acquiring the Shares only for its own account and not for the account of others, or if Subscriber is

 

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subscribing for the Shares as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor accounts, each owner of such account is a qualified institutional buyer, and Subscriber has full investment discretion with respect to each such account, and the full power and authority to make the acknowledgements, representations, warranties, and agreements herein on behalf of each owner of each such account, and (iv) not acquiring the Shares with a view to, or for offer or sale in connection with, any distribution thereof in violation of the Securities Act (and shall provide the requested information on Schedule I attached hereto). Subscriber is not an entity formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Shares.

2.1.6    Subscriber is a sophisticated investor, experienced in investing in securities transactions and capable of evaluating investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to all transactions and investment strategies involving a security or securities, and has exercised independent judgment in evaluating its participation in the purchase of the Shares.

2.1.7    Subscriber understands that the Shares are being offered in a transaction not involving any public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act and that the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act. Subscriber understands that the Shares may not be resold, transferred, pledged, or otherwise disposed of by Subscriber absent an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, except (i) to the Issuer or a subsidiary thereof, (ii) to non-U.S. persons pursuant to offers and sales that occur solely outside the United States within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act, or (iii) pursuant to another applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in each of cases (i) and (iii), in accordance with any applicable securities laws of the states and other jurisdictions of the United States, and that any certificates or book entries representing the Shares (if any) shall contain a legend to such effect. Subscriber acknowledges that the Shares will not be eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act. Subscriber understands and agrees that the Shares will be subject to the foregoing transfer restrictions and, as a result of these transfer restrictions, Subscriber may not be able to readily resell the Shares and may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the Shares for an indefinite period of time. Subscriber understands that it has been advised to consult legal counsel prior to making any offer, resale, pledge, or transfer of any of the Shares.

2.1.8    Subscriber understands and agrees that Subscriber is purchasing the Shares directly from the Issuer. Subscriber further acknowledges that there have been no representations, warranties, covenants, or agreements made to Subscriber by the Issuer, the Company, the Placement Agents (as defined below) or any of their respective affiliates, officers or directors, expressly or by implication, other than those representations, warranties, covenants, and agreements expressly set forth in this Subscription Agreement, and Subscriber is not relying on any representations, warranties or covenants other than those expressly set forth in this Subscription Agreement.

2.1.9    Subscriber represents and warrants that it (i) is purchasing the Shares for investment, (ii) has no current plan or intention to dispose of or otherwise transfer the Shares and (iii) is under no binding agreement to dispose of or otherwise transfer the Shares.

2.1.10    If Subscriber is an employee benefit plan that is subject to Title 1 of Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), Subscriber represents and warrants that its acquisition and holding of the Shares will not constitute or result in a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of ERISA, Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or any applicable similar law. In making its decision to purchase the Shares, Subscriber represents that it has relied solely upon independent investigation

 

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made by Subscriber and the Issuer’s representations, warranties and agreements in Section 2.2 hereof. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Subscriber has not relied on any statements or other information provided by anyone other than the Issuer concerning the Issuer, the Company or the Shares or the offer and sale of the Shares. Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that Subscriber has received access to and has had an adequate opportunity to review such financial and other information provided to Subscriber in the Issuer’s electronic dataroom as of the date hereof as Subscriber deems necessary in order to make an investment decision with respect to the Shares, including with respect to the Issuer, the Company, and the Transactions and has made its own assessment and is satisfied concerning the relevant tax and other economic considerations relevant to the Subscriber’s investment in the Shares. Subscriber acknowledges that it has reviewed the SEC Documents (as defined below) in the Issuer’s electronic dataroom as of the date hereof. Subscriber represents and agrees that Subscriber and Subscriber’s professional advisor(s), if any, have had the full opportunity to ask such questions, receive such answers, and obtain such information as Subscriber and such Subscriber’s professional advisor(s), if any, have deemed reasonably necessary to make an investment decision with respect to the Shares. Subscriber acknowledges that the Placement Agents (as defined below) and their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives and controlling persons have made no independent investigation with respect to the Issuer, the Company or the Shares or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of any information supplied to the Subscriber by the Issuer and/or the Company. Subscriber acknowledges that (i) it has not relied on any statements or other information provided by any Placement Agent or any of the Placement Agents’ respective affiliates with respect to its decision to invest in the Shares, including information related to the Issuer, the Company, the Shares and the offer and sale of the Shares, (ii) none of the Placement Agents or any of their respective affiliates has prepared any disclosure or offering document in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares and (iii) in connection with the issue and purchase of the Shares, none of the Placement Agents has acted as the Subscriber’s financial advisor or fiduciary.

2.1.11    Subscriber became aware of this offering of the Shares solely by means of direct contact between Subscriber, the Company, the Issuer or its representative. Subscriber has a pre-existing substantive relationship (as interpreted in guidance from the Commission (as defined below) under the Securities Act) with the Issuer or its representative, and the Shares were offered to Subscriber solely by direct contact between Subscriber and the Issuer or its representative. Subscriber did not become aware of this offering of the Shares, nor were the Shares offered to Subscriber, by any other means. Subscriber acknowledges that it has not become aware of this offering (i) by any form of general solicitation or general advertising, including methods described in Section 502(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act, or (ii) in a manner involving a public offering under, or in a distribution in violation of, the Securities Act or any state securities laws.

2.1.12    Subscriber acknowledges that it is aware that there are substantial risks incident to the purchase and ownership of the Shares. Subscriber is able to fend for itself in the transactions contemplated herein, has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Shares. The Subscriber understands and acknowledges that the purchase and sale of the Shares hereunder meets (i) the exemptions from filing under FINRA Rule 5123(b)(1)(A) and (ii) the institutional customer exemption under FINRA Rule 2111(b).

2.1.13    Alone, or together with any professional advisor(s), if any, Subscriber represents and acknowledges that Subscriber has considered the risks of investment in the Shares and determined that the Shares are a suitable investment for Subscriber and that Subscriber is able at this time and in the foreseeable future to bear the economic risk of a total loss of Subscriber’s investment in the Issuer. Subscriber acknowledges specifically that a possibility of total loss exists.

 

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2.1.14    Subscriber understands and agrees that no federal or state agency has passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Shares or made any findings or determination as to the fairness of an investment in the Shares.

2.1.15    Neither Subscriber nor any of its directors, officers, employees or other persons acting on behalf of Subscriber for the purposes of this Subscription Agreement is (i) a person or entity named on the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons, the Executive Order 13599 List, the Foreign Sanctions Evaders List, or the Sectoral Sanctions Identification List, each of which is administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) or in any other Executive Order issued by the President of the United States and administered by OFAC (collectively, “OFAC Lists”), or a person or entity prohibited by any OFAC sanctions program, (ii) owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf of, a person, that is named on an OFAC List; (iii) organized, incorporated, established, located, resident or born in, or a citizen, national, or the government, including any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, of, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea region of Ukraine, or any other country or territory embargoed or subject to substantial trade restrictions by the United States, (iv) a Designated National as defined in the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 515, or (v) a non-U.S. shell bank or providing banking services indirectly to a non-U.S. shell bank. Subscriber agrees to provide law enforcement agencies, if requested thereby, such records as required by applicable law; provided, that Subscriber is permitted to do so under applicable law. Subscriber represents that if it is a financial institution subject to the Bank Secrecy Act (31 U.S.C. Section 5311 et seq.), as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and its implementing regulations (collectively, the “BSA/PATRIOT Act”), that Subscriber maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to comply with applicable obligations under the BSA/PATRIOT Act. Subscriber also represents that, to the extent required, it maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance with OFAC-administered sanctions programs, including for the screening of its investors against the OFAC sanctions programs, including the OFAC Lists. Subscriber further represents and warrants that, to the extent required, it maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the funds held by Subscriber and used to purchase the Shares were legally derived.

2.1.16    If Subscriber is an employee benefit plan that is subject to Title I of ERISA, a plan, an individual retirement account or other arrangement that is subject to Section 4975 of the Code or an employee benefit plan that is a governmental plan (as defined in Section 3(32) of ERISA), a church plan (as defined in Section 3(33) of ERISA), a non-U.S. plan (as described in Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA), or other plan that is not subject to the foregoing but may be subject to provisions under any other federal, state, local, non-U.S., or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code, or an entity whose underlying assets are considered to include “plan assets” of any such plan, account, or arrangement (each, a “Plan”) subject to the fiduciary or prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, Subscriber represents and warrants that neither the Issuer nor any of its affiliates (the “Transaction Parties”) has acted as the Plan’s fiduciary, or has been relied on for advice, with respect to its decision to acquire and hold the Shares, and none of the Transaction Parties shall at any time be relied upon as the Plan’s fiduciary with respect to any decision to acquire, continue to hold, or transfer the Shares.

2.1.17    [Reserved]

2.1.18    The Subscriber hereby acknowledges and agrees that it will not, nor will any person acting at the Subscriber’s direction or pursuant to any understanding with the Subscriber, directly or indirectly offer, sell, pledge, contract to sell, sell any option, engage in

 

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hedging activities or execute any “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Securities Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), including all types of direct and indirect stock pledges (other than pledges in the ordinary course of business as part of prime brokerage or other similar financing arrangements), forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, swaps and similar arrangements (including on a total return basis), and sales and other transactions through non-U.S. broker dealers or foreign regulated brokers, of the Common Stock or the Shares until the consummation of the Transactions (or such earlier termination of this Subscription Agreement in accordance with its terms).

2.1.19    Subscriber has, and on each date the Purchase Price would be required to be funded to the Issuer pursuant to Section 3 will have, sufficient immediately available funds to pay the Purchase Price pursuant to Section 3.

2.1.20    The Subscriber hereby acknowledges that it has been informed that (a) each of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“J.P. Morgan”) and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (“Wells Fargo” and together with J.P. Morgan, in their respective capacities as placement agents with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement and the Other Subscription Agreements, the “Placement Agents”) is each acting solely as Placement Agent in connection with the Transactions and is not acting as an underwriter or in any other capacity and is not and shall not be construed as a fiduciary for the undersigned, the Company or any other person or entity in connection with the Transactions, (b) the Placement Agents have not made and will not make any representation or warranty, whether express or implied, of any kind or character and have not provided any advice or recommendation in connection with the Transactions, (c) the Placement Agents will have no responsibility with respect to (i) any representations, warranties or agreements made by any person or entity under or in connection with the Transactions or any of the documents furnished pursuant thereto or in connection therewith, or the execution, legality, validity or enforceability (with respect to any person) of any thereof, or (ii) the business, affairs, financial condition, operations, properties or prospects of, or any other matter concerning the Company or the Transactions, and (d) the Placement Agents shall have no liability or obligation (including without limitation, for or with respect to any losses, claims, damages, obligations, penalties, judgments, awards, liabilities, costs, expenses or disbursements incurred by the Subscriber, the Company or any other person or entity), whether in contract, tort or otherwise, to the Subscriber, or to any person claiming through the Subscriber, in respect of the Transactions.

2.1.21    No broker, finder, or other financial consultant has acted on behalf of or at the direction of Subscriber in connection with this Subscription Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in such a way as to create any liability on the Issuer, the Company or any of their respective subsidiaries.

2.2    Issuers Representations, Warranties, and Agreements. For purposes of this Section 2.2, the term “Issuer” shall refer to the Issuer as of the date hereof and, for purposes of only the representations contained in Sections 2.2.5, 2.2.9, 2.2.15, 2.2.17 and 2.2.18 and to the extent such representations and warranties are made as of the Closing, the combined company after giving effect to the Transactions. To induce Subscriber to purchase the Shares, the Issuer hereby represents and warrants to Subscriber and agrees with Subscriber as follows:

2.2.1    The Issuer has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), with corporate power and authority to own, lease, and operate its properties and conduct its business as presently conducted and to enter into, deliver, and perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement.

 

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2.2.2    The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered to Subscriber against full payment for the Shares will be free and clear of any liens or other restrictions whatsoever in accordance with the terms of this Subscription Agreement and registered with the Issuer’s transfer agent, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable, and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar rights created under the Issuer’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation or under the DGCL or otherwise.

2.2.3    This Subscription Agreement has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Issuer and, assuming that this Subscription Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by Subscriber, is the valid and binding obligation of the Issuer and is enforceable against the Issuer in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium, or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally and (ii) principles of equity, whether considered at law or equity (including concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, and fair dealing with respect to those jurisdictions that recognize such concepts).

2.2.4    The execution, delivery, and performance of this Subscription Agreement (including compliance by the Issuer with all of the provisions hereof), issuance and sale of the Shares, and the consummation of the Transactions and certain other transactions contemplated herein will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease, license, or other agreement or instrument to which the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries is subject, which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or a material adverse effect on the assets, business, results of operation or financial operations of the Issuer and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (including the combined company after giving effect to the Transaction), or prevents, materially impairs, materially delays or materially impedes the legal authority of the Issuer to enter into and timely perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement or the Merger Agreement or to consummate the Transactions or the validity or enforceability of the Shares (collectively, an “Issuer Material Adverse Effect”), (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the organizational documents of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries, or (iii) result in any violation of any law, statute or any judgment, order, rule, regulation or other legally enforceable requirement of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries or any of its and their respective properties that would reasonably be expected to have an Issuer Material Adverse Effect.

2.2.5    The Issuer is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or self-regulatory organization in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Subscription Agreement or the Transactions (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Shares), other than (i) filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), (ii) filings required by applicable state securities laws, (iii) any filings required under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 or similar antitrust laws, (iv) filings required by Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), including with respect to obtaining Issuer stockholder approval, (v) consents, waivers, authorizations or filings that have been obtained or made on or prior to the Subscription, and (vi) where the failure of which to obtain would not reasonably be expected to have an Issuer Material Adverse Effect or have a material adverse effect on the Issuer’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including the issuance and sale of the Shares.

 

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2.2.6    Prior to the execution and delivery of this Subscription Agreement, the Issuer has entered into the Other Subscription Agreements providing for the sale of an aggregate of 42,500,000 Shares for an aggregate value equal to $425,000,000 (including the Shares purchased and sold under this Subscription Agreement).

2.2.7    Assuming the accuracy of Subscriber’s representations and warranties set forth in Section 2.1 of this Subscription Agreement and each of the Other Subscription Agreements, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Shares by the Issuer to Subscriber and the Other Subscribers pursuant to the Other Subscription Agreements.

2.2.8    The Issuer is, and since its date of incorporation, has been, operating in all material respects in a manner that is customary for businesses similar to the Issuer, and the Issuer is conducting and, since its date of incorporation, has conducted its business in material compliance with all applicable laws.

2.2.9    The Issuer is in compliance with all applicable laws, except where such non-compliance would not reasonably be expected to be material. The Issuer has not received any written, or to its knowledge, other communication from a governmental entity that alleges that the Issuer is not in compliance with or is in default or violation of any applicable law, except where such non-compliance, default or violation would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably likely to be material.

2.2.10    The issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Issuer are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “GWAC” (it being understood that the trading symbol will be changed in connection with the Closing). There is no suit, action, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Issuer, threatened against the Issuer by Nasdaq or the Commission, respectively, to prohibit or terminate the listing of the Issuer’s Common Stock on Nasdaq or to deregister the Common Stock under the Exchange Act. The Issuer has taken no action that is designed to terminate, or that would reasonably be expected to result in the termination of the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act.

2.2.11    The Issuer has made available to Subscriber (including via the Commission’s EDGAR system) a true, correct, and complete copy of each form, report, statement, schedule, prospectus, proxy, registration statement, and other documents filed by the Issuer with the Commission prior to the date of this Subscription Agreement (the “SEC Documents”). None of the SEC Documents filed under the Exchange Act, contained, when filed or, if amended prior to the date of this Subscription Agreement, as of the date of such amendment with respect to those disclosures that are amended, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Issuer has timely filed each report, statement, schedule, prospectus, and registration statement that the Issuer was required to file with the Commission since its inception and through the date hereof. There are, and upon Closing there shall be, no material outstanding or unresolved comments in comment letters from the Commission staff with respect to any of the SEC Documents.

 

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2.2.12    The Proxy Statement (as defined in the Merger Agreement), when filed or, if amended, as of the date of such amendment with respect to those disclosures that are amended, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

2.2.13    As of the date hereof and as of immediately prior to the Transactions, the authorized capital stock of the Issuer is 100,000,000 shares, consisting of (a) 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, and (b) 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Shares”). As of the date hereof: (i) no Preferred Shares are issued and outstanding; (ii) 21,478,000 shares of Common Stock are issued and outstanding; and (iii) 8,614,000 warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Warrants”) are outstanding. All (A) issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and are non-assessable and are not subject to preemptive rights and (B) outstanding Warrants have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and are not subject to preemptive rights. Except as set forth above and pursuant to the Other Subscription Agreements and the Merger Agreement, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights to subscribe for, purchase or acquire from the Issuer any shares of Common Stock, or any other equity interests in the Issuer, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such equity interests. There are no securities or instruments issued by or to which the Issuer is a party containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Shares or the shares to be issued pursuant to any Other Subscription Agreement, that have not been or will not be validly waived on or prior to the Closing Date.

2.2.14    The Issuer is not, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Shares will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

2.2.15    Neither the Issuer nor, to the knowledge of the Issuer, any of its officers, in their capacities as such, or the Company, is the subject of or engaged in any action before a governmental authority, arbitration or other dispute resolution process before a third party unrelated to the dispute, whether as claimant, defendant or otherwise, and no such litigation, arbitration or dispute resolution process is pending or threatened in writing on the date hereof, in each case, that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have an Issuer Material Adverse Effect. As of the date hereof, the Issuer is not, nor to the knowledge of the Issuer is any of its officers, in their capacities as such, or the Company, subject to any settlement agreements or arrangements, whether written or oral, or is in discussions for a settlement or arrangement, regarding any disputes or claims, in each case, that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have an Issuer Material Adverse Effect. As of the date of this Subscription Agreement, neither the Issuer nor the Company is a party to or subject to the provisions of any outstanding or unsatisfied judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree or award of any governmental authority (except if generally applicable without the Issuer being named therein) that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have an Issuer Material Adverse Effect.

2.2.16    Other than to the Placement Agents, no broker, finder, or other financial consultant has acted on behalf of or at the direction of the Issuer in connection with this Subscription Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in such a way as to create any liability on Subscriber.

2.2.17    Neither the Issuer nor any person acting on its behalf has engaged or will engage in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D of the Securities Act) in connection with any offer or sale of the Shares, and are not being offered in a manner involving a public offering under, or in a distribution in violation of, the Securities Act or any state securities laws.

 

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2.2.18    Except as would not reasonably be expected to have an Issuer Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Issuer and its subsidiaries own or possess valid and adequate rights to use any and all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) used in or necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as presently conducted and as described and as proposed to be conducted, in the SEC Documents, (ii) the conduct of their respective businesses does not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others, and (iii) the Issuer and its subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation or violation of, or conflict with, any intellectual property right of others.

2.2.19    Since its date of incorporation, neither the Issuer nor, to the Issuer’s knowledge, any of its representatives, have directly or indirectly paid, offered or promised to pay, or authorized or ratified the payment, directly or indirectly, of any monies or anything of value to any national, provincial, municipal or other government official or any political party or candidate for political office for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of such official or of any governmental authority to obtain or retain business, or direct business to any person or to secure any other improper benefit or advantage in each case in violation in any material respect any Anti-Corruption Laws (as defined in the Merger Agreement). The Issuer (x) has instituted policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Anti-Corruption Laws and other anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws in each jurisdiction in which the Issuer operates and (y) has maintained such policies and procedures in force. To the Issuer’s knowledge, no government official nor any of his or her immediate family members is an officer or director or owns any securities of the Issuer. Since its date of incorporation, neither the Issuer nor, to the Issuer’s knowledge, any of its representatives, has, or is presently or has agreed to become, engaged in any conduct that violates in any material respect any applicable Anti-Corruption Laws. Since its date of incorporation, to the Issuer’s knowledge, the Issuer is not conducting and has not conducted, directly or indirectly, any business (including, without limitation, sales, reselling, licensing or sub-licensing arrangements, funding, making payments, procuring, insurance or otherwise providing assistance or support in connection with operations, business or any other activity) with or for the direct or indirect benefit of or on behalf of any Sanctioned Person (as defined in the Merger Agreement), nor otherwise violated any applicable Sanction (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or Ex-Im Law (as defined in the Merger Agreement).

2.2.20    As of the date hereof, all representations and warranties of the Company that are contained in the Merger Agreement are true and correct in all material respects, to the knowledge of the Issuer after due inquiry.

3.    Settlement Date and Delivery; Closing Conditions.

3.1.1    The closing of the Subscription contemplated hereby (the “Closing”) is contingent upon the substantially concurrent consummation of the Transactions and shall occur immediately prior to and is conditional upon the subsequent occurrence of, consummation of the Transactions. Upon written notice from (or on behalf of) the Issuer to Subscriber (the “Closing Notice”) at least four (4) Business Days prior to the date that the Issuer reasonably expects all conditions to the closing of the Transactions to be satisfied or waived (the “Expected Closing Date”), Subscriber shall deliver to the Issuer, (A) no later than one (1) Business Day prior to the

 

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Expected Closing Date, (x) the Original Purchase Price for the Original Shares in the amount of $50,000,000, which shall be payable in United States dollars and/ or by means of forgiveness of indebtedness owed by the Company to the Subscriber or an Affiliate thereof; such funds shall be delivered by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Issuer in the Closing Notice and shall be held by the Issuer in escrow until the Closing; and such documents, instruments and or agreements representing the forgiveness of indebtedness owed by the Company to the Subscriber or an Affiliate thereof, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Issuer, shall be delivered by the Subscriber to an escrow agent specified in the Closing Notice and such documents, instruments and or agreements representing the forgiveness of indebtedness to be held in escrow until the Closing; and (y) such information as is reasonably requested in the Closing Notice in order for the Issuer to issue the Original Shares to Subscriber, including the legal name of the person in whose name the Original Shares are to be issued and a duly completed and executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or an appropriate duly completed and executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 and (B) no later than fourteen (14) days after the Expected Closing Date, Subscriber shall deliver to the Issuer (i) the Additional Purchase Price for the Additional Shares in the amount of $10,000,000, which shall be payable in United States dollars and/ or by means of forgiveness of indebtedness owed by the Company to the Subscriber or an Affiliate thereof; such funds shall be delivered by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Issuer in the Closing Notice and (ii) any additional information described in the foregoing clause (A)(y), with respect to the Additional Purchase Price and the Additional Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing and for the avoidance of doubt, in the case of a Subscriber that is an “investment company” registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Subscriber shall deliver to the Issuer on the Expected Closing Date the Original Purchase Price for the Original Shares by wire transfer of U.S. dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Issuer in the Closing Notice against delivery to the undersigned of the Original Shares in book entry form as described below. If the Transactions are not consummated on or prior to the third (3rd ) Business Day after the Expected Closing Date, the Issuer shall return the Original Purchase Price (which shall not include, for the avoidance of doubt, the accrual of any interest) to Subscriber by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to an account specified by Subscriber. Notwithstanding such return, Subscriber shall remain obligated to redeliver funds representing the Purchase Price to the Issuer following the Issuer’s delivery to Subscriber of a new Closing Notice. Unless otherwise agreed by the Company in writing, the Issuer shall deliver the Closing Notice at least four (4) Business Days prior to the date of the Special Meeting. At the Closing, the Issuer shall deliver to Subscriber (i) the Original Shares in book entry form, free and clear of any liens or other restrictions whatsoever (other than those arising under state or federal securities laws or as set forth herein or in any other agreement between the Issuer and the Subscriber), in the name of Subscriber (or its nominee in accordance with its delivery instructions) and (ii) a copy of the records of the Issuer’s transfer agent showing the Subscriber (or such nominee or custodian) as the owner of the Original Shares on and as of the Closing. For purposes of this Subscription Agreement, “Business Day” means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close. Upon delivery in book-entry form of the Original Shares to the Subscriber (or its nominee, if applicable), the Original Purchase Price may be released from escrow. As soon as practicable after receipt by the Issuer of the Additional Purchase Price after Closing, the Issuer shall deliver to Subscriber (i) the Additional Shares in book entry form, free and clear of any liens or other restrictions whatsoever (other than those arising under state or federal securities laws or as set forth herein or in any other agreement between the Issuer and the Subscriber), in the name of Subscriber (or its nominee in accordance with its delivery instructions) and (ii) a copy of the records of the Issuer’s transfer agent showing the Subscriber (or such nominee or custodian) as the owner of the Additional Shares as of such day.

 

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3.1.2    The obligations of the Issuer to consummate the transactions contemplated hereunder are subject to the satisfaction (or waiver by the Issuer in writing) of the conditions that, at the Closing:

(1)    all representations and warranties of the Subscriber contained in this Subscription Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (other than representations and warranties that are qualified as to materiality which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects) at and as of the Closing, and consummation of the Closing shall constitute a reaffirmation by the Subscriber of each of the representations, warranties and agreements of such party contained in this Subscription Agreement as of the Closing; and

(2)    Subscriber shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Subscription Agreement required to be performed or complied with at or prior to the Closing, except where the failure of such performance or compliance would not reasonably be expected to prevent, materially delay, or materially impair the ability of the Subscriber to consummate the Closing.

3.1.3    The obligations of the Subscriber to consummate the transactions contemplated hereunder are subject to the satisfaction (or waiver by the Subscriber in writing) of the conditions that, at the Closing:

(1)    all representations and warranties of the Issuer contained in this Subscription Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (other than representations and warranties that are qualified as to materiality or an Issuer Material Adverse Effect, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects) at and as of the Closing, and consummation of the Closing shall constitute a reaffirmation of each of the applicable representations, warranties and agreements of the Issuer and the combined company contained in this Subscription Agreement as of the Closing;

(2)    the Issuer shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Subscription Agreement required to be performed or complied with at or prior to the Closing, except where the failure of such performance or compliance would not or would not reasonably be expected to prevent, materially delay, or materially impair the ability of the Issuer to consummate the Closing;

(3)    no suspension of the qualification of the Common Stock for offering or sale or trading in any jurisdiction, or initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any such purposes shall have occurred, and the Shares shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq (subject to official notice of issuance); and

(4)    the Merger Agreement shall not have been amended to, and there shall have been no waiver or modification to the Merger Agreement that would, materially and adversely affect the undersigned relative to the Other Subscribers without the Subscriber’s prior written consent.

 

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3.1.4    The obligations of each of the Issuer and the Subscriber to consummate the transactions contemplated hereunder are subject to the satisfaction of the conditions that, at the Closing:

(1)    no governmental authority of competent jurisdiction shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any law, rule, regulation, judgment, decree, executive order or award after the date hereof which is then in effect and has the effect of making the Subscription illegal or otherwise prohibiting consummation of the Subscription;

(2)    all conditions precedent to the closing of the Transactions set forth in the Merger Agreement, including all necessary approvals of the Issuer’s stockholders and regulatory approvals, if any, shall have been satisfied or waived (other than those conditions that may only be satisfied at the closing of the Transactions, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of such conditions as of the closing of the Transactions); and

(3)    the Transactions shall have been or will be consummated concurrently with the Closing.

4.    Registration Statement.

4.1    The Issuer agrees that, Subscriber may make a written demand for a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective (a “Registration”), for resale of the Shares (the “Registrable Securities”), which written demand shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such Registration and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof (such written demand a “Demand Registration”). Following a Demand Registration, the Subscriber shall be entitled to have its Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration and the Issuer shall file, as soon thereafter as practicable, but not more than thirty (30) days immediately after the Issuer’s receipt of the Demand Registration (the “Filing Date”), the Registration of all Registrable Securities requested by the Subscriber pursuant to such Demand Registration. Under no circumstances shall the Company be obligated to effect more than one (1) Demand Registrations under this Agreement with respect to any or all of the Registrable Securities; provided, however, that a Registration shall not be counted for such purposes unless a Form S-1 or any similar long-form registration statement that may be available at such time (“Form S-1”) has become effective and all of the Registrable Securities requested by the Subscriber to be registered on behalf of the Subscriber in such Form S-1 Registration have been sold. The Subscriber shall not have any right to a Demand Registration, solely with respect to the Original Shares, before the day that is 30 days before the expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as defined below).

4.2    The Subscriber shall have the right to withdraw from a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Issuer and the underwriter or underwriters (if any) of its intention to withdraw from such Registration at least three (3) business days prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to the Registration of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration (or in the case of an underwritten registration pursuant to Rule 415, at least five (5) business days prior to the time of pricing of the applicable offering).

 

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4.3    The Issuer agrees that, as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the Filing Date, the Issuer will file with the Commission (at the Issuer’s sole cost and expense) a registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) with respect to the Registrable Securities, and the Issuer shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have the Registration Statement declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof (such date, the “Effectiveness Date”), provided that no request to accelerate effectiveness of such Registration Statement shall be made prior to the end of the Lock-Up Period (as defined below); provided, further, that the Issuer’s obligations to include the Registrable Securities in the Registration Statement are contingent upon Subscriber furnishing a completed and executed selling shareholders questionnaire in customary form to the Issuer that contains the information required by Commission rules for a Registration Statement regarding Subscriber, the securities of the Issuer held by Subscriber, and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities, and Subscriber shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Issuer may reasonably request that are customary of a selling stockholder in similar situations, including providing that the Issuer shall be entitled to postpone and suspend the effectiveness or use of the Registration Statement during any customary blackout or similar period or as permitted hereunder; provided that, except pursuant to this Agreement, the Subscriber shall not in connection with the foregoing be required to execute any lock-up or similar agreement or otherwise be subject to any contractual restriction on the ability to transfer the Shares. Any failure by the Issuer to file the Registration Statement by the Filing Date or to effect such Registration Statement by the Effectiveness Date shall not otherwise relieve the Issuer of its obligations to file or effect the Registration Statement as set forth above in this Section 4. Unless required under applicable laws and Commission rules, in no event shall the Subscriber be identified as a statutory underwriter in the Registration Statement; provided, that if the Subscriber is required to be so identified as a statutory underwriter in the Registration Statement, the Subscriber will have an opportunity to withdraw its Registrable Securities from the Registration Statement.

4.4    In the case of the registration effected by the Issuer pursuant to this Subscription Agreement, the Issuer shall, upon reasonable request, inform Subscriber as to the status of such registration. At its expense, the Issuer shall:

4.4.1    except for such times as the Issuer is permitted hereunder to suspend the use of the prospectus forming part of a Registration Statement, use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such registration, and any qualification, exemption, or compliance under state securities laws which the Issuer determines to obtain, continuously effective with respect to Subscriber, and to keep the applicable Registration Statement or any subsequent shelf registration statement free of any material misstatements or omissions, until the earlier of the following: (i) Subscriber ceases to hold any Registrable Securities; (ii) the date all Registrable Securities held by Subscriber may be sold without restriction under Rule 144, including without limitation, any volume and manner of sale restrictions which may be applicable to affiliates under Rule 144 and without the requirement for the Issuer to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144(c)(1) (or Rule 144(i)(2), if applicable) and (iii) three years from the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement;

4.4.2    advise Subscriber as expeditiously as reasonably possible (and not later than within three (3) Business Days)::

(a)    when a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective;

(b)    after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for such purpose;

 

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(c)    of the receipt by the Issuer of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Registrable Securities included therein for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and

(d)    subject to the provisions in this Subscription Agreement, of the occurrence of any event that requires the making of any changes in any Registration Statement or prospectus so that, as of such date, the statements therein are not misleading and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Issuer shall not, when so advising Subscriber of such events, provide Subscriber with any material, nonpublic information regarding the Issuer other than to the extent that providing notice to Subscriber of the occurrence of the events listed in (a) through (d) above may constitute material, nonpublic information regarding the Issuer; Subscriber hereby consents to receipt of any material, non-public information with respect to the occurrence of the events listed in (a) through (d) above;

4.4.3    use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement as soon as reasonably practicable;

4.4.4    upon the occurrence of any event contemplated in Section 4.4.2(d), except for such times as the Issuer is permitted hereunder to suspend, and has suspended, the use of a prospectus forming part of a Registration Statement, the Issuer shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to as soon as reasonably practicable prepare a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement or a supplement to the related prospectus, or file any other required document, so that, as thereafter delivered to purchasers of the Registrable Securities included therein, such prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and

4.4.5    use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all Shares to be listed on each securities exchange or market, if any, on which the Issuer’s Common Stock is then listed.

4.5    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Subscription Agreement, if the Commission prevents the Issuer from including in the Registration Statement any or all of the Shares due to limitations on the use of Rule 415 of the Securities Act for the resale of the Shares by the Subscriber, the Registration Statement shall register for resale such number of Shares which is equal to the maximum number of Shares as is permitted by the Commission. In such event, the number of Shares to be registered for each selling stockholder named in the Registration Statement shall be reduced pro rata among all such selling stockholders and as promptly as practicable after being permitted to register additional Shares under Rule 415 under the Securities Act, the Issuer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to amend the Registration Statement or file a new Registration Statement to register such Shares not included in the initial Registration Statement.

4.6    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Subscription Agreement, the Issuer shall be entitled to delay or postpone the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and from time to time to require Subscriber not to sell under the Registration Statement or to suspend the effectiveness thereof, if it determines that in order for the Registration Statement not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not

 

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misleading, (i) an amendment thereto would be needed to include information that would at that time not otherwise be required in a current, quarterly, or annual report under the Exchange Act, (ii) the negotiation or consummation of a transaction by Issuer or its subsidiaries is pending or an event has occurred, which negotiation, consummation or event Issuer’s board of directors reasonably believes would require additional disclosure by Issuer in the Registration Statement of material information that Issuer has a bona fide business purpose for keeping confidential and the non-disclosure of which in the Registration Statement would be expected, in the reasonable determination of Issuer’s board of directors to cause the Registration Statement to fail to comply with applicable disclosure requirements (each such circumstance, a “Suspension Event”); provided, however, that the Issuer may not delay or suspend the Registration Statement on more than two (2) occasions or for more than forty-five (45) consecutive calendar days, or more than ninety (90) total calendar days, in each case during any twelve (12) month period. Upon receipt of any written notice from the Issuer of the happening of any Suspension Event during the period that the Registration Statement is effective or if as a result of a Suspension Event the Registration Statement or related prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made (in the case of the prospectus) not misleading, Subscriber agrees that (a) it will immediately discontinue offers and sales of the Shares under the Registration Statement until Subscriber receives copies of a supplemental or amended prospectus (which the Issuer agrees to promptly prepare) that corrects the misstatement(s) or omission(s) referred to above and receives notice that any post-effective amendment has become effective or unless otherwise notified by the Issuer that it may resume such offers and sales, and (b) it will maintain the confidentiality of any information included in such written notice delivered by the Issuer as required by law. If so directed by the Issuer, Subscriber will deliver to the Issuer or, in Subscriber’s sole discretion destroy, all copies of the prospectus covering the Shares in Subscriber’s possession; provided, however, that this obligation to deliver or destroy all copies of the prospectus covering the Shares shall not apply (1) to the extent Subscriber is required to retain a copy of such prospectus (A) in order to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, self-regulatory, or professional requirements, or (B) in accordance with a bona fide pre-existing document retention policy, or (2) to copies stored electronically on archival servers as a result of automatic data back-up.

5.    Lock-Up.

5.1    For purposes of this Section 5:

5.1.1    The term “Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person, through one or more intermediaries or otherwise;

5.1.2    the term “Permitted Transferees” means any Person to whom the Subscriber is permitted to transfer the Shares prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period pursuant to Section 5.2;

5.1.3    the term “Lock-Up Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the date that is six (6) months after the Closing Date;

5.1.4    the term “Transfer” means the (A) sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, with respect to, any security, (B) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (C) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (A) or (B).

 

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5.2    Notwithstanding the restriction set forth in Section 5.3, the Subscriber or its Permitted Transferees may Transfer the Original Shares during the Lock-Up Period (i) to Subscriber’s officers or directors, (ii) to any Affiliates of the Subscriber; (iii) in respect of (i) or (ii), in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of such individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of such individual’s immediate family, an Affiliate of such individual or to a charitable organization; (iv) in respect of (i), (ii) or (iii), in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of such individual; or (v) by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware.

5.3    The Subscriber hereby agrees that it shall not, and shall cause any of its Permitted Transferees not to, Transfer any Original Shares during the Lock-Up Period.

5.4    If any Transfer is made or attempted contrary to the provisions of this Agreement, such Transfer shall be null and void ab initio, and the Issuer shall refuse to recognize any such transferee of the Original Shares as one of its equity holders for any purpose. In order to enforce this Section 5, the Issuer may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Original Shares (and any permitted transferees and assigns thereof) until the end of the Lock-Up Period.

(a)    During the Lock-Up Period, each certificate (if any are issued) evidencing any Original Shares shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form, in addition to any other applicable legends:

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER SET FORTH IN A SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT, DATED AS OF MARCH 4, 2021, BY AND AMONG THE ISSUER OF SUCH SECURITIES (THE “ISSUER”) AND THE ISSUER’S SECURITY HOLDER NAMED THEREIN, AS AMENDED. A COPY OF SUCH SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT WILL BE FURNISHED WITHOUT CHARGE BY THE ISSUER TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON WRITTEN REQUEST.”

(b)    For the avoidance of any doubt, the Subscriber shall retain all of its rights as a shareholder of the Issuer with respect to the Shares during the Lock-Up Period, including the right to vote any Shares.

5.5    Pursuant that certain registration rights agreement among the Issuer and the Subscriber, among others, to be entered into contemporaneously with Closing, the Issuer will grant certain registration rights to the Subscriber for resale of the Shares under the Securities Act.

6.    Termination. Except for the provisions of this Section 6 and Section 7, which shall survive any termination hereunder, this Subscription Agreement shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect, and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall terminate without any further liability on the part of any party in respect thereof, upon the earliest to occur of (i) the Merger Agreement is validly terminated in accordance with its terms, (ii) upon the mutual written agreement of the Company and each of the parties hereto to terminate this Subscription Agreement and (iii) September 4, 2021, if the Closing has not occurred by such date; provided, that nothing herein will relieve any party from liability for any willful breach hereof prior to the time of termination, and each party will be entitled to any remedies at law or in equity to recover losses, liabilities, or damages arising from such breach. The Issuer shall promptly notify Subscriber of the termination of the Merger Agreement promptly after the termination of such agreement (if applicable), and any monies paid by the Subscriber to the Issuer in connection herewith shall

 

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promptly (and in any event within one (1) Business Day) following a termination be returned to the Subscriber without any deduction for or on account of any tax withholding, charges or set-off, in each case, to the extent permitted by law.

7.    Miscellaneous.

7.1    Further Assurances. The parties hereto shall execute and deliver such additional documents and take such additional actions as the parties reasonably may deem to be practical and necessary in order, or cause to be taken, all things necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the Subscription as contemplated by this Subscription Agreement on the terms and conditions described herein no later than immediately prior to the Closing.

7.1.1    Subscriber acknowledges that the Issuer, the Company, and others will rely on the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties made by Subscriber contained in this Subscription Agreement. Prior to the Closing, Subscriber agrees to promptly notify the Issuer and the Company if any of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties set forth herein are no longer accurate in all material respects.

7.1.2    Each of the Issuer, Subscriber, and the Company is entitled to rely upon this Subscription Agreement and is irrevocably authorized to produce this Subscription Agreement or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby.

7.1.3    The Issuer may request from Subscriber such additional information as the Issuer may reasonably deem necessary to evaluate the eligibility of Subscriber to acquire the Shares, and Subscriber shall promptly provide such information as may be reasonably requested to the extent readily available and to the extent consistent with its internal policies and procedures; provided that the Issuer expressly agrees to keep any such information provided by the Subscriber confidential, except as required by the applicable securities laws or pursuant to proceedings of regulatory authorities.

7.1.4    Subscriber shall pay all of its own expenses in connection with this Subscription Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein.

7.1.5    Each of Subscriber and the Issuer shall take, or cause to be taken, all actions and do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper, or advisable to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Subscription Agreement on the terms and conditions described therein no later than immediately prior to the consummation of the Transactions.

7.2    Notices. Any notice or communication required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and either delivered personally, emailed, sent by overnight mail via a reputable overnight carrier, or sent by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, and shall be deemed to be given and received (i) when so delivered personally, (ii) when sent, with no mail undeliverable or other rejection notice, if sent by email, or (iii) three (3) Business Days after the date of mailing to the address below or to such other address or addresses as such person may hereafter designate by notice given hereunder:

 

  (a)

if to Subscriber, to such address or addresses set forth on Subscriber’s signature page hereto;

 

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  (b)

if to the Issuer, to:

Good Works Acquisition Corp.

4265 San Felipe

Houston, TX 77027

Attention:      Cary Grossman

Email:            cgrossman@shorelinecapitaladvisors.com

with a required copy (which copy shall not constitute notice) to:

Schiff Hardin LLP

901 K Street NW Suite 700

Washington, DC 20001

Attention:      Ralph De Martino

Email:            rdemartino@schiffhardin.com

 

  (c)

if to the Company, to:

Cipher Mining Technologies Inc.

222 Purchase Street, #290

Rye, NY 10580

United States of America

Attn:     Tyler Page

E-mail: Tyler.page@ciphermining.com

with required copies (which copies shall not constitute notice) to:

Latham & Watkins LLP

99 Bishopsgate

London EC2M 3XF

United Kingdom

Attention:      J. David Stewart

                      Ryan Maierson

Email:            j.david.stewart@lw.com

                       ryan.maierson@lw.com

7.3    Entire Agreement. This Subscription Agreement constitutes the entire agreement, and supersedes all other prior agreements, understandings, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, among the parties, with respect to the subject matter hereof, including any commitment letter entered into relating to the subject matter hereof.

7.4    Modifications; Amendments; Waivers. This Subscription Agreement may not be amended, modified, supplemented, or waived (i) except by an instrument in writing, signed by the party against whom enforcement of such amendment, modification, supplement, or waiver is sought and (ii) without the prior written consent of the Company. No failure or delay of either party in exercising any right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such right or power, or any course of conduct, preclude any other or further exercise thereto or the exercise of any other right or power.

 

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7.5    Assignment. Neither this Subscription Agreement nor any rights, interests, or obligations that may accrue to the parties hereunder (including Subscriber’s rights to purchase the Shares) may be transferred or assigned without the prior written consent of each of the Company and the other party hereto (other than the Shares acquired hereunder and then only in accordance with this Subscription Agreement). Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Subscription Agreement and any of Subscriber’s rights and obligations hereunder may be assigned to one or more Affiliates of Subscriber, without the prior consent of the Issuer, provided that such assignee(s) agrees in writing to be bound by the terms hereof. Upon such assignment by a Subscriber, the assignee(s) shall become Subscriber hereunder and have the rights and obligations provided for herein to the extent of such assignment; unless consented to in writing by the Issuer. Neither this Subscription Agreement nor any rights that may accrue to the Issuer hereunder or any of the Issuer’s obligations may be transferred or assigned other than pursuant to the Transactions.

7.6    Benefit.

7.6.1    Except as otherwise provided herein, this Subscription Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives, and permitted assigns, and the agreements, representations, warranties, covenants, and acknowledgments contained herein shall be deemed to be made by, and be binding upon, such heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives, and permitted assigns. The parties hereto agree that each of the Company and its subsidiaries are express third-party beneficiaries (the “Beneficiaries”) of this Subscription Agreement. Each of the parties hereto acknowledge and agree that (i) each of the Beneficiaries shall be entitled to seek and obtain equitable relief, without proof of actual damages, including an injunction or injunctions or order for specific performance to prevent breaches of this Subscription Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Subscription Agreement to cause the Issuer to cause, or directly cause, Subscriber to pay the Purchase Price and cause the Closing to occur substantially concurrently with the Transactions, and (ii) without in any way limiting the foregoing, the Company is an express-third party beneficiary of Sections 3 (Settlement Date and Delivery; Closing Conditions), 6, (Termination), 7.1 (Further Assurances), 7.4 (Modifications and Amendments), 7.5 (Assignment), 7.11 (Remedies) and 8 (Cleansing Statement; Disclosure ) and shall be entitled to seek and obtain equitable relief, without proof of actual damages, including an injunction or injunctions or order for specific performance to prevent breaches of its rights referenced therein. Each party hereto further agrees that each of the Beneficiaries is an express third-party beneficiary of this Section 7.6 and that none of the parties hereto or any of the Beneficiaries shall be required to obtain, furnish, or post any bond or similar instrument in connection with or as a condition to obtaining any remedy referred to in this Section 7.6.1, and each party hereto irrevocably waives any right it may have to require the obtaining, furnishing, or posting of any such bond of similar instrument.

7.6.2    Each of the Issuer and Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that (i) this Subscription Agreement is being entered into in order to induce each of the parties to the Merger Agreement to execute and deliver the Merger Agreement and without the representations, warranties, covenants, and agreements of the Issuer and Subscriber hereunder, the Company would not enter into the Merger Agreement, and (ii) each representation, warranty, covenant, and agreement of the Issuer and Subscriber hereunder is being made also for the benefit of the Company and the Beneficiaries.

 

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7.6.3    Each of the Issuer and Subscriber further acknowledge and agree that the Placement Agents are third-party beneficiaries of the representations and warranties of the Issuer and Subscriber contained in this Subscription Agreement.

7.7    Governing Law. This Subscription Agreement, and any claim or cause of action hereunder based upon, arising out of or related to this Subscription Agreement (whether based on law, in equity, in contract, in tort, or any other theory) or the negotiation, execution, performance, or enforcement of this Subscription Agreement, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, including its statute of limitations, without giving effect to principles or rules of conflicts of law thereof to the extent they would require or permit the application of laws or statute of limitations of another jurisdiction.

7.8    Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties irrevocably consents to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; provided, that if subject matter jurisdiction over the matter that is the subject of the legal proceeding is vested exclusively in the U.S. federal courts, such legal proceeding shall be heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (together with the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, the “Chosen Courts”), in connection with any matter based upon or arising out of this Subscription Agreement. Each party hereby waives, and shall not assert as a defense in any legal dispute, that (i) such person is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of the Chosen Courts for any reason, (ii) such legal proceeding may not be brought or is not maintainable in the Chosen Courts, (iii) such person’s property is exempt or immune from execution, (iv) such legal proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, or (v) the venue of such legal proceeding is improper. Each party hereby consents to service of process in any such proceeding in any manner permitted by Delaware law, further consents to service of process by nationally recognized overnight courier service guaranteeing overnight delivery, or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, at its address specified pursuant to Section 7.2, and waives and covenants not to assert or plead any objection which they might otherwise have to such manner of service of process. Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 7.8, a party may commence any action, claim, cause of action, or suit in a court other than the Chosen Courts solely for the purpose of enforcing an order or judgment issued by the Chosen Courts. TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW WHICH CANNOT BE WAIVED, EACH OF THE PARTIES WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY ON ANY CLAIMS OR COUNTERCLAIMS ASSERTED IN ANY LEGAL DISPUTE RELATING TO THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING. IF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF ANY SUCH LEGAL DISPUTE IS ONE IN WHICH THE WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL IS PROHIBITED, NO PARTY SHALL ASSERT IN SUCH LEGAL DISPUTE A NONCOMPULSORY COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT. FURTHERMORE, NO PARTY SHALL SEEK TO CONSOLIDATE ANY SUCH LEGAL DISPUTE WITH A SEPARATE ACTION OR OTHER LEGAL PROCEEDING IN WHICH A JURY TRIAL CANNOT BE WAIVED.

7.9    Severability. If any provision of this Subscription Agreement shall be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the validity, legality, or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Subscription Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall continue in full force and effect.

7.10    No Waiver of Rights, Powers, and Remedies. No failure or delay by a party hereto in exercising any right, power, or remedy under this Subscription Agreement, and no course of dealing between the parties hereto, shall operate as a waiver of any such right, power, or remedy of such party. No single or partial exercise of any right, power, or remedy under this Subscription Agreement by a party hereto, nor any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce any such right, power, or remedy, shall preclude such party from any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power, or

 

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remedy hereunder. The election of any remedy by a party hereto shall not constitute a waiver of the right of such party to pursue other available remedies. No notice to or demand on a party not expressly required under this Subscription Agreement shall entitle the party receiving such notice or demand to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of the party giving such notice or demand to any other or further action in any circumstances without such notice or demand.

7.11    Remedies.

7.11.1    The parties agree that the Issuer and the Beneficiaries would suffer irreparable damage if this Subscription Agreement was not performed or the Closing is not consummated in accordance with its specific terms or was otherwise breached and that money damages or other legal remedies would not be an adequate remedy for any such damage. It is accordingly agreed that the Issuer and each of the Beneficiaries shall be entitled to equitable relief, including in the form of an injunction or injunctions, to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of this Subscription Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Subscription Agreement in an appropriate court of competent jurisdiction as set forth in Section 7.8, this being in addition to any other remedy to which any party is entitled at law or in equity, including money damages. The right to specific enforcement shall include the right of the Issuer and each of the Beneficiaries to cause the parties hereto to cause the transactions contemplated hereby to be consummated on the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth in this Subscription Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the right to directly enforce each of the covenants and agreements of Subscriber under this Subscription Agreement). The parties hereto further agree (i) to waive any requirement for the security or posting of any bond in connection with any such equitable remedy, (ii) not to assert that a remedy of specific enforcement pursuant to this Section 7.11 is unenforceable, invalid, contrary to applicable law, or inequitable for any reason, and (iii) to waive any defenses in any action for specific performance, including the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate. In connection with any Action for which any of the Beneficiaries is being granted an award of money damages, each of the Issuer and Subscriber agrees that such damages, to the extent payable by such party, shall include, without limitation, damages related to the cash consideration that is or was to be paid to the Company and any Pre-Closing Holder under the Merger Agreement and/or in connection with this Subscription Agreement and such damages are not limited to an award of out-of-pocket fees and expenses related to the Merger Agreement and/or this Subscription Agreement.

7.11.2    The parties acknowledge and agree that this Section 7.11 is an integral part of the transactions contemplated hereby and without that right, the parties hereto would not have entered into this Subscription Agreement.

7.11.3    In any dispute arising out of or related to this Subscription Agreement, or any other agreement, document, instrument, or certificate contemplated hereby, or any transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, the applicable adjudicating body shall award to the prevailing party, if any, the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and attorneys’ fees reasonably incurred by the prevailing party in connection with the dispute and the enforcement of its rights under this Subscription Agreement or any other agreement, document, instrument, or certificate contemplated hereby, and, if the adjudicating body determines a party to be the prevailing party under circumstances where the prevailing party won on some but not all of the claims and counterclaims, the adjudicating body may award the prevailing party an appropriate percentage of the costs and attorneys’ fees reasonably incurred by the prevailing party in connection with the adjudication and the enforcement of its rights under this Subscription Agreement or any other agreement, document, instrument, or certificate contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

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7.12    Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties made by the parties hereto in this Subscription Agreement shall survive the Closing. For the avoidance of doubt, if for any reason the Closing does not occur prior to the consummation of the Transactions, all representations, warranties, covenants, and agreements of the parties hereunder shall survive the consummation of the Transactions and remain in full force and effect.

7.13    Headings and Captions. The headings and captions of the various subdivisions of this Subscription Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall in no way modify or affect the meaning or construction of any of the terms or provisions hereof.

7.14    Counterparts. This Subscription Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, email, or any other form of electronic delivery, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such signature page were an original thereof.

7.15    Construction. The words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by “without limitation.” Pronouns in masculine, feminine, and neuter genders will be construed to include any other gender, and words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context otherwise requires. The words “this Subscription Agreement,” “herein,” “hereof,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” and words of similar import refer to this Subscription Agreement as a whole and not to any particular subdivision unless expressly so limited. The parties hereto intend that each representation, warranty, and covenant contained herein will have independent significance. If any party hereto has breached any representation, warranty, or covenant contained herein in any respect, the fact that there exists another representation, warranty, or covenant relating to the same subject matter (regardless of the relative levels of specificity) which such party hereto has not breached will not detract from or mitigate the fact that such party hereto is in breach of the first representation, warranty, or covenant. All references in this Subscription Agreement to numbers of shares, per share amounts, and purchase prices shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend, stock combination, recapitalization, or the like occurring after the date hereof.

7.16    Mutual Drafting. This Subscription Agreement is the joint product of the parties hereto and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation, and agreement of the parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.

8.    Cleansing Statement; Disclosure.

8.1    The Issuer shall, by 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first (1st) Business Day immediately following the date of this Subscription Agreement, file with the Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K (collectively the “Disclosure Document”) disclosing all material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Other Subscription Agreements and the Transactions and any other material, nonpublic information that the Issuer, the Company, any of their respective subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, affiliates or agents has provided to the Subscriber at any time. prior to the filing of such Disclosure Document. As of immediately following the filing of the Disclosure Document, to the knowledge of the Issuer, the Subscriber shall not be in possession of any material, non-public information received from the Issuer, the Company, any of their respective subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, affiliates or agents that is not disclosed in the Disclosure Document or in prior filings with the Commission. In addition, effective upon the filing of the Disclosure Document, the Issuer acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Issuer or any of its agents, on the one hand, and the Subscriber or any of its affiliates, on the other hand, shall terminate and be of no further force or effect.

 

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8.2    Subscriber hereby consents to the publication and disclosure in (i) the Form 8-K filed by the Issuer with the Commission in connection with the execution and delivery of the Merger Agreement, the Proxy Statement, or any other filing with the Commission pursuant to applicable securities laws, in each case, as and (ii) to the extent required by the federal securities laws or, exchange rules, the Commission or any other securities authorities, and (ii) any other filings, documents or communications provided by the Issuer or the Company to any governmental authority or to securityholders of the Issuer, in each case, as and to the extent required by applicable law or the Commission or any other governmental authority, of Subscriber’s name and identity and the nature of Subscriber’s commitments, arrangements, and understandings under and relating to this Subscription Agreement and, if deemed required or appropriate by the Issuer and/or the Company, a copy of this Subscription Agreement. Subscriber will promptly provide any information reasonably requested by the Issuer and/ or the Company for any regulatory application or filing made or approval sought in connection with the Transactions (including filings with the Commission). Notwithstanding anything in this Subscription Agreement to the contrary, the Issuer shall not (and shall cause the Company not to), without the prior written consent of the Subscriber, publicly disclose the name of the Subscriber or any of its affiliates or advisers, or include the name of the Subscriber or any of its affiliates or advisers, in any press release or marketing materials.

9.    Trust Account Waiver. Subscriber acknowledges that the Issuer has established a trust account containing the proceeds of its initial public offering and from certain private placements (collectively, with interest accrued from time to time thereon, the “Trust Account”). Subscriber agrees that (i) it has no right, title, interest, or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the Trust Account, and (ii) it shall have no right of set-off or any right, title, interest, or claim of any kind (“Claim”) to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account, in each case in connection with this Subscription Agreement, and hereby irrevocably waives any Claim to, or to any monies in, the Trust Account that it may have in connection with this Subscription Agreement; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 9 shall be deemed to limit Subscriber’s right, title, interest, or claim to the Trust Account by virtue of such Subscriber’s record or beneficial ownership of securities of the Issuer acquired by any means other than pursuant to this Subscription Agreement, including any redemption right with respect to any such securities of the Issuer. In the event Subscriber has any Claim against the Issuer under this Subscription Agreement, Subscriber shall pursue such Claim solely against the Issuer and its assets outside the Trust Account and not against the property or any monies in the Trust Account. Subscriber agrees and acknowledges that such waiver is material to this Subscription Agreement and has been specifically relied upon by the Issuer to induce the Issuer to enter into this Subscription Agreement and Subscriber further intends and understands such waiver to be valid, binding, and enforceable under applicable law. In the event Subscriber, in connection with this Subscription Agreement, commences any action or proceeding which seeks, in whole or in part, relief against the funds held in the Trust Account or distributions therefrom or any of the Issuer’s stockholders, whether in the form of monetary damages or injunctive relief, Subscriber shall be obligated to pay to the Issuer all of its legal fees and costs in connection with any such action in the event that the Issuer prevails in such action or proceeding.

10.    Rule 144. From and after such time as the benefits of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act or any other similar rule or regulation of the Commission that may allow Subscriber to sell securities of the Issuer to the public without registration are available to holders of the Issuer’s common stock and for so long as the Subscriber holds Shares, the Issuer agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to:

10.1.1    make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144;

 

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10.1.2    file with the Commission in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Issuer under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so long as the Issuer remains subject to such requirements and the filing of such reports and other documents is required for the applicable provisions of Rule 144; and

10.1.3    furnish to Subscriber, promptly upon Subscriber’s reasonable request, (i) a written statement by the Issuer, if true, that it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144, the Securities Act, and the Exchange Act, (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Issuer and such other reports and documents so filed by the Issuer, and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested to permit Subscriber to sell such securities pursuant to Rule 144 without registration.

If in the opinion of counsel to the Issuer, it is then permissible to remove the restrictive legend from the Shares pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, then at Subscriber’s request, the Issuer will request its transfer agent to remove the legend set forth in Section 2.1.7. In connection therewith, if reasonably required by the Issuer’s transfer agent, the Issuer will, at Subscriber’s sole expense, reasonably promptly cause an opinion of counsel to be delivered to and maintained with its transfer agent, together with any other authorizations, certificates, and directions required by the transfer agent from the Issuer or Subscriber that authorize and direct the transfer agent remove the restrictive legend from such Shares; provided, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Issuer will not be required to deliver any such opinion, authorization, certificate, or direction if it reasonably believes that removal of the legend could result in or facilitate transfers of securities in violation of applicable law.

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

25


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Issuer and Subscriber has executed or caused this Subscription Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized representative as of the date set forth below.

 

GOOD WORKS ACQUISITION CORP.
By:  

/s/ Cary Grossman

Name:   Cary Grossman
Title:   President

[Signature Page to Subscription Agreement]


Accepted and agreed this 27th day of August, 2021.

 

SUBSCRIBER:     

Signature of Subscriber:

BITFURY TOP HOLDCO B.V.

     Signature of Joint Subscriber, if applicable:

By:      /s/ Oleg Blinkovs                                                     

Name: Oleg Blinkovs
Title: Managing Director

    

By:                                                                              

Name:
Title:

Date: August 27, 2021     
Name of Subscriber:      Name of Joint Subscriber, if applicable:

BITFURY TOP HOLDCO B.V.                                    

(Please print. Please indicate name and

capacity of person signing above.)

    

                                                                                  

(Please print. Please indicate name and

capacity of person signing above.)

                                                                                          

Name in which securities are to be registered

(if different from the name of Subscriber listed directly above.)

    

Email Address:

 

Oleg.blinkov@bitfury.com                                     

 

If there are joint investors, please check one:

 

☐    Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship ☐    Tenants-in-Common

☐    Community Property

    

Subscriber’s EIN:                                                            

 

Business Address-Street:

 

Strawinskylaan 3051                                                       

 

1077ZX Amsterdam, The Netherlands                          

City, State, Zip

 

Attn: Oleg Blinkov                                                         

 

Telephone No.:                                                                

 

Facsimile No.:                                                                 

    

Joint Subscriber’s EIN:                                           

 

Mailing Address-Street (if different):

 

                                                                                  

 

                                                                                  

City, State, Zip

 

Attn:                                                                          

 

Telephone No.:                                                         

 

Facsimile No.:                                                          

[Signature Page to Subscription Agreement]


Aggregate Number of Shares subscribed for:

 

6,000,000

Aggregate Purchase Price:

 

$60,000,000

You must pay the Purchase Price by wire transfer of U.S. $ in immediately available funds and/or via forgiveness of outstanding indebtedness, such funds and such instruments/documents/agreements evidencing the forgiveness of indebtedness in the form reasonably acceptable to the Issuer, in accordance with Section 3.1.1 of this Subscription Agreement, as specified by the Issuer in the Closing Notice.

[Signature Page to Subscription Agreement]


SCHEDULE I

ELIGIBILITY REPRESENTATIONS OF SUBSCRIBER

 

A.

QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER STATUS

(Please check the applicable subparagraphs):

 

  1.

☐ We are a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) (a “QIB”)) and have marked and initialed the appropriate box on the following pages indicating the provision under which we qualify as a QIB.

 

  2.

☐ We are subscribing for the Shares as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor accounts, and each owner of such account is a QIB.

*** OR ***

 

B.

INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR STATUS

(Please check the applicable subparagraphs):

 

  1.

☐ We are an “accredited investor” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act) or an entity in which all of the equity holders are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act, and have marked and initialed the appropriate box on the following page indicating the provision under which we qualify as an “accredited investor.”

 

  2.

☐ We are not a natural person.

*** AND ***

 

C.

AFFILIATE STATUS

  

(Please check the applicable box)

SUBSCRIBER:

 

 

is:

 

 

is not:

an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act) of the Issuer or acting on behalf of an affiliate of the Issuer.

This page should be completed by Subscriber

and constitutes a part of the Subscription Agreement.


The Subscriber is a “qualified institutional buyer” (within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act) if it is an entity that meets any one of the following categories at the time of the sale of securities to the Subscriber (Please check the applicable subparagraphs):

☐     The Subscriber is an entity that, acting for its own account or the accounts of other qualified institutional buyers, in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis at least $100 million in securities of issuers that are not affiliated with the Subscriber and:

☐     is an insurance company as defined in section 2(a)(13) of the Securities Act;

☐     is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), or any business development company as defined in section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Company Act;

☐     is a Small Business Investment Company licensed by the US Small Business Administration under section 301(c) or (d) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended (“Small Business Investment Act”);

☐     is a plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees;

☐     is an employee benefit plan within the meaning of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”);

☐     is a trust fund whose trustee is a bank or trust company and whose participants are exclusively (a) plans established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees, of (b) employee benefit plan within the meaning of Title I of the ERISA, except, in each case, trust funds that include as participants individual retirement accounts or H.R. 10 plans;

☐     is a business development company as defined in section 202(a)(22) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Advisers Act”);

☐     is an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), corporation (other than a bank as defined in section 3(a)(2) of the Act, a savings and loan association or other institution referenced in
section 3(a)(5)(A) of the Act, or a foreign bank or savings and loan association or equivalent institution), partnership, or Massachusetts or similar business trust; or

☐     is an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act;

☐     The Subscriber is a dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), acting for its own account or the accounts of other qualified institutional buyers, that in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis at least $10 million of securities of issuers that are not affiliated with the Subscriber;

☐     The Subscriber is a dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the Exchange Act acting in a riskless principal transaction on behalf of a qualified institutional buyer;

☐     The Subscriber is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act, acting for its own account or for the accounts of other qualified institutional buyers, that is part of a family of investment companies1 which own in the aggregate at least $100 million in securities of issuers, other than issuers that are affiliated with Subscriber or are part of such family of investment companies;

 

1 

Family of investment companies” means any two or more investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act, except for a unit investment trust whose assets consist solely of shares of one or more registered investment companies, that have the same investment adviser (or, in the case of unit investment trusts, the same depositor); provided that, (a) each series of a series company (as defined in Rule 18f-2 under the Investment Company Act) shall be deemed to be a separate investment company and (b) investment companies shall be deemed to have the same adviser (or depositor) if their advisers (or depositors) are majority-owned subsidiaries of the same parent, or if one investment company’s adviser (or depositor) is a majority-owned subsidiary of the other investment company’s adviser (or depositor)


☐     The Subscriber is an entity, all of the equity owners of which are qualified institutional buyers, acting for its own account or the accounts of other qualified institutional buyers; or

☐     The Subscriber is a bank as defined in section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act, or any savings and loan association or other institution as defined in section 3(a)(5)(A) of the Securities Act, or any foreign bank or savings and loan association or equivalent institution, acting for its own account or the accounts of other qualified institutional buyers, that in the aggregate owns and invests on a discretionary basis at least $100 million in securities of issuers that are not affiliated with the Subscriber and that has an audited net worth of at least $25 million as demonstrated in its latest annual financial statements, as of a date not more than 16 months preceding the date of sale of securities in the case of a US bank or savings and loan association, and not more than 18 months preceding the date of sale of securities for a foreign bank or savings and loan association or equivalent institution.


Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act, in relevant part, states that an “accredited investor” shall mean any person who comes within any of the below listed categories, or who the issuer reasonably believes comes within any of the below listed categories, at the time of the sale of the securities to that person. Subscriber has indicated, by marking and initialing the appropriate box below, the provision(s) below which apply to Subscriber and under which Subscriber accordingly qualifies as an institutional “accredited investor.”

 

Any bank as defined in section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act, or any savings and loan association or other institution as defined in
section 3(a)(5)(A) of the Securities Act whether acting in its individual or fiduciary capacity;

 

Any broker or dealer registered pursuant to section 15 of the Exchange Act;

 

Any investment adviser registered pursuant to section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or registered pursuant to the laws of a state;

 

Any investment adviser relying on the exemption from registering with the Commission under section 203(l) or (m) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940;

 

Any insurance company as defined in section 2(a)(13) of the Securities Act;

 

Any investment company registered under the Investment Company Act or a business development company as defined in section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Company Act;

 

Any Small Business Investment Company licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under section 301(c) or (d) of the Small Business Investment Act;

 

Any Rural Business Investment Company as defined in section 384A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act;

 

Any plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions, for the benefit of its employees, if such plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

 

Any employee benefit plan within the meaning of ERISA, if (i) the investment decision is made by a plan fiduciary, as defined in section 3(21) of ERISA, which is either a bank, a savings and loan association, an insurance company, or a registered investment adviser, (ii) the employee benefit plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000 or, (iii) such plan is a self-directed plan, with investment decisions made solely by persons that are “accredited investors”;

 

Any private business development company as defined in section 202(a)(22) of the Investment Advisers Act;

 

Any (i) corporation, limited liability company or partnership, (ii) Massachusetts or similar business trust, partnership, or limited liability company, or (iii) organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, and with total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

 

Any trust, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, whose purchase is directed by a sophisticated person as described in Section 230.506(b)(2)(ii) of Regulation D;


Any entity in which all of the equity owners are institutional “accredited investors.”

 

Any entity, of a type not listed in paragraphs a(1), a(2), a(3), a(7), or (a)(8) of Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, owning investments in excess of $5,000,000; or

 

Any “family office,” as defined in rule 202(a)(11)(G)-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940: (i) with assets under management in excess of $5,000,000, (ii) that is not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, and (iii) whose prospective investment is directed by a person who has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that such family office is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment.

EX-10.8

Exhibit 10.8

 

CIPHER MINING INC.

2021 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

ARTICLE I.

PURPOSE

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

ARTICLE II.

ELIGIBILITY

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

ARTICLE III.

ADMINISTRATION AND DELEGATION

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

3.2    Appointment of Committees. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Board may delegate any or all of its powers under the Plan to one or more Committees or officers of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Board may abolish any Committee or re-vest in itself any previously delegated authority at any time.

ARTICLE IV.

STOCK AVAILABLE FOR AWARDS

4.1    Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment under Article VII and the terms of this Article IV, Awards may be made under the Plan covering up to the Overall Share Limit. Shares issued under the Plan may consist of authorized but unissued Shares, Shares purchased on the open market or treasury Shares.

4.2    Share Recycling. If all or any part of an Award expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for cash, surrendered to an Exchange Program, repurchased, canceled without having been fully exercised or forfeited, in any case, in a manner that results in the Company acquiring Shares at a price not greater than the price (as adjusted to reflect any Equity Restructuring) paid by the Participant for such Shares or not issuing any Shares covered by the Award, the unused Shares covered by the Award will, as applicable, become or again be available for Award grants under the Plan. Further, Shares delivered (either by actual


delivery or attestation) to the Company by a Participant to satisfy the applicable exercise or purchase price of an Award and/or to satisfy any applicable tax withholding obligation (including Shares retained by the Company from the Award being exercised or purchased and/or creating the tax obligation) will, as applicable, become or again be available for Award grants under the Plan. The payment of Dividend Equivalents in cash in conjunction with any outstanding Awards shall not count against the Overall Share Limit.

4.3    Incentive Stock Option Limitations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no more than 19,869,312 Shares may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options.

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

4.5    Non-Employee Director Compensation. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Plan, the Administrator may establish compensation for non-employee Directors from time to time, subject to the limitations in the Plan. The Administrator will from time to time determine the terms, conditions and amounts of all such non-employee Director compensation in its discretion and pursuant to the exercise of its business judgment, taking into account such factors, circumstances and considerations as it shall deem relevant from time to time, provided that the sum of any cash compensation, or other compensation, and the value (determined as of the grant date in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, or any successor thereto) of Awards granted to a non-employee Director as compensation for services as a non-employee Director during any fiscal year of the Company may not exceed $750,000, increased to $1,000,000 of a non-employee Director’s initial service as a non-employee Director. The Administrator may make exceptions to these limits for individual non-employee Directors in extraordinary circumstances, as the Administrator may determine in its discretion, provided that the non-employee Director receiving such additional compensation may not participate in the decision to award such compensation or in other contemporaneous compensation decisions involving non-employee Directors.

 

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ARTICLE V.

STOCK OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

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

5.2    Exercise Price. The Administrator will establish each Option’s and Stock Appreciation Right’s exercise price and specify the exercise price in the Award Agreement. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, the exercise price will not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the grant date of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

5.3    Duration. Each Option or Stock Appreciation Right will be exercisable at such times and as specified in the Award Agreement, provided that, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator in accordance with Applicable Laws, the term of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right will not exceed ten years. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Participant, prior to the end of the term of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, violates the non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality or other similar restrictive covenant provisions of any employment contract, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the right of the Participant and the Participant’s transferees to exercise any Option or Stock Appreciation Right issued to the Participant shall terminate immediately upon such violation unless the Company otherwise determines.

5.4    Exercise. Options and Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised by delivering to the Company a written notice of exercise, in a form the Administrator approves (which may be electronic), signed by the person authorized to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, together with, as applicable, payment in full (i) as specified in Section 5.5 for the number of Shares for which the Award is exercised and (ii) as specified in Section 9.5 for any applicable taxes. Unless the Administrator otherwise determines, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share.

5.5    Payment Upon Exercise. Subject to Section 10.8, any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods) and Applicable Laws, the exercise price of an Option must be paid by:

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

(b)    if there is a public market for Shares at the time of exercise, unless the Company otherwise determines, (A) delivery (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the Company) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to pay the exercise price, or (B) the Participant’s delivery to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver

 

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promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to pay the exercise price; provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator;

(c)    to the extent permitted by the Administrator, delivery (either by actual delivery or attestation) of Shares owned by the Participant valued at their Fair Market Value;

(d)    to the extent permitted by the Administrator, surrendering Shares then issuable upon the Option’s exercise valued at their Fair Market Value on the exercise date;

(e)    to the extent permitted by the Administrator, delivery of any other property that the Administrator determines is good and valuable consideration; or

(f)    to the extent permitted by the Company, any combination of the above payment forms approved by the Administrator.

ARTICLE VI.

RESTRICTED STOCK; RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS

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

6.2    Restricted Stock.

(a)    Dividends. Participants holding shares of Restricted Stock will be entitled to all ordinary cash dividends paid with respect to such Shares, unless the Administrator provides otherwise in the Award Agreement. In addition, unless the Administrator provides otherwise, if any dividends or distributions are paid in Shares, or consist of a dividend or distribution to holders of Common Stock of property other than an ordinary cash dividend, the Shares or other property will be subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid.

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

(c)    Section 83(b) Election. If a Participant makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code to be taxed with respect to the Restricted Stock as of the date of transfer of the Restricted Stock rather than as of the date or dates upon which such Participant would otherwise be taxable under Section 83(a) of the Code, such Participant shall be required to deliver a copy of such election to the Company promptly after filing such election with the Internal Revenue Service along with proof of the timely filing thereof.

 

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6.3    Restricted Stock Units.

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

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

(c)    Dividend Equivalents. If the Administrator provides, a grant of Restricted Stock Units may provide a Participant with the right to receive Dividend Equivalents. Dividend Equivalents may be paid currently or credited to an account for the Participant, settled in cash or Shares and subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the Restricted Stock Units with respect to which the Dividend Equivalents are granted and subject to other terms and conditions as set forth in the Award Agreement.

ARTICLE VII.

OTHER STOCK OR CASH BASED AWARDS

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

ARTICLE VIII.

ADJUSTMENTS FOR CHANGES IN COMMON STOCK

AND CERTAIN OTHER EVENTS

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

8.2    Corporate Transactions. In the event of any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Stock, other securities, or other property), reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, amalgamation, repurchase, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, or sale, transfer, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or sale or exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, Change in Control, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or other securities of the Company, other similar corporate transaction or event, other unusual or nonrecurring transaction or event affecting the Company or its financial

 

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statements or any change in any Applicable Laws or accounting principles, the Administrator, on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, either by the terms of the Award or by action taken prior to the occurrence of such transaction or event (except that action to give effect to a change in Applicable Law or accounting principles may be made within a reasonable period of time after such change) and either automatically or upon the Participant’s request, is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Administrator determines that such action is appropriate in order to (x) prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended by the Company to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any Award granted or issued under the Plan, (y) to facilitate such transaction or event or (z) give effect to such changes in Applicable Laws or accounting principles:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8.4    General. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or the Administrator’s action under the Plan, no Participant will have any rights due to any subdivision or consolidation of Shares of any class, dividend payment, increase or decrease in the number of Shares of any class or dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or other corporation. Except as expressly provided with respect to an Equity Restructuring under Section 8.1 above or the Administrator’s action under the Plan, no

 

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issuance by the Company of Shares of any class, or securities convertible into Shares of any class, will affect, and no adjustment will be made regarding, the number of Shares subject to an Award or the Award’s grant or exercise price. The existence of the Plan, any Award Agreements and the Awards granted hereunder will not affect or restrict in any way the Company’s right or power to make or authorize (i) any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, (ii) any merger, consolidation dissolution or liquidation of the Company or sale of Company assets or (iii) any sale or issuance of securities, including securities with rights superior to those of the Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares. The Administrator may treat Participants and Awards (or portions thereof) differently under this Article VIII.

ARTICLE IX.

GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS

9.1    Transferability. Except as the Administrator may determine or provide in an Award Agreement or otherwise for Awards other than Incentive Stock Options, Awards may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered, either voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, or, subject to the Administrator’s consent, pursuant to a domestic relations order, and, during the life of the Participant, will be exercisable only by the Participant. References to a Participant, to the extent relevant in the context, will include references to a Participant’s authorized transferee that the Administrator specifically approves.

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

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

9.4    Termination of Service; Change in Status. The Administrator will determine, in its sole discretion, the effect of all matters and questions relating to any Termination of Service, including, without limitation, whether a Termination of Service has occurred, whether a Termination of Service resulted from a discharge for Cause and all questions of whether a particular leave of absence constitutes a Termination of Service or any other change or purported change in a Participant’s Service Provider status affects an Award and the extent to which, and the period during which, the Participant, the Participant’s legal representative, conservator, guardian or Designated Beneficiary may exercise rights under the Award, if applicable.

9.5    Withholding. Each Participant must pay the Company, or make provision satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of, any taxes required by law to be withheld in connection with such Participant’s Awards by the date of the event creating the tax liability. The Company may deduct an amount sufficient to satisfy such tax obligations based on the applicable statutory withholding rates (or such other rate as may be determined by the Company after considering any accounting consequences or costs) from any payment of any kind otherwise due to a Participant. Subject to Section 10.8 and any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods), Participants may satisfy such tax obligations (i) in cash, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, by check made payable to the order of the Company, provided that the Company may limit the use of one of the foregoing payment forms if one or more of the payment forms below is permitted, (ii) to the extent permitted by the Administrator, in whole or in part by delivery of Shares, including Shares retained from the Award creating the tax obligation, valued at their Fair Market Value, (iii) if there is a public market for Shares at the time the tax obligations are satisfied, unless the Company otherwise determines, (A) delivery (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the

 

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Company) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to satisfy the tax obligations, or (B) delivery by the Participant to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to satisfy the tax withholding; provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator, or (iv) to the extent permitted by the Company, any combination of the foregoing payment forms approved by the Administrator. If any tax withholding obligation will be satisfied under clause (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence by the Company’s retention of Shares from the Award creating the tax obligation and there is a public market for Shares at the time the tax obligation is satisfied, the Company may elect to instruct any brokerage firm determined acceptable to the Company for such purpose to sell on the applicable Participant’s behalf some or all of the Shares retained and to remit the proceeds of the sale to the Company or its designee, and each Participant’s acceptance of an Award under the Plan will constitute the Participant’s authorization to the Company and instruction and authorization to such brokerage firm to complete the transactions described in this sentence.

9.6    Amendment of Award; Repricing. The Administrator may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including by substituting another Award of the same or a different type, changing the exercise or settlement date, and converting an Incentive Stock Option to a Non-Qualified Stock Option. The Participant’s consent to such action will be required unless (i) the action, taking into account any related action, does not materially and adversely affect the Participant’s rights under the Award, or (ii) the change is permitted under Article VIII or pursuant to Section 10.6.

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

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

9.9    Additional Terms of Incentive Stock Options. The Administrator may grant Incentive Stock Options only to employees of the Company, any of its present or future parent or subsidiary corporations, as defined in Sections 424(e) or (f) of the Code, respectively, and any other entities the employees of which are eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options under the Code. If an Incentive Stock Option is granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder, the exercise price will not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value on the Option’s grant date, and the term of the Option will not exceed five years. All Incentive Stock Options will be subject to and construed consistently with Section 422 of the Code. By accepting an Incentive Stock Option, the Participant agrees if requested by the Company to give prompt notice to the Company of dispositions or other transfers (other than in connection with a Change in Control) of Shares acquired under the Option made within (i) two years from the grant date of the Option or (ii) one year after the transfer of such Shares to the Participant, specifying the date of the disposition or other transfer and the amount the Participant realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, in such disposition or other transfer. Neither the Company nor the Administrator will be liable to a Participant, or any other party, if an Incentive Stock Option fails or ceases to qualify as an

 

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“incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code. Any Incentive Stock Option or portion thereof that fails to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code for any reason, including becoming exercisable with respect to Shares having a fair market value exceeding the $100,000 limitation under Treasury Regulation Section 1.422-4, will be a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

ARTICLE X.

MISCELLANEOUS

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

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

10.3    Effective Date and Term of Plan. The Plan will become effective on the Effective Date and, unless earlier terminated by the Board, will remain in effect until the earlier of (i) the earliest date as of which all Awards granted under the Plan have been satisfied in full or terminated and no Shares approved for issuance under the Plan remain available to be granted under new Awards or (ii) the tenth anniversary of August 26, 2021, but Awards previously granted may extend beyond that date in accordance with the Plan. If the Plan is not approved by the Company’s stockholders, the Plan will not become effective and no Awards will be granted under the Plan.

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

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

10.6    Section 409A.

(a)    General. The Company intends that all Awards be structured to comply with, or be exempt from, Section 409A, such that no adverse tax consequences, interest, or penalties under Section 409A apply. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, the Administrator may, without a Participant’s consent, amend this Plan or Awards, adopt policies and procedures, or take any other actions (including amendments, policies, procedures and retroactive actions)

 

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as are necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of Awards, including any such actions intended to (A) exempt this Plan or any Award from Section 409A, or (B) comply with Section 409A, including regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority that may be issued after an Award’s grant date. The Company makes no representations or warranties as to an Award’s tax treatment under Section 409A or otherwise. The Company will have no obligation under this Section 10.6 or otherwise to avoid the taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A with respect to any Award and will have no liability to any Participant or any other person if any Award, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute noncompliant “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A.

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

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

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

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

10.9    Data Privacy. As a condition for receiving any Award, each Participant explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as

 

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

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

10.11    Governing Documents. If any contradiction occurs between the Plan and any Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company (or any Subsidiary) that the Administrator has approved, the Plan will govern, unless it is expressly specified in such Award Agreement or other written document that a specific provision of the Plan will not apply.

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

10.13    Claw-back Provisions. All Awards (including any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit the Participant actually or constructively receives upon receipt or exercise of any Award or the receipt or resale of any Shares underlying the Award) will be subject to any Company claw-back policy, including any claw-back policy adopted to comply with Applicable Laws (including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder) as set forth in such claw-back policy or the Award Agreement.

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

10.15    Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan is intended to conform to the extent necessary with Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,

 

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the Plan and all Awards will be administered only in conformance with Applicable Laws. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Plan and all Award Agreements will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

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

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

ARTICLE XI.

DEFINITIONS

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

11.1    “Administrator” means the Board or a Committee to the extent that the Board’s powers or authority under the Plan have been delegated to such Committee.

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

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

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

11.5    “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

11.6    “Cause” means (i) if a Participant is a party to a written employment, severance or consulting agreement with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or an Award Agreement in which the term “cause” is defined (a “Relevant Agreement”), “Cause” as defined in the Relevant Agreement, and (ii) if no Relevant Agreement exists, (A) willful failure to substantially perform Participant’s duties (other than

 

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any such failure resulting from Participant’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness), after written notice of such performance has been given to Participant; (B) use of illegal drugs by Participant; (C) commission of a felony, a crime of moral turpitude or a misdemeanor involving fraud or dishonesty (for avoidance of doubt, a single driving while intoxicated (or other similar charge) shall not be considered a felony or crime of moral turpitude); (D) the perpetration of any act of fraud or material dishonesty against or affecting the Company, any of its affiliates, or any customer, agent or employee thereof; (E) material breach of fiduciary duty or material breach of Participant’s obligations under a written agreement between the Company and Participant, including without limitation, such a breach of this Agreement; (F) repeated insolent or abusive conduct in the workplace, including but not limited to, harassment of others of a racial or sexual nature after notice of such behavior; (G) taking any action which is intended to harm or disparage the Company, holdings, their affiliates, or their reputations, or which would reasonably be expected to lead to unwanted or unfavorable publicity to the Company or its affiliates; or (H) engaging in any act of material self-dealing without prior notice to and consent by the Board.

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

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

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

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

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

(ii)    after which no person or group beneficially owns voting securities representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity; provided, however, that

 

13


no person or group shall be treated for purposes of this clause (ii) as beneficially owning 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction.

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

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

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

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

11.10    “Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.

11.11    “Company” means Cipher Mining Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor.

11.12     “Consultant” means any person, including any adviser, engaged by the Company or its parent or Subsidiary to render services to such entity if the consultant or adviser: (i) renders bona fide services to the Company; (ii) renders services not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction and does not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities; and (iii) is a natural person.

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

11.14    “Director” means a Board member.

11.15    “Disability” means a permanent and total disability under Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, as amended.

 

14


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

11.17    “Effective Date” means the date on which the transactions contemplated by that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 4, 2021, by and among Cipher Mining Technologies Inc., Currency Merger Sub, Inc. and Good Works Acquisition Corp., as amended from time to time, are consummated, provided that the Board has adopted the Plan prior to or on such date, subject to approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders.

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

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

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

11.21    “Exchange Program” shall mean a program under which (i) outstanding Awards are surrendered or cancelled in exchange for Awards of the same type (which may have higher or lower exercise prices and different terms), Awards of a different type, and/or cash, (ii) Holders would have the opportunity to transfer any outstanding Awards to a financial institution or other person or entity selected by the Administrator, and/or (iii) the exercise price of an outstanding Award is reduced or increased. The Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of any Exchange Program in its sole discretion.

11.22    “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of Common Stock determined as follows: (i) if the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange, its Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such Common Stock as quoted on such exchange for such date, or if no sale occurred on such date, the last day preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; (ii) if the Common Stock is not traded on a stock exchange but is quoted on a national market or other quotation system, the closing sales price on such date, or if no sales occurred on such date, then on the last date preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; or (iii) in any case the Administrator may determine the Fair Market Value in its discretion.

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

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

11.25    “Non-Qualified Stock Option” means an Option not intended or not qualifying as an Incentive Stock Option.

11.26    “Option” means an option to purchase Shares.

11.27    “Other Stock or Cash Based Awards” means cash awards, awards of Shares, and other awards valued wholly or partially by referring to, or are otherwise based on, Shares or other property.

 

15


11.28    “Overall Share Limit” means the sum of (i) 19,869,312 Shares; and (ii) an annual increase on the first day of each calendar year beginning January 1, 2022 and ending on and including January 1, 2031, equal to the lesser of (A) 3% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (B) such smaller number of Shares as is determined by the Board.

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

11.30    “Performance Criteria” mean the criteria (and adjustments) that the Administrator may select for an Award to establish performance goals for a performance period, which may include the following: net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and non-cash equity-based compensation expense); gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; net income (either before or after taxes) or adjusted net income; profits (including but not limited to gross profits, net profits, profit growth, net operation profit or economic profit), profit return ratios or operating margin; budget or operating earnings (either before or after taxes or before or after allocation of corporate overhead and bonus); cash flow (including operating cash flow and free cash flow or cash flow return on capital); return on assets; return on capital or invested capital; cost of capital; return on stockholders’ equity; total stockholder return; return on sales; costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; expenses; working capital; earnings or loss per share; adjusted earnings or loss per share; price per share or dividends per share (or appreciation in or maintenance of such price or dividends); regulatory achievements or compliance; implementation, completion or attainment of objectives relating to research, development, regulatory, commercial, or strategic milestones or developments; market share; economic value or economic value added models; division, group or corporate financial goals; customer satisfaction/growth; customer service; employee satisfaction; recruitment and maintenance of personnel; human resources management; supervision of litigation and other legal matters; strategic partnerships and transactions; financial ratios (including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage); debt levels or reductions; sales-related goals; financing and other capital raising transactions; cash on hand; acquisition activity; investment sourcing activity; marketing initiatives; and other measures of performance selected by the Board or Committee whether or not listed herein, any of which may be measured in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease. Such performance goals also may be based solely by reference to the Company’s performance or the performance of a Subsidiary, division, business segment or business unit of the Company or a Subsidiary, or based upon performance relative to performance of other companies or upon comparisons of any of the indicators of performance relative to performance of other companies. The Committee may provide for exclusion of the impact of an event or occurrence which the Committee determines should appropriately be excluded, including (a) restructurings, discontinued operations, extraordinary items, and other unusual, infrequently occurring or non-recurring charges or events, (b) asset write-downs, (c) litigation or claim judgments or settlements, (d) acquisitions or divestitures, (e) reorganization or change in the corporate structure or capital structure of the Company, (f) an event either not directly related to the operations of the Company, Subsidiary, division, business segment or business unit or not within the reasonable control of management, (g) foreign exchange gains and losses, (h) a change in the fiscal year of the Company, (i) the refinancing or repurchase of bank loans or debt securities, (j) unbudgeted capital expenditures, (k) the issuance or repurchase of equity securities and other changes in the number of outstanding shares, (l) conversion of some or all of convertible securities to Common Stock, (m) any business interruption event (n) the cumulative effects of tax or accounting changes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or (o) the effect of changes in other laws or regulatory rules affecting reported results.

11.31    “Plan” means this 2021 Incentive Award Plan.

11.32     “Restricted Stock” means Shares awarded to a Participant under Article VI subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions.

 

16


11.33    “Restricted Stock Unit” means an unfunded, unsecured right to receive, on the applicable settlement date, one Share or an amount in cash or other consideration determined by the Administrator to be of equal value as of such settlement date, subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions.

11.34    “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

11.35    “Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and all regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority thereunder.

11.36    “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

11.37    “Service Provider” means an Employee, Consultant or Director.

11.38    “Shares” means shares of Common Stock.

11.39    “Stock Appreciation Right” means a stock appreciation right granted under Article V.

11.40    “Subsidiary” means any entity (other than the Company), whether domestic or foreign, in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain beneficially owns, at the time of the determination, securities or interests representing at least 50% of the total combined voting power of all classes of securities or interests in one of the other entities in such chain.

11.41    “Substitute Awards” shall mean Awards granted or Shares issued by the Company in assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, awards previously granted, or the right or obligation to make future awards, in each case by a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines.

11.42    “Termination of Service” means the date the Participant ceases to be a Service Provider.

* * * * *

 

17

EX-10.8(a)

Exhibit 10.8(a)

 

CIPHER MINING INC.

2021 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK GRANT NOTICE

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Restricted Stock Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2021 Incentive Award Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Cipher Mining Inc. (the “Company”).

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the shares of Restricted Stock described in this Grant Notice (the “Restricted Shares”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Restricted Stock Agreement attached as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:

  

Grant Date:

  

Number of Restricted Shares:

  

Vesting Commencement Date:

  

Vesting Schedule:

   [To be specified in individual grant notices]

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan and the Agreement. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

CIPHER MINING INC.

    PARTICIPANT
By:  

 

   

 

Name:  

 

    [Participant Name]
Title:  

 

   


Exhibit A

RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

ARTICLE I.

GENERAL

1.1    Issuance of Restricted Shares. The Company will issue the Restricted Shares to Participant effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice and will cause (a) a stock certificate or certificates representing the Restricted Shares to be registered in Participant’s name or (b) the Restricted Shares to be held in book-entry form. If a stock certificate is issued, the certificate will be delivered to, and held in accordance with this Agreement by, the Company or its authorized representatives and will bear the restrictive legends required by this Agreement. If the Restricted Shares are held in book-entry form, then the book-entry will indicate that the Restricted Shares are subject to the restrictions of this Agreement.

1.2    Incorporation of Terms of Plan. The Restricted Shares are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

ARTICLE II.

VESTING, FORFEITURE AND ESCROW

2.1    Vesting. The Restricted Shares will become vested Shares (the “Vested Shares”) according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice except that any fraction of a Share that would otherwise become a Vested Share will be accumulated and will become a Vested Share only when a whole Vested Share has accumulated.

2.2    Forfeiture. In the event of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason, Participant will immediately and automatically forfeit to the Company any Shares that are not Vested Shares (the “Unvested Shares”) at the time of Participant’s Termination of Service, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company. Upon forfeiture of Unvested Shares, the Company will become the legal and beneficial owner of the Unvested Shares and all related interests and Participant will have no further rights with respect to the Unvested Shares.

2.3    Escrow.

(a)    Unvested Shares will be held by the Company or its authorized representatives until (i) they are forfeited, (ii) they become Vested Shares or (iii) this Agreement is no longer in effect. By accepting this Award, Participant appoints the Company and its authorized representatives as Participant’s attorney(s)-in-fact to take all actions necessary to effect any transfer of forfeited Unvested Shares (and Retained Distributions (as defined below), if any, paid on such forfeited Unvested Shares) to the Company as may be required pursuant to the Plan or this Agreement and to execute such representations or other documents or assurances as the Company or such representatives deem necessary or advisable in connection with any such transfer. The Company, or its authorized representative, will not be liable for any good faith act or omission with respect to the holding in escrow or transfer of the Restricted Shares.

(b)    All cash dividends and other distributions made or declared with respect to Unvested Shares (“Retained Distributions”) will be held by the Company until the time (if ever) when the Unvested Shares to which such Retained Distributions relate become Vested Shares. The Company will


establish a separate Retained Distribution bookkeeping account (“Retained Distribution Account”) for each Unvested Share with respect to which Retained Distributions have been made or declared in cash and credit the Retained Distribution Account (without interest) on the date of payment with the amount of such cash made or declared with respect to the Unvested Share. Retained Distributions (including any Retained Distribution Account balance) will immediately and automatically be forfeited upon forfeiture of the Unvested Share with respect to which the Retained Distributions were paid or declared.

(c)    As soon as reasonably practicable following the date on which an Unvested Share becomes a Vested Share, the Company will (i) cause the certificate (or a new certificate without the legend required by this Agreement, if Participant so requests) representing the Share to be delivered to Participant or, if the Share is held in book-entry form, cause the notations indicating the Share is subject to the restrictions of this Agreement to be removed and (ii) pay to Participant the Retained Distributions relating to the Share.

2.4    Rights as Stockholder. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or the Plan, upon issuance of the Restricted Shares by the Company, Participant will have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Restricted Shares, including the right to vote the Restricted Shares and to receive dividends or other distributions paid or made with respect to the Restricted Shares.

ARTICLE III.

TAXATION AND TAX WITHHOLDING

3.1    Representation. Participant represents to the Company that Participant has reviewed with Participant’s own tax advisors the tax consequences of the Restricted Shares and the transactions contemplated by the Grant Notice and this Agreement. Participant is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.

3.2    Section 83(b) Election. If Participant makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to the Restricted Shares, Participant will deliver a copy of the election to the Company promptly after filing the election with the Internal Revenue Service.

3.3    Tax Withholding.

(a)    The Company has the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat Participant’s failure to provide timely payment in accordance with the Plan of any withholding tax arising in connection with the Restricted Shares as Participant’s election to satisfy all or any portion of the withholding tax by requesting the Company retain Shares otherwise deliverable under the Award.

(b)    Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the Restricted Shares, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax withholding obligations that arise in connection with the Restricted Shares. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or payment of the Restricted Shares or the subsequent sale of the Restricted Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure this Award to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax liability.

ARTICLE IV.

RESTRICTIVE LEGENDS AND TRANSFERABILITY

4.1    Legends. Any certificate representing a Restricted Share will bear the following legend until the Restricted Share becomes a Vested Share:

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO FORFEITURE IN FAVOR OF THE COMPANY AND MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF A RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE STOCKHOLDER, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY.

 

A-2


4.2    Transferability. The Restricted Shares and any Retained Distributions are subject to the restrictions on transfer in the Plan and may not be sold, assigned or transferred in any manner unless and until they become Vested Shares. Any attempted transfer or disposition of Unvested Shares or related Retained Distributions prior to the time the Unvested Shares become Vested Shares will be null and void. The Company will not be required to (a) transfer on its books any Restricted Share that has been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of this Agreement or (b) treat as owner of such Restricted Share or accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any purchaser or other transferee to whom such Restricted Share has been so transferred. The Company may issue appropriate “stop transfer” instructions to its transfer agent, if any, or make appropriate notations to the same effect in its records.

ARTICLE V.

OTHER PROVISIONS

5.1    Adjustments. Participant acknowledges that the Restricted Shares are subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

5.2    Notices. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address or facsimile number. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant at Participant’s last known mailing address, email address or facsimile number in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given when actually received, when sent by email, when sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company or upon receipt of a facsimile transmission confirmation.

5.3    Titles. Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

5.4    Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

5.5    Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

5.6    Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement and the Restricted Shares will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3)

 

A-3


that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

5.7    Entire Agreement. The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.

5.8    Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

5.9    Limitation on Participant’s Rights. Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the Award.

5.10    Not a Contract of Employment. Nothing in the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement confers upon Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or interferes with or restricts in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or a Subsidiary and Participant.

5.11    Counterparts. The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Law, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

* * * * *

 

A-4

EX-10.8(b)

Exhibit 10.8(b)

 

CIPHER MINING INC.

2021 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT NOTICE

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2021 Incentive Award Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Cipher Mining Inc. (the “Company”).

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the Restricted Stock Units described in this Grant Notice (the “RSUs”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement attached as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:   
Grant Date:   
Number of RSUs:   
Vesting Commencement Date:   
Vesting Schedule:    [To be specified in individual grant notices]

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan and the Agreement. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

CIPHER MINING INC.

    PARTICIPANT
By:  

 

   

 

Name:  

 

    [Participant Name]
Title:  

 

   


Exhibit A

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

ARTICLE I.

GENERAL

1.1    Award of RSUs and Dividend Equivalents.

(a)    The Company has granted the RSUs to Participant effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”). Each RSU represents the right to receive one Share or, at the option of the Company, an amount of cash, in either case, as set forth in this Agreement. Participant will have no right to the distribution of any Shares or payment of any cash until the time (if ever) the RSUs have vested.

(b)    The Company hereby grants to Participant, with respect to each RSU, a Dividend Equivalent for ordinary cash dividends paid to substantially all holders of outstanding Shares with a record date after the Grant Date and prior to the date the applicable RSU is settled, forfeited or otherwise expires. Each Dividend Equivalent entitles Participant to receive the equivalent value of any such ordinary cash dividends paid on a single Share. The Company will establish a separate Dividend Equivalent bookkeeping account (a “Dividend Equivalent Account”) for each Dividend Equivalent and credit the Dividend Equivalent Account (without interest) on the applicable dividend payment date with the amount of any such cash paid.

1.2    Incorporation of Terms of Plan. The RSUs are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

1.3    Unsecured Promise. The RSUs and Dividend Equivalents will at all times prior to settlement represent an unsecured Company obligation payable only from the Company’s general assets.

ARTICLE II.

VESTING; FORFEITURE AND SETTLEMENT

2.1    Vesting; Forfeiture. The RSUs will vest according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice except that any fraction of an RSU that would otherwise be vested will be accumulated and will vest only when a whole RSU has accumulated. In the event of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason, all unvested RSUs will immediately and automatically be cancelled and forfeited, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company. Dividend Equivalents (including any Dividend Equivalent Account balance) will vest or be forfeited, as applicable, upon the vesting or forfeiture of the RSU with respect to which the Dividend Equivalent (including the Dividend Equivalent Account) relates.

2.2    Settlement.

(a)    RSUs and Dividend Equivalents (including any Dividend Equivalent Account balance) will be paid in Shares or cash at the Company’s option as soon as administratively practicable after the vesting of the applicable RSU, but in no event more than sixty (60) days after the RSU’s vesting date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may delay any payment under this Agreement that the Company reasonably determines would violate Applicable Law until the earliest date the Company


reasonably determines the making of the payment will not cause such a violation (in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(7)(ii)), provided the Company reasonably believes the delay will not result in the imposition of excise taxes under Section 409A.

(b)    If an RSU is paid in cash, the amount of cash paid with respect to the RSU will equal the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day immediately preceding the payment date. If a Dividend Equivalent is paid in Shares, the number of Shares paid with respect to the Dividend Equivalent will equal the quotient, rounded down to the nearest whole Share, of the Dividend Equivalent Account balance divided by the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day immediately preceding the payment date.

ARTICLE III.

TAXATION AND TAX WITHHOLDING

3.1    Representation. Participant represents to the Company that Participant has reviewed with Participant’s own tax advisors the tax consequences of this Award and the transactions contemplated by the Grant Notice and this Agreement. Participant is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.

3.2    Tax Withholding.

(a)    The Company has the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat Participant’s failure to provide timely payment in accordance with the Plan of any withholding tax arising in connection with the RSUs or Dividend Equivalents as Participant’s election to satisfy all or any portion of the withholding tax by requesting the Company retain Shares otherwise issuable under the Award.

(b)    Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the RSUs and the Dividend Equivalents, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax withholding obligations that arise in connection with the RSUs or Dividend Equivalents. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or payment of the RSUs or the Dividend Equivalents or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the RSUs or Dividend Equivalents to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax liability.

ARTICLE IV.

OTHER PROVISIONS

4.1    Adjustments. Participant acknowledges that the RSUs, the Shares subject to the RSUs and the Dividend Equivalents are subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

4.2    Notices. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address or facsimile number. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant at Participant’s last known mailing address, email address or facsimile number in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given when actually received, when sent by email, when sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company or upon receipt of a facsimile transmission confirmation.

 

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4.3    Titles. Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

4.4    Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

4.5    Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

4.6    Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement, the RSUs and the Dividend Equivalents will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

4.7    Entire Agreement. The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.

4.8    Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

4.9    Limitation on Participant’s Rights. Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the RSUs and Dividend Equivalents, and rights no greater than the right to receive cash or the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the RSUs and Dividend Equivalents, as and when settled pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

4.10    Not a Contract of Employment. Nothing in the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement confers upon Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or interferes with or restricts in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or a Subsidiary and Participant.

4.11    Counterparts. The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Law, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

* * * * *

 

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EX-10.8(c)

Exhibit 10.8(c)

 

CIPHER MINING INC.

2021 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

STOCK OPTION GRANT NOTICE

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Stock Option Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2021 Incentive Award Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Cipher Mining Inc. (the “Company”).

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the stock option described in this Grant Notice (the “Option”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Stock Option Agreement attached as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:   
Grant Date:   
Exercise Price per Share:   
Shares Subject to the Option:   
Final Expiration Date:   
Vesting Commencement Date:   
Vesting Schedule:    [To be specified in individual grant notices]
Type of Option    [Incentive Stock Option/Non-Qualified Stock Option]

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan and the Agreement. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

CIPHER MINING INC.

    PARTICIPANT
By:  

 

   

 

Name:  

 

    [Participant Name]
Title:  

 

   


Exhibit A

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

ARTICLE I.

GENERAL

1.1    Grant of Option. The Company has granted to Participant the Option effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”).

1.2    Incorporation of Terms of Plan. The Option is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

ARTICLE II.

PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY

2.1    Commencement of Exercisability. The Option will vest and become exercisable according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice (the “Vesting Schedule”) except that any fraction of a Share as to which the Option would be vested or exercisable will be accumulated and will vest and become exercisable only when a whole Share has accumulated. Notwithstanding anything in the Grant Notice, the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, unless the Administrator otherwise determines, the Option will immediately expire and be forfeited as to any portion that is not vested and exercisable as of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason.

2.2    Duration of Exercisability. The Vesting Schedule is cumulative. Any portion of the Option which vests and becomes exercisable will remain vested and exercisable until the Option expires. The Option will be forfeited immediately upon its expiration.

2.3    Expiration of Option. The Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after, and will expire on, the first of the following to occur:

(a)    The final expiration date in the Grant Notice;

(b)    Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of three (3) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service, unless Participant’s Termination of Service is for Cause or by reason of Participant’s death or Disability;

(c)    Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of one (1) year from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of Participant’s death or Disability; and

(d)    Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, Participant’s Termination of Service for Cause.

ARTICLE III.

EXERCISE OF OPTION

3.1    Person Eligible to Exercise. During Participant’s lifetime, only Participant may exercise the Option. After Participant’s death, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time the Option expires, be exercised by Participant’s Designated Beneficiary as provided in the Plan.


3.2    Partial Exercise. Any exercisable portion of the Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised, in whole or in part, according to the procedures in the Plan at any time prior to the time the Option or portion thereof expires, except that the Option may only be exercised for whole Shares.

3.3    Tax Withholding.

(a)    The Company has the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat Participant’s failure to provide timely payment in accordance with the Plan of any withholding tax arising in connection with the Option as Participant’s election to satisfy all or any portion of the withholding tax by requesting the Company retain Shares otherwise issuable under the Option.

(b)    Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the Option, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax withholding obligations that arise in connection with the Option. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the Option to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax liability.

ARTICLE IV.

OTHER PROVISIONS

4.1    Adjustments. Participant acknowledges that the Option is subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

4.2    Notices. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address or facsimile number. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant (or, if Participant is then deceased, to the person entitled to exercise the Option) at Participant’s last known mailing address, email address or facsimile number in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given when actually received, when sent by email, when sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company or upon receipt of a facsimile transmission confirmation.

4.3    Titles. Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

4.4    Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

4.5    Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

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4.6    Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement and the Option will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

4.7    Entire Agreement. The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.

4.8    Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

4.9    Limitation on Participant’s Rights. Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the Option, and rights no greater than the right to receive the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the Option, as and when exercised pursuant to the terms hereof.

4.10    Not a Contract of Employment. Nothing in the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement confers upon Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or interferes with or restricts in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or a Subsidiary and Participant.

4.11    Counterparts. The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Law, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

4.12    Incentive Stock Options. If the Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option:

(a)    Participant acknowledges that to the extent the aggregate fair market value of shares (determined as of the time the option with respect to the shares is granted) with respect to which stock options intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, including the Option, are exercisable for the first time by Participant during any calendar year exceeds $100,000 or if for any other reason such stock options do not qualify or cease to qualify for treatment as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, such stock options (including the Option) will be treated as non-qualified stock options. Participant further acknowledges that the rule set forth in the preceding sentence will be applied by taking the Option and other stock options into account in the order in which they were granted, as determined under Section 422(d) of the Code. Participant acknowledges that amendments or modifications made to the Option pursuant to the Plan that would cause the Option to become a Non-Qualified Stock Option will not materially or adversely affect Participant’s rights under the Option, and that any such amendment or modification shall not require Participant’s consent. Participant also acknowledges that if the Option is exercised more than three (3) months after Participant’s Termination of Service as an Employee, other than by reason of death or disability, the Option will be taxed as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

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(b)    Participant will give prompt written notice to the Company of any disposition or other transfer of any Shares acquired under this Agreement if such disposition or other transfer is made (a) within two (2) years from the Grant Date or (b) within one (1) year after the transfer of such Shares to Participant. Such notice will specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by Participant in such disposition or other transfer.

* * * * *

 

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EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Good Works Acquisition Corp. and Cipher Mining Announce Closing of Business Combination; Cipher Mining to Trade on Nasdaq Under Ticker Symbols “CIFR” and “CIFRW”

New York, NY, August 27, 2021: (GlobeNewswire) – Cipher Mining Technologies Inc., a U.S.-based Bitcoin mining company, today announced that it completed its business combination with Good Works Acquisition Corp. (“Good Works”) (NASDAQ: GWAC), a U.S. publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company. Good Works shareholders approved the business combination at a special meeting held on August 25, 2021.

Following the merger, the combined company is named Cipher Mining Inc. (“Cipher Mining”). Beginning on Monday, August 30, 2021, Cipher Mining’s ordinary shares and warrants will trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “CIFR” and “CIFRW”, respectively.

Cipher Mining’s experienced management team will be led by Chief Executive Officer Tyler Page. The Board of Directors of Cipher Mining (the “Board”) is composed of James “Jim” Newsome (Chair), Cary Grossman, Caitlin Long, Wesley “Bo” Williams, Holly Morrow Evans, Robert Dykes and Tyler Page. Cipher Mining believes that the Board’s diverse backgrounds and expertise across relevant industries will position it to execute on its strategies.

Private Placement (“PIPE”) and Closing Conditions

The business combination and associated PIPE investment enabled Cipher Mining to raise a total of approximately $391 million (after transaction expenses). After accounting for redemptions by Good Works’ public shareholders and transaction expenses in connection with the consummation of the business combination, the Minimum Cash Condition of $400 million in the agreement and plan of merger was not satisfied and Cipher Mining agreed to waive such condition.

Advisors

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as exclusive advisor and lead placement agent to Good Works, and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC served as lead financial advisor to Cipher Mining. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC also served as co-placement agents on the PIPE.

Schiff Hardin LLP acted as legal counsel to Good Works. Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal counsel to Cipher Mining. Mayer Brown LLP acted as legal counsel to the placement agents.

About Cipher Mining

Cipher Mining is an industrial-scale Bitcoin mining company dedicated to expanding and strengthening the Bitcoin network’s critical infrastructure. Its goal is to be the leading Bitcoin mining company in the United States. Cipher Mining aims to leverage best-in-class technology, market-leading power purchase arrangements, and a seasoned, dedicated senior management team to become the market leader in Bitcoin mining.

About Good Works

Good Works is a blank check company organized for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. The Good Works name reflects the fact that its management and directors donated half of their founder shares to charitable organizations in light of the impact that COVID-19 has had on the ability of non-profits to generate contributions and revenues. Good Works’ management team consists of Messrs. Fred Zeidman, CEO and Co-Chairman, Douglas Wurth, Co-Chairman, and Cary Grossman, President. I-B Good Works, LLC, an affiliate of I-Bankers Securities is the sponsor of Good Works.


Forward Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to the proposed business combination between Good Works and Cipher Mining, the services offered by Cipher Mining and the markets in which Cipher Mining operates, business strategies, debt levels, industry environment, potential growth opportunities, the effects of regulations and Cipher Mining’s projected future results. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “forecast,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions (including the negative versions of such words or expressions).

These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Cipher Mining and its management, are inherently uncertain. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: volatility in the price of Cipher Mining’s securities due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and regulated industry in which Cipher Mining plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Cipher Mining’s business and changes in the combined capital structure, and the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations and to identify and realize additional opportunities. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in Good Works final proxy statement/information statement/prospectus contained in the Form S-4 registration statement described below, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed by Good Works from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Good Works and Cipher Mining assume no obligation and, except as required by law, do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither Good Works nor Cipher Mining gives any assurance that either Good Works or Cipher Mining will achieve its expectations.

Contacts:

Investor Contact:

Mark Roberts

Blueshirt Capital Advisors

investors@ciphermining.com

Media Contact:

Ryan Dicovitsky / Kendal Till

Dukas Linden Public Relations

908-907-7703

CipherMining@DLPR.com

EX-99.2

Exhibit 99.2

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Exhibit 99.2 have the meanings ascribed to them in the final prospectus and definitive proxy statement (the “proxy statement/prospectus”) filed with the SEC on August 2, 2021 (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”).

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information is provided to aid you in your analysis of the financial aspects of the Business Combination and presents the combination of the financial information of GWAC and Cipher, adjusted to give effect to the Business Combination (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the PIPE Financing and the Bitfury Private Placement) and the other related events contemplated by the Merger Agreement. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of June 30, 2021 combines the historical balance sheet of GWAC as of June 30, 2021 and the historical balance sheet of Cipher as of April 30, 2021, on a pro forma basis as if the Business Combination and related transactions, summarized below, had been consummated on June 30, 2021.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021, combine the historical statement of operations of GWAC for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the historical statement of operations of Cipher for the three months ended April 30, 2021 on a pro forma basis as if the Business Combination and other related events had been consummated on January 1, 2021. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020, combine the historical statement of operations of GWAC for the period from June 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and the historical statement of operations of Cipher for the period from January 7, 2021 (inception) through January 31, 2021 on a pro forma basis as if the Business Combination and other related events had been consummated on June 24, 2020, the beginning of the earliest period presented.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements have been developed from and should be read in conjunction with:

 

   

the accompanying notes to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements;

 

   

GWAC’s unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2021, and the related notes, each of which are included in GWAC’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 10, 2021;

 

   

the historical audited financial statements of GWAC for the period from June 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and the related notes, which is included in the in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus;

 

   

Cipher’s unaudited interim financial statements as of and for the three months ended April 30, 2021, and the related notes, each of which are included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus;

 

   

the historical audited financial statements of Cipher for the period from January 7, 2021 (inception) through January 31, 2021 and the related notes, each of which is included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus; and

 

   

other information relating to GWAC and Cipher included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, including sections entitled “GWAC’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, “Cipher’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, and other financial information relating to GWAC and Cipher contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

Description of the Business Combination

On August 27, 2021, GWAC and Merger Sub and Cipher consummated the Business Combination pursuant to which, Merger Sub merged with and into Cipher, with Cipher surviving the Business Combination. Cipher became a wholly-owned subsidiary of GWAC and GWAC was renamed “Cipher Mining Inc.”


Upon the consummation of the Business Combination, all holders of Cipher common stock will receive shares of New Cipher Common Stock of $10.00 per share after giving effect to the Exchange Ratio, resulting in an estimated 200,000,000 million shares of New Cipher Common Stock to be immediately issued and outstanding to Bitfury Top HoldCo (in addition to 17,000,000 million of New Cipher Common Stock held by GWAC), 32,235,000 of New Cipher Common Stock held by the PIPE Investors and 6,000,000 of New Cipher Common Stock received by Bitfury Top HoldCo under the Bitfury Private Placement, based on the following events contemplated by the Merger Agreement:

 

   

the cancellation of each issued and outstanding share of Cipher common stock and

 

   

the conversion into the right to receive a number of shares of New Cipher Common Stock based upon the Exchange Ratio.

Other Related Events in connection with the Business Combination

Other related events that took place, or are contemplated to take place, in connection with the Business Combination are summarized below:

 

   

In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, GWAC entered into: (i) the PIPE Subscription Agreements to sell to certain investors (the “PIPE Investors”), an aggregate of 32,235,000 shares of GWAC Common Stock, immediately following the Closing, for a purchase price of $10.00 per share and at an aggregate gross proceeds of $322,350,000 (the “PIPE Financing”) and (ii) the Bitfury Subscription Agreement to sell to Bitfury Top HoldCo (or an affiliate of Bitfury Top HoldCo), an aggregate of 6,000,000 shares of GWAC Common Stock, immediately following the Closing, for a purchase price of $10.00 per share and Bitfury Top HoldCo’s payment in cash and/or forgiveness of outstanding indebtedness for aggregate gross proceeds of $60,000,000 (the “Bitfury Private Placement”); and

 

   

The obligations to consummate the transactions contemplated by the PIPE Subscription Agreements and the Bitfury Subscription Agreement are conditioned upon, among other things, customary closing conditions and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

Accounting for the Business Combination

Notwithstanding the legal form of the Business Combination pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Business Combination will be accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with GAAP. Under this method of accounting, GWAC is treated as the acquired company and Cipher is treated as the acquirer for financial statement reporting purposes. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the Business Combination will be treated as the equivalent of Cipher issuing stock for the net assets of GWAC, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of GWAC were stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded. Operations prior to the Business Combination are those of Cipher. Cipher has been determined to be the accounting acquirer based on evaluation of the following facts and circumstances:

 

   

Cipher’s existing shareholders will have the greatest voting interest in the combined entity;

 

   

Cipher has the ability to nominate a majority of the members of the board of directors of the combined entity;

 

   

Cipher’s senior management will be the senior management of the combined entity; and

 

   

Cipher’s operations prior to the acquisition comprising the only ongoing operations of New Cipher

Basis of Pro Forma Presentation

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X. The adjustments in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information have been identified and presented to provide relevant information necessary for an illustrative understanding of New Cipher upon consummation of the Business Combination in accordance with GAAP.

Assumptions and estimates underlying the unaudited pro forma adjustments set forth in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements are described in the accompanying notes. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements have been presented for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of the operating results and financial position that would have been achieved had the

 

2


Business Combination occurred on the dates indicated, and does not reflect adjustments for any anticipated synergies, operating efficiencies, tax savings or cost savings. Any cash proceeds remaining after the consummation of the Business Combination and the other related events are expected to be used for general corporate purposes. Further, the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements do not purport to project the future operating results or financial position of GWAC following the consummation of the Business Combination. The unaudited pro forma adjustments represent management’s estimates based on information available as of the date of these unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements and are subject to change as additional information becomes available and analyses are performed. GWAC and Cipher have not had any historical relationship prior to the transactions. Accordingly, no pro forma adjustments were required to eliminate activities between the companies.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information contained herein assumes that the GWAC’s shareholders approve the Business Combination. Pursuant to the Current Certificate of Incorporation, GWAC’s public shareholders may elect to redeem their shares upon the closing of the Business Combination for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount on deposit (as of two business days prior to the Closing) in the Trust Account. GWAC cannot predict how many of its public shareholders will exercise their right to redeem their GWAC Common Stock for cash.

The following summarizes the pro forma of New Cipher Common Stock ownership valued at $10.00 per share as of immediately following the Closing under each of these scenarios (totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding):

 

     Pro Forma Combined  
     Number of Shares      %
Ownership
 

New Cipher public shares

     4,345,619        1.8

New Cipher founder Shares

     4,250,000        1.7

New Cipher private placement shares

     228,000        0.1

New Cipher shares issued to PIPE Investors / Bitfury private placement

     38,235,000        15.5

New Cipher shares issued in merger to Cipher

     200,000,000        81.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Shares outstanding

     247,058,619        100.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

3


Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Balance Sheet

As of June 30, 2021

 

     Cipher
(Historical)(1)
    GWAC
(Historical)(2)
    Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 2)
          Pro Forma
Combined
 

ASSETS

          

Current assets

          

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 496,954     $ 127,722     $ 170,032,591       (1   $ 390,665,363  
         381,450,000       (3  
         (34,872,330     (4  
         —         (8  
         (126,569,575     (9  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses

     18,909       247,593       —           266,502  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total current assets

     515,863       375,315       390,040,687         390,931,865  

Marketable securities held in Trust Account

     —         170,032,591       (170,032,591     (1     —    

Deferred offering costs

     2,061,296       —         (2,061,296     (6     —    

Deferred investment costs

     186,548       —         —           186,548  

Other assets

     41,250       —         —           41,250  

Property and equipment, net

     4,491       —         —           4,491  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total assets

   $  2,809,448     $ 170,407,906     $ 217,946,800       $ 391,164,154  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY

          

Current liabilities

          

Accounts payable

   $ 42,563     $ 918,867     $ —         $ 961,430  

Accounts payable - related party

     5,100       —         —           5,100  

Accrued legal costs

     2,112,681       —         —           2,112,681  

Accrued expenses

     20,145       —         —           20,145  

Promissory note

     —         —         —         (8     —    

Related party loan

     900,000       —         (900,000     (3     —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total current liabilities

     3,080,489       918,867       (900,000       3,099,356  

Warrant liabilities

     —         199,402       —           199,402  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     3,080,489       1,118,269       (900,000       3,298,758  

Commitments and contingencies

          

Common stock subject to possible redemption

     —         170,000,000       (170,000,000     (2     —    

Stockholders’ (deficit) equity

          

Common stock

     1       4,478       17,000       (2     247  
         38,235       (3  
         (4,478     (5  
         (54,989     (7  

Additional paid-in capital

     4       1,451,170       169,983,000       (2     388,136,195  
         382,311,765       (3  
         (34,872,330     (4  
         (2,161,533     (5  
         (2,061,296     (6  
         54,989       (7  
         (126,569,575     (9  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Accumulated deficit

     (271,046     (2,166,011     2,166,011       (5     (271,046
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity

     (271,041     (710,363     388,846,800         387,865,396  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ (deficit) equity

   $ 2,809,448     $  170,407,906     $ 217,946,800       $ 391,164,154  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(1) 

Represents the historical balance sheet of Cipher as of April 30, 2021.

(2) 

Represents the historical balance sheet of GWAC as of June 30, 2021.

 

4


Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statement of Operations

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

 

     Cipher
(Historical)(1)
    GWAC
(Historical)(2)
    Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 2)
          Pro Forma
Combined
 

Revenue

   $ —       $ —       $ —         $ —    

Expenses

          

Administrative expenses

     267,421       2,032,419       —           2,299,840  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses

     267,421       2,032,419       —           2,299,840  

Operating loss

     (267,421     (2,032,419     —           (2,299,840

Other income (expense)

          

Change in fair value of warrant liabilities

     —         (76,332     —           (76,332

Interest expense

     (145     —         —           (145

Interest income

     —         49,769       (49,769     (1     —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net loss

   $  (267,566   $  (2,058,982   $ (49,769     $ (2,376,317
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Income (loss) per share, basic and diluted, redeemable shares

     $ (0.00      
    

 

 

       

Loss per share, basic and diluted, non-redeemable shares

     $ (0.44      
    

 

 

       

Weighted average redeemable shares outstanding, basic and diluted

     —         16,818,439       —           —    

Weighted average non-redeemable shares outstanding, basic and diluted

     —         4,659,492       —           —    

Net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted

   $ (721.20     $ —         $ (0.01
  

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted

     371         247,058,248       (2     247,058,619  

 

(1)

Represents the historical statement of operations of Cipher for the three months ended April 30, 2021.

(2)

Represents the historical statement of operations of GWAC for the six months ended June 30, 2021.

 

5


Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statement of Operations

For the Year Ended December 31, 2020

 

     Cipher
(Historical)(1)
    GWAC
(Historical)(2)
    Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
(Note 2)
          Pro Forma
Combined
 

Revenue

   $ —       $ —       $ —         $ —    

Expenses

          

Administrative expenses

     3,480       153,657       —           157,137  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Total expenses

     3,480       153,657       —           157,137  

Operating loss

     (3,480     (153,657     —           (157,137

Other income (expense)

          

Change in fair value of warrant liabilities

       19,284       —           19,284  

Interest income

     —         27,342       (27,342     (1     —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

   $  (3,480   $ (107,031   $ (27,342     $ (137,853
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

 

Income (loss) per share, basic and diluted, redeemable shares

     $ (0.00      
    

 

 

       

Loss per share, basic and diluted, non-redeemable shares

     $ (0.02      
    

 

 

       

Weighted average redeemable shares outstanding, basic and diluted

       16,723,356        

Weighted average non-redeemable shares outstanding, basic and diluted

       4,483,216        

Net income (loss) per share, basic and diluted

           $ (0.00
          

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted

         247,058,619       (2     247,058,619  

 

(1) 

Represents the historical statement of operations of Cipher for the period from January 7, 2021 (inception) through January 31, 2021.

(2)

Represents the historical statement of operations of GWAC for the period from June 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020.

 

6


Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements

1. Basis of Presentation

The Business Combination is accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with GAAP. Under this method of accounting, GWAC is treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes.

Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the Business Combination is treated as the equivalent of Cipher issuing stock for the net assets of GWAC, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of GWAC are stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of June 30, 2021 gives pro forma effect to the Business Combination as if it had been consummated on June 30, 2021. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021, gives pro forma effect to the Business Combination as if it had been consummated on January 1, 2021. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020, gives pro forma effect to the Business Combination as if it had been consummated on June 24, 2020, which was the earliest date either entity was formed.

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements have been derived from and should be read in conjunction with:

 

 

the accompanying notes to the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements;

 

 

GWAC’s unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2021, and the related notes, each of which are included in GWAC’s quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 10, 2021;

 

 

the historical audited financial statements of GWAC for the period from June 24, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020 and the related notes, each of which are included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus;

 

 

Cipher’s unaudited interim financial statements as of April 30, 2021 and for the three months ended April 30, 2021, and the related notes, each of which are included elsewhere in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus;

 

 

the historical audited financial statements of Cipher for the period from January 7, 2021 (inception) through January 31, 2021 and the related notes, each of which are included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus;

 

 

other information relating to GWAC and Cipher contained in the Proxy Statement, including the Merger Agreement and the description of certain terms thereof set forth in the section entitled “The Business Combination.”; and

 

 

the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of GWAC”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Cipher,” and financial information included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

Management has made significant estimates and assumptions in its determination of the pro forma adjustments. As the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared based on these preliminary estimates, the final amounts recorded may differ materially from the information presented.

The pro forma adjustments reflecting the consummation of the Business Combination are based on information available as of the date hereof and certain assumptions and methodologies that management believes are reasonable under the circumstances. The unaudited condensed pro forma adjustments, which are described in the accompanying notes, may be revised as additional information becomes available and is evaluated. Therefore, the actual adjustments may materially differ from the pro forma adjustments. Management considers this basis of presentation to be reasonable under the circumstances.

One-time direct and incremental transaction costs anticipated to be incurred prior to, or concurrent with, the Closing are reflected in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as a direct reduction to the New Cipher’s additional paid-in capital and are assumed to be cash settled.

 

7


2. Transaction Accounting Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Information

The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared to illustrate the effect of the Business Combination and has been prepared for informational purposes only.

The following unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X as amended by the final rule, Release No. 33-10786 “Amendments to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses.” Release No. 33-10786 replaces the existing pro forma adjustment criteria with simplified requirements to depict the accounting for the transaction (“Transaction Accounting Adjustments”) and present the reasonably estimable synergies and other transaction effects that have occurred or are reasonably expected to occur (“Management’s Adjustments”). The Company has elected not to present Management’s Adjustments and will only be presenting Transaction Accounting Adjustments in the following unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information.

GWAC and Cipher have not had any historical relationship prior to the Business Combination. Accordingly, no transaction accounting adjustments were required to eliminate activities between the companies.

Transaction Accounting Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Balance Sheet

The transaction accounting adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of June 30, 2021 are as follows:

 

  (1)

Reflects the liquidation and reclassification of cash and investments held in the Trust Account that becomes available for general use by New Cipher following the Business Combination.

 

  (2)

Reflects the transfer of GWAC’s approximately $170 million common stock subject to possible redemptions balance as of June 30, 2021 to permanent equity.

 

  (3)

Reflects the gross receipt of $382.4 million from the PIPE Financing ($322.4 million) and Bitfury Private Placement ($60.0 million) (38.2 million common shares at $10.00 per share) less the $0.9 million already disbursed to Cipher as a related party loan as of April 30, 2021.

 

  (4)

Reflects the payment of transaction costs of approximately $34.9 million. Transaction costs includes legal, financial advisory, deferred underwriters’ discount payable and other professional fees related to the Business Combination.

 

  (5)

Reflects the elimination of GWAC’s accumulated deficit and its common stock balances into additional paid in capital.

 

  (6)

Reflects the reclassification of deferred offering costs to additional paid in capital.

 

  (7)

Reflects the reorganization of Cipher to New Cipher.

 

  (8)

Reflects issuance and payoff of $50,000 promissory note issued after March 31, 2021. For further details, see section “GWAC’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Contractual Obligations” in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus.

 

  (9)

Reflects the transaction accounting adjustment, for the actual redemption of 12,654,381 GWAC Common Stock (at a redemption price of slightly over $10.00 per share) totaling approximately $126.6 million.

Transaction Accounting Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Statements of Operations

The transaction accounting adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 are as follows:

 

  (1)

Reflects the adjustment to eliminate interest earned on balances held in the Trust Account.

 

8


  (2)

Reflects the increase in the weighted average shares outstanding due to the issuance of common stock (and the maximum redemption scenario) in connection with the Business Combination.

3. Loss per Share

Represents the net loss per share calculated using the historical weighted average shares outstanding, and the issuance of additional shares in connection with the Business Combination, assuming the shares were outstanding since January 1, 2020. As the Business Combination and related transactions are being reflected as if they had occurred at the beginning of the period presented, the calculation of weighted average shares outstanding for basic and diluted net loss per share assumes that the shares issuable relating to the Business Combination have been outstanding for the entire period presented.

 

     Six Months Ended
June 30, 2021
 

Pro forma net loss

   $ (2,376,317

Weighted average shares outstanding – basic and diluted

     247,058,619  

Net loss per share - basic and diluted(1)

   $ (0.01
  

 

 

 

 

     Year Ended
December 31, 2020
 

Pro forma net loss

   $ (137,853

Weighted average shares outstanding – basic and diluted

     247,058,619  

Net income (loss) per share – basic and diluted(1)

   $ (0.00
  

 

 

 

New Cipher public shares

     4,345,619  

New Cipher founder shares

     4,250,000  

New Cipher private placement shares

     228,000  

New Cipher shares issued to PIPE Investors / Bitfury private placement

     38,235,000  

New Cipher shares issued in merger to Cipher

     200,000,000  
  

 

 

 

Shares outstanding

     247,058,619  
  

 

 

 

 

(1) 

Outstanding options and warrants are anti-dilutive and are not included in the calculation of diluted net loss per share.

The power and hosting arrangements and the Master Services and Supply Agreement, as described in the section titled “Information about Cipher – Material Agreements” of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, are not considered within the pro forma information presented.

 

9