Big Digital Energy, Inc.

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the following information about these risks, together with the other information contained in this Annual Report, including the matters addressed in the sections entitled “CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, before making an investment decision. Our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected as a result of any of the following risks. The value of our securities could decline as a result of any of these risks. You could lose all or part of your investment in our securities. Some of the statements in “RISK FACTORS” are forward-looking statements. The following risk factors are not the only risk factors facing our company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations and it is not possible to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on us or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements.

Our business is subject to a number of risks, including risks that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. These risks are discussed more fully below and include, but are not limited to, risks related to:

Risks Relating to Our Business and Management

Risks Relating to Digital Assets Mining, Bitcoin Price and Technology

Risks Relating to Laws, Regulatory Frameworks, and Legal Action

Risks Relating to Our Business and Management

We have incurred operating losses since inception.

During the time we have operated we have incurred net losses. We expect to continue to incur losses for the near future, and these losses may likely increase as we pursue our growth strategy. If we do not achieve our operational objectives, and if we do not generate sufficient cash flow and income, our financial performance and long-term viability may be materially and adversely affected. Our inability to achieve and then maintain profitability would negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We will need to raise substantial additional capital to continue our operations and execute our business strategy, meet our debt service obligations and execute our business strategy, and we may not be able to raise adequate capital on a timely basis, on favorable terms, or at all. Our inability to raise sufficient capital would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and business.

We have a history of losses from operations, we expect potential negative cash flows from our operations to continue for the foreseeable future, and we expect that our net losses will continue for the foreseeable future as we seek to increase the efficiency of our operations, find new colocation customers, and grow the size of our self-mining operations. These circumstances raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our financial statements as of December 31, 2024, have been prepared on the basis that we will be able to continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. At December 31, 2024, our accumulated deficit was $228.8 million, our cash and cash equivalents were $6.1 million, we had negative working capital of $35.9 million, and we had an aggregate of $20.9 million of debt. In addition, the Celsius deposit of $15.3 million is the subject of an ongoing legal dispute and litigation.

Advancing our future plans will require substantial additional investment. Based on our current operating plan estimates, we do not have sufficient cash to satisfy our working capital needs and other liquidity requirements over the next 12 months from the date of this report. We will need to raise substantial additional capital in the near term to continue to fund our operations, meet our debt obligations and execute our current business strategy. The amount and timing of our capital needs have and will continue to depend on many factors, as discussed further below as well as under Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations —Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

We have several notes in default which can subject collateral to seizure and otherwise impact our ability to use the collateral in our operations as well as affect our ability to raise capital. Additional capital may not be available to us, or even if it is, the cost of such capital may be high or even uncommercial. We may be forced to obtain additional capital when our stock price or trading volume or both are low, or when the general market for digital assets companies is weak. Raising capital under any of these or similar scenarios, if we can raise any at all, may lead to significant dilution to our existing stockholders. We may be forced to sell assets to raise capital, and we may not be able to realize the full value of those assets at the time of sale.

Our management may devote significant time and we may incur substantial costs in pursuing, evaluating and negotiating potential strategic options or capital-raising transactions and those efforts may not prove successful on a timely basis, or at all. If we cannot raise adequate additional capital when needed, we may be forced to reorganize or merge with another entity, sell or monetize assets, file for bankruptcy, or cease operations. If we become unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets, and might realize significantly less than the values at which they are carried on our financial statements, and our stockholders may lose all or part of their investment in our Common Stock.

We have experienced management turnover, including turnover of our top executives, which creates uncertainties and could have an adverse effect on our business.

The responsibility of the direction and operation of our business relies heavily on a small number of key people, including our CEO and CFO. If any of our key employees cease their involvement in our business or, in the unfortunate situation one or more of them are seriously injured or dies, this loss would have a significant and likely adverse impact on us.

Recently, we experienced updates to our executive leadership, including the departure of William “Sandy” Harrison as our CFO in January 2025 and the appointment of William C. Regan as our new CFO in January 2025 at the same time. In June 2024, Kaliste Saloom, previously Corporate Secretary and acting General Counsel of the Company, was appointed as our General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

Although we have endeavored to implement these management transitions in a non-disruptive manner, such transitions can be inherently difficult to manage and may hamper our ability to meet our financial and operational goals. Such changes may also give rise to uncertainty among our customers, investors, suppliers, employees and others concerning our future direction and performance. Any of the foregoing could result in significant disruptions to our operations and may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to execute on our business plans.

Inflation in the global economy could negatively impact our business and results of operations.

Inflation in the United States and around the world has risen to levels not experienced in recent decades. Inflation, including rising prices for energy, metals, components, and other inputs as well as rising wages negatively impact our business by increasing our operating costs. As a result of inflation, we have experienced and may continue to experience, cost increases. Although we may take measures to mitigate the impact of this inflation, if these measures are not effective, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity could be materially adversely affected. Even if such measures are effective, there could be a difference between the timing of when these beneficial actions impact our results of operations and when the cost of inflation is incurred.

We or our suppliers may not be able to procure or repair hardware that is required in our operations.

The global supply chains are increasingly risky and complex. Our business relies on digital assets-specific hardware such as the Miners, and containers in which to operate the Miners, and also more general plant and equipment such transformers, breakers, power boards exhaust fans, deflectors, monitoring equipment and many other parts. If we are unable to procure such hardware, or replacement parts (at commercial prices, or at all), or they are delayed, our operations may be adversely affected which would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. If the manufacturers of such hardware are unable to obtain materials or components themselves, they may experience manufacturing delays or have to cease manufacturing altogether. Supply chain disruptions may also occur from time to time due to a range of factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to, increased costs of labor, freight costs and raw material prices along with a shortage of qualified workers.

There are a small number of major suppliers of Miners globally, and Miner manufacturing is located primarily in China. If we, or our customers, were unable to source Miners from those suppliers (for example due to overwhelming global demand for Miners, or due to geopolitical tensions, or war) at a commercial price, or at all, this would have a materially adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Even if the suppliers have agreed to supply us with miners, they may fail to supply the Miners due to their inability to manufacture sufficient Miners due to a shortage of components or resources such as semiconductors, a default, insolvency, a change in control, or change of laws (including export/import restrictions, quotas or tariffs).

Trade policies such as export/import restrictions, quotas or tariffs may reduce the ability of our suppliers to supply us with Miners or create a shortage or lack of components necessary for their manufacture or repair. Recently, the U.S. government has threatened significantly increased tariffs on foreign imports into the U.S. from certain countries, including China, Canada and Mexico. Miners that we source from China and other mining hardware that we source from outside the U.S. may be subject to these tariffs. If these tariffs are imposed, or if retaliatory trade measures are taken by foreign countries in response to additional tariffs, it could have the impact of increasing the aggregate purchase cost of those commodities or reducing the supply of available commodities, which could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Additionally, the government of the People’s Republic of China in particular exerts a high level of influence and control over its economy and businesses (private and state owned). There have been various examples of government policies, decisions, laws and intervention into particular industries. Changes in any of these policies, laws and regulations, or the interpretations thereof, as they relate to the mining hardware suppliers, could have a negative impact on our business.

Additionally, if our electricity suppliers are negatively affected by the international supply chain issues, they may not be able to maintain or grow their facilities and may not be able to supply us with power, or we may be unable to source extra power in the future to enable our growth. This would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Such supply chain disruptions have the potential to cause material impacts to our operating performance and financial position if the delivery of equipment for our facilities is delayed.

The Company’s expansion into the AI and HPC markets may present increased liability and additional risks to our business.

While the Company does not run AI and HPC workloads for its own purposes, it offers infrastructure for potential customers. As such, the Company may be indirectly exposed to risks in the AI and HPC space, including:

Mining equipment is prone to breakdown, fail or become obsolete.

Miners and related mining equipment used to mine digital assets are sophisticated machines and may be operated over two years or longer. They are thus prone to breakdown and may not function at any given time. Any downtime of a significant number of our Miners and mining equipment will have a direct impact on us as they would not be performing their role. This could occur due to an accident on site, or during transportation of a large number of Miners. In addition, the failure of any critical single piece of equipment may represent a single point of failure which could have widespread impacts. An example of this could be a fire within a substation resulting in a total power outage for a mining facility for a period until the substation was rebuilt, or a blown fuse which may affect any part of our facility. Such widespread mechanical issues or critical failures for any material duration would therefore decrease our revenue.

A number of factors drive the adoption of ever more efficient Miners in the Bitcoin mining industry, including energy prices, the fact the Bitcoin algorithm was designed so that as more computing power is added to the network, the difficulty to mine for each block increases, and halving events. Over time older mining equipment becomes less and less profitable, and like most computing hardware, eventually becomes obsolete. Mawson’s fleet has not been materially renewed for a number of years, which means that a number of factors could render its self-mining fleet obsolete, including a significant increase in difficulty, halving events, or simply wear and tear on the machines rendering some or all of them uncommercial, or inoperable.

Any extended outage or limitation of an internet connection at our sites could materially impact our operations and financial performance.

A secure, reliable and fast internet connection is required for our Miners to validate and verify Bitcoin transactions, secure transaction blocks and add those transaction blocks to the Bitcoin blockchain. Any extended downtime, bandwidth limitations or other constraints may reduce our ability to use our Miners support transactions on the Bitcoin network, and therefore reduce our ability to earn block rewards. In addition, global climate change could result in certain types of natural disasters occurring more frequently or with more intense effects. Any such events may result in Miners being subject to internet service disruptions or outages. The effects of any such events could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.

Access to reliable electricity sources at reasonable prices is critical to our growth and profitability.

Our operations require significant amounts of electrical power. If we are unable to continue to obtain sufficient electrical power on a cost-effective basis, we may not be able to realize the anticipated benefits of our significant capital investments. If power prices increase this will likely materially impact whether we can generate Bitcoin profitably, and how much net energy benefits we will be entitled to.

Our data infrastructure requires developed land, preferably close to sustainable and reasonably priced electricity sources. If we are unable to acquire rights to use such land or lose the rights to the land we currently lease or occupy, this would likely mean that we would lose access to the relevant supply of electricity. A lack of access to electricity would significantly impact the profitability and viability of our business.

Additionally, our operations could be materially adversely affected by prolonged power outages. The potential physical effects of climate change could result in power outages occurring more frequently. We may have to reduce or cease our operations in the event of an extended power outage, or as a result of the unavailability or increased cost of electrical power. If this were to occur, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Cyber-security threats pose a challenge to our business, including the safekeeping of our digital assets, and a risk of reputational damage.

Mawson, like almost all businesses around the world, is subject to continuous malicious attempts to penetrate its systems. We take measures to protect our operations and our digital and physical assets from unauthorized access, damage or theft; however, it is possible that the security system may not prevent improper access to, or damage or theft of our assets. A security breach could harm our reputation or result in the loss of some or all of our assets, or an inability to operate. A resulting perception that our measures do not adequately protect our assets could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We promptly and frequently liquidate digital assets that we mine and keep a minimum number of digital assets in our possession so as to minimize our risks against theft, loss, destruction or other issues relating to hackers and technological attack. We have methods of monitoring and ensuring that our Miners are directing hashrate to the correct pools and that any Bitcoin produced is sent to the intended recipient. Nevertheless, this security system may still be penetrated and may not be free from defect or immune to acts of God, and any loss due to a security breach, software defect or act of God will be borne by us.

The security system and operational infrastructure may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, error or malfeasance of an employee, or otherwise, and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to our private keys, data or Bitcoins. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees of ours to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our infrastructure. As the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, or may be designed to remain dormant until a predetermined event and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. If an actual or perceived breach of our security system occurs, the market perception of the effectiveness of its security system could be harmed, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In the event of a security breach, we may also be forced to cease operations, or suffer a reduction in assets, the occurrence of each of which could adversely affect us.

We may not have, or be able to obtain or maintain, relevant business insurance.

Due to the industry in which we operate, we may not be able to obtain or maintain some types of insurance that operators of similar businesses in other industries would usually obtain, at commercially viable premiums, or at all.

If our digital assets are lost, stolen or destroyed under circumstances rendering a party liable to us, the responsible party may not have the financial resources sufficient to satisfy our claim. Our digital assets are not insured.

The sale of our digital assets to pay expenses at a time of low digital asset prices could adversely affect our business.

We promptly and frequently liquidate digital assets. This may mean that we sell digital assets at a time when the prices on the respective digital asset exchange market are low, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If we fail to grow our hash rate and to effectively manage the renewal of our Miner fleet and other plant and equipment, we may be unable to compete, and our results of operations could suffer.

As our digital assets reach the end of useful life (such as our Miner fleet) we will need to plan for their replacement. Replacing our mining fleet will require significant capital which the Company does not currently have. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital and replace or renew our mining fleet, we may not be able to mine for Bitcoin on a commercial basis. This may force us to consider other business options, such as to expand our colocation business, however, even if successful, these alternative business options may not generate the same level of profit or income as self-mining.

Digital assets mining is a highly competitive industry.

The digital assets mining industry is highly competitive, especially for Bitcoin, and there are several competitors who are considerably larger than Mawson, and who have operated for longer in the industry. With this size and operating history likely comes greater resources (financial, human, and technical), greater brand recognition and reputation, stronger business relationships, and economies of scale. We expect existing competitors will expand their operations, new competitors will enter the industry, and some competitors will merge to create even stronger competitors. The digital asset mining industry is global. If the amount of competing computational power in the Bitcoin network increases, then the difficulty of the mining process increases, which may lead to lower Bitcoin rewards for Mawson.

Global climate change may have an adverse effect on our business operations and financial position.

Changes in climate and its effect on the environment such as changes in heat, humidity, snow, rainfall, weather patterns, water supplies and shortages, sea level and changing temperatures could have an adverse effect on our operations and financial performance. The potential physical effects of climate change on our operations, if any, are highly uncertain.

Extreme weather events may:

Banks and financial institutions may cease to provide financial services to persons involved in digital assets transactions.

Banks and other financial institutions can and have made legal and risk-based decisions to not accept customers such as digital assets investors or businesses that engage in Bitcoin-related activities or that accept Bitcoin as payment. This may be because it would be illegal for them to do so, or in situations where the legal position is unsure, but subject to material risk. If we, or our major business partners (e.g. exchanges, mining pools, or miner suppliers) are unable to obtain banking services, this will cause material business disruption and loss and damage to our business. If it occurs to a significant number of Bitcoin users, investors and traders, this may lead to a loss of confidence in Bitcoin and its value, leading to a fall in the Bitcoin price.

Risks Relating to Digital Assets and Technology

The digital assets industry and pricing can be volatile.

Digital assets such as Bitcoin pricing has proven to be volatile, characterized by periods of extreme upturns and downturns that have lasted over lengthy time periods multiple times in digital assets’ history. A falling Bitcoin price directly affects our ability to generate revenue, which can affect our ability to meet our financial obligations. Further, volatility in energy prices has often resulted in the major input cost to generate Bitcoin increasing.

The price of Bitcoin can fluctuate due to investment and trading sentiment amongst users, speculators, and investors for a range of reasons, including changes in interest rate settings, or negative or positive publicity (for example due to legal proceedings or losses to Bitcoin investors due to fraud or cyber-attacks a digital assets exchange or online wallet). Large holders of Bitcoin may be able to effect large price swings, especially if they were to liquidate their holdings, which would likely cause the price of Bitcoin to fall. A fall in the price of Bitcoin will have a negative impact on our revenues. The prices that we receive for our Bitcoin depend on numerous market factors beyond our control. Due to the highly volatile nature of the price of Bitcoin, our historical operating results have fluctuated, and continue to fluctuate, significantly from period to period. Mawson does not use derivatives to hedge Bitcoin prices.

Corporate collapses of important companies in the Bitcoin ecosystem, such as exchanges, funds, lenders, wallet providers and so on, or other digital assets can also have an impact on confidence and the Bitcoin price.

We are also exposed to the effect a falling price can have on our counterparties, including the exchanges we use and our colocation customers. In particular, in July 2022, Celsius Networks, LLC and Celsius Mining LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A subsidiary of Mawson remains an unsecured creditor of Celsius Mining LLC, with two unpaid pre-petition invoices totaling in excess of $1.8 million.

Subsequent disputes have led to litigation between Celsius entities and Mawson entities, as further discussed in Note 10 – Commitments and Contingencies to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 15. “Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules” in this Annual Report.

Significant contributors to all or any digital asset network could propose amendments to the respective network’s protocols and software that, if accepted and authorized by such network, could adversely affect us.

With respect to Bitcoin networks, a small group of individuals contribute to the Bitcoin Core project on GitHub.com. These individuals can propose refinements or improvements to the Bitcoin network’s source code through one or more software upgrades that alter the protocols and software that govern the Bitcoin network and the properties of Bitcoin, including the irreversibility of transactions and limitations on the mining of new Bitcoin. Proposals for upgrades and discussions relating there to take place on online forums. For example, there is an ongoing debate regarding altering the blockchain by increasing the size of blocks to accommodate a larger volume of transactions. Although some proponents support an increase, other market participants oppose an increase to the block size as it may deter miners from confirming transactions and concentrate power into a smaller group of miners.

To the extent that a significant majority of the users and miners on the Bitcoin network install such software upgrade(s), the Bitcoin network would be subject to new protocols and software that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In the event a developer or group of developers proposes a modification to the Bitcoin network that is not accepted by a majority of miners and users, but that is nonetheless accepted by a substantial plurality of miners and users, two or more competing and incompatible blockchain implementations could result. This is known as a “hard fork.” In such a case, the “hard fork” in the blockchain could materially and adversely affect the perceived value of digital assets as reflected on one or both incompatible blockchains, which may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If a malicious actor or botnet (a volunteer or hacked collection of computers controlled by networked software coordinating the actions of the computers) obtains a majority of the processing power dedicated to mining on any digital asset network, including the Bitcoin network, it may be able to alter the blockchain by constructing alternate blocks if it is able to solve for such blocks faster than the remainder of the miners on the blockchain can add valid blocks. In such alternate blocks, the malicious actor or botnet could control, exclude or modify the ordering of transactions, though it could not generate new digital assets or transactions using such control. Using alternate blocks, the malicious actor could “double-spend” its own digital assets (i.e., spend the same digital assets in more than one transaction) and prevent the confirmation of other users’ transactions for so long as it maintains control. To the extent that such malicious actor or botnet does not yield its majority control of the processing power, or the digital asset community does not reject the fraudulent blocks as malicious, reversing any changes made to the blockchain may not be possible. Such changes could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

A failure to properly monitor and upgrade the Bitcoin network protocol could damage the Bitcoin network and adversely affect us.

The open-source structure of the digital assets network protocols means that the contributors to the protocol are generally not directly compensated for their contributions in maintaining and developing the protocol. The Bitcoin network, for example, operates based on an open-source protocol maintained by contributors, largely on the Bitcoin Core project on GitHub. As an open-source project, Bitcoin is not represented by an official organization or authority. As the Bitcoin network protocol is not sold and its use does not generate revenues for contributors, contributors are generally not compensated for maintaining and updating the Bitcoin network protocol. The lack of guaranteed financial incentive for contributors to maintain or develop the Bitcoin network and the lack of guaranteed resources to adequately address emerging or latent issues with the Bitcoin network may reduce incentives to address the issues adequately or in a timely manner. Modification or changes to the Bitcoin protocol by a sufficient number of users (known as a “fork”) may lead to unforeseen bugs or other negative outcomes for Mawson and miners in general. Changes to our latent issues in a digital asset network which we are mining could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The incentive for Bitcoin mining may decrease over time as the reward decreases.

A Bitcoin halving occurs when block rewards, or the number of Bitcoins entering circulation whenever a block is produced (approximately every 10 minutes), is reduced by half. This occurs on a schedule built into Bitcoin’s programming and happens every 210,000 blocks with the purpose being to issue the total supply of Bitcoin into the market less frequently over time. This supply effect increases Bitcoin’s scarcity, which has, historically, increased its price. When Bitcoin first started, 50 Bitcoins were rewarded to miners per block produced. The reward has decreased over the years and, the current block reward is 3.125 Bitcoins per block. Halving events will continue until the block reward reaches zero. The process will end with a predetermined total of 21 million Bitcoins being issued, estimated to be around the year 2140. At each prior halving event, the short-term subsequent effect on the Bitcoin price has been an increase in price, however this trend may not continue in the future, in which case, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially adversely affected.

More significant reductions in aggregate hashrate on digital asset networks could result in material, though temporary, delays in block solution confirmation time. Any reduction in confidence in the confirmation process or aggregate hashrate of any digital asset network may negatively impact the value of digital assets, which will adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The impact of the Bitcoin halving, which took place in April 2024 has introduced uncertainly that could materially impact our self-mining revenue or our colocation services customers businesses.

The Bitcoin block reward halved on April 19, 2024, reducing the number of Bitcoins earned for each block mined from 6.25 to 3.125. If the Bitcoin price does not appreciate sufficiently to offset this 50% reduction in mining rewards, our and/or our colocation services customers revenues, cash flows, and operating results could be materially and adversely impacted. There can be no assurance that the market price of Bitcoin will increase in the near term nor that our operating costs will decrease proportionally to mitigate the halving’s adverse impact on our self-mining profitability. As a result, the halving has introduced significant uncertainty to our near-term financial prospects and could require us to modify our operating plans and growth strategies.

Increasing network difficulty, plays a crucial role in determining the profitability of Digital Assets and Bitcoin mining.

Essentially, network difficulty refers to the degree of effort required to solve the mathematical problems that validate transactions on the Bitcoin network. For digital assets that use a Proof-of-Work (PoW) validation system such as Bitcoin, creating new digital assets involves “miners” using their computers to solve complex mathematical puzzles. In the case of Bitcoin, miners’ computers, also called nodes, collect and bundle individual transactions into blocks every ten minutes, which is the fixed “block time” of Bitcoin. The computers then compete to solve a complex cryptographic puzzle to be the first to validate the new block for the blockchain. As a digital assets like Bitcoin becomes more popular, the number of computers participating in this peer-to-peer validation network increases. With more participants and more computing power, the so-called “hashpower” of the entire network increases accordingly.

The higher the network difficulty, the more challenging it is to mine new Bitcoins. As a result, mining profitability is directly impacted by changes in difficulty levels. There are several other factors that can influence network difficulty, such as:

1. Network difficulty adjustments: The Bitcoin network adjusts difficulty every 2016 blocks or approximately every two weeks. The adjustment is based on the total network hash rate, which is the measure of computing power being used to mine on the network. If the hashing power on the network increases, the difficulty level also increases to maintain a consistent rate of new blocks being added to the blockchain. Conversely, if the hashing power decreases, the difficulty level decreases as well. This means that the profitability of mining can be impacted by changes in the number of miners on the network.

2. Block time: As mentioned earlier, the target block time for Bitcoin is 10 minutes. If blocks are being generated too quickly, the difficulty level will increase to slow down the rate of block creation. Conversely, if blocks are being generated too slowly, the difficulty level will decrease to speed up the rate of block creation.

3. Hardware efficiency: The efficiency of mining hardware can have a significant impact on mining difficulty. More efficient hardware can mine more hashes per second, which increases the hash rate and can cause the difficulty level to rise.

4. Electricity costs: Mining requires a lot of electricity, and the cost of electricity can have a significant impact on mining difficulty. If electricity costs are high, miners may need to shut down their operations or switch to more efficient hardware to remain profitable.

5. Market conditions: The price of Bitcoin can have a significant impact on mining difficulty. If the price of Bitcoin increases, more miners may join the network, causing the hash rate to increase and the difficulty level to rise. Conversely, if the price of Bitcoin decreases, some miners may exit the network, causing the hash rate to drop and the difficulty level to decrease.

6. Halving: Bitcoin undergoes a halving event roughly every four years, where the reward for mining a new block is cut in half. This means that miners need to mine twice as many blocks to earn the same amount of Bitcoin. This can lead to a drop in hashrate, as some miners may find it less profitable to continue mining.

An increase in transaction fees could reduce the price of digital assets.

If fees increase for recording transactions on the Bitcoin network, demand for digital assets may decrease and prevent the expansion of the network to retail merchants and commercial businesses, resulting in a reduction in the price of digital assets that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Digital assets firms may be forced to sell their Bitcoin or digital assets holdings putting downward pressure on the Bitcoin price.

A professionalized mining operation may be more likely to sell a higher percentage of its newly mined digital assets rapidly if it is operating at a low profit margin. In a low profit margin environment, a higher percentage could be sold into the digital asset exchange market more rapidly, thereby potentially reducing digital asset prices. Lower digital asset prices could result in further tightening of profit margins, particularly for mining operations with higher costs and more limited capital reserves, creating a network effect that may further reduce the price of digital assets until mining operations with higher operating costs become unprofitable and remove mining power from the respective digital asset network. The network effect of reduced profit margins resulting in greater sales of newly mined digital assets could result in a reduction in the price of digital assets that could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

To the extent that the digital asset exchanges / custodians representing a substantial portion of the volume in digital asset trading are involved in fraud or experience security failures or other operational issues, such digital asset exchanges / custodians’ failures may result in a reduction in the price of some or all digital assets and can adversely affect us.

The digital asset exchanges / custodians on which the digital assets trade are relatively new (compared to actors in traditional financial services) and, in most cases, largely unregulated, or subject to little oversight. Furthermore, many digital asset exchanges / custodians (including several of the most prominent USD denominated digital asset exchanges) do not provide the public with significant information regarding their ownership structure, management teams, corporate practices or regulatory compliance. As a result, the marketplace may lose confidence in, or may experience problems relating to, digital asset exchanges / custodians, including prominent exchanges / custodians handling a significant portion of the volume of digital asset trading.

A lack of stability in the digital asset exchange market and the closure or temporary shutdown of digital asset exchanges due to fraud, business failure, hackers or malware, or government-mandated regulation may reduce confidence in the digital asset networks and result in greater volatility in digital asset values. These potential consequences of a digital asset exchange’s failure could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Currently, there is relatively small use of Bitcoins and other digital assets in the retail and commercial marketplace in comparison to relatively large use by speculators, thus contributing to price volatility that could adversely affect an investment in us. Digital assets are a relatively new concept and asset class, so there is still some degree of uncertainty and skepticism about their use. Whether their popularity will gain further traction is difficult to predict. If the popularity and use of digital assets diminish and leads to their value decreasing, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially adversely affected.

Future digital assets and digital currency development may lessen the usage of Bitcoin.

Digital asset technology is evolving, and new digital assets can be created. New digital assets competing with Bitcoin may increase in popularity and in turn cause a decline in the value of Bitcoin, which may in turn lead to a decline in the Bitcoin network and our ability to generate revenue from our current mining activities. This may include the development of so-called central bank digital currencies (“CBCDs”). Many governments around the world, and central banks are reportedly considering or studying the potential for CBCDs, including the United States Federal Reserve.

The development of quantum computing threatens the cryptographic protections of blockchain protocols.

Governments and corporations around the world are conducting research and development to produce quantum computers which will be much more powerful than modern computers. The potential capability of quantum computers poses a potential threat to the underlying cryptographic protections that the Bitcoin blockchain protocol relies on, and therefore to the reliability of the blockchain, and may therefore undermine users’ trust in Bitcoin and digital currencies in general. For example, a quantum computer may provide the possibility of decrypting user private keys and forging transaction signatures, undermining the integrity of the blockchain. A loss of trust in the digital currencies due to the ability of quantum computing to undermine security protocols will likely have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Relating to Laws, Regulatory Frameworks, and Legal Action

We are subject to a highly-evolving regulatory landscape and any adverse changes to, or our failure to comply with, any laws and regulations could adversely affect our business, reputation, prospects or operations. Obtaining and complying with required government permits and approvals may be time-consuming and costly.

We are required to obtain, and to comply with, numerous permits and licenses from federal, state and local governmental agencies. The process of obtaining and renewing necessary permits and licenses can be lengthy and complex, requiring up to months or years for approval depending on the nature of the permit or license and such process could be further complicated or extended in the event regulations change. In addition, obtaining such permit or license can sometimes result in the establishment of conditions that create a significant ongoing impact to the nature or costs of operations or even make the project or activity for which the permit or license was sought unprofitable or otherwise unattractive. In addition, such permits or licenses may be subject to denial, revocation or modification under various circumstances. Failure to obtain or comply with the conditions of permits or licenses, or failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, may result in the delay or temporary suspension of our operations and electricity sales or the curtailment of our delivery of electricity to our customers and may subject us to penalties and other sanctions. Although various regulators routinely renew existing permits and licenses, renewal of our existing permits or licenses could be denied or jeopardized by various factors, including failure to provide adequate financial assurance for closure, failure to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations or permit conditions, local community, political or other opposition and executive, legislative or regulatory action. Our inability to procure and comply with the permits and licenses required for these operations, or the cost to us of such procurement or compliance, could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, new environmental legislation or regulations, if enacted, or changed interpretations of existing laws, may cause activities at our facilities to need to be changed to avoid violating applicable laws and regulations or eliciting claims that historical activities at our facilities violated applicable laws and regulations. In addition to the possible imposition of fines in the case of any such violations, we may be required to undertake significant capital investments and obtain additional operating permits or licenses, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Digital assets such as Bitcoin are likely to be more highly regulated.

Digital assets have been subject to ongoing scrutiny by regulators and government. It is possible that regulation in the digital asset industry will increase. We cannot be certain of future regulatory developments or interpretations, and it is difficult to list or describe all the risks that Mawson may be subject to in this space. In addition, regulatory actions, as well as any other political developments in the regions with active digital assets trading or mining, may increase our domestic competition as some of those digital assets miners or new entrants in this market may move their digital assets mining operations or establishing new operations in the United States. Furthermore, government scrutiny related to restrictions on digital assets mining facilities and their energy consumption has increased over the past few years as digital assets mining has become more widespread. The consumption of electricity by mining operators may also have a negative environmental impact, including contribution to climate change, which could set the public opinion against allowing the use of electricity for Bitcoin mining activities or create a negative consumer sentiment and perception of Bitcoin. State and federal regulators are increasingly focused on the energy and environmental impact of Bitcoin mining activities. Additionally, if the regulatory and economic environment in Pennsylvania and Ohio were to become less favorable to Bitcoin mining and hosting companies, including by way of increased taxes, means our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining are presently legal in the U.S.; however, they may become illegal in the future, or subject to regulation (such as caps, taxes or licensing regimes).

Regulatory changes or interpretations could cause us (or any of our related entities) to register and comply with new regulations, resulting in potentially extraordinary, recurring or non-recurring expenses to continuing our digital assets business, or entering into new business ventures.

We may not be able to timely and effectively implement controls and procedures required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

We are required to comply with certain provisions of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). Section 404 requires that our management maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting that provides reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. It also requires that our management annually evaluate whether our internal control over financial reporting is effective at providing reasonable assurance and to disclose its assessment to investors. Our management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). As a result of this assessment, management identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting as described in Item 9A. “Controls and Procedures”. As a result of the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, the Company’s management has concluded that, as December 31, 2024, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective based on the criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by COSO.

In addition, while Mawson continues to work on these deficiencies and improve the overall control environment over financial reporting, as a smaller reporting company and non-accelerated filer, we are not subject to the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. However, as we grow, we may become subject to the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

If we fail to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the accuracy and timeliness of the filing of our annual and quarterly reports may be materially adversely affected and could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our Common Stock.

Future developments regarding the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income and foreign tax purposes could adversely impact our business.

Globally, many taxation laws, rules and guidelines have not been developed with digital assets in focus. For example, many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income and foreign tax treatment of transactions involving digital assets are uncertain, and it is unclear what guidance may be issued in the future on the treatment of digital asset transactions for U.S. federal income and foreign tax purposes.

There can be no assurance that the IRS or other foreign tax authorities will not alter their position or introduce new laws, regulations or guidance with respect to digital assets. Any such alteration of existing IRS and other foreign tax authority positions or additional guidance regarding digital asset products and transactions could result in adverse tax consequences for our business and could have an adverse effect on the value of digital asset and the broader digital assets markets. In addition, the IRS and other foreign tax authorities may disagree with tax positions that we have taken, which could result in increased tax liabilities. Future technological and operational developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income and foreign tax purposes.

Another example of an adverse ruling would be if we were classified as a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”) for any taxable year. Based on the current and anticipated composition of our income, assets and operations, and our business generally, we do not expect to be treated as a PFIC for the current taxable year or in the foreseeable future. The application of the PFIC rules to digital assets and transactions related thereto is subject to uncertainty. There can be no assurance that Mawson will not be classified as a PFIC for the current taxable year or for any future taxable year. If Mawson is considered a PFIC then there may be negative tax consequences for U.S. holders of our ordinary shares, as well as being subject to annual information reporting requirements. U.S. holders may wish to consult their tax advisors about the potential application of the PFIC rules to an investment in our ordinary shares.

Regulatory intervention by governments could affect the right to acquire, own, hold, sell, exchange or use Bitcoin or other digital assets.

Governments have and may take regulatory actions to restrict the right to acquire, own, hold, sell, exchange or use Bitcoin or other digital assets. For example, it may be, or may become, illegal to accept payment in Bitcoin for consumer transactions and banking institutions could be barred from accepting deposits of digital assets. Such restrictions would have a negative effect on the value and price of Bitcoin. On the other hand, some governments could decide to subsidize or support certain Bitcoin mining projects, thus adding hash rate to the overall network, and having a material adverse effect on the amount of Bitcoin we may be able to mine, the value of Bitcoin and, consequently, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

Additional legislation or guidance may be issued by U.S. and non-U.S. governing bodies that may differ significantly from our practices or interpretation of the law, which could have unforeseen effects on our financial condition and results of operations.

As digital assets have grown in both popularity and market size, governments around the world have reacted differently to digital assets; certain governments have deemed them illegal, and others have allowed their use and trade without restriction, while in some jurisdictions, such as in the United States, subject the mining, ownership and exchange of digital assets to extensive, and in some cases overlapping, unclear and evolving regulatory requirements. We are subject to various federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including those relating to the generation of power, noise, storage, handling, and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. Certain of these laws and regulations also impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault, for investigation and cleanup costs on current and former owners and operators of real property and persons who have disposed of or released hazardous substances into the environment. Electricity costs could also be affected due to existing or new regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, whether such regulations apply to all consumers of electricity or just to specified uses, such as Bitcoin mining. These regulations may be federal, state or local. There has been interest in the U.S. federal government and in some state governments in addressing climate change, including through regulation of Bitcoin mining. Past policy proposals to address climate change include measures ranging from taxes on carbon use or generation to energy consumption disclosure regimes to federally imposed limits on greenhouse gas emissions or energy use restrictions specific to Bitcoin mining. It is unclear how any such future legislation and regulation will affect our Pennsylvania and Ohio facilities. The course of future legislation and regulation in the United States remains difficult to predict, and potential increased costs associated with new legislation or regulation cannot be estimated at this time. Given the difficulty of predicting the outcomes of ongoing and future regulatory actions and legislative developments, it is possible that they could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations.

Legislative, regulatory, and litigation threats regarding climate change and energy conservation could add significant burden, costs and reputational damage to our business.

Changing environmental regulation and public energy policy may expose our business to new risks. Our Bitcoin colocation services and mining operations require a substantial amount of power and can only be successful, and ultimately profitable, if the costs we incur, including for electricity, are lower than the revenue we generate from our operations. As a result, our operations can only be successful if we can obtain sufficient electrical power for that mine on a cost-effective basis. For instance, our plans and strategic initiatives for our Pennsylvania and Ohio facilities are based, in part, on our understanding of current environmental and energy regulations, policies, and initiatives enacted by federal and state regulators. If new regulations are imposed, or if existing regulations are modified, the assumptions we made underlying our plans and strategic initiatives may be inaccurate, and we may incur additional costs to adapt our planned business, if we are able to adapt at all, to such regulations.

In addition, there continues to be a lack of consistent climate legislation, which creates economic and regulatory uncertainty for our business because the digital assets mining industry, with its high energy demand, may become a target for future environmental and energy regulation. New legislation and increased regulation regarding climate change could impose significant costs on us and our suppliers, including costs related to increased energy requirements, capital equipment, environmental monitoring and reporting, and other costs to comply with such regulations. Further, any future climate change regulations could also negatively impact our ability to compete with companies situated in areas not subject to such limitations. Moreover, we currently participate in energy demand response programs to curtail operations, return capacity to the electrical grid, and receive funds to offset foregone operational revenue when necessary, such as in extreme weather events. Given the political significance and uncertainty around the impact of climate change and how it should be addressed, and energy disclosure and use regulations, we cannot predict how legislation and regulation will affect our financial condition and results of operations in the future in the United States and the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Further, even without such regulation, increased awareness and any adverse publicity in the global marketplace about potential impacts on climate change or energy use by us or other companies in our industry could harm our reputation. Any of the foregoing could result in a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Changes to laws regarding the operation of Bitcoin mining and Bitcoin and digital assets exchanges by third parties may make the business model unsustainable and may lead to an inability to exchange mined Bitcoin for fiat currency efficiently. Digital assets mining may be made illegal in certain jurisdictions, including the ones we operate in, which could adversely affect our business prospects and operations.

It is possible that state or federal regulators may seek to impose harsh restrictions or total bans on digital assets mining which may make it impossible for us to do business without relocating our colocation and self-mining operations, which could be very costly and time consuming. Further, although Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining, as well as digital assets generally, are largely unregulated in most countries (including the United States), regulators could undertake new or intensify regulatory actions that could severely restrict the right to mine, acquire, own, hold, sell, or use digital assets or to exchange it for traditional fiat currency such as the United States Dollar. Such restrictions may adversely affect us as the large-scale use of digital assets as a means of exchange is presently confined to certain regions globally. Such circumstances could have a material adverse effect on us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, or operations and potentially the value of any Bitcoin or other digital assets we or our colocation customers mine, or otherwise acquire or hold, and thus harm investors. We are unable to predict the nature or extent of new and proposed legislation and regulation affecting the digital assets industry, or the potential impact of the use of digital assets, which could have material adverse effects on our business and our industry more broadly.

We may be subject to material litigation (including with our lenders and counter-parties counterparties), investigations, or enforcement actions by regulators and governmental authorities that are expensive to support, and if resolved adversely, could harm our business, revenue, and financial results.

We have been the subject to certain claims, legal proceedings (see Item 3. “Legal Proceedings” for more information about ongoing litigation) and may be subject in the future to claims, legal proceedings, government investigations or enforcement actions, including in the ordinary course of business. Agreements entered into by Mawson sometimes include indemnification provisions which can subject Mawson to costs and damages in the event of a claim against an indemnified third party. Regardless of the merit of particular claims, defending against litigation or responding to government investigations can be expensive, time-consuming, disruptive to operations and distracting to management. If Mawson is unable to successfully defend itself against such claims, then it may become liable to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments, fines or penalties, or alter, delay, limit or cease some or all its business practices. Mawson may also suffer damage to our brand and reputation as a result of such adverse judgment.

Because there has been limited precedent set for financial accounting for Bitcoin and other digital assets, the determinations that we have made for how to account for digital assets transactions may be subject to change.

Because there has been limited precedent set for the financial accounting for Bitcoin and other digital assets and related revenue recognition and no official guidance has yet been provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the SEC, it is unclear how companies may in the future be required to account for digital assets transactions and related revenue recognition. A change in regulatory or financial accounting standards could result in the necessity to change the accounting methods we currently intend to employ in respect of our anticipated revenues and assets and restate any financial statements produced based on those methods. Such a restatement could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operation.

Risks Relating to the Ownership of Our Common Stock and Other Risks

If we fail to comply with the continued listing standards of The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”), we may be delisted and the price of our Common Stock, our ability to access the capital markets and our financial condition could be negatively impacted.

Although our Common Stock is currently listed on Nasdaq, we may not be able to continue to meet Nasdaq’s minimum listing requirements, including, among others, maintaining a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and a minimum Market Value of Listed Securities of $35.0 million pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b). We have recently been notified by Nasdaq that we are out of compliance with the minimum closing bid price and minimum Market Value of Listed Securities requirements as further described in Note 15 – Subsequent Events to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 15. “Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules” in this Annual Report. If we are unable to regain compliance and maintain listing on Nasdaq and Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange, we and our stockholders could face significant negative consequences including: reducing the liquidity and market price of our Common Stock; reducing the number of investors willing to hold or acquire our Common Stock, which could negatively impact our ability to raise equity financing; decreasing the amount of news and analyst coverage of the Company; and limiting our ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.

The trading price of our Common Stock is likely to continue to be volatile.

The trading price of our Common Stock has been highly volatile and could continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Our Common Stock has experienced fluctuations due to market dynamics and the Bitcoin downturn. The stock market in general, and the market for technology companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Our Common Stock may be traded by short sellers, which may put pressure on the supply and demand for our Common Stock, further influencing volatility in its market price. Public perception of our company or management and other factors outside of our control may additionally impact Mawson’s stock price.

Our financial results may vary significantly from period to period due to fluctuations in our revenue, operating costs and other factors.

We expect our period-to-period financial results to vary based on a variety of factors, which we anticipate will fluctuate due to external factors such as the Bitcoin price and energy costs, may not be consistent or linear between periods. As a result of these factors, quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our financial results may not be useful, and that these comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of future performance. Moreover, our financial results may not meet the expectations of equity research analysts, ratings agencies or investors, who may be focused only on short-term quarterly financial results. If any of this occurs, the trading price of our stock could fall substantially, either suddenly or over time.

We may provide from time-to-time guidance regarding our expected financial and business performance. Correctly identifying key factors affecting business conditions and predicting future events is inherently an uncertain process, and our guidance may not ultimately be accurate and has in the past been inaccurate in certain respects, such as the timing of new exahash. Our guidance is based on certain assumptions, and may vary from actual results, if our assumptions are not met or are impacted as a result of various risks and uncertainties, the market value of our Common Stock could decline significantly.